Of Him who rules earth, sea, and sky;
Who her, moreover, gloriously
Endowed with power to rescue men
From rash and foolish actions, when
To her wise word they lend their ears.
Seeing mine eyes suffused with tears,
With kindly voice thus Reason spake:
Reason speaks to the Lover.
Love must be forgotten
“Fair friend, ’tis youth and folly wake
Tears in thine eyes, and gladsome May
’Twas led thy tender heart astray.3130
Alas the chance that fell on thee,
When Idleness, who bears the key
Of these fair gardens, oped the gate,
Glad welcome gave, and sealed thy fate.
Except for her, thy heart had not
Been wrecked by love, nor in this spot
Had Mirth’s bright eyes of thee been seen.
Thy folly know’st thou now, I ween,
And while ’tis time, I charge thee turn
Thy face against it, and unlearn3140
The counsel that hath been to thee
As poison. Though thou foolishly
Herein hast done, thy fault is not
A thing to marvel at, God wot!
With youth ’tis aye the same. But give
To me thine ear, if thou wouldst live
Thy days in peace.
Thou must forget
Love and his wiles, which do but fret
And waste thy life.
