The Devonshire Manuscript/Resounde my voyse ye woodes that herithe me plaine

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The Devonshire Manuscript facsimile 72r

f. [72r] 

1    Resounde my voyse ye woodes{es} that herithe me plaine
2    bothe hillis and valeis causers of reflexion
3    and Ryvo^rs eke recorders ye of my paine
4    wiche hathe ye oft forced bye compassion
5    as Iudges to here my exclamation
6    among whom I finde pitye dothe remaine /
7    where I yt sought alas there is disdayne

8    Oft ye Riuo^rs to here my wofull sounde
9    have stopt yo^r coursse & plainle texepresse to express 
10    manye atree bye moistur{t'} of the grounde
11    the yerthe hathe wepte to here my hevinesse
12    wiche causseles to suffre with{w+t+}out redresse /
13    the howgie oakes have roryd in the wynde
14    eche thing me thought movin{_i}g in the kinde

15    Whye then alas dothe not she on me Rewe
16    or ys her herte se harde that no pitye
17    maye yn yt synk my Ioyes for to renue /
18    O tygres herte who hathe so clokid the /
19    {w+t+}{u'} that arte so cruell / couerd with bewtye
20    there is no grace from{_o} the that maye procede
21    but as rewarde Dethe for to bee my mede /

fs s

Commentary

Attributed to Sir Thomas Wyatt, this poem was entered by H8. This poem plays explicitly with religious imagery; the Lady will only bestow death as a reward to the lover, even though nature itself pities the speaker’s plight. The medieval poem La Belle Dame Sans Merci similarly explores a lady's harsh response to a lover. R. A. Rebholz observes that Wyatt may have imitated Serafino's strambotto "L'aer che sente il mesto e gran clamore," but he expands Serafino's eight-line lyric by adding hills, vales, rivers, rain, and oaks, and by concluding with a complaint to the speaker's love. The poem also appears in Tottel's Miscellany under the title “The louer complaineth that his loue doth not pitie him” (item 59).

Textual Notes

Texts Collated

LEge30, STC13860_22

Collation

1 Resounde] Resound LEge30 REsownde STC_13860_22 voyse] voyce STC_13860_22 woodes] wodees LEge30 woodes, STC_13860_22 herithe] here LEge30 heare STC_13860_22 plaine] plain LEge30 plaine: STC_13860_22
2 bothe] boeth LEge30 Both STC_13860_22 hillis] hilles LEge30 STC_13860_22 valeis] vales LEge30 STC_13860_22 causers of] causing LEge30 causyng STC_13860_22 reflexion] reflexion, STC_13860_22
3 and] And STC_13860_22 Ryvors] Ryvers LEge30 riuers STC_13860_22 eke] eke, STC_13860_22 recorders] record LEge30 STC_13860_22 paine] pain LEge30 paine: STC_13860_22
4 wiche] which LEge30 Which STC_13860_22 hathe] have LEge30 haue STC_13860_22 ye] STC_13860_22 forced] forced ye STC_13860_22 bye] by LEge30 STC_13860_22 compassion] compassion, STC_13860_22
5 as] As STC_13860_22 Iudges] iudges STC_13860_22 to] lo to STC_13860_22 here] heare STC_13860_22 exclamation] exclamacion. STC_13860_22
6 among] Amonge STC_13860_22 whom] whome LEge30 whom, STC_13860_22 I finde pitye] pitie I fynde LEge30 such (I finde) yet STC_13860_22 dothe] doeth LEge30 doth STC_13860_22 remaine /] remayn LEge30 remaine. STC_13860_22
7 where] When LEge30 Where STC_13860_22 yt] it LEge30 STC_13860_22 sought] seke LEge30 seke, STC_13860_22 alas] Alas LEge30 alas, STC_13860_22 disdayne] disdain LEge30 disdaine. STC_13860_22
8 Riuors] Revers: LEge30 riuers, STC_13860_22 here] hear STC_13860_22 sounde] sounde, STC_13860_22
9 have] Haue STC_13860_22 yor] your LEge30 STC_13860_22 coursse] course : LEge30 cours, STC_13860_22 &] and LEge30 STC_13860_22 plainle] plainly LEge30 plainely STC_13860_22 texepresse] to expresse LEge30 to expresse, STC_13860_22
10 manye] many LEge30 Many STC_13860_22 atree] a tere LEge30 a teare STC_13860_22 bye] by LEge30 STC_13860_22 moistur] moystour LEge30 moisture STC_13860_22
11 the] The STC_13860_22 yerthe] erth LEge30 earth STC_13860_22 hathe] hath LEge30 STC_13860_22 wepte] wept LEge30 STC_13860_22 here] hear STC_13860_22 hevinesse] hevenes LEge30 heauinesse: STC_13860_22
12 wiche] which LEge30 Which STC_13860_22 causseles] causeles LEge30 causelesse STC_13860_22 to suffre] I endure STC_13860_22 redresse /] redresse. STC_13860_22
13 the] The STC_13860_22 howgie] howgy LEge30 hugy STC_13860_22 oakes] okes LEge30 STC_13860_22 have] haue STC_13860_22 roryd] rored LEge30 STC_13860_22 wynde] winde, STC_13860_22
14 eche] Ech STC_13860_22 moving] complayning LEge30 STC_13860_22 the] their LEge30 STC_13860_22 kinde] kynde LEge30 kinde. STC_13860_22
15 Whye] Why LEge30 STC_13860_22 alas] helas LEge30 dothe] doeth LEge30 doth STC_13860_22 Rewe] rew LEge30 rew, STC_13860_22
16 or] Or STC_13860_22 ys] is LEge30 STC_13860_22 herte] hert LEge30 hart STC_13860_22 se] so LEge30 STC_13860_22 harde] herd LEge30 hard STC_13860_22 pitye] pitie LEge30 STC_13860_22
17 maye] may LEge30 May STC_13860_22 yn yt] in it LEge30 STC_13860_22 synk] synke LEge30 sinke, STC_13860_22 Ioyes] Ioye LEge30 ioye STC_13860_22 renue /] renew LEge30 renew? STC_13860_22
18 tygres] stony LEge30 STC_13860_22 herte] hert LEge30 hart STC_13860_22 who] ho LEge30 hathe] hath LEge30 STC_13860_22 so clokid the /] this Ioyned the LEge30 thus framed thee STC_13860_22
19 that arte so cruell /] so cruell that art : LEge30 So cruell? that art STC_13860_22 couerd] cloked LEge30 STC_13860_22 bewtye] beaultie LEge30 beauty, STC_13860_22
20 there is] LEge30 That from thee may STC_13860_22 no grace] no grace to me LEge30 STC_13860_22 from the] STC_13860_22 that maye] there may LEge30 procede] procede, STC_13860_22
21 but] But STC_13860_22 rewarde] rewarded LEge30 reward STC_13860_22 Dethe] deth LEge30 death STC_13860_22 bee] be LEge30 STC_13860_22 mede /] mede. STC_13860_22