When shaws beene sheene,[486] and shradds[487] full fayre,[488]
And leaves both large and longe,
Itt is merrye walking in the fayre forrèst
To heare the small birdes songe.[489]
The woodweele[490] sang, and wold not cease,[491]5
[Sitting upon the spraye,[492]
Soe lowde, he wakened Robin Hood,[492]
In the greenwood where he lay.[492]
Now by my faye,[493] sayd jollye Robìn,[492]
A sweaven[494] I had this night;[492]10
I dreamt me of tow wighty[495] yemen,[492]
That fast with me can fight.][492]
Methought they did mee beate and binde,
And tooke my bow mee froe;[496]
If I be Robin alive in this lande,15
Ile be wroken[497] on them towe.
Sweavens are swift, Master, quoth John,
As the wind that blowes ore a hill;
For if itt be never so loude this night,
To-morrow itt may be still.20
Buske yee, bowne yee,[498] my merry men all,
And John shall goe with mee,
For Ile goe seeke yond wight yeomen,
In greenwood where thé bee.
Thé cast on their gownes of grene,25
[And tooke theyr bowes each one;
And they away to the greene forrèst]
A shooting forth are gone;[499]
Untill they came to the merry greenwood,
Where they had gladdest bee,30
There were thé ware[500] of a wight yeomàn,
His body leaned to a tree.