Short Poems

As I went through the garden gap,
Who should I meet but Dick Redcap!
A stick in his hand, a stone in his throat,
If you tell me this riddle, I'll give you a groat.
( A Cherry )

Lady, you think you spite me,
When by the lip you bite me.
But if you think it trouble,
Then let my pain be double,
Ay triple, but you bliss me,
For though you bite, you kiss me,
And with sour sweet delight me.

Lo, where with flowery head and hair all brightsome,
Rosy cheeked, crystal eyed, e'en weeping lightsome,
The fresh Aurora springeth!
And wanton Flora flingeth
Amorous odours unto the winds delightsome!
Ah, for pity and anguish
Only my heart doth languish!

I go before, my darling.
Follow thou to the bower in the close alley.
There we will together
Sweetly kiss each other,
And like two wantons dally.

Amongest many kings,
Skant one king shall you see
Content with kingdom one alone,
Skant one, if one there be.
Amongest many kings,
Skant one king shall you see
That rules one only kingdom right,
Skant one, if one there be.

Little health, a little wealth, a little, A
House, and Freedom — and at The End
I'd Like a Friend, And Every Cause to Need Him.

This is no lif, alas, that I do lede;
It is but deth as in lifes likenesse,
Endeless sorrow assured oute of drede,
Past all despeire and oute of all gladenesse.
Thus well I wote I am remedylesse,
For me nothing may comforte nor amende
Till deth come forthe and make of me an ende.

He that spendes muche and getes nothing,
And owthe muche and hathe nothing,
And lokes in his porse and findes nothing,
He may be sorye and saye nothing.

In Merche, after the first C,
Loke the prime wherever he be;
The third Sonday, full iwisse,
Ester day trewly it is.
And if the prime on the Sonday be,
Rekene that Sonday for one of the three.

I wot a tree XII bowes betake;
LII nestes bethe that up imad;
In every nest beth briddes VII.
Ithanked be the God of hevene
And every brid with selcouth name.