| 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. |
| 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.
