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Bruce Origins: Serving Girl's Holiday (16) Lyr Add: THE SERVING MAID'S HOLIDAY 11 Sep 97


Looks like a reworking of the following. The earlier serving-maid had a more adventurous holiday.

Rossell Hope Robins, Secular Lyrics of the 14th and 15th Century
[thorns expanded to 'th' and yogh to 'gh' or 'z']

29.  The Serving Maid's Holiday
   Caius Coll. Cambridge MS. 383

[Chorus] Wybbe ne rele ne sypyyn yc ne may
     ffor ioyze that it is holyday

Al this day ic han sought,
  spyndul ne werue ne wond y nought;
To myche blisse ic am brout
  azen this holyday.
        Wybbe &c.

All vnswope ys owre vleth,
& owre fyre ys vnleth,
Oure ruschen ben vnrepe zeth,
  azen this hy halyday.

ye moste feschun worton In;
thredele my kerchef vndur my khyn;
leue iakke, lend me a pyn
  To thredele me this holiday.

Now yt draweth to the none
& al my cherrus ben vndone;
y moste a lyte solas mye schone
  to make hem dowge this holyday.

y most mylkin in his payl;
Outh me bred al this schayl,
zut is the dow vndur myy nayl
  as ic knad this holyday.

Iakke wol brynge me onward in my wey,
Wyth me desyre for te pleyze;
Of my dame stant me non eyze
  an neuer a god haliday

Iacke wol pay for my scoth
a sonday atte the ale-schoth;
iacke wol sowse wel my troth
  eury god haliday.

sone he wolle take me be the hand,
& he wolle legge me on the lond,
that al my buttockus ben of sond,
opon this hye holyday.

In he pult & out he drow,
& euer yc lay on hym y-low;
'by godus deth, thou dest me wow
vpon this hey holyday!'

sone my wombe began to swelle
as greth as a belle;
durst y nat my dame telle
  Wat me betydde this holyday.


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