Classic Poem

Draw me nere, draw me nere,
Draw me nere, the joly juggelere.

Here-beside dwelleth a rich barons doughter;
She wold have no man that for her love had sought her,
So nice she was;
She wold have no man that was made of mold,
But if he had a mouth of gold to kiss her when she wold,
So dangerous she was.

Therof herd a joly juggeler that laid was on the green,
And at this ladys wordes y-wis he had grete teen--
An-angred he was.
He juggeled to him a well good steede of an old hors-bone,
A sadel and a bridel both, and set himself thereon--
A juggler he was.

He priked and pransed both before that ladys gate;
She wend he had been an angel was com for her sake--
A prikker he was;
He priked and pransed before that ladys bowr;
She wend he had been an angel comen from heven-towr--
A pranser he was.

Four and twenty knightes led him into the hall,
And as many squires his hors to the stall
And gave him mete;

They gave him otes and also hay;
He was an old shrew and held his hed away,
He wold not ete.

The day began to passe, the night began to com;
To bedde was brought the faire gentilwoman
And the juggler also.
The night began to passe, the day began to spring;
All the birdes of her bowr they began to sing,
And the cukoo also.

"Wher be ye, my mery maidens, that ye cum not me to?
The joly windows of my bowr look that you undo,
That I may see;
For I have in myn armes a duk or els an erle.'
But when she looked him upon, he was a blere-eyed cherle.
"Alas!', said she.

She led him to an hill, and hanged shuld he be;
He juggeled himself to a mele-poke, the dust fell in her ee;
Begiled she was.
God and our Lady and swete Saint Johan
Send every giglot of this town such another lemman
Even as he was.