[folio 80b] When þe nyhtegale singes, þe wodes waxen grene,
Line 1
Lef & gras & blosme springes in aueryl, y wene,
ant loue is to myn herte gon wiþ one spere so kene,
nyht & day my blod hit drynkes, myn herte deþ to tene.
Ich haue loued al þis ȝer, þat y may loue namore,
Line 5
Ich haue siked moni syk, lemmon, for þin ore;
me nis loue neuer þe ner, & þat me reweþ sore. ["Die Liebe (d. h. die deinige) ist mir durchaus nicht um soviel näher."]
suete lemmon, þench on me, ich haue loued þe ȝore.
Suete lemmon, y preye þe of loue one speche:
whil y lyue in world so wyde oþer nulle y seche;
Line 10
wiþ þy loue, my suete leof, mi blis þou mihtes eche,
a suete cos of þy mouþ mihte be my leche.
suete lemmon, y preȝe þe of a loue bene: [of gehört zu dem vorangehenden "þe", nicht zu "loue bene". 18. as y go fore ybounde, "als diejenige, um derenwillen ich gefesselt bin" (in den Banden der Liebe). Ritson vermuthet in "fore" einen Schreib|fehler für "sore".]
ȝef þou me louest, ase men says, lemmon, as y wene,
ant ȝef hit þi wille be, þou loke þat hit be sene;
Line 15
so muchel y þenke vpon þe, þat al y waxe grene.
bituene lyncolne & lyndeseye, norhamptoun ant lounde,
ne wot y non so fayr a may, as y go fore ybounde.
suete lemmon, y preȝe þe, þou louie me a stounde.
y wole mone my song
Line 20
to wham þat hit ys on ylong. [20, 21. Ritson: I wole mone my song els to al that ys on grounde. Der letzte, von der Handschrift abweichende Theil ist eine willkürliche Konjektur.] [to wham, ms. on wham.]
