Page 3: Bytuene Mersh and Averil

Bytuen{.e} Mersh and Averil,
When spray biginneth to spring{.e},
The lutel foul hath hir{.e} wyl
On hyr{.e} lud to syng{.e}.
Ich libbe in love longing{.e}
For semlokest of all{.e} thing{.e}.
He may me bliss{.e} bring{.e};
Icham in hire baundoun.

On heu hire her is fayr ynoh,
Hire brow{.e} broune, hire ey{.e} blak{.e};
With lossum chere he on me loh;
With middel smal, and wel ymak{.e}.
Bote he me woll{.e} to hire tak{.e},
Fort{.e} buen hire owen mak{.e},
Longe to lyven ichulle forsak{.e},
And fey{.e} fallen adoun.

Niht{.e}s when y wende and wak{.e},
Forthi myn wong{.e}s waxeth won;
Levedi, al for thin{.e} sak{.e}
Longinge is ylent me on.
In world nis non so wyter mon,
That al hire bounté tell{.e} con.
Hire swyre is whittore then the swon,
And feyrest may in toune.

Icham for wowyng al forwake,
Wery so water in wor{.e}.
Lest eny rev{.e} me my mak{.e},
Ychabbe y-yern{.e}d yor{.e}.
Betere is tholien whyl{.e} sor{.e}
Then mournen evermor{.e}.
Geynest under gor{.e},
Herkn{.e} to my roun.

An hendy hap ichabbe yhent;
Ichot, from hevene it is me sent;
From alle wymmen mi loue is lent,
And lyght on Alysoun.

So this is the third poem. Somewhat modified (instead of typing it out of the book I found it listed on the Internet), the only significant difference is the {.e}, which probably serves as a punctuation guide. We are now in the 14th century, and as you can see this is almost something resembling modern English.

Another poem referencing the beginning of spring. At this time they followed the Julian calender and so "between March and April" is around April 15th in today's, you know, sun centric calender.

The poet notes all of her beautiful features (including a reference to under her skirt) and longs for this very attractive lady. This is one of the first (surviving) time that a lady is mentioned by name. Allison must have been quite the looker.

Once again, the translation is so removed from what I speak, that it is difficult to pull out the subtle nature of the poem.