III

The dubbement dere of doun & daleȝ,
Of wod & water & wlonk playneȝ,
Bylde in me blys, abated my baleȝ,
For-didden my [dis]tresse, dystryed my payneȝ.
Doun after a strem þat dryȝly haleȝ,
I bowed in blys, bred ful my brayneȝ;
Þe fyrre I folȝed þose floty valeȝ,
Þe more strenghþe of ioye myn herte strayneȝ,
As fortune fares þer as ho frayneȝ,
Wheþer solace ho sende oþer elleȝ sore,
Þe wyȝ, to wham her wylle ho wayneȝ,
Hytteȝ to haue ay more & more.

More of wele watȝ in þat wyse
Þen I cowþe telle þaȝ I tom hade,
For vrþely herte myȝt not suffyse
To þe tenþe dole of þo gladneȝ glade;
For-þy I þoȝt þat paradyse
Watȝ þer oþer gayn þo bonkeȝ brade;
I hoped þe water were a deuyse
By-twene myrþeȝ by mereȝ made,
By-ȝonde þe broke by slente oþer slade,
I hope[de] þat mote merked wore.
Bot þe water watȝ depe I dorst not wade
& euer me longed a more & more.

More & more, & ȝet wel mare,
Me lyste to se þe broke by-ȝonde,
For if hit watȝ fayr þer I con fare,
Wel loueloker watȝ þe fyrre londe.
Abowte me con I stote & stare
To fynde a forþe, faste con I fonde,
Bot woþeȝ mo i-wysse þer ware,
Þe fyrre I stalked by þe stronde,
& euer me þoȝt I schulde not wonde
For wo, þer weleȝ so wynne wore.
Þenne nwe note me com on honde
Þat meued my mynde ay more & more,

More meruayle con my dom adaunt;
I seȝ by-ȝonde þat myry mere,
A crystal clyffe ful relusaunt,
Mony ryal ray con fro hit rere;
At þe fote þer-of þer sete a faunt,
A mayden of menske, ful debonere;
Blysnande whyt watȝ hyr bleaunt,
(I knew hyr wel, I hade sen hyr ere)
As glysnande golde þat man con schere,
So schon þat schene an vnder schore;
On lenghe I loked to hyr þere,
Þe lenger I knew hyr more & more

The more I frayste hyr fayre face.
Her fygure fyn, quen I had fonte,
Suche gladande glory con to me glace,
As lyttel byfore þerto watȝ wonte;
To calle hyr lyste con me enchace,
Bot baysment gef myn hert a brunt,
I seȝ hyr in so strange a place,
Such a burre myȝt make myn herte blunt
Þenne vereȝ ho vp her fayre frount,
Hyr vysayge whyt as playn yuore,
Þat stonge myn hert ful stray atount,
& euer þe lenger, þe more & more.