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THE PROEM
1 | I have gret wonder, be this lighte, |
2 | How that I live, for day ne nighte |
3 | I may nat slepe wel nigh noght, |
4 | I have so many an ydel thoght |
5 | Purely for defaute of slepe |
6 | That, by my trouthe, I take no kepe |
7 | Of no-thing, how hit cometh or goth, |
8 | Ne me nis no-thing leef nor loth. |
9 | Al is y-liche good to me -- |
10 | Ioye or sorowe, wherso hyt be -- |
11 | For I have feling in no-thinge, |
12 | But, as it were, a mased thing, |
13 | Alway in point to falle a-doun; |
14 | For sorwful imaginacioun |
15 | Is alway hoolly in my minde. |
16 | And wel ye wite, agaynes kynde |
17 | Hit were to liven in this wyse; |
18 | For nature wolde nat suffyse |
19 | To noon erthely creature |
20 | Not longe tyme to endure |
21 | Withoute slepe, and been in sorwe; |
22 | And I ne may, ne night ne morwe, |
23 | Slepe; and thus melancolye |
24 | And dreed I have for to dye, |
25 | Defaute of slepe and hevinesse |
26 | Hath sleyn my spirit of quiknesse, |
27 | That I have lost al lustihede. |
28 | Suche fantasies ben in myn hede |
29 | So I not what is best to do. |
30 | But men myght axe me, why soo |
31 | I may not slepe, and what me is? |
32 | But natheles, who aske this |
33 | Leseth his asking trewely. |
34 | My-selven can not telle why |
35 | The sooth; but trewely, as I gesse, |
36 | I holde hit be a siknesse |
37 | That I have suffred this eight yere, |
38 | And yet my bote is never the nere; |
39 | For ther is phisicien but oon, |
40 | That may me hele; but that is doon. |
41 | Passe we over until eft; |
42 | That wil not be, moot nede be left; |
43 | Our first matere is good to kepe. |
44 | So whan I saw I might not slepe, |
45 | Til now late, this other night, |
46 | Upon my bedde I sat upright |
47 | And bad oon reche me a book, |
48 | A romaunce, and he hit me took |
49 | To rede and dryve the night away; |
50 | For me thoghte it better play |
51 | Then playen either at chesse or tables. |
52 | And in this boke were writen fables |
53 | That clerkes hadde, in olde tyme, |
54 | And other poets, put in ryme |
55 | To rede, and for to be in minde |
56 | Whyl men loved the lawe of kinde. |
57 | This book ne spak but of such thinges, |
58 | Of quenes lyves, and of kinges, |
59 | And many othere thinges smale. |
60 | Amonge al this I fond a tale |
61 | That me thoughte a wonder thing. |
62 | This was the tale: There was a king |
63 | That hight Seys, and hadde a wyf, |
64 | The beste that mighte bere lyf; |
65 | And this quene hight Alcyone. |
66 | So hit befel, therafter sone, |
67 | This king wolde wenden over see. |
68 | To tellen shortly, whan that he |
69 | Was in the see, thus in this wyse, |
70 | Soche a tempest gan to ryse |
71 | That brak hir mast, and made it falle, |
72 | And clefte her ship, and dreinte hem alle, |
73 | That never was founden, as it telles, |
74 | Bord ne man, ne nothing elles. |
75 | Right thus this king Seys loste his lyf. |
76 | Now for to speken of his wife: -- |
77 | This lady, that was left at home, |
78 | Hath wonder, that the king ne come |
79 | Hoom, for hit was a longe terme. |
80 | Anon her herte gan to erme; |
81 | And for that hir thoughte evermo |
82 | Hit was not wel he dwelte so, |
83 | She longed so after the king |
84 | That certes, hit were a pitous thing |
85 | To telle hir hertely sorwful lyf |
86 | That hadde, alas! this noble wyfe; |
87 | For him she loved alderbest. |
88 | Anon she sente bothe eest and west |
89 | To seke him, but they founde nought. |
90 | 'Alas!' quoth she, 'that I was wrought! |
91 | And wher my lord, my love, be deed? |
92 | Certes, I nil never ete breed, |
93 | I make a-vowe to my god here, |
94 | But I mowe of my lord here!' |
95 | Such sorwe this lady to her took |
96 | That trewely I, which made this book, |
97 | Had swich pite and swich rowthe |
98 | To rede hir sorwe, that, by my trowthe, |
99 | I ferde the worse al the morwe |
100 | After, to thenken on her sorwe. |
101 | So whan she coude here no word |
102 | That no man mighte fynde hir lord, |
103 | Ful ofte she swouned, and saide 'Alas!' |
104 | For sorwe ful nigh wood she was, |
105 | Ne she coude no reed but oon; |
106 | But doun on knees she sat anoon, |
107 | And weep, that pite was to here. |
108 | 'A! mercy! swete lady dere!' |
109 | Quod she to Iuno, hir goddesse; |
110 | 'Help me out of this distresse, |
111 | And yeve me grace my lord to see |
112 | Sone, or wite wher-so he be, |
113 | Or how he fareth, or in what wyse, |
114 | And I shal make you sacrifyse, |
115 | And hoolly youres become I shal |
116 | With good wil, body, herte, and al; |
117 | And but thou wilt this, lady swete, |
118 | Send me grace to slepe, and mete |
119 | In my slepe som certeyn sweven, |
120 | Wher-through that I may knowen even |
121 | Whether my lord be quik or deed.' |
122 | With that word she heng doun the heed, |
123 | And fil a-swown as cold as ston; |
124 | Hir women caught her up anon, |
125 | And broghten hir in bed al naked, |
126 | And she, forweped and forwaked, |
127 | Was wery, and thus the dede sleep |
128 | Fil on hir, or she toke keep, |
129 | Through Iuno, that had herd hir bone, |
130 | That made hir to slepe sone; |
131 | For as she prayde, so was don, |
132 | In dede; for Iuno, right anon, |
133 | Called thus her messagere |
134 | To do her erande, and he com nere. |
135 | Whan he was come, she bad him thus: |
136 | 'Go bet,' quod Iuno, 'to Morpheus, |
137 | Thou knowest hym wel, the god of sleep; |
138 | Now understond wel, and tak keep. |
139 | Sey thus on my halfe, that he |
140 | Go faste into the grete see, |
141 | And bid him that, on alle thing, |
142 | He take up Seys body the king, |
143 | That lyth ful pale and no-thing rody. |
144 | Bid him crepe into the body, |
145 | Aud do it goon to Alcyone |
146 | The quene, ther she lyth alone, |
147 | And shewe hir shortly, hit is no nay, |
148 | How hit was dreynt this other day; |
149 | And do the body speke so |
150 | Right as hit was wont to do, |
151 | The whyles that hit was on lyve. |
152 | Go now faste, and hy thee blyve!' |
153 | This messager took leve and wente |
154 | Upon his wey, and never ne stente |
155 | Til he com to the derke valeye |
156 | That stant bytwene roches tweye, |
157 | Ther never yet grew corn ne gras, |
158 | Ne tree, ne nothing that ought was, |
159 | Beste, ne man, ne nothing elles, |
160 | Save ther were a fewe welles |
161 | Came renning fro the cliffes adoun, |
162 | That made a deedly sleping soun, |
163 | And ronnen doun right by a cave |
164 | That was under a rokke y-grave |
165 | Amid the valey, wonder depe. |
166 | Ther thise goddes laye and slepe, |
167 | Morpheus, and Eclympasteyre, |
168 | That was the god of slepes heyre, |
169 | That slepe and did non other werk. |
170 | This cave was also as derk |
171 | As helle pit over-al aboute; |
172 | They had good leyser for to route |
173 | To envye, who might slepe beste; |
174 | Some henge hir chin upon hir breste |
175 | And slepe upright, hir heed y-hed, |
176 | And some laye naked in hir bed, |
177 | And slepe whyles the dayes laste. |
178 | This messager come flying faste, |
179 | And cryed, 'O ho! awake anon!' |
180 | Hit was for noght; ther herde him non. |
181 | 'Awak!' quod he, 'who is, lyth there?' |
182 | And blew his horn right in hir ere, |
183 | And cryed 'awaketh!' wonder hye. |
184 | This god of slepe, with his oon ye |
185 | Cast up, axed, 'who clepeth there?' |
186 | 'Hit am I,' quod this messagere; |
187 | 'Iuno bad thou shuldest goon' -- |
188 | And tolde him what he shulde doon |
189 | As I have told yow here-tofore; |
190 | Hit is no need reherse hit more; |
191 | And wente his wey, whan he had sayd. |
192 | Anon this god of slepe a-brayd |
193 | Out of his slepe, and gan to goon, |
194 | And did as he had bede him doon; |
195 | Took up the dreynte body sone, |
196 | And bar hit forth to Alcyone, |
197 | His wif the quene, ther-as she lay, |
198 | Right even a quarter before day, |
199 | And stood right at hir beddes fete, |
200 | And called hir, right as she hete, |
201 | By name, and sayde, 'my swete wyf, |
202 | Awak! let be your sorwful lyf! |
203 | For in your sorwe there lyth no reed; |
204 | For certes, swete, I nam but deed; |
205 | Ye shul me never on lyve y-see. |
206 | But good swete herte, look that ye |
207 | Bury my body, at whiche a tyde |
208 | Ye mowe hit finde the see besyde; |
209 | And far-wel, swete, my worldes blisse! |
210 | I praye god your sorwe lisse; |
211 | To litel whyl our blisse lasteth!' |
212 | With that hir eyen up she casteth, |
213 | And saw noght; 'A!' quod she, 'for sorwe!' |
214 | And deyed within the thridde morwe. |
215 | But what she sayde more in that swow |
216 | I may not telle yow as now, |
217 | Hit were to longe for to dwelle; |
218 | My first matere I wil yow telle, |
219 | Wherfor I have told this thing |
220 | Of Alcione and Seys the king. |
221 | For thus moche dar I saye wel, |
222 | I had be dolven everydel, |
223 | And deed, right through defaute of sleep, |
224 | If I nad red and taken keep |
225 | Of this tale next before: |
226 | And I wol telle yow wherfore: |
227 | For I ne might, for bote ne bale, |
228 | Slepe, or I had red this tale |
229 | Of this dreynte Seys the king, |
230 | And of the goddes of sleping. |
231 | Whan I had red this tale wel |
232 | And over-loked hit everydel, |
233 | Me thoughte wonder if hit were so; |
234 | For I had never herd speke, or tho, |
235 | Of no goddes that coude make |
236 | Men for to slepe, ne for to wake; |
237 | For I ne knew never god but oon. |
238 | And in my game I sayde anoon -- |
239 | And yet me list right evel to pleye -- |
240 | 'Rather then that I shulde deye |
241 | Through defaute of sleping thus, |
242 | I wolde yive thilke Morpheus, |
243 | Or his goddesse, dame Iuno, |
244 | Or som wight elles, I ne roghte who -- |
245 | To make me slepe and have som reste -- |
246 | I wil yive him the alder-beste |
247 | Yift that ever he aboode his lyve, |
248 | And here on warde, right now, as blyve; |
249 | If he wol make me slepe a lyte, |
250 | Of downe of pure dowves whyte |
251 | I wil yive him a fether-bed, |
252 | Rayed with golde, and right wel cled |
253 | In fyn blak satin doutremere, |
254 | And many a pilow, and every bere |
255 | Of clothe of Reynes, to slepe softe; |
256 | Him thar not nede to turnen ofte. |
257 | And I wol yive him al that falles |
258 | To a chambre; and al his halles |
259 | I wol do peynte with pure golde, |
260 | And tapite hem ful many folde |
261 | Of oo sute; this shal he have, |
262 | Yf I wiste wher were his cave, |
263 | If he can make me slepe sone, |
264 | As did the goddesse Alcione. |
265 | And thus this ilke god, Morpheus, |
266 | May winne of me mo fees thus |
267 | Than ever he wan; and to Iuno, |
268 | That is his goddesse, I shal so do, |
269 | I trow that she shal holde her payd.' |
270 | I hadde unneth that word y-sayd |
271 | Right thus as I have told hit yow, |
272 | That sodeynly, I niste how, |
273 | Swich a lust anoon me took |
274 | To slepe, that right upon my book |
275 | I fil aslepe, and therwith even |
276 | Me mette so inly swete a sweven, |
277 | So wonderful, that never yit |
278 | I trowe no man hadde the wit |
279 | To conne wel my sweven rede; |
280 | No, not Ioseph, withoute drede, |
281 | Of Egipte, he that redde so |
282 | The kinges meting Pharao, |
283 | No more than coude the leste of us; |
284 | Ne nat scarsly Macrobeus, |
285 | (He that wroot al thavisioun |
286 | That he mette, Kyng Scipioun, |
287 | The noble man, the Affrican -- |
288 | Swiche marvayles fortuned than) |
289 | I trowe, a-rede my dremes even. |
290 | Lo, thus hit was, this was my sweven. |
THE DREAM
291 | Me thoughte thus: -- that hit was May, |
292 | And in the dawning ther I lay, |
293 | Me mette thus, in my bed al naked: -- |
294 | I loked forth, for I was waked |
295 | With smale foules a gret hepe, |
296 | That had affrayed me out of slepe |
297 | Through noyse and swetnesse of hir song; |
298 | And, as me mette, they sate among, |
299 | Upon my chambre-roof withoute, |
300 | Upon the tyles, al a-boute, |
301 | And songen, everich in his wise, |
302 | The moste solempne servyse |
303 | By note, that ever man, I trowe, |
304 | Had herd; for som of hem song lowe, |
305 | Som hye, and al of oon acorde. |
306 | To telle shortly, at oo worde, |
307 | Was never y-herd so swete a steven, |
308 | But hit had be a thing of heven; -- |
309 | So mery a soun, so swete entunes, |
310 | That certes, for the toune of Tewnes, |
311 | I nolde but I had herd hem singe, |
312 | For al my chambre gan to ringe |
313 | Through singing of hir armonye. |
314 | For instrument nor melodye |
315 | Was nowher herd yet half so swete, |
316 | Nor of acorde half so mete; |
317 | For ther was noon of hem that feyned |
318 | To singe, for ech of hem him peyned |
319 | To finde out mery crafty notes; |
320 | They ne spared not hir throtes. |
321 | And, sooth to seyn, my chambre was |
322 | Ful wel depeynted, and with glas |
323 | Were al the windowes wel y-glased, |
324 | Ful clere, and nat an hole y-crased, |
325 | That to beholde hit was gret Ioye. |
326 | For hoolly al the storie of Troye |
327 | Was in the glasing y-wroght thus, |
328 | Of Ector and of king Priamus, |
329 | Of Achilles and king Lamedon, |
330 | Of Medea and of Iason, |
331 | Of Paris, Eleyne, and Lavyne. |
332 | And alle the walles with colours fyne |
333 | Were peynted, bothe text and glose, |
334 | Of al the Romaunce of the Rose. |
335 | My windowes weren shet echon, |
336 | And through the glas the sunne shon |
337 | Upon my bed with brighte bemes, |
338 | With many glade gilden stremes; |
339 | And eek the welken was so fair, |
340 | Blew, bright, clere was the air, |
341 | And ful atempre, for sothe, hit was; |
342 | For nother cold nor hoot hit nas, |
343 | Ne in al the welken was a cloude. |
344 | And as I lay thus, wonder loude |
345 | Me thoughte I herde an hunte blowe |
346 | Tassaye his horn, and for to knowe |
347 | Whether hit were clere or hors of soune. |
348 | I herde goinge, up and doune, |
349 | Men, hors, houndes, and other thing; |
350 | And al men speken of hunting, |
351 | How they wolde slee the hert with strengthe, |
352 | And how the hert had, upon lengthe, |
353 | So moche embosed,I not now what. |
354 | Anon-right, whan I herde that, |
355 | How that they wolde on hunting goon, |
356 | I was right glad, and up anoon; |
357 | I took my hors, and forth I wente |
358 | Out of my chambre; I never stente |
359 | Til I com to the feld withoute. |
360 | Ther overtook I a gret route |
361 | Of huntes and eek of foresteres, |
362 | With many relayes and lymeres, |
363 | And hyed hem to the forest faste, |
364 | And I with hem; -- so at the laste |
365 | I asked oon, ladde a lymere: -- |
366 | 'Say, felow, who shal hunten here' |
367 | Quod I, and he answerde ageyn, |
368 | 'Sir, themperour Octovien,' |
369 | Quod he, 'and is heer faste by.' |
370 | 'A goddes halfe, in good tyme,' quod I, |
371 | 'Go we faste!' and gan to ryde. |
372 | Whan we came to the forest-syde, |
373 | Every man dide, right anoon, |
374 | As to hunting fil to doon. |
375 | The mayster-hunte anoon, fot-hoot, |
376 | With a gret horne blew three moot |
377 | At the uncoupling of his houndes. |
378 | Within a whyl the hert y-founde is, |
379 | Y-halowed, and rechased faste |
380 | Longe tyme; and so at the laste, |
381 | This hert rused and stal away |
382 | Fro alle the houndes a prevy way. |
383 | The houndes had overshote hem alle, |
384 | And were on a defaute y-falle; |
385 | Therwith the hunte wonder faste |
386 | Blew a forloyn at the laste. |
387 | I was go walked fro my tree, |
388 | And as I wente, ther cam by me |
389 | A whelp, that fauned me as I stood, |
390 | That hadde y-folowed, and coude no good. |
391 | Hit com and creep to me as lowe, |
392 | Right as hit hadde me y-knowe, |
393 | Hild doun his heed and Ioyned his eres, |
394 | And leyde al smothe doun his heres. |
395 | I wolde han caught hit, and anoon |
396 | Hit fledde, and was fro me goon; |
397 | And I him folwed, and hit forth wente |
398 | Doun by a floury grene wente |
399 | Ful thikke of gras, ful softe and swete, |
400 | With floures fele, faire under fete, |
401 | And litel used, hit seemed thus; |
402 | For bothe Flora and Zephirus, |
403 | They two that make floures growe, |
404 | Had mad hir dwelling ther, I trowe; |
405 | For hit was, on to beholde, |
406 | As thogh the erthe envye wolde |
407 | To be gayer than the heven, |
408 | To have mo floures, swiche seven |
409 | As in the welken sterres be. |
410 | Hit had forgete the povertee |
411 | That winter, through his colde morwes, |
412 | Had mad hit suffren, and his sorwes; |
413 | Al was forgeten, and that was sene. |
414 | For al the wode was waxen grene, |
415 | Swetnesse of dewe had mad it waxe. |
416 | Hit is no need eek for to axe |
417 | Wher ther were many grene greves, |
418 | Or thikke of trees, so ful of leves; |
419 | And every tree stood by him-selve |
420 | Fro other wel ten foot or twelve. |
421 | So grete trees, so huge of strengthe, |
422 | Of fourty or fifty fadme lengthe, |
423 | Clene withoute bough or stikke, |
424 | With croppes brode, and eek as thikke -- |
425 | They were nat an inche a-sonder -- |
426 | That hit was shadwe over-al under; |
427 | And many an hert and many an hinde |
428 | Was both before me and bihinde. |
429 | Of founes, soures, bukkes, does |
430 | Was ful the wode, and many roes, |
431 | And many squirelles that sete |
432 | Ful hye upon the trees, and ete, |
433 | And in hir maner made festes. |
434 | Shortly, hit was so ful of bestes, |
435 | That thogh Argus, the noble countour, |
436 | Sete to rekene in his countour, |
437 | And rekened with his figures ten -- |
438 | For by tho figures mowe al ken, |
439 | If they be crafty, rekene and noumbre, |
440 | And telle of every thing the noumbre -- |
441 | Yet shulde he fayle to rekene even |
442 | The wondres, me mette in my sweven. |
443 | But forth they romed wonder faste |
444 | Doun the wode; so at the laste |
445 | I was war of a man in blak, |
446 | That sat and had y-turned his bak |
447 | To an oke, an huge tree. |
448 | 'Lord,' thoghte I, 'who may that be? |
449 | What ayleth him to sitten here?' |
450 | Anoon-right I wente nere; |
451 | Than fond I sitte even upright |
452 | A wonder wel-faringe knight -- |
453 | By the maner me thoughte so -- |
454 | Of good mochel, and yong therto, |
455 | Of the age of four and twenty yeer. |
456 | Upon his berde but litel heer, |
457 | And he was clothed al in blakke. |
458 | I stalked even unto his bakke, |
459 | And ther I stood as stille as ought, |
460 | That, sooth to saye, he saw me nought, |
461 | For-why he heng his heed adoune. |
462 | And with a deedly sorwful soune |
463 | He made of ryme ten vers or twelve |
464 | Of a compleynt to him-selve, |
465 | The moste pite, the moste rowthe, |
466 | That ever I herde; for, by my trowthe, |
467 | Hit was gret wonder that nature |
468 | Might suffren any creature |
469 | To have swich sorwe, and be not deed. |
470 | Ful pitous, pale, and nothing reed, |
471 | He sayde a lay, a maner song, |
472 | Withoute note, withoute song, |
473 | And hit was this; for wel I can |
474 | Reherse hit; right thus hit began. -- |
475 | 'I have of sorwe so grete woon, |
476 | That Ioye gete I never noon, |
477 | Now that I see my lady bright, |
478 | Which I have loved with al my might, |
479 | Is fro me dedd, and is a-goon. |
480 | And thus in sorwe lefte me alone. |
481 | 'Allas, o deeth! what ayleth thee, |
482 | That thou noldest have taken me, |
483 | 'Whan that thou toke my lady swete? |
484 | That was so fayr, so fresh, so free, |
485 | So good, that men may wel y-see |
486 | 'Of al goodnesse she had no mete!' -- |
487 | Whan he had mad thus his complaynte, |
488 | His sorowful herte gan faste faynte, |
489 | And his spirites wexen dede; |
490 | The blood was fled, for pure drede, |
491 | Doun to his herte, to make him warm -- |
492 | For wel hit feled the herte had harm -- |
493 | To wite eek why hit was a-drad, |
494 | By kinde, and for to make hit glad; |
495 | For hit is membre principal |
496 | Of the body; and that made al |
497 | His hewe chaunge and wexe grene |
498 | And pale, for no blood was sene |
499 | In no maner lime of his. |
500 | Anoon therwith whan I saw this, |
501 | He ferde thus evel ther he sete, |
502 | I wente and stood right at his fete, |
503 | And grette him, but he spak noght, |
504 | But argued with his owne thoght, |
505 | And in his witte disputed faste |
506 | Why and how his lyf might laste; |
507 | Him thoughte his sorwes were so smerte |
508 | And lay so colde upon his herte; |
509 | So, through his sorwe and hevy thoght, |
510 | Made him that he ne herde me noght; |
511 | For he had wel nigh lost his minde, |
512 | Thogh Pan, that men clepe god of kinde, |
513 | Were for his sorwes never so wrooth. |
514 | But at the laste, to sayn right sooth, |
515 | He was war of me, how I stood |
516 | Before him, and dide of myn hood, |
517 | And grette him, as I best coude. |
518 | Debonairly, and no-thing loude, |
519 | He sayde, 'I prey thee, be not wrooth, |
520 | I herde thee not, to sayn the sooth, |
521 | Ne I saw thee not, sir, trewely.' |
522 | 'A! goode sir, no fors,' quod I, |
523 | 'I am right sory if I have ought |
524 | Destroubled yow out of your thought; |
525 | For-yive me if I have mis-take.' |
526 | 'Yis, thamendes is light to make,' |
527 | Quod he, 'for ther lyth noon ther-to; |
528 | Ther is no-thing missayd nor do,' |
529 | Lo! how goodly spak this knight, |
530 | As it had been another wight; |
531 | He made it nouther tough ne queynte |
532 | And I saw that, and gan me aqueynte |
533 | With him, and fond him so tretable, |
534 | Right wonder skilful and resonable, |
535 | As me thoghte, for al his bale. |
536 | Anoon-right I gan finde a tale |
537 | To him, to loke wher I might ought |
538 | Have more knowing of his thought. |
539 | 'Sir,' quod I, 'this game is doon; |
540 | I holde that this hert be goon; |
541 | Thise huntes conne him nowher see.' |
542 | 'I do no fors therof,' quod he, |
543 | 'My thought is ther-on never a del.' |
544 | 'By our lord,' quod I, 'I trow yow wel, |
545 | Right so me thinketh by your chere. |
546 | But, sir, oo thing wol ye here? |
547 | Me thinketh, in gret sorwe I yow see; |
548 | But certes, good sir, yif that ye |
549 | Wolde ought discure me your wo, |
550 | I wolde, as wis god help me so, |
551 | Amende hit, yif I can or may; |
552 | Ye mowe preve hit by assay. |
553 | For, by my trouthe, to make yow hool, |
554 | I wol do al my power hool; |
555 | And telleth me of your sorwes smerte, |
556 | Paraventure hit may ese your herte, |
557 | That semeth ful seke under your syde.' |
558 | With that he loked on me asyde, |
559 | As who sayth, 'Nay, that wol not be.' |
560 | 'Graunt mercy, goode frend,' quod he, |
561 | 'I thanke thee that thou woldest so, |
562 | But hit may never the rather be do, |
563 | No man may my sorwe glade, |
564 | That maketh my hewe to falle and fade, |
565 | And hath myn understonding lorn, |
566 | That me is wo that I was born! |
567 | May noght make my sorwes slyde, |
568 | Nought the remedies of Ovyde; |
569 | Ne Orpheus, god of melodye, |
570 | Ne Dedalus, with playes slye; |
571 | Ne hele me may phisicien, |
572 | Noght Ypocras, ne Galien; |
573 | Me is wo that I live houres twelve; |
574 | But who so wol assaye him-selve |
575 | Whether his herte can have pite |
576 | Of any sorwe, lat him see me. |
577 | I wrecche, that deeth hath mad al naked |
578 | Of alle blisse that ever was maked, |
579 | Y-worthe worste of alle wightes, |
580 | That hate my dayes and my nightes; |
581 | My lyf, my lustes be me lothe, |
582 | For al welfare and I be wrothe. |
583 | The pure deeth is so my fo |
584 | Thogh I wolde deye, hit wolde not so; |
585 | For whan I folwe hit, hit wol flee; |
586 | I wolde have hit, hit nil not me. |
587 | This is my peyne withoute reed, |
588 | Alway deinge and be not deed, |
589 | That Sesiphus, that lyth in helle, |
590 | May not of more sorwe telle. |
591 | And who so wiste al, be my trouthe, |
592 | My sorwe, but he hadde routhe |
593 | And pite of my sorwes smerte, |
594 | That man hath a feendly herte. |
595 | For who so seeth me first on morwe |
596 | May seyn, he hath y-met with sorwe; |
597 | For I am sorwe and sorwe is I. |
598 | 'Allas! and I wol telle the why; |
599 | My song is turned to pleyning, |
600 | And al my laughter to weping, |
601 | My glade thoghtes to hevinesse, |
602 | In travaile is myn ydelnesse |
603 | And eek my reste; my wele is wo, |
604 | My goode is harm, and ever-mo |
605 | In wrathe is turned my pleying, |
606 | And my delyt in-to sorwing. |
607 | Myn hele is turned into seeknesse, |
608 | In drede is al my sikernesse. |
609 | To derke is turned al my light, |
610 | My wit is foly, my day is night, |
611 | My love is hate, my sleep waking, |
612 | My mirthe and meles is fasting, |
613 | My countenaunce is nycete, |
614 | And al abaved wher-so I be, |
615 | My pees, in pleding and in werre; |
616 | Allas! how mighte I fare werre? |
617 | 'My boldnesse is turned to shame, |
618 | For fals Fortune hath pleyd a game |
619 | Atte ches with me, allas! the whyle! |
620 | The trayteresse fals and ful of gyle, |
621 | That al behoteth and no-thing halt, |
622 | She goth upryght and yet she halt, |
623 | That baggeth foule and loketh faire, |
624 | The dispitouse debonaire, |
625 | That scorneth many a creature! |
626 | An ydole of fals portraiture |
627 | Is she, for she wil sone wryen; |
628 | She is the monstres heed y-wryen, |
629 | As filth over y-strawed with floures; |
630 | Hir moste worship and hir flour is |
631 | To lyen, for that is hir nature; |
632 | Withoute feyth, lawe, or mesure. |
633 | She is fals; and ever laughinge |
634 | With oon eye, and that other wepinge. |
635 | That is broght up, she set al doun. |
636 | I lykne hir to the scorpioun, |
637 | That is a fals, flateringe beste; |
638 | For with his hede he maketh feste, |
639 | But al amid his flateringe |
640 | With his tayle he wol stinge, |
641 | And envenyme; and so wol she. |
642 | She is thenvyouse charite |
643 | That is ay fals, and seemeth wele, |
644 | So turneth she hir false whele |
645 | Aboute, for it is no-thing stable, |
646 | Now by the fyre, now at table; |
647 | Ful many oon hath she thus y-blent; |
648 | She is pley of enchauntement, |
649 | That semeth oon and is not so, |
650 | The false theef! what hath she do, |
651 | Trowest thou? By our lord, I wol thee seye. |
652 | Atte ches with me she gan to pleye; |
653 | With hir false draughtes divers |
654 | She stal on me, and took my fers. |
655 | And whan I saw my fers aweye, |
656 | Alas! I couthe no lenger playe, |
657 | But seyde, "Farewel, swete, y-wis, |
658 | And farwel al that ever ther is!" |
659 | Therwith Fortune seyde, "Chek here!" |
660 | And "Mate!" in mid pointe of the chekkere |
661 | With a poune erraunt, allas! |
662 | Ful craftier to pley she was |
663 | Than Athalus, that made the game |
664 | First of the ches: so was his name. |
665 | But God wolde I had ones or twyes |
666 | Y-koud and knowe the Ieupardyes |
667 | That coude the Grek Pithagores! |
668 | I shulde have pleyd the bet at ches, |
669 | And kept my fers the bet therby; |
670 | And thogh wherto? for trewely, |
671 | I hold that wish nat worth a stree! |
672 | Hit had be never the bet for me. |
673 | For Fortune can so many a wyle, |
674 | Ther be but fewe can hir begyle, |
675 | And eek she is the las to blame; |
676 | My-self I wolde have do the same, |
677 | Before god, hadde I been as she; |
678 | She oghte the more excused be. |
679 | For this I say yet more therto, |
680 | Hadde I be god and mighte have do |
681 | My wille, whan she my fers caughte, |
682 | I wolde have drawe the same draughte. |
683 | For, also wis god yive me reste, |
684 | I dar wel swere she took the beste! |
685 | 'But through that draughte I have lorn |
686 | My blisse; allas! that I was born! |
687 | For evermore, I trowe trewly, |
688 | For al my wil, my lust hoolly |
689 | Is turned; but yet what to done? |
690 | Be oure lord, hit is to deye sone; |
691 | For no-thing I ne leve it noght, |
692 | But live and deye right in this thoght. |
693 | There nis planete in firmament, |
694 | Ne in air, ne in erthe, noon element, |
695 | That they ne yive me a yift echoon |
696 | Of weping, whan I am aloon. |
697 | For whan that I avyse me wel, |
698 | And bethenke me every-del, |
699 | How that ther lyth in rekening, |
700 | In my sorwe for no-thing; |
701 | And how ther leveth no gladnesse |
702 | May gladde me of my distresse, |
703 | And how I have lost suffisance, |
704 | And therto I have no plesance, |
705 | Than may I say, I have right noght. |
706 | And whan al this falleth in my thoght, |
707 | Allas! than am I overcome! |
708 | For that is doon is not to come! |
709 | I have more sorowe than Tantale.' |
710 | And whan I herde him telle this tale |
711 | Thus pitously, as I yow telle, |
712 | Unnethe mighte I lenger dwelle, |
713 | Hit dide myn hert so moche wo. |
714 | 'A! good sir!' quod I, 'say not so! |
715 | Have som pite on your nature |
716 | That formed yow to creature, |
717 | Remembre yow of Socrates; |
718 | For he ne counted nat three strees |
719 | Of noght that Fortune coude do.' |
720 | 'No,' quod he, 'I can not so.' |
721 | 'Why so? good sir! parde!' quod I; |
722 | 'Ne say noght so, for trewely, |
723 | Thogh ye had lost the ferses twelve, |
724 | And ye for sorwe mordred your-selve, |
725 | Ye sholde be dampned in this cas |
726 | By as good right as Medea was, |
727 | That slow hir children for Iason; |
728 | And Phyllis als for Demophon |
729 | Heng hir-self, so weylaway! |
730 | For he had broke his terme-day |
731 | To come to hir. Another rage |
732 | Had Dydo, quene eek of Cartage, |
733 | That slow hir-self for Eneas |
734 | Was fals; a whiche a fool she was! |
735 | And Ecquo dyed for Narcisus. |
736 | Nolde nat love hir; and right thus |
737 | Hath many another foly don. |
738 | And for Dalida died Sampson, |
739 | That slow him-self with a pilere. |
740 | But ther is noon a-lyve here |
741 | Wolde for a fers make this wo!' |
742 | 'Why so?' quod he; 'hit is nat so, |
743 | Thou woste ful litel what thou menest; |
744 | I have lost more than thow wenest.' |
745 | 'Lo, sir, how may that be?' quod I; |
746 | 'Good sir, tel me al hoolly |
747 | In what wyse, how, why, and wherfore |
748 | That ye have thus your blisse lore,' |
749 | 'Blythly,' quod he, 'com sit adoun, |
750 | I telle thee up condicioun |
751 | That thou hoolly, with al thy wit, |
752 | Do thyn entent to herkene hit.' |
753 | 'Yis, sir.' 'Swere thy trouthe ther-to.' |
754 | 'Gladly.' 'Do than holde her-to!' |
755 | 'I shal right blythly, so god me save, |
756 | Hoolly, with al the witte I have, |
757 | Here yow, as wel as I can,' |
758 | 'A goddes half!' quod he, and began: -- |
759 | 'Sir,' quod he, 'sith first I couthe |
760 | Have any maner wit fro youthe, |
761 | Or kyndely understonding |
762 | To comprehende, in any thing, |
763 | What love was, in myn owne wit, |
764 | Dredeles, I have ever yit |
765 | Be tributary, and yiven rente |
766 | To love hoolly with goode entente, |
767 | And through plesaunce become his thral, |
768 | With good wil, body, herte, and al. |
769 | Al this I putte in his servage, |
770 | As to my lorde, and dide homage; |
771 | And ful devoutly prayde him to, |
772 | He shulde besette myn herte so, |
773 | That it plesaunce to him were, |
774 | And worship to my lady dere. |
775 | 'And this was longe, and many a yeer |
776 | Or that myn herte was set o-wher, |
777 | That I did thus, and niste why; |
778 | I trowe hit cam me kindely. |
779 | Paraunter I was therto most able |
780 | As a whyt wal or a table; |
781 | For hit is redy to cacche and take |
782 | Al that men wil therin make, |
783 | Wher-so so men wol portreye or peynte, |
784 | Be the werkes never so queynte. |
785 | 'And thilke tyme I ferde so |
786 | I was able to have lerned tho, |
787 | And to have coud as wel or better, |
788 | Paraunter, other art or letter. |
789 | But for love cam first in my thought, |
790 | Therfore I forgat hit nought. |
791 | I chees love to my firste craft, |
792 | Therfor hit is with me y-laft. |
793 | Forwhy I took hit of so yong age, |
794 | That malice hadde my corage |
795 | Nat that tyme turned to no-thing |
796 | Through to mochel knowleching. |
797 | For that tyme youthe, my maistresse, |
798 | Governed me in ydelnesse; |
799 | For hit was in my firste youthe, |
800 | And tho ful litel good I couthe, |
801 | For al my werkes were flittinge, |
802 | And al my thoghtes varyinge; |
803 | Al were to me y-liche good, |
804 | That I knew tho; but thus hit stood. |
805 | 'Hit happed that I cam on a day |
806 | Into a place, ther I say, |
807 | Trewly, the fayrest companye |
808 | Of ladies that ever man with ye |
809 | Had seen togedres in oo place. |
810 | Shal I clepe hit hap other grace |
811 | That broght me ther? nay, but Fortune, |
812 | That is to lyen ful comune, |
813 | The false trayteresse, pervers, |
814 | God wolde I coude clepe hir wers! |
815 | For now she worcheth me ful wo, |
816 | And I wol telle sone why so. |
817 | 'Among thise ladies thus echoon, |
818 | Soth to seyn, I saw ther oon |
819 | That was lyk noon of al the route; |
820 | For I dar swere, withoute doute, |
821 | That as the someres sonne bright |
822 | Is fairer, clere, and hath more light |
823 | Than any planete, is in heven, |
824 | The mone, or the sterres seven, |
825 | For al the worlde so had she |
826 | Surmounted hem alle of beaute, |
827 | Of maner and of comlinesse, |
828 | Of stature and wel set gladnesse, |
829 | Of goodlihede so wel beseye -- |
830 | Shortly, what shal I more seye? |
831 | By god, and by his halwes twelve, |
832 | It was my swete, right al hir-selve! |
833 | She had so stedfast countenaunce, |
834 | So noble port and meyntenaunce. |
835 | And Love, that had herd my bone, |
836 | Had espyed me thus sone, |
837 | That she ful sone, in my thoght, |
838 | As helpe me god, so was y-caught |
839 | So sodenly, that I ne took |
840 | No maner reed but at hir look |
841 | And at myn herte; for-why hir eyen |
842 | So gladly, I trow, myn herte seyen, |
843 | That purely tho myn owne thoght |
844 | Seyde hit were bet serve hir for noght |
845 | Than with another to be wel. |
846 | And hit was sooth, for, everydel, |
847 | I wil anoon-right telle thee why. |
848 | I saw hir daunce so comlily, |
849 | Carole and singe so swetely, |
850 | Laughe and pleye so womanly, |
851 | And loke so debonairly, |
852 | So goodly speke and so frendly, |
853 | That certes, I trow, that evermore |
854 | Nas seyn so blisful a tresore. |
855 | For every heer upon hir hede, |
856 | Soth to seyn, hit was not rede, |
857 | Ne nouther yelw, ne broun hit nas; |
858 | Me thoghte, most lyk gold hit was. |
859 | And whiche eyen my lady hadde! |
860 | Debonair, goode, glade, and sadde, |
861 | Simple, of good mochel, noght to wyde; |
862 | Therto hir look nas not a-syde, |
863 | Ne overthwert, but beset so wel, |
864 | Hit drew and took up, everydel, |
865 | Alle that on hir gan beholde. |
866 | Hir eyen semed anoon she wolde |
867 | Have mercy; fooles wenden so; |
868 | But hit was never the rather do. |
869 | Hit nas no countrefeted thing, |
870 | It was hir owne pure loking, |
871 | That the goddesse, dame Nature, |
872 | Had made hem opene by mesure, |
873 | And close; for, were she never so glad, |
874 | Hir loking was not foly sprad, |
875 | Ne wildely, thogh that she pleyde; |
876 | But ever, me thoght, hir eyen seyde, |
877 | "By god, my wrathe is al for-yive!" |
878 | 'Therwith hir liste so wel to live, |
879 | That dulnesse was of hir a-drad. |
880 | She nas to sobre ne to glad; |
881 | In alle thinges more mesure |
882 | Had never, I trowe, creature. |
883 | But many oon with hir loke she herte, |
884 | And that sat hir ful lyte at herte, |
885 | For she knew no-thing of her thoght; |
886 | But whether she knew, or knew hit noght, |
887 | Algate she ne roghte of hem a stree! |
888 | To gete hir love no ner was he |
889 | That woned at home, than he in Inde; |
890 | The formest was alway behinde. |
891 | But goode folk, over al other, |
892 | She loved as man may do his brother; |
893 | Of whiche love she was wonder large, |
894 | In skilful places that bere charge. |
895 | 'Which a visage had she ther-to! |
896 | Allas! myn herte is wonder wo |
897 | That I ne can discryven hit! |
898 | Me lakketh bothe English and wit |
899 | For to undo hit at the fulle; |
900 | And eek my spirits be so dulle |
901 | So greet a thing for to devyse. |
902 | I have no wit that can suffyse |
903 | To comprehenden hir beaute; |
904 | But thus moche dar I seyn, that she |
905 | Was rody, fresh, and lyvely hewed; |
906 | And every day hir beaute newed. |
907 | And negh hir face was alder-best; |
908 | For certes, Nature had swich lest |
909 | To make that fair, that trewly she |
910 | Was hir cheef patron of beautee, |
911 | And cheef ensample of al hir werke, |
912 | And moustre; for, be hit never so derke, |
913 | Me thinketh I see hir ever-mo. |
914 | And yet more-over, thogh alle tho |
915 | That ever lived were not a-lyve, |
916 | They ne sholde have founde to discryve |
917 | In al hir face a wikked signe; |
918 | For hit was sad, simple, and benigne. |
919 | 'And which a goodly, softe speche |
920 | Had that swete, my lyves leche! |
921 | So frendly, and so wel y-grounded, |
922 | Up al resoun so wel y-founded, |
923 | And so tretable to alle gode, |
924 | That I dar swere by the rode, |
925 | Of eloquence was never founde |
926 | So swete a sowninge facounde, |
927 | Ne trewer tonged, ne scorned lasse, |
928 | Ne bet coude hele; that, by the masse, |
929 | I durste swere, thogh the pope hit songe, |
930 | That ther was never yet through hir tonge |
931 | Man ne woman gretly harmed; |
932 | As for hir, ther was al harm hid; |
933 | Ne lasse flatering in hir worde, |
934 | That purely, hir simple recorde |
935 | Was founde as trewe as any bonde, |
936 | Or trouthe of any mannes honde. |
937 | Ne chyde she coude never a del, |
938 | That knoweth al the world ful wel. |
939 | 'But swich a fairnesse of a nekke |
940 | Had that swete that boon nor brekke |
941 | Nas ther non sene, that mis-sat. |
942 | Hit was whyt, smothe, streght, and flat, |
943 | Withouten hole; and canel-boon, |
944 | As by seming, had she noon. |
945 | Hir throte, as I have now memoire, |
946 | Semed a round tour of yvoire, |
947 | Of good gretnesse, and noght to grete. |
948 | 'And gode faire Whyte she hete, |
949 | That was my lady name right. |
950 | She was bothe fair and bright, |
951 | She hadde not hir name wrong. |
952 | Right faire shuldres, and body long |
953 | She hadde, and armes; every lith |
954 | Fattish, flesshy, not greet therwith; |
955 | Right whyte handes, and nayles rede, |
956 | Rounde brestes; and of good brede |
957 | Hyr hippes were, a streight flat bake. |
958 | I knew on hir non other lak |
959 | That al hir limmes nere sewing, |
960 | In as fer as I had knowing. |
961 | 'Therto she coude so wel pleye, |
962 | Whan that hir liste, that I dar seye, |
963 | That she was lyk to torche bright, |
964 | That every man may take of light |
965 | Ynogh, and hit hath never the lesse. |
966 | 'Of maner and of comlinesse |
967 | Right so ferde my lady dere; |
968 | For every wight of hir manere |
969 | Might cacche ynogh, if that he wolde, |
970 | If he had eyen hir to beholde. |
971 | For I dar sweren, if that she |
972 | Had among ten thousand be, |
973 | She wolde have be, at the leste, |
974 | A cheef mirour of al the feste, |
975 | Thogh they had stonden in a rowe, |
976 | To mennes eyen coude have knowe. |
977 | For wher-so men had pleyd or waked, |
978 | Me thoghte the felawship as naked |
979 | Withouten hir, that saw I ones, |
980 | As a coroune withoute stones. |
981 | Trewly she was, to myn ye, |
982 | The soleyn fenix of Arabye, |
983 | For ther liveth never but oon; |
984 | Ne swich as she ne know I noon. |
985 | 'To speke of goodnesse; trewly she |
986 | Had as moche debonairte |
987 | As ever had Hester in the bible |
988 | And more, if more were possible. |
989 | And, soth to seyne, therwith-al |
990 | She had a wit so general, |
991 | So hool enclyned to alle gode, |
992 | That al hir wit was set, by the rode, |
993 | Withoute malice, upon gladnesse; |
994 | Therto I saw never yet a lesse |
995 | Harmul, than she was in doing. |
996 | I sey nat that she ne had knowing |
997 | What harm was; or elles she |
998 | Had coud no good, so thinketh me. |
999 | 'And trewly, for to speke of trouthe, |
1000 | But she had had, hit had be routhe. |
1001 | Therof she had so moche hir del -- |
1002 | And I dar seyn and swere hit wel -- |
1003 | That Trouthe him-self, over al and al, |
1004 | Had chose his maner principal |
1005 | In hir, that was his resting-place. |
1006 | Ther-to she hadde the moste grace, |
1007 | To have stedfast perseveraunce, |
1008 | And esy, atempre governaunce, |
1009 | That ever I knew or wiste yit; |
1010 | So pure suffraunt was hir wit. |
1011 | And reson gladly she understood, |
1012 | Hit folowed wel she coude good. |
1013 | She used gladly to do wel; |
1014 | These were hir maners every-del. |
1015 | 'Therwith she loved so wel right, |
1016 | She wrong do wolde to no wight; |
1017 | No wight might do hir no shame, |
1018 | She loved so wel hir owne name. |
1019 | Hir luste to holde no wight in honde; |
1020 | Ne, be thou siker, she nolde fonde |
1021 | To holde no wight in balaunce, |
1022 | By half word ne by countenaunce, |
1023 | But-if men wolde upon hir lye; |
1024 | Ne sende men in-to Walakye, |
1025 | To Pruyse, and in-to Tartarye, |
1026 | To Alisaundre, ne in-to Turkye, |
1027 | And bidde him faste, anoon that he |
1028 | Go hoodles to the drye see, |
1029 | And come hoom by the Carrenare; |
1030 | And seye, "Sir, be now right ware |
1031 | That I may of yow here seyn |
1032 | Worship, or that ye come ageyn!' |
1033 | She ne used no suche knakkes smale. |
1034 | 'But wherfor that I telle my tale? |
1035 | Right on this same, as I have seyd, |
1036 | Was hoolly al my love leyd; |
1037 | For certes, she was, that swete wyf, |
1038 | My suffisaunce, my lust, my lyf, |
1039 | Myn hap, myn hele, and al my blisse, |
1040 | My worldes welfare, and my lisse, |
1041 | And I hires hoolly, everydel.' |
1042 | 'By our lord,' quod I, 'I trowe yow wel! |
1043 | Hardely, your love was wel beset, |
1044 | I not how ye mighte have do bet.' |
1045 | 'Bet? ne no wight so wel!' quod he. |
1046 | 'I trowe hit, sir,' quod I, 'parde!' |
1047 | 'Nay, leve hit wel!' 'Sir, so do I; |
1048 | I leve yow wel, that trewely |
1049 | Yow thoghte, that she was the beste, |
1050 | And to beholde the alderfaireste, |
1051 | Who so had loked hir with your eyen.' |
1052 | 'With myn? Nay, alle that hir seyen |
1053 | Seyde and sworen hit was so. |
1054 | And thogh they ne hadde, I wolde tho |
1055 | Have loved best my lady fre, |
1056 | Thogh I had had al the beautee |
1057 | That ever had Alcipyades, |
1058 | And al the strengthe of Ercules, |
1059 | And therto had the worthinesse |
1060 | Of Alisaundre, and al the richesse |
1061 | That ever was in Babiloyne, |
1062 | In Cartage, or in Macedoyne, |
1063 | Or in Rome, or in Ninive; |
1064 | And therto al-so hardy be |
1065 | As was Ector, so have I Ioye, |
1066 | That Achilles slow at Troye -- |
1067 | And therfor was he slayn also |
1068 | In a temple, for bothe two |
1069 | Were slayn, he and Antilegius, |
1070 | And so seyth Dares Frigius, |
1071 | For love of hir Polixena -- |
1072 | Or ben as wys as Minerva, |
1073 | I wolde ever, withoute drede, |
1074 | Have loved hir, for I moste nede! |
1075 | "Nede!" nay, I gabbe now, |
1076 | Noght "nede", and I wol telle how, |
1077 | For of good wille myn herte hit wolde, |
1078 | And eek to love hir I was holde |
1079 | As for the fairest and the beste. |
1080 | 'She was as good, so have I reste, |
1081 | As ever was Penelope of Grece, |
1082 | Or as the noble wyf Lucrece, |
1083 | That was the beste -- he telleth thus, |
1084 | The Romayn Tytus Livius -- |
1085 | She was as good, and no-thing lyke, |
1086 | Thogh hir stories be autentyke; |
1087 | Algate she was as trewe as she. |
1088 | 'But wherfor that I telle thee |
1089 | Whan I first my lady say? |
1090 | I was right yong, the sooth to sey, |
1091 | And ful gret need I hadde to lerne; |
1092 | Whan my herte wolde yerne |
1093 | To love, it was a greet empryse. |
1094 | But as my wit coude best suffyse, |
1095 | After my yonge childly wit, |
1096 | Withoute drede, I besette hit |
1097 | To love hir in my beste wise, |
1098 | To do hir worship and servyse |
1099 | That I tho coude, be my trouthe, |
1100 | Withoute feyning outher slouthe; |
1101 | For wonder fayn I wolde hir see. |
1102 | So mochel hit amended me, |
1103 | That, whan I saw hir first a-morwe, |
1104 | I was warished of al my sorwe |
1105 | Of al day after, til hit were eve; |
1106 | Me thoghte no-thing mighte me greve, |
1107 | Were my sorwes never so smerte. |
1108 | And yit she sit so in myn herte, |
1109 | That, by my trouthe, I nolde noghte, |
1110 | For al this worlde, out of my thoght |
1111 | Leve my lady; no, trewly!' |
1112 | 'Now, by my trouthe, sir,' quod I, |
1113 | 'Me thinketh ye have such a chaunce |
1114 | As shrift withoute repentaunce.' |
1115 | 'Repentaunce! nay, fy,' quod he; |
1116 | 'Shulde I now repente me |
1117 | To love? nay, certes, than were I wel |
1118 | Wers than was Achitofel, |
1119 | Or Anthenor, so have I Ioye, |
1120 | The traytour that betraysed Troye, |
1121 | Or the false Genelon, |
1122 | He that purchased the treson |
1123 | Of Rowland and of Olivere. |
1124 | Nay, why! I am a-lyve here |
1125 | I nil foryete hir never-mo.' |
1126 | 'Now, goode sir,' quod I right tho, |
1127 | 'Ye han wel told me her-before. |
1128 | It is no need reherse hit more |
1129 | How ye sawe hir first, and where; |
1130 | But wolde ye telle me the manere, |
1131 | To hir which was your firste speche -- |
1132 | Therof I wolde yow be-seche -- |
1133 | And how she knewe first your thoght, |
1134 | Whether ye loved hir or noght, |
1135 | And telleth me eek what ye have lore; |
1136 | I herde yow telle her-before.' |
1137 | 'Ye,' seyde he, 'thow nost what thou menest; |
1138 | I have lost more than thou wenest.' |
1139 | 'What los is that, sir?' quod I tho; |
1140 | 'Nil she not love yow? Is hit so? |
1141 | Or have ye oght y-doon amis, |
1142 | That she hath left yow? is hit this? |
1143 | For goddes love, telle me al.' |
1144 | 'Before god,' quod he, 'and I shal. |
1145 | I saye right as I have seyd, |
1146 | On hir was al my love leyd; |
1147 | And yet she niste hit never a del |
1148 | Noght longe tyme, leve hit wel. |
1149 | For be right siker, I durste noght |
1150 | For al this worlde telle hir my thoght, |
1151 | Ne I wolde have wratthed hir, trewely. |
1152 | For wostow why? she was lady |
1153 | Of the body; she had the herte, |
1154 | And who hath that, may not asterte. |
1155 | 'But, for to kepe me fro ydelnesse, |
1156 | Trewly I did my besinesse |
1157 | To make songes, as I best coude, |
1158 | And ofte tyme I song hem loude; |
1159 | And made songes a gret del, |
1160 | Al-thogh I coude not make so wel |
1161 | Songes, ne knowe the art al, |
1162 | As coude Lamekes sone Tubal, |
1163 | That fond out first the art of songe; |
1164 | For, as his brothers hamers ronge |
1165 | Upon his anvelt up and doun, |
1166 | Therof he took the firste soun; |
1167 | But Grekes seyn, Pictagoras, |
1168 | That he the firste finder was |
1169 | Of the art; Aurora telleth so, |
1170 | But therof no fors, of hem two. |
1171 | Algates songes thus I made |
1172 | Of my feling, myn herte to glade; |
1173 | And lo! this was the alther-firste, |
1174 | I not wher that hit were the werst. -- |
1175 | "Lord, hit maketh myn herte light, |
1176 | Whan I thenke on that swete wight |
1177 | That is so semely on to see; |
1178 | And wisshe to god hit might so be, |
1179 | That she wolde holde me for hir knight, |
1180 | My lady, that is so fair and bright!" -- |
1181 | 'Now have I told thee, sooth to saye, |
1182 | My firste song. Upon a daye |
1183 | I bethoghte me what wo |
1184 | And sorwe that I suffred tho |
1185 | For hir, and yet she wiste hit noght, |
1186 | Ne telle hir durste I nat my thoght. |
1187 | 'Allas!' thoghte I, 'I can no reed; |
1188 | And, but I telle hir, I nam but deed; |
1189 | And if I telle hir, to seye sooth, |
1190 | I am a-dred she wol be wrooth; |
1191 | Allas! what shal I thanne do?" |
1192 | 'In this debat I was so wo, |
1193 | Me thoghte myn herte braste a-tweyn! |
1194 | So atte laste, soth to sayn, |
1195 | I me bethoghte that nature |
1196 | Ne formed never in creature |
1197 | So moche beaute, trewely, |
1198 | And bounte, withouten mercy. |
1199 | 'In hope of that, my tale I tolde, |
1200 | With sorwe, as that I never sholde; |
1201 | For nedes, and, maugree my heed, |
1202 | I moste have told hir or be deed. |
1203 | I not wel how that I began, |
1204 | Ful evel rehersen hit I can; |
1205 | And eek, as helpe me god with-al, |
1206 | I trowe hit was in the dismal, |
1207 | That was the ten woundes of Egipte; |
1208 | For many a word I over-skipte |
1209 | In my tale, for pure fere |
1210 | Lest my wordes mis-set were. |
1211 | With sorweful herte, and woundes dede, |
1212 | Softe and quaking for pure drede |
1213 | And shame, and stinting in my tale |
1214 | For ferde, and myn hewe al pale, |
1215 | Ful ofte I wex bothe pale and reed; |
1216 | Bowing to hir, I heng the heed; |
1217 | I durste nat ones loke hir on, |
1218 | For wit, manere, and al was gon. |
1219 | I seyde "mercy!" and no more; |
1220 | Hit nas no game, hit sat me sore. |
1221 | 'So atte laste, sooth to seyn, |
1222 | Whan that myn herte was come ageyn, |
1223 | To telle shortly al my speche, |
1224 | With hool herte I gan hir beseche |
1225 | That she wolde be my lady swete; |
1226 | And swor, and gan hir hertely hete |
1227 | Ever to be stedfast and trewe, |
1228 | And love hir alwey freshly newe, |
1229 | And never other lady have, |
1230 | And al hir worship for to save |
1231 | As I best coude; I swor hir this -- |
1232 | "For youres is al that ever ther is |
1233 | For evermore, myn herte swete! |
1234 | And never false yow, but I mete, |
1235 | I nil, as wis god helpe me so!" |
1236 | 'And whan I had my tale y-do, |
1237 | God wot, she acounted nat a stree |
1238 | Of al my tale, so thoghte me. |
1239 | To telle shortly as hit is, |
1240 | Trewly hir answere, hit was this; |
1241 | I can not now wel counterfete |
1242 | Hir wordes, but this was the grete |
1243 | Of hir answere: she sayde, "nay" |
1244 | Al-outerly. Allas! that day |
1245 | The sorwe I suffred, and the wo! |
1246 | That trewly Cassandra, that so |
1247 | Bewayled the destruccioun. |
1248 | Of Troye and of Ilioun, |
1249 | Had never swich sorwe as I tho. |
1250 | I durste no more say therto |
1251 | For pure fere, but stal away; |
1252 | And thus I lived ful many a day; |
1253 | That trewely, I hadde no need |
1254 | Ferther than my beddes heed |
1255 | Never a day to seche sorwe; |
1256 | I fond hit redy every morwe, |
1257 | For-why I loved hir in no gere. |
1258 | 'So hit befel, another yere, |
1259 | I thoughte ones I wolde fonde |
1260 | To do hir knowe and understonde |
1261 | My wo; and she wel understood |
1262 | That I ne wilned thing but good, |
1263 | And worship, and to kepe hir name |
1264 | Over al thing, and drede hir shame, |
1265 | And was so besy hir to serve; -- |
1266 | And pite were I shulde sterve, |
1267 | Sith that I wilned noon harm, y-wis. |
1268 | So whan my lady knew al this, |
1269 | My lady yaf me al hoolly |
1270 | The noble yift of hir mercy, |
1271 | Saving hir worship, by al weyes; |
1272 | Dredles, I mene noon other weyes. |
1273 | And therwith she yaf me a ring; |
1274 | I trowe hit was the firste thing; |
1275 | But if myn herte was y-waxe |
1276 | Glad, that is no need to axe! |
1277 | As helpe me god, I was as blyve, |
1278 | Reysed, as fro dethe to lyve, |
1279 | Of alle happes the alder-beste, |
1280 | The gladdest and the moste at reste. |
1281 | For trewely, that swete wight, |
1282 | Whan I had wrong and she the right, |
1283 | She wolde alwey so goodely |
1284 | For-yeve me so debonairly. |
1285 | In alle my youthe, in alle chaunce, |
1286 | She took me in hir governaunce. |
1287 | 'Therwith she was alway so trewe, |
1288 | Our Ioye was ever y-liche newe; |
1289 | Our hertes wern so even a payre, |
1290 | That never nas that oon contrayre |
1291 | To that other, for no wo. |
1292 | For sothe, y-liche they suffred tho |
1293 | Oo blisse and eek oo sorwe bothe; |
1294 | Y-liche they were bothe gladde and wrothe; |
1295 | Al was us oon, withoute were. |
1296 | And thus we lived ful many a yere |
1297 | So wel, I can nat telle how.' |
1298 | 'Sir,' quod I, 'where is she now?' |
1299 | 'Now!' quod he, and stinte anoon. |
1300 | Therwith he wex as deed as stoon, |
1301 | And seyde, 'allas! that I was bore, |
1302 | That was the los, that her-before |
1303 | I tolde thee, that I had lorn. |
1304 | Bethenk how I seyde her-beforn, |
1305 | "Thou wost ful litel what thou menest; |
1306 | I have lost more than thou wenest" -- |
1307 | God wot, allas! right that was she!' |
1308 | 'Allas! sir, how? what may that be?' |
1309 | 'She is deed!' 'Nay!' 'Yis, by my trouthe!' |
1310 | 'Is that your los? By god, hit is routhe!' |
1311 | And with that worde, right anoon, |
1312 | They gan to strake forth; al was doon, |
1313 | For that tyme, the hert-hunting. |
1314 | With that, me thoghte, that this king |
1315 | Gan quikly hoomward for to ryde |
1316 | Unto a place ther besyde, |
1317 | Which was from us but a lyte, |
1318 | A long castel with walles whyte, |
1319 | Be seynt Iohan! on a riche hil, |
1320 | As me mette; but thus it fil. |
1321 | Right thus me mette, as I yow telle, |
1322 | That in the castel was a belle, |
1323 | As hit had smiten houres twelve. -- |
1324 | Therwith I awook my-selve, |
1325 | And fond me lying in my bed; |
1326 | And the book that I had red, |
1327 | Of Alcyone and Seys the king, |
1328 | And of the goddes of sleping, |
1329 | I fond it in myn honde ful even. |
1330 | Thoghte I, 'this is so queynt a sweven, |
1331 | That I wol, be processe of tyme, |
1332 | Fonde to putte this sweven in ryme |
1333 | As I can best'; and that anoon. -- |
1334 | This was my sweven; now hit is doon. |
Explicit the Boke of the Duchesse.
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