How true love is likened to summer / Thomas Malory

How true love is likened to summer

And thus it passed on from Candlemass until after Easter, that the month of May was come, when every lusty heart beginneth to blossom, and to bring forth fruit; for like as herbs and trees bring forth fruit and flourish in May, in like wise every lusty heart that is in any manner a lover, springeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds. For it giveth unto all lovers courage, that lusty month of May, in something to constrain him to some manner of thing more in that month than in any other month, for divers causes. For then all herbs and trees renew a man and woman, and likewise lovers call again to their mind old gentleness and old service, and many kind deeds that were forgotten by negligence. For like as winter rasure doth alway erase and deface green summer, so fareth it by unstable love in man and woman. For in many persons there is no stability; for we may see all day, for a little blast of winter’s rasure, anon we shall deface and lay apart true love for little or nought, that cost much thing; this is no wisdom nor stability, but it is feebleness of nature and great disworship, whosomever useth this. Therefore, like as May month flowereth and flourisheth in many gardens, so in like wise let every man of worship flourish his heart in this world, first unto God, and next unto the joy of them that he promised his faith unto; for there was never worshipful man or worshipful woman, but they loved one better than another; and worship in arms may never be foiled, but first reserve the honour to God, and secondly the quarrel must come of thy lady: and such love I call virtuous love.

~~
Thomas Malory (?1405-1471)
from Le Morte d'Arthur (edited by Edward Strachey), 1897

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

Thomas Malory biography

May in the Greenwood

May in the Greenwood

In summer, when the thickets shine
      And leaves are large and long,
'Tis merry in the forest fair
      To hear the sweet birdsong,

To see the deer draw to the dale      
      And from their high hills flee,
To seek for shadow in the leaves
       Beneath the greenwood tree.

It did befall on Whitsuntide
      One early May morning,
The sun rose up and fair did shine,
      And sweet the birds did sing.

"A merry morn," said Little John.
      "By Him who died on tree,
A happier man than I lives not
      In Christianity.

"Pluck up thy heart, my master dear,"
      To Robin he did say:
"Believe it is the best of times,
      This merry morn of May."

~~
Anonymous
from Robin Hood and the Monk, circa 1450
[spelling and language modernized by George J. Dance]


May in the Green-Wood

In somer when the shawes be sheyne,
      And leves be large and long,
Hit is full merry in feyre foreste
      To here the foulys song.

To se the dere draw to the dale 
      And leve the hilles hee,
And shadow him in the leves grene
      Under the green-wode tree.

Hit befell on Whitsontide
      Early in a May mornyng,
The Sonne up faire can shyne,
      And the briddis mery can syng.

'This is a mery mornyng,' said Litulle Johne,
      'Be Hym that dyed on tre;
A more mery man than I am one
      Lyves not in Christiantè.

'Pluk up thi hert, my dere mayster,'
      Litulle Johne can say,
'And thynk hit is a fulle fayre tyme
      In a mornynge of May.'

~~
Anonymous, 15th century
from the Oxford Book of English Verse, 1919.

[Poem is in the public domain worldwide]

George J. Dance biography