As þe story sayes, he hir mette at Eldryn Tre.

 

Fytte the First

As I me went þis Andyrs day,
ffast on my way makyng my mone,
in a mery mornyng of may,
be Huntley bankis my self alone,
I herde þe jay and þe throstell,
þe mavys menyd in hir song,
þe wodewale farde as a bell
þat þe wode aboute me rong.

Alle in a longyng, as I lay, 
vndurneth a cumly tre,
saw I wher a lady gay
came ridand ouer a louely le.
ȝif I shuld sitte till domusday,
alle with my tong to know and se,
sertenly, alle hur aray
shalle hit neuer be scryed for me.

Hir palfray was of dappull gray,
sike on se I neuer non ;
as dose þe sune on somers day,
þe cumly lady hir selfe schone.

Hir sadill was of reuyll bone, 
semely was þat sight to se !
stifly sette with precious ston,
compaste aboute with crapote,
stonys of pryons, gret plente ;
hir here aboute hir hed hit hong.

She rode out ouer þat louely le,
a while she blew, a while she song ;
hir grathis of nobull silke þei were,
hir boculs þei were of barys ston ;
hir stiroppis þei were of cristall clere,
and alle with perry aboute be gon. 

Hir paytrell was of a riall fyne,
hir cropur was of arafe ;
hir bridull was of golde fyne ;
on every side hong bellis thre.

She led iij grehoundis in a leesshe,
viij rachis be hir fete ran ;
to speke with hir wold I not seesse ;
hir lire was white as any swan.

fforsothe, lordyngis, as I yow tell,
thus was þis lady fayre begon ;
she bare a horne aboute hir halce,
and vndur hir gyrdill mony flonne.

Thomas lay and saw þat sight,
vndurneth a semely tre ;
he seid, yonde is mary of myght,
þat bare þe childe þat died for me.

But I speke with þat lady bright,
I hope my hert wille breke in thre ;
but I will go with alle my myght,
hir to mete at eldryn tre.

Thomas radly vp he rose,
and ran ouer þat mounteyn hye,
and certanley, as þe story sayes,
he hir mette at eldryn tre.

As I went forth
this Andyr's day
quick my pace
lost in thought
one merry morning
in may

alone 
on the banks
of Huntley

I the jay 
and thrush
did hear

musical
sang the thrush
the woodpecker 
bell-striking
set the woods
about me
ringing

alone
I lay
under 
a comely tree

Saw I
a lady gay
come riding
over
the meadow
gladly

bide I
here
til Domesday
and speak
of all 
to know and see
I would not see
certainly
any arrayed
as she

Dapple grey
her palfrey
the like
I never saw
before

like sunshine
on a summer's day
shone she
this lady
comely

her saddle
was all ivory
wonderful
to see
covered all
with 
precious stones
compassed all
jewelled
oriental

her hair
about her
head
it hung

she rode
across
the meadow fair
blowing a note
singing a tune
all clothed
in noble silk
beryl buckles
stirrups crystal
bright and clear
dripping
with jewels
her peytrel
a gold riall
bright
her crupper
embroidered
like tapestry
her bridle
gold most fine
bells
jingling
hung by threes
iij greyhounds
had she leashed
scent hounds
viij 
about her feet
played

Forbear
me not
with her
to speak
her skin
pale
white
as any swan

Truly
my lords
all here
I tell you
true
about her neck
hung
a horn
many
an arrow
through her girdle
thrust

Thomas
lay 
and
that sight
he saw
beneath 
his comely tree
yonder
he said
is Mary in her might
that carried the child
who for me died
may my heart 
break in three
when her I meet
beneath 
the Elder tree.