5. This World's Joy

Anonymous. c. 1300


WYNTER wakeneth al my care,
Nou this leves waxeth bare;
Ofte I sike ant mourne sare
  When hit cometh in my thoht
  Of this worldes joie, hou hit goth al to noht.

Nou hit is, and nou hit nys,
Al so hit ner nere, ywys;
That moni mon seith, soth hit ys:
  Al goth bote Godes wille:
  Alle we shule deye, thah us like ylle.

Al that gren me graueth grene,
Nou hit faleweth albydene:
Jesu, help that hit be sene
  Ant shild us from helle!
  For y not whider y shal, ne hou longe her duelle.


al so hit ner nere
as though it had never been
albydene
altogether
bote
but, except
faleweth
fadeth
her duelle
here dwell
nys
is not
sike
sigh
soth
sooth
thah
though
this leves
these leaves
y not whider
I know not whither
The Oxford Book of English Verse, HTML edition