virelay

or vir·e·lai

[ vir-uh-ley ]

noun

, Prosody.

1. an old French form of short poem, composed of short lines running on two rhymes and having two opening lines recurring at intervals.
2. any of various similar or other forms of poem, as one consisting of stanzas made up of longer and shorter lines, the lines of each kind rhyming together in each stanza, and having the rhyme of the shorter lines of one stanza forming the rhyme of the longer lines of the next stanza.
3. a medieval song form providing a musical setting for a virelay but having a formal structure different from that of the poem.

virelay

/ ˈvɪrɪˌleɪ /

noun

1. an old French verse form, rarely used in English, consisting of short lines arranged in stanzas having only two rhymes, and two opening lines recurring at intervals
2. any of various similar forms

Word History and Origins

Origin of virelay¹

1350–1400; Middle English < Old French virelai, alteration ( lay ⁴ ) of vireli, virli jingle used as the refrain of a song

Word History and Origins

Origin of virelay¹

C14: from Old French virelai, probably from vireli (associated with lai lay ⁴), meaningless word used as a refrain

Example Sentences

This may be called a virelay in the English sense, and is possibly what Chaucer intended by that name.

From Project Gutenberg

It is not a true Virelay (in the French sense), and first appeared in the edition of 1561; see vol.

From Project Gutenberg

The chevalier was singing a virelay which he accompanied by striking Rolande against the branches, then barren of foliage.

From Project Gutenberg

The virelay seems to have been in vogue in earlier English poetry.

From Project Gutenberg

A Virelay is a poem in an unusual metre, of which examples are very rare.

From Project Gutenberg