An excellent Ditty, both merry and witty,  
Expressing the love of the Youths of the City,  
Who take delight, as my Song doth say,  
Betimes in the morning to fetch home May,   
To a pleasant new tune, or the two lovely Lovers.  
 

AWake my own dear sweeting,  
why dost thou sleep so long;  
The Sun is near up rising,  
do not thyself such wrong,  
Upon this pleasing morning,  
swiftly let's take our way  
With joy to welcome in,  
the merry month of May.   

I sé the day star twinkling,  
rising in the East,  
Which tells us that Aurora,  
hath left her sluggish rest,  
Then rise up my own Honey,  
and let us take our way,  
With joy to welcome in,  
the merry month of May.   

The Flowers are neat and dainty,  
which do be all loulie,  
To walk into the Meadows,  
to give our heart's delight:  
Under the rare green shadows,  
we may sport and play,  
With joy to welcome in,  
the merry month of May.   

The birds are sweetly singing,  
upon the gréene-wood ●rées,  
Down in the Meadows may we,  
walk up to the knees,  
In Primrose and sweet Daisies,  
with Cowslyp neat and gay,  
Then come my only sweeting,  
let us got gather May.   

The Nightingale must pleasing,  
chants forth her merry strain,  
Then who would stay at home,  
that might such pleasure gain.  
The youths of this fair City,  
trimmed in their best orray.  
Are marching forth this morning,  
with joy to gather May.   

With Drums, with Fifes, and trumpets,  
they are bravely graced,  
With Muskets in the forefront,  
which they have rately placed,  
They all went on in pleasure;  
attired neat and gay,  
And every young man has his Love,  
that goes to gather May.   

Roger with his Susan,  
an● Robert his fair lane,  
Richard with his sweet heart,  
to be leg do disdain,  
Sweet William and fair Nancy,  
in their apparel gay,  
Is early gone this morning,  
abroad to gather May.   

john jinkin with his Gilian,  
Tom with Penelope,  
And Humphrey with sweet Prudence  
why then sweet may not we,  
As well as all these Lovers,  
in our apparel gay.  
Upon this merry morning,  
walk forth so fetch home May.   

The second part.  
To the same tune.  
 

THere's Randall with his Sara,  
marching hand in hand,  
Rowland and sweet Maudlin,  
that yield to his demand,  
There's Arthur and sweet Margaret,  
which does her Love obey,  
Is early gone this morning,  
abroad to gather May.   

Nicholas with his Betty,  
and Francis with fair Mary,  
Martin with Rebecca,  
and Dorothy with Harry,  
El●s with his Katherine,  
were gone the break of day,  
In their apparel neatly,  
to fetch home gentle May.   

Edward with sweet love,  
and Lucres with Valentine,  
james with his sweetheart Alce,  
they must have Cream and Wine  
These Lover's march in order,  
whilst Music sweet doth play;  
With songs and pleasant Ditties,  
about to gather May.   

This is the month of pleasure,  
and April's watery showers,  
Hath fallen in comely measure,  
to increase the pleasing flowers,  
That Lovers gather early,  
to make them Posies gay,  
Composed of sundry colours  
within the month of May.   

Margery my sweeting,  
thy Silvester doth call,  
I fain would be this morning,  
the foremost of them all.  
I see Apollo's splendour,  
darts from the East most gay,  
To grace these comely Lovers,  
to fetch home lovely May.   

The Blackbird sings most sweetly,  
so doth the Nightingale,  
The Fawns play in the high woods,  
the Mare runs over the Dales,  
The bleating Lambs most sweetly,  
delight to sport and play,  
The small birds sweetly warble,  
to welcome pleasant May.   

Sweet Sillib●bs w●●'l have Love,  
with Cakes and P●●ding-pye●,  
With Cream ●e ●re●'d with Sugar  
if that my Madge will ●ise.  
L● hear the Cuckoo sing sweet,  
and see her feathers grey,  
Who with her notes most kindly,  
doth welcome in sweet May.   

Strike up thy Pipe good Piper,  
I see my Love doth come,  
Much like the Queen of beauty,  
her splendour lights the room,  
Come, come my gentle sweeting,  
with all the speed we may,  
Le's walk to the green Meadows  
to gather pleasant May.    
L. M.  
FINIS.   

Printed at London for john Grismand.