By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)
‘Wynter wakeneth al my care’ is one of the earliest surviving winter poems in English literature. Below we offer the poem in its original Middle English spelling, followed by a modern English paraphrase designed to help summarise the poem, and then a few words analysing this fine lyric.
Wynter wakeneth al my care,
Nou this leves waxeth bare;
Ofte I sike ant mourne sare
When hit cometh in my thoht
Of this worldes joie, hou hit goth al to noht.
Nou hit is, and nou hit nys,
Al so hit ner nere, ywys;
That moni mon seith, soth hit ys:
Al goth bote Godes wille:
Alle we shule deye, thah us like ylle.