| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
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| Anonymous. 16th Cent. (Scottish) |
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| 50. When Flora had O'erfret the Firth |
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| QUHEN Flora had o'erfret the firth | |
| In May of every moneth queen; | |
| Quhen merle and mavis singis with mirth | |
| Sweet melling in the shawis sheen; | |
| Quhen all luvaris rejoicit bene | 5 |
| And most desirous of their prey, | |
| I heard a lusty luvar mene | |
| —'I luve, but I dare nocht assay!' | |
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| 'Strong are the pains I daily prove, | |
| But yet with patience I sustene, | 10 |
| I am so fetterit with the luve | |
| Only of my lady sheen, | |
| Quhilk for her beauty micht be queen, | |
| Nature so craftily alway | |
| Has done depaint that sweet serene: | 15 |
| —Quhom I luve I dare nocht assay. | |
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| 'She is so bricht of hyd and hue, | |
| I luve but her alone, I ween; | |
| Is none her luve that may eschew, | |
| That blinkis of that dulce amene; | 20 |
| So comely cleir are her twa een | |
| That she mae luvaris dois affray | |
| Than ever of Greece did fair Helene: | |
| —Quhom I luve I dare nocht assay!' | |
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GLOSS: o'erfret] adorned. shawis] woods. sheen] beautiful. mene] mourn. hyd] skin. blinkis] gets a glimpse. dulce amene] gentle and pleasant one. mae] more. |
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