Mediaeval Eventide Song

Come hither, lyttel childe, and lie upon my breast to-night,     For yonder fares an angell yclad in raimaunt white,     And yonder sings ye angell as onely angells may,     And his songe ben of a garden that bloometh farre awaye.     To them that have no lyttel childe Godde sometimes sendeth down     A lyttel childe that ben a lyttel lambkyn of his owne;     And if so bee they love that childe, He willeth it to staye,     But elsewise, in His mercie He taketh it awaye.     And sometimes, though they love it, Godde yearneth for ye childe,     And sendeth angells singing, whereby it ben beguiled;     They fold their arms about ye lamb that croodleth at his play,     And beare him to ye garden that bloometh farre awaye.     I wolde not lose ye lyttel lamb that Godde hath lent to me;     If I colde sing that angell songe, how joysome I sholde bee!     For, with mine arms about him, and my musick in his eare,     What angell songe of paradize soever sholde I feare?     Soe come, my lyttel childe, and lie upon my breast to-night,     For yonder fares an angell yclad in raimaunt white,     And yonder sings that angell, as onely angells may,     And his songe ben of a garden that bloometh farre awaye.