I have a young sister, far beyond the sea
many be the druries that she sent me
she sent me the cherry without any stone
and so she did the dove without any bone
she sent me the briar without any rind
she bade me love my leman without longing
how should any cherry be without stone
and how should any dove be without bone
how should any briar be without rind
how should any love my leman without longing
when the cherry was a flower then it had no stone
when the dove was an egg then had it no bone
when the briar was unbred then it had no rind
when the maiden hath that she loveth then she is without longing
ANON (circa early 15th century English song)
druries: love-gifts leman: sweetheart unbred: unborn
One of my favourite poems, so replete with sisterly love and understanding of love requited. I found it in a book of poems which a friend gave to me of poems that had been displayed in the London Underground.
3 comments:
It is indeed a nice poem - but this is taking the easy way out isn't it?
Come on, open forms (at least the first two) are not that bad!
yah, I will get around to it :). Just been busy this week.
I have the same Poem in Medieval English Verse printed 1973 ISBN 0 14 044.144 1
I have a little sister
Far beyond the sea,
And many more love-tokens
Has she sent me.
She sent me a cherry
Without any stone;
She sent me a dove
Without any bone;
She sent me a briar
Without branch or leaf;
She bade me love my lover
Without any grief.
How can there me a cherry
Without a stone?
How can there be a dove
Without any bone?
How can there be a briar
Without branch or leaf?
How can I love my lover
Without any grief?
When the cherry was a blossom,
It had no stone;
When the dove was an egg,
It had no bone;
When the briar was a seed,
It lacked branch or leaf;
So having what she loves,
A girl's without grief.
Post a Comment