2 Early Versions of “The Holly and the Ivy”

from c. 1525:
Holly against Ivy
Nay! nay! Ivy, 
It may not be, iwis:                              iwis/indeed
For Holy must have the mastry, 
As the maner is. 

Holy bereth beris, 
Beris rede inough: 
The thristilcok, the popingay 		cock thrush, the parrot (?)
Daunce in every bough. 
Welaway! sory Ivy, 
What fowles hast thou? 
But the sory owlet, 
That singeth “How! how!” 

Ivy bereth beris 
As black as any slo: 
Ther commeth the woode-colver 	wood-pigeon
And fedeth her of tho. 				feed on them
She lifteth up her taill, 
And she cackes or she go: 		And she leaves droppings before she goes
She wold not for a hundred poundes 
Serve Holy so. 

Holy with his mery men 
They can daunce in hall: 
Ivy and her gentil women 
Cannot daunce at all, 
But like a meiny of bullockes 		meiny/herd
In a waterfall, 
Or on a hot somer’s day 
Whan they be mad all.

Holy and his mery men 
Sitt in cheires of gold: 
Ivy and her gentil women 
Sitt without in fold, 
With a paire of kibed 		kibed/having chilblains 
Heles caught with cold – 
So wold I that every man had 
That with Ivy will hold!

from c. 1425:
Nay! Ivy, nay! 
It shall not be, iwis: 				iwis/indeed
Let Holy have the maistry, 
As the maner is.					maner/custom
 
Holy stond in the hall 
Faire to behold: 
Ivy stond without the dore – 
She is full sore acold. 

Holy and his mery men 
They daunsen and they sing; 
Ivy and her maidenes 
They wepen and they wring. 

Ivy hath a kibe 						kibe/chilblain 
She caght it with the colde. 
So mot they all have ay 
That with Ivy hold.

Holy hath beris 
As rede as any rose: 
The foster, the hunters 			foster/forester	
Kepe hem fro the doos. 

Ivy hath beris 
As blake as any slo: 
Ther com the owle 
And ete hem as she goo. 

Holy hath birdes, 
A full faire flok: 
The nightingale, the poppinguy, 	parrot?	
The gayntil laverok. 				gentle lark?

Gode Ivy, gode Ivy, 
What birdes hast thou? 
Non but the owlet 
That creye, “How! how!”

– “The Holly and the Ivy” from Medieval English Lyrics