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I.

It was a lording's daughter, the fairest one of three,1
That liked of her master as well as well might be.2
Till looking on an Englishman, the fair'st that eye could see,3
Her fancy fell a-turning.4
Long was the combat doubtful, that love with love did fight,5
To leave the master loveless, or kill the gallant knight;6
To put in practice either, alas, it was a spite7
Unto the silly damsel!8
But one must be refused, more mickle was the pain,9
That nothing could be used, to turn them both to gain,10
For of the two the trusty knight was wounded with disdain:11
Alas, she could not help it!12
Thus art, with arms contending, was victor of the day,13
Which by a gift of learnlng did bear the maid away;14
Then, lullaby, the learned man hath got the lady gay;15
For now my song is ended.16
 

II.

On a day (alack the day!)17
Love, whose month was ever May,18
Spied a blossom passing fair,19
Playing in the wanton air:20
Through the velvet leaves the wind,21
All unseen, 'gan passage find;22
That the lover, sick to death,23
Wish'd himself the heaven's breath.24
Air, quoth he, thy cheeks may blow;25
Air, would I might triumph so!26
But, alas! my hand hath sworn27
Ne'er to pluck thee from thy thorn:28
Vow, alack, for youth unmeet,29
Youth, so apt to pluck a sweet,30
Thou for whom Jove would swear31
Juno but an Ethiope were;32
And deny himself for Jove,33
Turning mortal for thy love.34

III.

My flocks feed not,35
My ewes breed not,36
My rams speed not,37
All is amiss:38
Love is dying,39
Faith's defying,40
Heart's denying,41
Causer of this.42
All my merry jigs are quite forgot,43
All my lady's love is lost, God wot:44
Where her faith was firmly fix'd in love,45
There a nay is plac'd without remove.46
One silly cross47
Wrought all my loss;48
O frowning Fortune, cursed, fickle dame!49
For now I see,50
Inconstancy51
More in women than in men remain.52
 
In black mourn I,53
All fears scorn I,54
Love bath forlorn me,55
Living in thrall:56
Heart is bleeding,57
All help needing,58
(O cruel speeding!)59
Fraughted with gall.60
My shepherd's pipe can sound no deal,61
My wether's bell rings doleful knell;62
My curtail dog, that wont to have play'd,63
Plays not at all, but seems afraid;64
With sighs so deep,65
Procures to weep,66
In howling-wise, to see my doleful plight.67
How sighs resound68
Through heartless ground,69
Like a thousand vanquish'd men in bloody fight!70
 
Clear wells spring not,71
Sweet birds sing not,72
Green plants bring not73
Forth; they die;74
Herds stand weeping,75
Flocks all sleeping,76
Nymphs back peeping77
Fearfully.78
All our pleasure known to us poor swains,79
All our merry meetings on the plains,80
All our evening sport from us is fled,81
All our love is lost, for Love is dead.82
Farewell, sweet lass,83
Thy like ne'er was84
For a sweet content, the cause of all my moan:85
Poor Coridon86
Must live alone,87
Other help for him I see that there is none.88
 

IV.

When as thine eye hath chose the dame,89
And stall'd the deer that thou shouldst strike,90
Let reason rule things worthy blame,91
As well as fancy partial might:92
Take counsel of some wiser head,93
Neither too young, nor yet unwed.94
 
And when thou com'st thy tale to tell,95
Smooth not thy tongue with filed talk,96
Lest she some subtle practice smell,97
(A cripple soon can find a halt:)98
But plainly say thou lov'st her well,99
And set thy person forth to sell.100  

What though her frowning brows be bent,101
Her cloudy looks will calm ere night;102
And then too late she will repent,103
That thus dissembled her delight;104
And twice desire, ere it be day,105
That which with scorn she put away.106
 
What though she strive to try her strength,107
And ban and brawl, and say thee nay,108
Her feeble force will yield at length,109
When craft hath taught her thus to say:110
'Had women been so strong as men,111
In faith, you had not had it then.'112
 
And to her will frame all thy ways;113
Spare not to spend,—and chiefly there114
Where thy desert may merit praise,115
By ringing in thy lady's ear:116
The strongest castle, tower, and town,117
The golden bullet beats it down.118
 
Serve always with assured trust,119
And in thy suit be humble, true;120
Unless thy lady prove unjust,121
Press never thou to choose anew:122
When time shall serve, be thou not slack123
To proffer, though she put thee back.124
 
The wiles and guiles that women work,125
Dissembled with an outward show,126
The tricks and toys that in them lurk,127
The cock that treads them shall not know.128
Have you not heard it said full oft,129
A woman's nay doth stand for naught?130
 
Think women still to strive with men,131
To sin, and never for to saint:132
There is no heaven, by holy then,133
When time with age doth them attaint.134
Were kisses all the joys in bed,135
One woman would another wed.136
 
But, soft! enough,—too much, I fear;137
Lest that my mistress hear my song;138
She'll not stick to round me i' the ear,139
To teach my tongue to be so long:140
Yet will she blush, here be it said,141
To hear her secrets so bewray'd.142
 

V.

Live with me, and be my love,143
And we will all the pleasures prove,144
That hills and valleys, dales and fields,145
And all the craggy mountains yields.146
 
There will we sit upon the rocks,147
And see the shepherds feed their flocks,148
By shallow rivers, by whose falls149
Melodious birds sing madrigals.150
 
There will I make thee a bed of roses,151
With a thousand fragrant posies,152
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle153
Embroider'd all with leaves of myrtle.154
 
A belt of straw and ivy buds,155
With coral clasps and amber studs;156
And if these pleasures may thee move,157
Then live with me and be my love.158
 
LOVE'S ANSWER.159
 
If that the world and love were young,160
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,161
These pretty pleasures might me move162
To live with thee and be thy love.163
 

VI.

As it fell upon a day164
In the merry month of May,165
Sitting in a pleasant shade166
Which a grove of myrtles made,167
Beasts did leap, and birds did sing,168
Trees did grow, and plants did spring;169
Everything did banish moan,170
Save the nightingale alone:171
She, poor bird, as all forlorn,172
Lean'd her breast up-till a thorn,173
And there sung the dolefull'st ditty,174
That to hear it was great pity:175
Fie, fie, fie, now would she cry;176
Teru, teru, by and by:177
That to hear her so complain,178
Scarce I could from tears refrain;179
For her griefs, so lively shown,180
Made me think upon mine own.181
Ah, thought I, thou mourn'st in vain;182
None take pity on thy pain:183
Senseless trees, they cannot hear thee;184
Ruthless bears, they will not cheer thee.185
King Pandion, he is dead;186
All thy friends are lapp'd in lead;187
All thy fellow-birds do sing,188
Careless of thy sorrowing.189
Even so, poor bird, like thee,190
None alive will pity me.191
Whilst as fickle fortune smil'd,192
Thou and I were both beguil'd.193
Every one that flatters thee194
Is no friend in misery.195
Words are easy like the wind;196
Faithful friends are hard to find.197
Every man will be thy friend,198
Whilst thou hast wherewith to spend;199
But if store of crowns be scant,200
No man will supply thy want.201
If that one be prodigal,202
Bountiful they will him call:203
And with such-like flattering,204
'Pity but he were a king.'205
If he be addict to vice,206
Quickly him they will entice;207
If to women he be bent,208
They have at commandement:209
But if fortune once do frown,210
Then farewell his great renown:211
They that fawn'd on him before,212
Use his company no more.213
He that is thy frend indeed,214
He will help thee in thy need;215
If thou sorrow, he will weep;216
If thou wake, he cannot sleep:217
Thus of every grief in heart218
He with thee doth bear a part.219
These are certain signs to know220
Faithful friend from flattering foe.221
 
 
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