The text is lightly glossed; see the glossary in the Riverside Chaucer for words not glossed here.
Against the Coming of May
Agains the coming of May That is ful of lustyness, Let us leve al hevynesse, As fer as we can or may. Now is the time of mirth and play; Winter with his idelness Is discomfit, as I guess, And redy to flee away. Agains the coming &c. Wherfore, ladies, I you pray That ye take in you gladness And do all your business To be mery night and day. Agains the coming &c. "Go forth my heart."Go forth, my hert, with my lady; Loke that we spare no business To serve her with such lowliness, That ye get her grace and mercy. Pray her of times prively That she keep trewly her promise Go forth &c. I must as a hertless body Abide alone in hevyness, And ye shal do wel with your maistress In plesans glad and mery. Go forth &c. |
leave defeated pleasure |
Adapted and lightly glossed for beginning readers of Middle English from the edition of H.N. MacCracken, PMLA 16 (1899), pp. 142ff.
See the edition by Eleanor P. Hammond, English Verse from Chaucer to Surrey(Duke U.P., 1927, 214-232 (with intro. and excellent notes) [Widener 10494.225.5].