When Nettuls In Wynter  Bryng Forth Rosys Red

Words and Music: Traditional English

Source: Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols Now First Printed, From a Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century (London: The Percy Society, 1847), Song #58, printed verbatim from a manuscript probably owned by a professional musician, and apparently written in the latter half of the fifteenth century, circa 1471-1485.

Whan thes thynges foloyng be done to owr intent,
Than put women in trust and confydent.

When nettuls in wynter bryng forth rosys red;
And al maner of thorn trys ber fygys naturally;
And ges ber perles in every med;
And laurell ber cherys abundantly;
And okes ber dates very plentuosly;
And kyskys gyfe of hony superfluens;
Than put women in trust and confydens.

Whan box ber papur in every lond and towne;
And thystuls ber berys in every place;
And pykes have naturally fethers in ther crowne;
And bulles of the see syng a good bace;
And men be the schypes fyschys do trace;
And in women be fownd no incypyens;
Than put hem in trust and confydens.

Whan whytynges do walke forestes to chase hertys;
And herynges ther hornnys in forestes boldly blow;
And marmasattes morn in mores and in lakys;
And gurnardes schot rokes owt of a crose bow;
And gosylnges hunt the wolfe to overthrow;
And sprates ber sperys in armys of defens;
Than put women in trust and confydens.

Whan swyn be conyng in al poyntes of musyke;
And asses be docturs of every scyens;
And kattes do hel men be practysyng of fysyke;
And boserds to scryptur gyfe ony credens;
And marchans by with horne in sted of grotes and pens;
And pyys be mad poets for their eloquens;
Than put women in trust and confydens.

Whan spawrus byld chyrchys on a hyth;
And wrenys cary sekkes onto the myll;
And curlews cary tymber howsys to dyth;
And fomaus ber butter to market to sell;
And wodkokes wer wodk[n]yfys cranis to kyll;
And gren gynchys to goslynges do obedyens;
Than put women in trust and confydens.

When crowves tak sarmon in wodes and parkes,
And be tak with swyftes and snayles;
And cammels in the eyer tak swalows and larkes;
And myse move mountans with wagyng of ther tayles;
And schypmen tak a ryd in sted of saylles;
And whan wyfvys to their husbondes do no offens;
Than put women in trust and confydens.

When hantlopes sermountes eglys in flyght;
And swans be swyfter than hawkes of the tower;
And wrennys get goshaukes be fors and myght;
And musketes mak vergese of crabbes sower;
And schyppes sely on dry lond, syll gyfe flower;
And apes in Westmynster gyf judgment and sentens;
Than put women in trust and confydens.

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