Medieval English Folk

Yesterday, I ran across a catchy little medieval folk song in Middle English, and I was trying to determine its actual title and the correct lyrics, but the more I looked around, the more variations I found. In some places that use a more modern translation, it's called "The Riddle Song", and in older variations, it's called "I have a yong suster". Here is the middle english version:

I have a yong suster
Fer biyonde the see;
Perry merry dictum, domine.
Manye be the druries
That she sente me.
Partum quartum pare dissentum Perry merry dictum, domine.

She sente me the cherye
Withouten any stoon,
Perry merry dictum, domine.
And so she dide the dove
Withouten any boon.
Partum quartum pare dissentum Perry merry dictum, domine.

She sente me the brere
Withouten any rinde;
Perry merry dictum, domine.
She bad me love my lemman
Withoute longinge.
Partum quartum pare dissentum Perry merry dictum, domine.

How sholde any cherye
Be withoute stoon?
Perry merry dictum, domine.
And how sholde any dove
Be withoute boon?
Partum quartum pare dissentum Perry merry dictum, domine.

How sholde any brere
Be withoute rinde?
Perry merry dictum, domine.
How sholde I love my lemman
Withoute longinge?
Partum quartum pare dissentum Perry merry dictum, domine.

Whan the cherye was a flowr,
Thanne hadde it no stoon;
Perry merry dictum, domine.
Whan the dove was an ey,
Thanne hadde it no boon.
Partum quartum pare dissentum Perry merry dictum, domine.

Whan the brere was unbred,
Thanne hadde it no rinde;
Perry merry dictum, domine.
Whan the maiden hath that she loveth,
She is withoute longinge.
Partum quartum pare dissentum Perry merry dictum, domine.

You can listen to the late musical artist John Fleagle sing this version with a reconstructed musical setting for free here here at Magnatune.com, and you'll see what I mean.

Here you can find a more modern rendition with some slightly changed lyrics. The catchy little "Latin" refrain seems to be more-or-less gibberish with a couple recognizable Latin words and sounds (like "dictum" and "domine"). It may have actually meant something significant at one time. But as folk songs do, especially among normal folk with no knowledge of Latin, they change and vary. Here's another variation of the "Latin":

para me, dixi, Domine

or even this:

Piri-miri-dictum Domini

I warn you, though - once it's in your head, it's stuck!