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a collection of literature from poets, bards, songwriters, and skalds in the SCA

Miri It Is

canterbury
Poem (Canso): 

Springtime it is and Sonne wol come or so they Says
Alle Y see are muddie fyldes and Hailstones
Ay Ay Newe lambes die in daes
All oure Cowes no milch can raise
Sorregh and murn and fast.

Sommer it is no rayne wol we see for alle the day
Till such time it pisseth downe and rot the Hay
Ay Ay alle owre stock doth stray
And oure crope wither away
Sorregh and murn and fast.

Autumn it is and time is ycome for Orcharde Crop
Cometh early Hoare frost and spoil the lot
Ay Ay no Cidere weem got
And wire alle haue foote rot
Sorregh and murn and fast.

Winter it is the sonne is gone the licht is dim
Rain and snowe and windes blow tis bloody grim
Ay Ay ice mi bed doth rim
Nae any gude for schlaapen in
Sorregh and murn and fast.

 

Robert of Canterbury
Re Written for Master Wolfgang Adolfus Jaeger
Reading
ASXL

Documentation / Explanation (Razo): 

"Miri It is" is a medieval tune with one surviving verse.

Miri it is while summer ilast with furgheles song
Och nu neheth windes blast and weder strang,
Ay ay what this nicht is lang
And ich whith wot michel wrang
Sorregh and murn and fast..

A good friend and splendid musician Chris Elmes commented to me at an SCA feast that it was a pity we only had one verse, as it made performing it somewhat tedious. Inspired, I composed a few more verses in ten minutes on the spot.

It was subsequently pointed out to me that my first draft had not carried on the rhyme structure A,A,A,A,B from the original verse, so I re-polished the piece into its final form.

NOTE: This piece, along with the above documentation, was reprinted with the author's permission. It was originally made available on his website: "Miri It Is"