The Message from Abroad

The wood's new leaves do glitter;
The meadow once again is green.
The winter keen
Was for both right bitter.
But now the time hath changed once more.
My longing sore
Calls my lady to my mind; and hard it was to quit her!

The season's transformation
Makes the little birds sing high.
And fain would I
For the delectation
Of my friends now sing a strain.
My songs here gain
No heed from the foreign folk. All hail, thou German nation!

To my dear one's dwelling
I would send an envoy who
That village knew,
(Mark the tale I'm telling!)
Where sad I left her, to depart,—
Her whom my heart
Hath not swerved from once, in love and constancy excelling.

Haste, this message taking
To my dear friends across the main!
With bitter pain
My love-sick heart is aching.
Tell them all from us, I pray,
Full soon would they
See us yonder, if broad seas between us were not breaking.

To my mistress, tender
All zealous service from my part
To her my heart
Faithful love shall render
Henceforward and to none but her.
I'd far prefer
All my gains to lose, before her love I would surrender.

To friend and relation
Say I prosper well, in sooth.
And if, good youth,
They make interrogation
About us pilgrims, how we fare,
Why then, declare
Paynim folk have pressed us hard and sore is our vexation.

Do thy office featly!
Make good speed and serve me true,
For after you
I shall follow fleetly,
As swift as ever I can be!
God grant that we
Live to hasten home again I that day would dawn full sweetly.