ALYSOUN - Amy Levy Poems

 
 

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ALYSOUN

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

  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.