Of love, of hate, and other sondry thynges, On bokes for to rede I me delyte, And to hem give I feyth and ful credence, 30 Save, certeynly, whan that the monethe of May Is comen, and that I here the foules 2 synge, And that the floures gynnen for to sprynge, Fairewel my boke, and my devocioun ! 8 Now have I thanne suche a condicioun, 40 That of alle the floures in the mede, Thanne love I most thise floures white and rede, Suche as men callen daysyes in her toune. As I seyde erst, whanne comen is the May, 4 1 Know but little. 2 Birds. 3 Temperament. Towards. OF ALLE FLOURES FLOUR." That blisful sight softneth al my sorwe, As she that is of alle floures flour, And evere ilike faire, and fresshe of hewe. Ther lovede no wight hotter in his lyve. 81 50 And, whan that hit ys eve, I renne blyve, 60 As sone as evere the sonne gynneth weste,1 To seen this flour, how it wol go to reste, For fere of nyght, so hateth she derkenesse ! Hire chere is pleynly sprad in the bright nesse Of the sonne, for ther yt wol unclose. Allas, that I ne had Englyssh, ryme or prose, But helpeth ye that han konnyng and myght, 70 To forthren me somwhat in my labour, Whethir ye ben with the "leef" or with the "flour," For wel I wot, that ye han herbiforne Of makynge ropen,* and lad awey the corne; And I come after, glenyng here and there, And am ful glad yf I may fynde an ere 1 To west. 2 Face. 8 Knowledge. Reaped of poetry. Of any goodly word that ye han left. And thogh it happen me rehercen eft1 3 Of love, and eke in service of the flour bond That as an harpe obeieth to the hond, That maketh it soune after his fyngerynge, Ryght so mowe ye oute of myn herte bringe 90 Swich vois, ryght as yow lyst, to laughe or pleyne ; Be ye myn gide, and lady sovereyne. As to my erthely god, to yowe I calle, Bothe in this werke, and in my sorwes alle. Again. 2 Dissatisfied. Turneth. You, i. e., the flower 99 THE RESURRECCIOUN OF THIs flour." 83 To seen this flour so yong, so fresshe of hewe, That in myn herte I feele yet the fire, And this was now the firste morwe of May, Of this flour, whan that yt shulde unclose 2 Agayne the sonne, that roos as rede as rose, That in the brest was of the beste,3 that day, That Agenores doghtre ladde away. 4 And doune on knes anoon ryght I me sette, Upon the smale, softe, swote gras, That was with floures swote enbrouded al, 122 'orgeten hadde the erthe his pore estate of wyntir, that him naked made and mate," nd with his swerd of colde so sore greved; ow hath thatempre sonne alle that releved 'hat naked was, and clad yt new agayne. The smale foules, of the sesoun fayne, 130 That of the panter and the nette ben scaped, Burning (glede, a burning coal). Towards. Taurus. 4 Thai Europa. Dejected. Snare 'Fr. bantière, net). Upon the foulere, that hem made awhaped1 14C In worshippynge and in preysing of hir make; And thoo that hadde doon unkyndenesse,♦- 1 Confounded. 2 Their mates. 8 Cf. Parlement of Foules, 1. 45 Unnatural deeds. 5 Cf. Canterbury Tales, 1. 15,424. |