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

Nou cometh winter ryghte anon

olivier's picture
olivier
Poem (Canso): 

Nou cometh winter ryghte anon
And blewe bicometh al the skie.
The floures are wilten and gon
As eche blosme falle and die.
But on the erthe snou doth lie:
And this thinne cloke, this smal shilde,
The moundes soule it ner ne yilde.
Yet wil my loue
Shine from aboue
With golden her colde winter to remoue.

Al birdes haue yfluwen fer,
Torente bene hir softe nestes.
The watere is frosen ofer
And slepen the fisses and bestes.
In shadwe al creature restes.
The starres hiden in derkenes
Whil the mounde to wintre herkenes.
Yet wil my loue
Shine from aboue
With golden her colde winter to remoue.

Translation: 

Winter comes now, very quickly
And the sky is turning blue.
The flowers have wilted away
As each blossom falls and dies.
Meanwhile, snow blankets the earth:
This thin sheet, this shield
Will never give up the soul of the world.
Yet my love will
Shine from high above
And her golden hair will end the winter.

The birds have all flown away
And the birds and beasts slumber.
Each creature rests in the shadows.
The stars, too, hide in darkness
While the world enters its winter.
Yet my love will
Shine from high above
And her golden hair will end the winter.

Documentation / Explanation (Razo): 

This is a a Middle English translation of my Old French poem Trop tôt i arrive l’hiver. I wrote this ME version for a book I printed and bound for Atlantian Twelfth Night AS XL; while I was more interested in the OF songs, I knew the book's reader base would not be - so I wanted to provide facing translations for those who might otherwise feel lost (or at least more lost than if they just read these ME poems). I did not base this on any particular lyric, but rather wanted to imitate the general style and voice of the broad 13th c. anonymous ME lyric repertoire.