Middle English lyrics

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Modern English translation

When the nightegale singes,

And the wodes waxen grene:

When the nightingale sings,

Lef and grass and blosme springes

And the woods grow green:

In Averil, I wene;

I expect, the leaves and the blades of grass,

And blossoms to spring up, in April;

(And) love is to min herte gon

With one spere so kene:

And so love has shot through my heart

Night and day my blod it drinkes;

With a spear so honed

Min herte deth me tene.

That night and day it drinks my blood

And my heart grieves.

Ich have loved all this year

That I may love namore;

All this year I have loved

Ich have siked mony sik,

The one I can love no more;

Lemmon, for thin ore.

I have sighed so many sighs,

Sweetheart, for your favour.

Me nis love never the ner,

And that me reweth sore.

Love will never be any closer to me,

Swete lemmon, thench on me:

And I rue that intensely.

Ich have loved thee yore.

Sweetheart, think about me:

I have loved you such a long time.

Swete lemmon, I preye thee

Of love one speche.

Dear sweetheart, I beg you,

Whil I live in world so wide

For one word of love.

Other nulle I seche.

As long as I live I will not seek

Another throughout the entire world.

With thy love, my swete leof,

My bliss thou mightest eche:

With your affection, my sweet love,

A swete cos of thy mouth

You could bring me joy:

Mighte be my leche.

A sweet kiss from your lips

Could cure me completely

Swete lemmon, I preye thee

Of a love-bene;

Sweetheart, I beg you,

If thou me lovest, as men says,

With a lover's petition,

Lemmon as I wene.

If you love me, as they say you do,

Then love me as I want you to.

And if it thy wille be,

Thou loke that it be sene.

And if it be your will,

So muchel I thenke upon thee

Then be sure you make it happen,

That all I waxe grene.

For I think of you so much,

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That I'm growing like the spring.