KIRTLE RED
A DAMSEL fair, on a summer’s day—
—Sing heigh, sing ho, for the summer!
Sat under a tree in a kirtle gray,
Singing, “Somebody’s late at tryst to-day;
Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,
Or the leaves may fall in summer!”
Answered a little bird overhead—
As birds will do in summer;
“Some body has kept tryst,” it said,
“With somebody else in a kirtle red,
And they are going to be marrièd.”
Sing heigh, sing ho, for the summer!
“With all my heart, little bird,” said she;
Sing heigh, sing ho, for the summer!
“He’s welcome to kirtle red for me;
Somebody’s fast, while somebody’s free!
There’s nothing, no, nothing, like libertie!”
—Sing heigh, sing ho, for the summer!
W. H. Bellamy.