Classic Poem

Now was there maid fast by the towris wall
A gardin faire, and in the corneris set
An herber grene, with wandis long and small
Railit about; and so with treis set
Was all the place, and hawthorn hegis knet,
That lif was none walking there forby
That might within scarse any wight aspy.

So thik the bowis and the leves grene
Beshadit all the aleyes that there were;
And middis every herber might be sene
The sharpe grene swete jenepere,
Growing so fair with branchis here and there
That, as it seemit to a lif without,
The bowis spred the herber all about.

And on the smalle grene twistis sat
The litil swete nightingale, and song
So loud and clere the ympnis consecrat
Of Lufis use, now soft, now loud among,
That all the gardin and the wallis rong
Right of thair song and of the copill next
Of thair swere armony — and lo the text:

" Worshippe, ye that loveris bene, this May,
For of your bliss the kalendis ar begunne,
And sing with us " Away, winter, away!
Cum, somer, cum, the swete sesoun and sunne! "
Awake, for shame! that have your hevenis wunne,
And amorously lift up your hedis all;
Thank Luve that list you to his mercy call."

Quhen thay this song had sung a litil thrawe,
Thay stent a quhile, and therwith unafraid,
As I beheld and kest myn eyne a-lawe,
From bough to bough thay hippit and thay plaid,
And freshly in thair birdis kind arraid
Thair fetheris new, and fret thame in the sunne,
And thankit Lufe that had thair makis wunne.