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    Detailed outline Full text Snatches of Oral Songs Christmas and New Year Merriment, of various kinds, throughout the Year Drinking Songs Amorous Encounters; Men and Women Miscellaneous Songs Nonsense Verse, sometimes used for satire, sometimes simply for enjoyment Religious Songs (a brief selection) Footnotes

    Make We Merry More and Less

    This book is reviewed by

    Previous Next
    Table of contents

    Chapter 9

    Songs

    p. 301-330

    Full text Snatches of Oral Songs i) ii) iii) iv) v) vi) vii) viii) Christmas and New Year ix) x) The Boar’s Head xi) The Holly and the Ivy xii) Merriment, of various kinds, throughout the Year xiii) God speed the Plough xiv) Drinking Songs xv) xvi) Amorous Encounters; Men and Women xvii) xviii) xx) Miscellaneous Songs xxi) xxii) Nonsense Verse, sometimes used for satire, sometimes simply for enjoyment xxiii) Religious Songs (a brief selection) xxv) xxvi) xxvii) xxviii) xxix) xxx) Footnotes

    Full text

    In spite of considerable losses of material in manuscripts and early prints, a surprisingly large number of early songs and lyrics have survived. The corpus must have been a very substantial one. And behind and beside it lay another: an equally large mass of oral songs, now almost totally lost to us, but which lived in the memories of contemporary literate poets. The heads of some clerks were probably filled with snatches of old songs, remembered from younger days or still heard in the communities in which they lived. They will sometimes refer to such songs in their sophisticated works: Chaucer makes his Pardoner sing ‘Come hider, love, to me’;1 Gavin Douglas quotes (among other examples) ‘the schip salis our the salt fame, Will bring thir merchandis and my lemman hame’.2 And, as we have already seen in the pages of this anthology, other ‘snatches’ are sometimes quoted by (usually hostile) preachers and moralists. A number are quoted below. Such snatches are probably the closest we can come to the lost corpus of early oral song. But many of the lyrics printed below are the work of clerks related in various degrees to the tradition of oral song. Some of these ‘popular lyrics’ are (as Greene described them, see below) popular ‘by destination’, intended for the use of an illiterate or partly-literate audience. The literary skill of the clerks and the quality of their imitations of the simple styles and forms of oral songs often make it very difficult to decide whether a lyric should be described as ‘popular’ or ‘learned’ and, if we decide to place it in the category of popular lyric (a category whose boundaries are not absolutely fixed), how closely it approximates to the oral song from which it came. Thus Greene,3 discussing the plough song (xiii), records numerous parallels in later folksong, but points out that the carol is ‘intended for more sophisticated performance, probably by choirboys’, and concludes cautiously that ‘it is conceivable that a carol on this theme may be the result of a learned clerical composer’s interest in an air heard in the fields.’ Similarly, in the fine drinking song ‘Bryng us in good ale’ (xvi) he notes the ‘repeated formula with a portion changed with each repetition, an old device used by very elementary folk-poetry’ — and which allows improvisation.4 However, the repetition is quite artful, with the rejected items of food becoming a splendidly bizarre ensemble, and the accompanying (apparently explanatory) ‘asides’ are sometimes wonderfully fantastic. Could it be a clever imitation, and transformation, of the techniques of oral folk-poetry? ‘Performance’ seems to lie behind almost all the popular lyrics. Some of them are clearly dance songs; in nearly all of them we seem to hear the voice of the singer. They survive in a variety of forms. Perhaps the most distinctive is the ‘carol’, not yet limited to Christmas songs. The name derives from the French ‘carole’, a ring-dance, and the ideas of performance and entertainment continue to lurk even in the more sophisticated and literary examples. Characteristically the Middle English carol is a stanzaic poem, secular or religious, marked by a recurring ‘burden’ or refrain. Other forms of song are also found, and we see brief glimpses of sharp satire, and examples of popular talk (like the ducks that ‘slobber in the mere’, in xvi below), double entendre, and some entertaining rascals. But in general the popular lyric presents us with a rich and varied array of merry entertainment. Our selection attempts to give a sense of this. After a ‘welcome song’ delivered by a minstrel or a master of ceremonies, we move to a series of snatches of oral songs, then to the merriment of the festal season and throughout the year, and to various contemporary figures, pedlars ‘light of foot’, roving bachelors and an amorous priest, encounters between men and women; to some songs which seem to hover between children’s songs and erotic lyric, and to merry nonsense verse. We end with some religious popular lyrics, some of which show the same zest and merriment as their secular counterparts.

    Snatches of Oral Songs

    i)5

    Bon jowre, bon jowre a vous! º
    I am cum unto this hows
    With ‘par la pompe’, º I say.
    good day to you
    with ceremony
    Is ther any good man here
    That will make me any chere?º
    And if ther were, I wold cum nere
    To witº what he woldº say.
    A, will ye be wild?º
    By Mary myld,
    And her swete child,
    I trow ye will synge gay.º
    Bon jowre…
    entertainment
    know
    hard to catch
    merrily
    would
    Be gladly, º masters everychon!
    I am cum myself alone
    To apposeº you onº by on;
    Let se who dare say nay
    Sir, what say ye?
    Syng on, let us see.
    Now will it be
    Thys or another day?
    Bon jowre…
    joyful
    question
    one
    Loo, this is he that will do the dede!
    He temperethº his mowthº — therefore take hede.
    Syng softe, I say, lest yowr nose blede,
    For hurt yowrself ye may.
    tunes voice
    But, by God that me bowght, º
    Your brest is so towght, º
    Tyll ye have well cowghtº
    Ye may not therwith away.º
    Bon jowre…
    redeemed
    congested
    coughed
    do away with it
    Sir, what say ye with your face so lene?
    Ye syng nother good tenowre, treble, ne mene.º
    nor mean6
    Utter not your voice withoutº your brest be clene, º
    Hartely I you pray.
    I hold you excused,
    Ye shall be refused,
    unless clear
    For ye have not beº used
    To no good sport nor play.
    Bon jowre…
    been
    Sir, what say ye with your fat face?
    Me thynkith ye shuld bere a very good bace.º
    To a pot of good ale or ipocras, º
    Truly as I you say.
    Hold up your hede,
    maintain bass
    sweet spiced wine
    Ye loke lyke lede, º
    Ye wast mycheº bred
    Evermore from day to day.
    Bon jowre…
    lead
    waste much
    Now will ye see wher he stondith behynde?
    Iwis, º brother, ye be unkind;
    Stond forth, and wast with me som wyndº
    indeed
    breath
    For ye have ben called a synger ay.º
    Nay, be not ashamed —
    Ye shall not be blamed,
    For ye have ben famed
    The worst in this contrey.
    Bon jowre…
    always

    ii)7

    Of every kuneº tre,
    Of every kune tre,
    The hawethorn blowet suotes [t] º
    Of every kune tre
    kind (of)
    blossoms most sweetly
    My lemmonº she shal boe, º
    My lemmon she shal boe,
    The fairest of e [very] kinne,
    My lemmon she shal boe.
    lover be

    iii)8

    Al nistº by the rose, rose night
    Al nist bi the rose I lay,
    Dar [st] º ich noust the rose stele,
    Ant yet ich bar the flourº away.
    dared
    I took the flower (= maidenhood)

    iv)9

    Mayden in the mor lay,
    In the mor lay,

    Sevenystº fulle, sevenist fulle.
    Maiden in the mor lay,
    In the mor lay,
    Sevenistes fulle ant a day.
    seven nights
    Welleº was hire mete, º
    Wat was hire mete?
    The primeroleº ant the,
    The primerole ant the,
    Welle was hire mete,
    Wat was hire mete?
    The primerole
    Ant the violet.
    excellent
    primrose
    food
    Welle was hire dryng, º
    Wat was hire dryng?
    The cheldeº water of the,
    The chelde water of the,
    Welle was hire dryng,
    Wat was hire dryng?
    The chelde water of the,
    Of the welle-spring.
    drink
    cold
    Welle was hire bour, º
    Wat was hire bour?
    The rede rose an te, º
    The rede rose an te,
    Welle was hire bour,
    Wat was hire bour?
    The rede rose an te,
    The rede rose an te
    An te lilie flour.
    dwelling
    the

    v)10

    Ich am of Irlaunde
    And of the holy londe
    Of Irlande.
    Gode sire, pray ich the,
    For of saynte charite, º
    Come and daunce wyt me
    In Irlaunde.
    holy charity

    vi)11

    Me thingkitº thou art so lovely,
    So fair and so swete,
    That sikirliº it were mi detº
    Thi companie to lete.º
    seems
    certainly
    give up
    death

    vii)12

    Westron wynde when wyll thow blow?
    The smalleº rayne downe canº rayne.
    Cryst, yf my love wer in my armes
    And I in my bed agayne!
    fine does

    viii)13

    Sing, cuccu nu! Sing cuccu!
    Sing, cuccu! Sing, cuccu nu!
    Somer is ycumen in,
    Lhudeº sing, cuccu!
    loudly
    Groweth sed and blowethº medº
    And springth the wodeº nu.
    Sing, cuccu!
    blossoms
    wood
    meadow
    Aweº bleteth after lomb,
    Lhouthº after calveº cu,
    Bulluc sterteth, º bucke vertethº
    Murye sing, cuccu!
    Cuccu, cuccu,
    Wel singes thu, cuccu,
    ewe
    lows
    leaps
    calf
    farts
    Ne swik thu naverº nu! do not ever cease

    Christmas and New Year

    ix)14

    Make we mery both more and lasseº
    For now ys the tyme of Crystymas.
    high and low
    Lett no man cum into this hall —
    Grome, º page, nor yet marshall, º
    But that sum sport he bring with all,
    For now ys the tyme of Crystmas.
    Make we mery…
    servant steward
    Yff that he say he can not syng,
    Sum oder sport then lett hym bring,
    That yt may please at thys festyng,
    For now ys the tyme of Crystmas.
    Make we mery…
    Yff he say he can nowght do,
    Then for my love aske hym no mo —
    But to the stokesº then let hym go,
    stocks

    For now ys the tyme of Crystmas. Make we mery…

    x) The Boar’s Head15

    Po, po, po, po, º
    Love braneº and so do mo.º
    (a barnyard call for pigs)
    brawn more
    At the begynnyng of the mete
    Of a borys hed ye schal hete, º
    And in the mustard ye shal wete, º
    And ye shal syngyn or ye gon.
      Po, po…
    eat
    dip
    Wolcum be ye that ben here,
    And ye shal have ryth gud chere,
    And also a ryth gud fare,
    And ye shal syngyn or ye gon.
      Po, po…
    Welcum be ye everychon,
    For ye shal syngyn ryth anon;
    Hey yow fast, that ye had don,
    And ye shal syngyn or ye gon.
      Po, po…

    xi) The Holly and the Ivy16

    Nay, nay, Ive,
    It may not be, iwis,
    For Holy must have the mastry,
    As the maner is.

    Holy berith beris, beris rede ynowgh; º
    The thristilcok, º the popyngay, º daunce in every bow,
    very
    cock thrush
    parrot
    Welaway, sory Ivy, what fowles hast thow
    But the sory howlet, º that syngith, ‘How, how.’
    Nay, nay…
    owl
    Ivy berith beris as black as any slo;
    Ther commeth the woode-colverº and fedith her of tho, º
    wood-pigeon those
    She liftith up her tayll and she cakesº orº she go —
    She wold not for hundred poundes serve Holy soo.
    Nay, nay…
    craps before
    Holy and his mery men, they can daunce in hall,
    Ivy and her jentyll women can not daunce at all,
    But lyke a meyny of bullokkes in a waterfall,
    Or on a whotº somers day, whan they be mad all.
    Nay, nay…
    hot
    Holy and his mery men sytt in cheyres of gold;
    Ivy and her jentyll women sytt withowtº in fold, º
    With a payre of kybidº helis cawght with cold —
    So wold I that every man had that with Yvy will hold.
    Nay, nay…
    outside
    chilblained
    on the ground

    xii)17

    What cher? Gud cher, gud cher, gud cher!
    Be mery and glad this gud New Yere.
    ‘Lyft up your hartes and be glad
    In Crystes byrth’, the angell bad;

    Say eche to oder for hys sake,
    ‘What cher?’ What cher…
    I tell you all with hart so fre,
    Ryght welcum ye be to me,
    Be glad and mery, for charite —
    What cher? What cher…
    The gudman of this place in fereº
    You to be mery he prayth you here,
    And with gud hert he doth to you say,
    What cher? What cher…
    in company, together

    Merriment, of various kinds, throughout the Year

    xiii) God speed the Plough18

    The merthe of alle this londe
    Maketh the gode husbondeº
    With eryngeº of his plowe.
    farmer
    ploughing
    Iblessyd be Cristes sondeº
    That hath us sent in honde
    Merthe and joye ynowe.º
    The merthe…
    grace
    in plenty, much
    The plowe goth mony a gateº
    Both erly and late,
    In winter in the clay.
    The merthe…
    path
    Abowte barley and whete,
    That maketh men to swete, º
    sweat
    God spede the plowe alº day.
    The merthe…
    every
    Browne Morel and Goreº
    Drawen the plowe ful soreº
    Al in the morwenynge.
    The merthe…
    names of the horses (or oxen)
    laboriously
    Rewarde hem therefore
    With a shefeº or more
    Alle in the evenynge.
    The merthe…
    sheaf
    Whan men bygynne to sowe,
    Ful wel here corne they knoweº
    In the mounthe of May.
    The merthe…
    judge
    Howe ever Janyverº blowe,
    Whether hye or lowe,
    God spede the plowe allway!
    The merthe…
    January
    Whan men begynneth to wedeº
    The thystle fro the sede,
    In somer whan they may.
    The merthe…
    weed
    God leteº hem wel to spedeº
    And longe gode lyfe to lede,
    All that for plowemen pray.
    The merthe…
    grant prosper

    xiv)19

    We ben chapmenº light of fote,
    The fowle weyis for to fle,
    pedlars
    We berynº abowtyn non cattes skynnys,
    Pursis, perlis, º sylver pynnis
    Smale wympelesº for ladyis chynnys;
    Damsele, beyº sum ware of me.
    We ben…
    carry
    pearls
    elegant head-dress
    buy
    I have a poket for the nonys, º
    Therine ben tweyneº precious stonys;
    Damsele, hadde ye asayid hem onys;
    Ye shuld the rathereº gon with me.
    We ben…
    for the occasion
    two
    sooner
    I have a jelyfº of Godes sonde, º
    Withoutyn fytº it can stonde;
    It can smytyn and haght non honde; º
    Rydº yourself quat it may be.
    We ben…
    jelly
    feet
    hath no hand
    guess
    grace
    I have a powder for to selle,
    Quat it is can I not telle —
    It makit maydenys wombys to swelle;
    Therof I have a quantyte.
    We ben…

    Drinking Songs

    xv)20

    How, º butler, how! Bevis a towt! º hey!
    Fill the boll, jentill butler, and let the cup rowght! º
    drink to all!
    go round
    Jentill butler, bell amy, º
    Fyll the boll by the eye, º
    That we may drink by and by.º
    With how, butler, how! Bevis a towt!
    Fill the boll, butler, and let the cup rowght!
    fine friend
    to the brim
    one and all
    Here is meteº for us all,
    Both for gret and for small —
    I trowº we must the butler call,
    With how, butler, how! Bevis a towt!
    Fill the boll, butler, and let the cupe rowght!
    food
    believe
    I am so dry I cannot spek, º
    I am nere choked with my meteº —
    I trow the butler be aslepe.
    With how, butler, how! Bevis a towght!
    Fill the boll, butler, and let the cup rowght!
    speak
    food
    Butler, butler, fill the boll,
    Or elles I beshreweº thy noll! º
    I trow we must the bell toll.º
    With how, butler, how! Bevis a towght!
    Fill the boll, butler, and let the cup rowght!
    curse head
    ring
    Iff the butlers name be Water, º
    I wold he were a galow-claper, º
    Walter (apparently so pronounced)
    gallows-bird
    But ifº he bryng us drynk the rather.º
    With how, butler, how! Bevis a towght!
    Fill the boll, butler, and let the cup rowght!
    unless sooner

    xvi)21

    Bryng us in good ale, and bryng us in good ale,
    Fore owr blyssyd lady sak, bryng us in good ale.
    Bryng us in no browne bred, fore that is mad of brane, º
    Nor bring us in no whyt bred, fore therin is no game, º
    But bryng us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    bran
    pleasure
    Bryng us in no befe, º for ther is many bonys,
    But bryng us in good ale, for that goth downe at onys,
    And bryng us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    beef
    Bryng us in no bacon, for that is passing fate, º
    But brynge us in god ale, and gyfe us inoughtº of that,
    And bryng us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    fat
    plenty
    Bryng us in no mutton, for that is often lene,
    Nor bryng us in no trypys, for thei be syldom clene,
    But bryng us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    Bryng us in no eggys, for ther ar many schelles,
    But bryng us in good ale, and gyfe us nothyng ellys,
    And bryng us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    Bryng us in no butter, for therin ar many herys, º
    Nor bryng us in no pygges flesch, for that wyl mak us borys,
    But bryng us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    hairs
    Bryng us in no podynges, º for therin is al gotesº blod. black pudding goats’

    Nor bring us in no veneson, for that is not for our gode,
    But bring us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    Bryng us in no capons flesch, for that is often der,

    Nor bring us in no dokesº flesch, for thei slober in the mer, º
    But bring us in good ale.
    Bryng us…
    ducks’ pond

    Amorous Encounters; Men and Women

    xvii)22

    Hey, noyney!
    I wyll love our Ser John
    Andº I love eny.
    if
    O Lord, so swettº Ser John dothe kys
    At every tyme when he wolde pley;
    Off hymselfe so plesant he ys,
    I have no powre to say hym nay.
    Hey, noyney…
    sweetly
    Ser John love [s] me and I love hym,
    The more I love hym the more I maye,
    He says, ‘swett hart, cum kys me trym.’º
    I have no powre to say hym nay.
    Hey, noyney…
    nicely
    Ser John to me is proferyng
    For hys pleasure right well to pay,
    And in my box he puttes hys offryng —
    I have no powre to say hym nay.
    Hey, noyney…
    Ser John ys taken in my mousetrappe;
    Fayne wold I have hemº bothe nyght and day;
    He gropith so nyslye abought my lape,
    I have no po [w] re to say hym nay.
    Hey, noyney…
    him
    Ser John gevyth me relyusº rynges
    With pratyº pleasure for to assay, º
    Furres off the finest with othyr thynges —
    I have no powre to say hym nay.
    Hey, noyney…
    glittering
    sweet
    try

    xviii)23

    How, hey! It is non les: º
    I dar not seyn quan che seygh ‘Pes!’º
    lie
    speak when she says peace! (be quiet!)
    Yyngº men, I warne you everychon,
    Eldeº wy [v] ys tak ye non,
    For I myself [at hom have on] —
    I dar not seyn quan che seyght, ‘Pes! ’
    How, hey…
    young
    old
    Quan I cum fro the plow at non, º
    In a reven dychº myn mete is don, º
    I dar not askyn our dame a sponº —
    I dar not seyn quan che seyght, ‘Pes! ’
    How, hey…
    noon
    cracked dish
    spoon
    put
    If I aske our dame bred,
    Che takyt a staf and brekitº myn hed
    And doth me rennynº under the ledº —
    I dar not seyn quan che seyght ‘Pes!’
    How, hey…
    breaks
    run
    cauldron
    If I aske our dame fleych, º
    Che brekit myn hed with a dych,
    ‘Boy, thou art not worght a reych!’º
    I dar not seyn quan che seyght ‘Pes!’
    How, hey…
    meat
    worth a rush (= a th
    ing of no value)
    Yf I aske our dame chese,
    ‘Boy, ’ che seyght, al at ese, º
    ‘Thou art not worght half a pese! ’º —
    I dar not seyn quan che seyght ‘Pes!’
    How, hey…
    quite unmoved
    pea

    1xix)24

    Hogyn cam to bowersº dore,
    Hogyn cam to bowers dore,
    He tryld upon the pynº for love,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell,
    He tryld upon the pyn for love,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell.
    chamber
    rattled at the latch
    Up she rose and let hym yn,
    Up she rose and let hym yn,
    She had a-wentº she had worshippedº all he [r] kyn,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell,
    She had a-went she had worshipped all her
    Hum, ha, trill go bell.
    thought
    kyn,
    honoured
    When thei were to bed browght,
    When thei were to bed browght,
    The old chorle he cowld do nowght, º
    Hum, ha, trill go bell,
    The old chorle he cowld do nowght,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell.
    nothing
    ‘Go ye furth to yonder wyndow,
    Go ye furth to yonder wyndow,
    And I will cum to you withyn a throw’, º
    Hum, ha, trill go bell,
    ‘And I will cum to you withyn a throw.’
    Hum, ha, trill go bell.
    while
    Whan she hym at the wyndow wyst, º
    Whan she hym at the wyndow wyst,
    She tornedº owt her ars and that he kyst,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell,
    She torned owt her ars and that he kyst,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell.
    knew
    put
    ‘Ywys, º leman, º ye do me wrong,
    Ywys, leman, ye do me wrong,
    Or elles your breth ys wonder strong’,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell,
    ‘Or ells your breth ys wonder strong’,
    Hum, ha, trill go bell.
    indeed sweetheart

    xx)25

    ‘Say me, viitº in the brom, º
    Teche ne wouº I sule donº
    That min hosebondeº
    Me lovien wolde.’º
    creature
    how
    husband
    should
    broom
    must act
    ‘Holde thine tunkeº stille
    And haweº al thine wille.’
    tongue
    have

    Miscellaneous Songs

    xxi)26

    I have a gentil co [k], º
    Crowyt me [the] dayº
    He dothº me rysyn erly,
    My matyins for to say.
    cock
    daybreak
    causes
    I have a gentil co [k],
    Comyn he is of gret; º
    His comb is of red [c] orel, º
    His tayil js of get.º
    distinguished family
    coral
    jet
    I have a gentil co [k],
    Comyn he is of kynde; º
    His comb is of red corel,
    His tayl is of inde.º
    high lineage
    indigo
    His legges ben of asor, º
    So geintil and so smale; º
    His sporesº arn of sylver qwytº
    Into the wortewale.º
    azure
    slender
    spurs
    roots
    shining silver
    His ey [e] nº arn of cristal,
    Lokynº al in aumbyr; º
    And every nyght he perchitº hym
    In myn ladyis chaumbyr.
    eyes
    set
    perches
    amber

    xxii)27

    I have a newe gardyn,
    And neweº is begunne;
    Swychº another gardyn
    Know I not under sunne.
    newly
    such
    In the myddis of my gardyn
    Is a peryrº set,
    And it wele non per bernº
    But a per jenet.º
    pear-tree
    bear
    early-ripening pear28
    The fairest mayde of this toun
    Preyid me
    For to gryffyn her a gryfº
    Of myn pery tre.
    insert a shoot, graft
    Quan I hadde hem gryffidº
    Alle at her wille, º
    The wyn and the ale
    planted
    as she wished
    Che dede in fille.º she poured out
    And I gryffid her
    Ryght up in her home;
    And be that day xx wowkesº
    It was qwyk in her womb.
    weeks
    That day twelfus month
    That mayde I mette,
    Che seyd it was a per Robert, º
    But non per Jonet.
    ‘Robert’ pear

    Nonsense Verse, sometimes used for satire, sometimes simply for enjoyment

    xxiii)29

    Whan netilles in winter bere rosis rede,
    And thornys bere figges naturally,
    And bromesº bere appylles in every mede, º
    And lorellesº bere cheris in the croppisº so hie,
    And okysº bere dates so plentuosly,
    And lekesº geve hony in ther superfluens, º
    Than put in a woman your trust and confidens.
    brooms
    laurels
    oaks
    leeks
    meadow
    top branches
    superabundance
    Whan whiting walk in forestes hartesº for to chase
    And heryngesº in parkys hornys boldly blowe,
    And flowndersº morehennesº in fennes embrace.
    And gornardesº shote grengeseº owt of a crossebowe,
    And rolyonsº ride in hunting the wolf to overthrowe,
    And sperlyngesº rone with speris in harness to defenceº
    Than put in a woman your trust and confidence.
    ,
    herrings
    flounders
    gurnards
    smelts
    harts
    moor-hens
    goslings
    fish
    for protection.
    Whan sparowys bild chirches and stepulles hie,
    And wrennes cary sakkes to the mylle,
    And curlews cary clothesº horsis for to drye,
    And se-mewes bryng butter to the market to sell,
    And wod-dowesº were wod-knyffesº theves to kyll,
    cloths
    wood-pigeon
    s hunting knives
    And griffonsº to goslynges don obedience —
    Than put in a woman your trust and confidence.
    vultures
    Whan crabbis tak wodcokesº in forestes and parkes
    And haris ben taken with swetnes of snaylis,
    And [cammels in the ayer tak swalows and larkes],
    And myse mowe corn with wafeyyngº of ther taylis,
    Whan dukkes of the dunghill sekº the Blod of Hayles,30
    Whan shrewdº wyffes to ther husbondes do non offens —
    Than put in a woman your trust and confidence.
    woodcocks
    waving
    seek
    shrewish

    2xxiv)30

    Hay, hey, hey, hey!
    I wyll have the whetston and I may.º
    if I can
    I sawe a doge sethyngº sowseº
    And an ape thechyngº an howse
    And a podyngº etyng a mowse;
    I will have the whetston and I may.
    Hey, hey…
    boiling
    thatching
    sausage
    pork for pickling
    I sawe an urchinº shapeº and sewe
    And another bake and brewe,
    Scowre the pottes as they were newe;
    I will have the whetston and I may.
    Hey, hey…
    hedgehog cut out cloth
    I sawe a codfysshe corn sowe
    And a worm a whystyll blowe
    And a pyeº tredyng a crow;
    I will have the whetston and I may.
    Hey, hey…
    magpie
    I sawe a stokfyssheº drawing a harrow
    And another dryveyng a barrow
    And a saltfysshe shotyng an arrow;
    I will have the whetston and I may.
    Hey, hey…
    dried fish
    I sawe a bore burdeyns bynd
    And a froge clewensº wynd
    And a tode mustard grynd;
    I will have the whetston and I may.
    Hey, hey…
    balls of yarn
    I sawe a sowe bere kyrchers to wasshe,
    The second sowe had an hege to plasshe, º
    The thirde sowe went to the barn to thr [a] sshe;
    I will have the whetston and I may.
    Hey, hey…
    weave
    I sawe an ege etyng a pye —
    Geve me drynke, my mowth ys drye,
    Ytt ys not long sythº I made a lye;
    I will have the whetston and I may.
    Hey, hey…
    since

    Religious Songs (a brief selection)

    xxv)31

    Nou gothº sonne under wod, º goes wood
    Me reweth, º Marie, thi faire rode.º I pity face

    Nou goth sonne under tre,
    Me reweth, Marie, thi sone and the.

    xxvi)32

    Adam lay ibowndyn, bowndyn in a bond,
    Fowre thousand winter thowt he not to long.
    And al was for an appil, An appil that he tok,
    As clerkes fyndyn wretyn, wretyn in here bok
    Ne hadde the appil take ben, the appil take ben,
    Ne hadde never our Lady aº ben hevene qwen.
    have
    Blyssid be the tyme that appil take was,
    Therfore we mownº syngyn ‘Deo gratias! ’º
    may thanks be to God

    xxvii)33

    Levedie, I thonke the
    Widº herte suitheº milde
    That godº that thou havest idon me
    Wid thine suete childe,
    with
    good
    very
    Thou ard god and suete and briht,
    Ofº alle otheir icoren; º
    Of the was that suete withº
    That was Jesus iboren.º
    above
    sweet creature
    born
    chosen
    Maide milde, biddiº the
    Wid thine suete childe
    That thou er [e] ndieº me
    I pray
    intercede for
    To habben Godis milce.º mercy
    Moder, [thou] loke one me
    Wid thine suete eye;
    Rest and blisse [gef] thou me,
    Mi levedi, thenº ic deye.
    when

    xxviii)34

    Can I not syng but ‘hoy’,
    Whan the joly shepherd made so mych joy.

    The sheperd upon a hill he satt,
    He had on hym his tabardº and his hat,
    Hys tarbox, hys pype, and hys flagat; º
    Hys name was called Joly, Joly Wat,
    For he was a gud herdesº boy.
    [W] ith hoy!
    For in hys pype he made so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    cloak
    flask
    shepherds’
    The sheperd upon a hill was layd,
    Hys dogeº to hys gyrdyll was tayd, º
    dog tied
    He had not slept but a lytill br [a] ydº
    But ‘Gloria in excelsis’º was to hym sayd.
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pype he mad so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    while
    Glory in the Highest
    The sheperd on a hill he stode;
    Rownd abowt hym his shepe they yode; º
    He put hys hond under hys hode; º
    went
    hood
    He saw a star as rede as blod.
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pype he mad so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    ‘Now farwell Mall, and also Will;
    For my love go ye all styllº
    Untoº I cum agayn you till, º
    And evermore, Will, ryng well thy bell.’
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pipe he made so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    quietly
    until back to you
    ‘Now must I go therº Cryst was borne;
    Farwell, I cum agayn tomorn;
    Dog, kepe well my shepe fro the corn,
    And warn well, Warroke, º when I blow my horn.’
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pype he made so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    where
    Wat’s dog, or his ‘boy’35
    The sheperd sayd anon right, º
    ‘I will go se yon farlyº syght,
    Wheras the angell syngith on hight, º
    And the star that shynyth so bright, ’
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pipe he made so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    immediately
    wondrous
    loudly
    Whan Wat to Bedlemº cum was,
    He swetº — he had gon faster than a pace.º
    He fownd Jesu in a sympill place
    Between an ox and an asse.
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pipe he mad so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    Bethlehem
    was sweating
    walking-pace
    ‘Jesu, I offer to the here my pype,
    My skyrte, º my tarbox, and my scrype; º
    Home to my felowes now will I skype, º
    And also loke untoº my shepe.’
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pipe he mad so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    kilt
    hasten
    see to
    bag
    ‘Now, farewell, myne own herdsman Wat, ’
    ‘Ye, for God, lady, even so I hat.º
    Lull well Jesu in thy lape
    And farewell, Joseph, wyth thy rownd cape.’º
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in hys pipe he mad so mych joy.
    Can I not syng…
    am called
    round cap
    ‘Now may I well both hopeº and syng,
    For I have bene a Crystes beryng.º
    Home to my felowes now wyll I flyng.º
    Cryst of hevyn to his blis us bryng!’
    For he was a gud herdes boy,
    With hoy!
    For in his pipe he mad so myche joy.
    Can I not syng…
    dance
    birth
    hurry

    xxix)36

    ‘Lullay, myn lykyng, º my dere sone, myn swetyng,
    Lullay, my dere herte, myn owyn dere derlyng.’
    beloved
    I saw a fayr maydyn syttyn and synge;
    Sche lullyd a lytyl chyld, a swete lording.º
    Lulllay myn lykyng…
    lord
    That echeº Lord is that that made alle thinge;
    Of alle lordis he is Lord, of all kynges Kyng.
    Lullay, myn lykyng…
    same
    Ther was mekylº melody at that chyldes berthe;
    Alle thoº that wern in hevene blys, they made mekyl merth.
    Lullay, myn lykyng…
    great
    those
    Aungele [s] bright, thei song that nyght and seydyn to that chyld,
    ‘Blyssid be thou, and so be sche that is bothe mek and myld.’
    Lullay, myn lykyng…
    Prey we now to that chyld, and to his moder dere,
    Grawnt hem his blyssyng that now makyn chere, º
    Lullay, myn lykyng… .
    joy

    xxx)37

    Mery hyt ys in May morning
    Mery wayys for to gone,
    And by a chapel as y came,
    Mett y wythe Jesu to chyrchewardº gone,
    Petur and Pawle, Thomas and Jhon,
    towards church
    And hys desyplysº everychone.º
    Mery hyt ys… .
    disciples every one
    Sente Thomas the bellys ganeº ryng,
    And Sent Collasº the Mas gane syng;
    Sente Jhon toke that swete offering,
    And by a chapell as y came.
    Mery hyt ys…
    did
    Nicholas
    Owre Lorde offeryd whate he wollde, º
    A challesº off ryche rede gollde,
    Owre Lady the crowne off hyr mowldeº —
    The sonº owte off hyr bosom schone.
    Mery hyt ys…
    wished
    chalice
    from her head
    sun
    Sent Jorge, that ys owre Lady knyghte,
    He tende the tapyrysº fayre and bryte,
    To myn ygheº a semley syghte —
    And by a chapell as y came.
    Mery hyt ys…
    lit the tapers
    eyes

    Footnotes

    1 Tales, 1A (Prologue), v. 672.

    2 In the Prologue to the 12th book of his translation of Virgil’s Aeneid.

    3 Early English Carols, 1977 (revised) edition. The Plough Song is no. 418.2 (pp. 248–9), notes pp. 464–5.

    4 Gray cites this in Simple Forms (p. 223), giving a reference to Early English Carols p. cxx; the comment is not in Greene’s notes to the song.

    5 In The Oxford Book of Medieval Verse, no. 259. Normally, only one reference is given for each poem.

    6 Mean would be a middle line in the part-song.

    7 Ibid. no. 66.

    8 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Silverstein, no. 61.

    9 Ibid. no. 62.

    10 Ibid. no. 60.

    11 Ibid. no. 63.

    12 Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 181.

    13 Ibid. no. 3.

    14 Ibid. no. 168.

    15 IMEV 436, from Wright, Songs and Carols (song 38, pp. 42–3); also in Early English Carols, ed. Greene, no. 134.

    16 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 171.

    17 Ibid. no. 177.

    18 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 152.

    19 IMEV 3864; also in Greene’s Early English Carols, no. 416.

    20 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 260.

    21 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 119.

    22 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Silverstein, no. 113.

    23 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 195.

    24 From Richard Hill’s commonplace-book; IMEV 1222 (NIMEV TM 601, DIMEV 2035).

    25 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 28.

    26 Ibid. no. 189.

    27 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Silverstein, no. 106. Its introduction explains the use of nursery rhyme for double meanings.

    28 By St John’s Day (24th June), hence a ‘John pear’.

    29 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 125.

    30 In Early English Carols (ed. Greene), no. 471; DIMEV 2256. The whetstone, a token of falseness, was hung about the nect of a convicted liar (MED); he means ‘I shall prove the best liar’.

    31 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 269.

    32 Ibid. no. 191.

    33 Ibid. no. 29.

    34 Ibid. no. 252.

    35 The editor (Sisam) marks this name as ‘obscure’.

    36 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 77.

    37 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 180.

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    1 Tales, 1A (Prologue), v. 672.

    2 In the Prologue to the 12th book of his translation of Virgil’s Aeneid.

    3 Early English Carols, 1977 (revised) edition. The Plough Song is no. 418.2 (pp. 248–9), notes pp. 464–5.

    4 Gray cites this in Simple Forms (p. 223), giving a reference to Early English Carols p. cxx; the comment is not in Greene’s notes to the song.

    5 In The Oxford Book of Medieval Verse, no. 259. Normally, only one reference is given for each poem.

    6 Mean would be a middle line in the part-song.

    7 Ibid. no. 66.

    8 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Silverstein, no. 61.

    9 Ibid. no. 62.

    10 Ibid. no. 60.

    11 Ibid. no. 63.

    12 Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 181.

    13 Ibid. no. 3.

    14 Ibid. no. 168.

    15 IMEV 436, from Wright, Songs and Carols (song 38, pp. 42–3); also in Early English Carols, ed. Greene, no. 134.

    16 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 171.

    17 Ibid. no. 177.

    18 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 152.

    19 IMEV 3864; also in Greene’s Early English Carols, no. 416.

    20 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 260.

    21 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 119.

    22 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Silverstein, no. 113.

    23 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 195.

    24 From Richard Hill’s commonplace-book; IMEV 1222 (NIMEV TM 601, DIMEV 2035).

    25 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 28.

    26 Ibid. no. 189.

    27 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Silverstein, no. 106. Its introduction explains the use of nursery rhyme for double meanings.

    28 By St John’s Day (24th June), hence a ‘John pear’.

    29 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 125.

    30 In Early English Carols (ed. Greene), no. 471; DIMEV 2256. The whetstone, a token of falseness, was hung about the nect of a convicted liar (MED); he means ‘I shall prove the best liar’.

    31 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 269.

    32 Ibid. no. 191.

    33 Ibid. no. 29.

    34 Ibid. no. 252.

    35 The editor (Sisam) marks this name as ‘obscure’.

    36 In Medieval English Lyrics, ed. Davies, no. 77.

    37 In The Oxford Book of Medieval English Verse, no. 180.

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