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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  51. Lusty May

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Anonymous. 16th Cent. (Scottish)

51. Lusty May

O LUSTY May, with Flora queen! 
The balmy dropis from Phoebus sheen 
  Preluciand beams before the day: 
By that Diana growis green 
  Through gladness of this lusty May.         5
 
Then Esperus, that is so bricht, 
Til woful hairtis castis his light, 
  With bankis that bloomis on every brae; 
And schouris are shed forth of their sicht 
  Through gladness of this lusty May.  10
 
Birdis on bewis of every birth, 
Rejoicing notis makand their mirth 
  Richt plesantly upon the spray, 
With flourishingis o’er field and firth 
  Through gladness of this lusty May.  15
 
All luvaris that are in care 
To their ladies they do repair 
  In fresh morningis before the day, 
And are in mirth ay mair and mair 
  Through gladness of this lusty May.  20
 
GLOSS:  sheen] bright.  til] into.  schouris] showers.  bewis] boughs.  birth] kind.