An early "cock"?

[Charles Doyle]

Joel, didn't you suggest several days ago that the poem's
use of "cock" fails to qualify for entry in OED because it's
just a metaphor?  And a metaphor has to expire into a so-
called "dead metaphor" before its figurative sense becomes a
lexified, denotative "meaning" of the word or phrase.

Furthermore, the early poem contains many descriptive
details that do NOT fit any consistent interpretation of
the "cock" as a penis (unless I'm being naive or obtuse!).
The poem is very unlike those pretended-obscene riddles we
were discussing last week, in which EVERY detail must fit
both interpretations.

--Charlie
_____________________________________

---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2006 08:44:20 -0400
>From: "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
>Subject: An early "cock"?
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>
>The following anonymous poem/song is alleged to come from
the 14th century (others allege 15th).  Does it?  Would it
qualify as = "penis", for which the earliest OED2 citation
is 1618?  Or is it too ambiguous?  Or has it simply not been
found in any writing of sufficiently early date?
>
>Joel--who is amused at the vision of gentil old ladies
hearing this sung at a concert of early music.
>
>Courtesy of someone (else) with an interest in such things:
>
>>"I Have a Gentil  Cock"
>>___________________
>>I have a gentil  cock
>>croweth me day
>>he doth me risen early
>>my matins for to  stay
>>
>>I have a gentil cock
>>comen he is of great
>>his comb is of  red coral
>>his tail is of jet
>>
>>I have a gentil cock
>>comen he is  of kind
>>his comb is of red sorrel
>>his tail is of inde
>>
>>his legs  be of azure
>>so gentil and so small
>>his spurs are of silver white
>>into  the wortewale
>>
>>his eyes are of crystal
>>locked all in amber
>>and  every night he pertcheth him
>>in my lady`s chamber"

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