Anonymous Lyrics Of The Fifteenth Century
I Have a Young Sister
I have a yong sister
Fer beyond the sea;far
Manye be the drurieslove tokens
That she sente me.
She sente me the cherry
Withouten any stone,
And so she did the dove
Withouten any bone.
She sente me the brerebriar
Withouten any rinde;bark
She bade me love my lernmansweetheart
Without longing.
How should any cherry
Be withoute stone
And how should any dove
Be withoute bone
How should any brere
Be withoute rind
How should I love my lemman
Without longing.
When the cherry was a flowr,
Then hadde it no stone.
When the dove was an ey,egg
Then hadde it no bone.
When the briar was unbred,
Then hadde it no rinde.
When the maiden hath that she loveth,
She is without longinge.