The Life and Poems of Richard Edwards By Leicester Bradner: A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Yale University in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy |
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Maister Edwards his “I may not.”
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 | The Life and Poems of Richard Edwards |  |
Maister Edwards his “I may not.”
In May by kinde Dame Nature wills all earthly wights to sing,
In May the new and coupled fowls may joy the lively spring,
In May the Nightingale her notes doth warble on the spray,
In May the birds their mossie nests do timber as they may,
In May the swift and turning Hart her bagged belly slakes,
In May the little sucking wattes do play with tender flaxe,
All creatures may in May be glad, no May can me remoue,
I sorrow in May since I may not in May obtain my loue.
In May the new and coupled fowls may joy the lively spring,
In May the Nightingale her notes doth warble on the spray,
In May the birds their mossie nests do timber as they may,
In May the swift and turning Hart her bagged belly slakes,
In May the little sucking wattes do play with tender flaxe,
All creatures may in May be glad, no May can me remoue,
I sorrow in May since I may not in May obtain my loue.
The stately Hart in May doth mue his old and palmed beames,
His state renewes in May, he leaps to view Apollo's streames,
In May the Buck his horned tops doth hang vpon the pale,
In May he seeks the pastures greene in ranging over the dale,
In May the oglie speckled snake doth cast her loathsome skinne,
In May the better that he may increase the scalie kinne.
All things in May I see they may rejoice like Turtle Doue,
I sorrow in May since I may not in May obtain my loue.
His state renewes in May, he leaps to view Apollo's streames,
In May the Buck his horned tops doth hang vpon the pale,
In May he seeks the pastures greene in ranging over the dale,
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In May the better that he may increase the scalie kinne.
All things in May I see they may rejoice like Turtle Doue,
I sorrow in May since I may not in May obtain my loue.
Now may I mourn in fruitful May who may or can redresse,
My May is sorrow since she that may withholds my May afresh,
Thus must I play in pleasant May till I may May at will
With her in May, whose May my life now may both saue and spill.
Contented hearts that have your hope, in May you may at large
Unfold your joys, expell your cares, and maske in pleasures Barge,
Save I alone in May that may lament for my behooue,
I mourne in May till that I may in May obtain my loue.
My May is sorrow since she that may withholds my May afresh,
Thus must I play in pleasant May till I may May at will
With her in May, whose May my life now may both saue and spill.
Contented hearts that have your hope, in May you may at large
Unfold your joys, expell your cares, and maske in pleasures Barge,
Save I alone in May that may lament for my behooue,
I mourne in May till that I may in May obtain my loue.
Finis.
| The Life and Poems of Richard Edwards | |