Spring has come with love to town

With the return of Spring to the northern hemisphere on this day, March 20th, it seems appropriate to greet it with song.  In this case, a medieval Lenten song.  

Double click to enlarge.

Original song in old English.

Lenten ys come with loue to toune

Lenten ys come with loue to toune,

With blosmen ant with briddes roune,

That al this blisse bryngeth.

Dayeseyes in this dales,

Notes suete of nyhtegales,

Vch foul song singeth.

The threstelcoc him threteth oo;

Away is huere wynter wo

When woderoue springeth.

This foules singeth ferly fele

Ant wlyteth on huere [wynne] wele

That al the wode ryngeth.

The rose rayleth hire rode;

The leues on the lyhte wode

Waxen al with wille.

The mone mandeth hire bleo;

The lilie is lossom to seo,

The fenyle ant the fille.

Wowes this wilde drakes,

Miles murgeth huere makes

Ase strem that striketh stille.

Mody meneth, so doth mo;

Ichot Ycham on of tho

For loue that likes ille.

 

The mone mandeth hire lyht,

So doth the semly sonne bryht,

When briddes singeth breme.

Deawes donketh the dounes;

Deores with huere derne rounes,

Domes forte deme.

Wormes woweth vnder cloude;

Wymmen waxeth wounder proude,

So wel hit wol hem seme.

Yef me shal wonte wille of on,

This wunne weole Y wole forgon,

Ant wyht in wode be fleme.

Spring has arrived, with love,

Spring has arrived, with love,

With flowers, and with birdsong,

Bringing all this joy.

Daisies in the valleys,

The sweet notes of nightingales,

Every bird sings a song.

The thrush is constantly wrangling;

Their winter misery is gone

When the woodruff flowers.

These birds sing in great numbers,

And chirp about their wealth of joys,

So that all the wood rings.

The rose begins to blush;

The leaves in the light-green wood

All unfurl gladly.

The moon sends out its light;

The lily is lovely to see,

The fennel and the wild thyme.

The wild ducks are courting,

Animals cajole their mates

Like a quietly-flowing stream.

Many men of spirit complain;

I know that I'm one of them

Because I'm crossed in love.

These birds sing in great numbers,

And chirp about their wealth of joys,

So that all the wood rings.

The rose begins to blush;

The leaves in the light-green wood

The moon sends out her light,

So does the bright, beautiful sun,

When birds sing gloriously.

Dews drench the hills;

Animals murmur secretly,

Passing their own judgements.

Worms make love underground;

Women put on amazing airs,

it suits them so well to do it.

If I don't have my will of one,

I'll give up all this wealth of joys,

And flee straight to the woods.