This sounds like it might be a cousin of the same song: I Have a Yong Suster I have a yong suster Fer biyonde the see; Manye be the druries That she sente me. She sente me the cherye Withouten any stoon, And so she dide the dove Withouten any boon. She sente me the brere Withouten any rinde; She bad me love my lemman Withoute longinge. How sholde any cherye Be withoute stoon? And how sholde any dove Be withoute boon? How sholde any brere Be withoute rinde? How sholde I love my lemman Withoute longinge? Whan the cherye was a flowr, Thanne hadde it no stoon; Whan the dove was an ey, Thanne hadde it no boon. Whan the brere was unbred, Thanne hadde it no rinde; Whan the maiden hath that she loveth, She is withoute longinge. Lyrics from this page