I have a ȝong suster- Sloane MS c.1430
Child in his narative to No. 46 Captain Wedderburn's Courtship says:
". . . the following song, from a manuscript assigned to the fifteenth century, and also preserved in several forms by oral tradition: Sloane Manuscript, No 2593, British Museum; Wright's Songs and Carols, 1836, No 8; as printed for the Warton Club, No xxix, p. 33.
[I have a ȝong suster]
I have a ȝong suster fer beȝondyn the se,
Many be the drowryis that che sente me.
Che sente me the cherye, withoutyn ony ston,
And so che dede [the] dowe, withoutyn ony bon.
Sche sente me the brere, withoutyn ony rynde,
Sche bad me love my lemman withoute longgyng.
How xuld ony eherye be withoute ston?
And how xuld ony dowe ben withoute bon?
How xuld any brere ben withoute rynde?
How xuld y love myn lemman without longyng?
Quan the cherye was a flour, than hadde it non ston;
Quan the dowe was an ey, than had de it non bon.
Quan the brere was onbred, than hadde it non rynd;
Quan the mayden haȝt that che lovit, che is without longyng.
Here's a more modern text of the Sloane Manuscript from James J. Wilhelm, Medieval Song: An Anthology of Hymns and Lyrics (George Allen & Unwin, 1971, pp. 359-60) [my translation- brackets] :
I HAVE A YONG SUSTER
I haue a yong suster
Fer beyonde the see,
Many be the drueries [presents]
That she sente me.
She sente me the cherry
Withouten any ston;
And so she did the dove
Withouten any bon.
She sente me te brere [rose-briar]
Withouten any rinde, [bark or in this case, thorn]
She bad me love my lemman [lover]
Withouten longginge.
How should any cherry
Be withouten ston?
And how should any dove
Be withouten bon?
How should any brere [briar]
Be withoute rinde? [thorn]
How should I love my lemman
Withouten longinge?
Whan the cherry was a flour,
Than hadde it no ston.
Whan the dove was an ey, [egg]
Than hadde it no bon.
Whan the brere was unbred [unborn, i.e. a seed]
Than hadde it no rinde. [thorn]
Whan the maid hath that she loveth
She is without longinge.
______________
I Have A Young Sister (translation from old Englsih from Arthur's home Magazine: Volumes 7-8 - Page 224 (1856) [I've edited this text slightly]
I have a young sister,
Far beyond the sea;
Many are the presents
That she sent to me.
She sent me a cherry
Without any stone,
She sent me a dove
Without any bone
Without any thorns
She sent me a briar;
She bade me love my lover,
And that without desire.
How can a cherry
Be without a stone?
How can a dove
Be without a bone?
How can a briar
Be without a thorn?
And who e'er loved without desire,
Since true love first was born?
When the cherry was a blossom,
Then it had no stone;
When the dove was in the egg,
Then it had no bone;
When first the briar sprouted,
Never a thorn it bore;
And when a maiden has her lover,
Oh, then she longs no more.