Blame not my lute for he must sound

Blame not my lute for he must sound,
Of thes and that as lyketh me,
For lake of wit the lute is bownd
To geve suche tunes as plesithe me ;
Tho my songes be sum what strange,
And spekes suche wordes as toche thy change
Blame not my lute.

My lute alas doeth not of end,
Tho that perforce he must agre
To sownd suche tunes as I entend,
To sing to them that hereth me ;
Then tho my songes be somewhat plain.
And tochethe some that use to fain,
Blame not my lute.

My lute and stringes may not deny
But as I strike they must obey
Brake not them then so wrongfully
But wreke thyselff som wyser way '
And tho the songes whiche I endight
To qwytt thy change with rightfull spight '
Blame not my lute.

Spyght askyth spyght and changing change.
And falsyd faith must nedes be knowne,
The faute so grett, the case so strange
Of ryght it must abrode be blown;
Then sins that by thyn own desartt
My songes do tell how trew thou artt
Blame not my lute.

Blame but the selffe that hast mysdone.
And well desarvid to have blame ;
Change thou thy way so evyll begone
And then my lute shall sownd that same ;
But if tyll then my fyngeres play
By thy desartt, ther wontyd way
Blame not my lute.

Farewell, unknown, for tho thou brake
My strynges in spight, with grett desdayn,
Yet have I fownd owtt for thy sake
Stringes for to stringe my lute agayne.
And if perchance this sely rhyme
Do make thee blushe at any tyme,
Blame not my lute.