One Hundred Middle English Lyrics [Paperback]

Robert D. Stevick (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

A! Sone, Tak Hede To Me Whos Sone Thou Wast by Anonymous
A,a,a,a %yet I Love Wher-so I Go by Anonymous
Adam Lay I-bowndyn [or, I-bounden, Or, Y-bounden] by Anonymous
Al Nyght By The Rose, Rose by Anonymous
Al Worldly Welthe Passed Me Fro by Anonymous
All Turns Into Yesterday by Anonymous
Allas, Allas The While by Anonymous
Allas, Departyng Is Ground Of Wo by Anonymous
Alone, Allone, Allone, Allone, Allone by Anonymous
As I Me Rod This Endre Day by Anonymous
As In Thee Resteth My Joye And Confort by Anonymous
Bitwene March And Aperil by Anonymous
Blow, Northren Wynd by Anonymous
Bon Jour, Bon Jour A Vous by Anonymous
Bring Us In Good Ale by Anonymous
Care Awey, Awey, Awey by Anonymous
Care Awey, Awey, Awey by Anonymous
Deo Gracias Anglia %redde Pro Victoria by Anonymous
Erthe Took Of Erthe, Erthe Wyth Wogh by Anonymous
Evermore, Wher-so-evere I Be by Anonymous
Faire, Fresshest Erthly Creature by Anonymous
Farewell This World by Anonymous
For Wele Or Wo I Wyl Not Flee by Anonymous
Fortune by Anonymous
Foweles In The [pe] Frith by Anonymous
Fressh Lusty Beautee Joyned Wyth Gentilesse by Anonymous
Go Forth, Myn Herte, Wyth My Lady by Anonymous
Go, Heart, Hurt With Adversity by Anonymous
Go, Litel Bille, And Do Me Recomaunde by Anonymous
God Be Lwyth Truthe Wher He Be by Anonymous
Hey, Ey, Hey, Ey by Anonymous
Hond By Hond We Shullen Us Take by Anonymous
How Come Alle Ye That Ben I-broght by Anonymous
How! Hey! It Is Non Lees by Anonymous
I Am Of Irelond by Anonymous
I Have A Yong Suster by Anonymous
I May Wel Sike For Grevous Is My Peyne by Anonymous
I Moot Go Walke The Wode So Wilde by Anonymous
I Passed Thurgh A Gardyn Grene by Anonymous
I Sing Of A Maiden [or, Syge Of A Mayden] by Anonymous
In A Tabernacle Of A Tour by Anonymous
In The Vale Of Abraham by Anonymous
In The Vale Of Restless Mind by Anonymous
In What Estat So Evere I Be by Anonymous
The Kiss by Anonymous
Knight, Knight, Clerk Wend To Death by Anonymous
Litel Wot It Any Man by Anonymous
Litel Wot It Any Man by Anonymous
Lullay, Lullay, Litel Child, Child Rest Thee A Throwe by Anonymous
Lullay, Lullay, Litel Child, Why Wepest Thou So Sore by Anonymous
Lullay, Lullay, Lully, Lullay by Anonymous
Maiden In The Mor by Anonymous
Marie Moder, Wel Thee Be by Anonymous
Mary Hath Born Allone by Anonymous
My Cares Comen Evere Anewe by Anonymous
'myrie A Tyme I Telle In May by Anonymous
Ne Hath My Soule But Fyr And Yse by Anonymous
Now Is The Time Of Christmas by Anonymous
Now Spryngeth The Spray by Anonymous
Now Thise Foweles Syngen And Maken Her Blisse by Anonymous
Now Wolde I Fayn Som Myrthes Make by Anonymous
Nowel, El, El, El, El by Anonymous
O Man Unkynde by Anonymous
O Man Unkynde, Have In Mynde by Anonymous
Of A Rose I Synge A Song by Anonymous
Of Alle The Enemies That I Can Fynde by Anonymous
Of Oon That Is So Faire And Bright by Anonymous
On Hire Is Al My Lyf Ylong by Anonymous
The Penitent Hopes In Mary by Anonymous
Prayer For Forbearance by Anonymous
Revert, Revert, Revert, Revert by Anonymous
Sancta Maria, Ora Pro Nobis by Anonymous
Sey Me, Wight In The Broom by Anonymous
Sith Al That In This World Hath Ben In Rerum Natura by Anonymous
So Faire, So Fressh, So Goodly On-to See by Anonymous
Sodeynly Affrayed, Half Wakyng, Half Slepyng by Anonymous
Spring Song by Anonymous
Stond Wel, Moder, Under Rode by Anonymous
Synge We Alle And Seye We Thus by Anonymous
Ther Bloweth A Cold Wynd To-day, To-day by Anonymous
This World's Joy by Anonymous
Ubi Sunt Qui Ante Nos Fuerunt? by Anonymous
'wel, Who Shal Thise Hornes Blowe' by Anonymous
Whan I See On Rode I-don by Anonymous
Whan I Thenke On The Rode by Anonymous
Whan I Thenke Thynges Three by Anonymous
Whan The Turf Is Thy Tour by Anonymous
When I On The Rode See by Anonymous
When The Nyghtengale Syngeth The Wodes Waxen Grene by Anonymous
Who Wot Now That Is Heer by Anonymous
'whoso Saw On Rode by Anonymous
Wyth A Gerlond Of Thornes Kene by Anonymous
-- Table of Poems from Poem Finder®

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: University of Illinois Press; Rev Sub edition (May 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0252063791
• ISBN-13: 978-0252063794
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,848,782 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One Hundred Middle English Lyrics, March 12, 2008

By 

Mithridates VI of Pontus (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: One Hundred Middle English Lyrics (Paperback)

The volume 'One Hundred Middle English Lyrics' edited by Robert D. Stevick has astounding content, an insightful introduction, but sadly lacks any explanation of individual poems. Stevick arranges his poems in approximate chronological order so that the keen reader can trace thematic and stylistic changes. Thankfully Stevick does not translate the poems into modern English or keep each poem in its original dialect (of which thousands existed), a method that would require every "potential reader of Middle English lyrics to serve an apprenticeship to the trade of philology" but instead presents the texts in the single Middle English written dialect of Chaucer and his contemporaries. His reasoning in using this dialect is as follows, "historically, it stands near the line of development of Modern Standard English and probably is the dialect of more of the Middle English verse now commonly read than any other" (pg xi). In doing away with local dialects Stevick might be obscuring some meaning but not nearly as much as a translation into modern English would. That said, these fascinating poems are now more approachable to the novice Middle English reader (or even first timer willing to trudge through thenk (think), dere (injure), gril (harsh), leeste wenest (least expect), etc).

Since this volume is calculated to "suit both the initiated and less skilled reader" of Middle English Stevick provides an extensive glosses on each page as well as a glossary of more common words. Also, when the poems use lines of Latin all of these phrases are translated. For the reader who really wants to learn Middle English, Stevick provides pages on the linguistic traits found in this edition and some charts of personal pronouns, nouns, adjectives, and phonetic reconstructions of consonant sounds. However, the casual reader can understand most everything by reading out loud and looking at the glosses and index (this is how I tackled them).

Here is an example of the glosses he provides for a powerful little poem illustrating the fleeting nature of life and worldly pleasure:

Whan the turf is thy tour
And thy put* is thy bour.
Thy fel* and thy white throte
Shullen wormes to note.*
What helpeth thee than
Al the worlde wenne?*

put = pit i.e., grave
fel = skin
Shullen wormes to note = shall worms (have) for their use
worlde wenne = joys, pleasures of the world

The poems in this volume are given neither individual or broad examination besides that some were religious and some were secular and this is by far the weak link of this volume. The editor might be correct in saying that stated explanations tend to "fix the editor's interpretations on the poems," overshadowing the reader's interpretations however, most readers are not experts in Middle English poetry and some background information and discussion of key themes is essential. This is especially imporant when Stevick's stated purpose is to "represent the tradition of Middle English lyric verse by illustrating its development and principal characteristics" (pg xiii). Other than that, this is a wonderful volume with an astounding selection spanning the spectrum of religious and secular lyric verse.