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Revision as of 00:55, 23 March 2014
The Parliament of Fowls is by Geoffrey Chaucer, and was written in the 1380s.
It's a poem about a vision in a dream. The stanza is rhyme royal. A point of interest is that it contains one of the first references to the idea that St. Valentine's Day was a special day for lovers. Valentine's Day is mentioned in Hamlet in Scene 16. The "north-northwest" line is 117.
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Here begynyth the Parlement of Foulys
THE PROEM
| 1 | The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne, |
| 2 | Thassay so hard, so sharp the conquering, |
| 3 | The dredful Ioy, that alwey slit so yerne, |
| 4 | Al this mene I by love, that my feling |
| 5 | Astonyeth with his wonderful worching |
| 6 | So sore y-wis, that whan I on him thinke, |
| 7 | Nat wot I wel wher that I wake or winke. |
| 8 | For al be that I knowe nat love in dede, |
| 9 | Ne wot how that he quyteth folk hir hyre, |
| 10 | Yet happeth me ful ofte in bokes rede |
| 11 | Of his miracles, and his cruel yre; |
| 12 | Ther rede I wel he wol be lord and syre, |
| 13 | I dar not seyn, his strokes been so sore, |
| 14 | But God save swich a lord! I can no more. |
| 15 | Of usage, what for luste what for lore, |
| 16 | On bokes rede I ofte, as I yow tolde. |
| 17 | But wherfor that I speke al this? not yore |
| 18 | Agon, hit happed me for to beholde |
| 19 | Upon a boke, was write with lettres olde; |
| 20 | And ther-upon, a certeyn thing to lerne, |
| 21 | The longe day ful faste I radde and yerne. |
| 22 | For out of olde feldes, as men seith, |
| 23 | Cometh al this newe corn fro yeer to yere; |
| 24 | And out of olde bokes, in good feith, |
| 25 | Cometh al this newe science that men lere. |
| 26 | But now to purpos as of this matere -- |
| 27 | To rede forth hit gan me so delyte, |
| 28 | That al the day me thoughte but a lyte. |
| 29 | This book of which I make of mencioun, |
| 30 | Entitled was al thus, as I shal telle, |
| 31 | 'Tullius of the dreme of Scipioun.'; |
| 32 | Chapitres seven hit hadde, of hevene and helle, |
| 33 | And erthe, and soules that therinnr dwelle, |
| 34 | Of whiche, as shortly as I can hit trete, |
| 35 | Of his sentence I wol you seyn the grete. |
| 36 | First telleth hit, whan Scipion was come |
| 37 | In Afrik, how he mette Massinisse, |
| 38 | That him for Ioye in armes hath y nome. |
| 39 | Than telleth hit hir speche and al the blisse |
| 40 | That was betwix hem, til the day gan misse; |
| 41 | And how his auncestre, African so dere, |
| 42 | Gan in his slepe that night to him appere. |
| 43 | Than telleth hit that, fro a sterry place, |
| 44 | How African hath him Cartage shewed, |
| 45 | And warned him before of al his grace, |
| 46 | And seyde him, what man, lered other lewed, |
| 47 | That loveth comun profit, wel y-thewed, |
| 48 | He shal unto a blisful place wende, |
| 49 | Ther as Ioye is that last withouten ende. |
| 50 | Than asked he, if folk that heer be dede |
| 51 | Have lyf and dwelling in another place; |
| 52 | And African seyde, 'ye, withoute drede,' |
| 53 | And that our present worldes lyves space |
| 54 | Nis but a maner deth, what wey we trace, |
| 55 | And rightful folk shal go, after they dye, |
| 56 | To heven; and shewed him the galaxye. |
| 57 | Than shewed he him the litel erthe, that heer is, |
| 58 | At regard of the hevenes quantite; |
| 59 | And after shewed he him the nyne speres, |
| 60 | And after that the melodye herde he |
| 61 | That cometh of thilke speres thryes three, |
| 62 | That welle is of musyk and melodye |
| 63 | In this world heer, and cause of armonye. |
| 64 | Than bad he him, sin erthe was so lyte, |
| 65 | And ful of torment and of harde grace, |
| 66 | That he ne shulde him in the world delyte. |
| 67 | Than tolde he him, in certeyn yeres space, |
| 68 | That every sterre shulde come into his place |
| 69 | Ther hit was first; and al shulde out of minde |
| 70 | That in this worlde is don of al mankinde. |
| 71 | Than prayde him Scipioun to telle him al |
| 72 | The wey to come un-to that hevene blisse; |
| 73 | And he seyde, 'know thy-self first immortal, |
| 74 | And loke ay besily thou werke and wisse |
| 75 | To comun profit, and thou shalt nat misse |
| 76 | To comen swiftly to that place dere, |
| 77 | That ful of blisse is and of soules clere. |
| 78 | But brekers of the lawe, soth to seyne, |
| 79 | And lecherous folk, after that they be dede, |
| 80 | Shul alwey whirle aboute therthe in peyne, |
| 81 | Til many a world be passed, out of drede, |
| 82 | And than, for-yeven alle hir wikked dede, |
| 83 | Than shul they come unto that blisful place, |
| 84 | To which to comen god thee sende his grace!' -- |
| 85 | The day gan failen, and the derke night, |
| 86 | That reveth bestes from her besinesse, |
| 87 | Berafte me my book for lakke of light, |
| 88 | And to my bedde I gan me for to dresse, |
| 89 | Fulfild of thought and besy hevinesse; |
| 90 | For bothe I hadde thing which that I nolde, |
| 91 | And eek I ne hadde that thing that I wolde. |
| 92 | But fynally my spirit, at the laste, |
| 93 | For-wery of my labour al the day, |
| 94 | Took rest, that made me to slepe faste, |
| 95 | And in my slepe I mette, as I lay, |
| 96 | How African, right in the selfe aray |
| 97 | That Scipioun him saw before that tyde, |
| 98 | Was comen and stood right at my bedes syde. |
| 99 | The wery hunter, slepinge in his bed, |
| 100 | To wode ayein his minde goth anoon; |
| 101 | The Iuge dremeth how his plees ben sped; |
| 102 | The carter dremeth how his cartes goon; |
| 103 | The riche, of gold; the knight fight with his foon; |
| 104 | The seke met he drinketh of the tonne; |
| 105 | The lover met he hath his lady wonne. |
| 106 | Can I nat seyn if that the cause were |
| 107 | For I had red of African beforn, |
| 108 | That made me to mete that he stood there; |
| 109 | But thus seyde he, 'thou hast thee so wel born |
| 110 | In loking of myn olde book to-torn, |
| 111 | Of which Macrobie roghte nat a lyte, |
| 112 | That somdel of thy labour wolde I quyte!' -- |
| 113 | Citherea! thou blisful lady swete, |
| 114 | That with thy fyr-brand dauntest whom thee lest, |
| 115 | And madest me this sweven for to mete, |
| 116 | Be thou my help in this, for thou mayst best; |
| 117 | As wisly as I saw thee north-north-west, |
| 118 | When I began my sweven for to wryte, |
| 119 | So yif me might to ryme and endyte! |
THE STORY
| 120 | This forseid African me hente anoon, |
| 121 | And forth with him unto a gate broghte |
| 122 | Right of a parke, walled of grene stoon; |
| 123 | And over the gate, with lettres large y-wroghte, |
| 124 | Ther weren vers y-writen, as me thoghte, |
| 125 | On eyther halfe, of ful gret difference, |
| 126 | Of which I shal yow sey the pleyn sentence. |
| 127 | 'Thorgh me men goon in-to that blisful place |
| 128 | Of hertes hele and dedly woundes cure; |
| 129 | Thorgh me men goon unto the welle of Grace, |
| 130 | Ther grene and lusty May shal ever endure; |
| 131 | This is the wey to al good aventure; |
| 132 | Be glad, thou reder, and thy sorwe of-caste, |
| 133 | Al open am I; passe in, and hy the faste!' |
| 134 | 'Thorgh me men goon,' than spak that other syde, |
| 135 | 'Unto the mortal strokes of the spere, |
| 136 | Of which Disdayn and Daunger is the gyde, |
| 137 | Ther tre shal never fruyt ne leves bere. |
| 138 | This streem yow ledeth to the sorwful were, |
| 139 | Ther as the fish in prison is al drye; |
| 140 | Theschewing is only the remedye.' |
| 141 | Thise vers of gold and blak y-writen were, |
| 142 | Of whiche I gan a stounde to beholde, |
| 143 | For with that oon encresed ay my fere, |
| 144 | And with that other gan myn herte bolde; |
| 145 | That oon me hette, that other did me colde, |
| 146 | No wit had I, for errour, for to chese |
| 147 | To entre or flee, or me to save or lese. |
| 148 | Right as, betwixen adamauntes two |
| 149 | Of even might, a pece of iren y-set, |
| 150 | That hath no might to meve to ne fro -- |
| 151 | For what that on may hale, that other let -- |
| 152 | Ferde I; that niste whether me was bet, |
| 153 | To entre or leve, til African my gyde |
| 154 | Me hente, and shoof in at the gates wyde, |
| 155 | And seyde, 'hit stondeth writen in thy face, |
| 156 | Thyn errour, though thou telle it not to me; |
| 157 | But dred the nat to come in-to this place, |
| 158 | For this wryting is no-thing ment by thee, |
| 159 | Ne by noon, but he Loves servant be; |
| 160 | For thou of love hast lost thy tast, I gesse, |
| 161 | As seek man hath of swete and bitternesse. |
| 162 | But natheles, al-though that thou be dulle, |
| 163 | Yit that thou canst not do, yit mayst thou see; |
| 164 | For many a man that may not stonde a pulle, |
| 165 | Yit lyketh him at the wrastling for to be, |
| 166 | And demeth yit wher he do bet or he; |
| 167 | And if thou haddest cunning for tendyte, |
| 168 | I shal thee shewen mater of to wryte.' |
| 169 | With that my hond in his he took anoon, |
| 170 | Of which I comfort caughte, and went in faste; |
| 171 | But, lord! so I was glad and wel begoon! |
| 172 | For over-al, wher that I myn eyen caste, |
| 173 | Were trees clad with leves that ay shal laste, |
| 174 | Eche in his kinde, of colour fresh and grene |
| 175 | As emeraude, that Ioye was to sene. |
| 176 | The bilder ook, and eek the hardy asshe; |
| 177 | The piler elm, the cofre unto careyne; |
| 178 | The boxtree piper; holm to whippes lasshe; |
| 179 | The sayling firr; the cipres, deth to pleyne; |
| 180 | The sheter ew, the asp for shaftes pleyne; |
| 181 | The olyve of pees, and eek the drunken vyne, |
| 182 | The victor palm, the laurer to devyne. |
| 183 | A gardyn saw I, ful of blosmy bowes, |
| 184 | Upon a river, in a grene mede, |
| 185 | Ther as swetnesse evermore y-now is, |
| 186 | With floures whyte, blewe, yelowe, and rede; |
| 187 | And colde welle-stremes, no-thing dede, |
| 188 | That swommen ful of smale fisshes lighte, |
| 189 | With finnes rede and scales silver-brighte. |
| 190 | On every bough the briddes herde I singe, |
| 191 | With voys of aungel in hir armonye, |
| 192 | Som besyed hem hir briddes forth to bringe; |
| 193 | The litel conyes to hir pley gunne hye. |
| 194 | And further al aboute I gan espye |
| 195 | The dredful roo, the buk, the hert and hinde, |
| 196 | Squerels, and bestes smale of gentil kinde. |
| 197 | Of instruments of strenges in acord |
| 198 | Herde I so pleye a ravisshing swetnesse, |
| 199 | That god, that maker is of al and lord, |
| 200 | Ne herde never better, as I gesse; |
| 201 | Therwith a wind, unnethe hit might be lesse, |
| 202 | Made in the leves grene a noise softe |
| 203 | Acordaunt to the foules songe on-lofte. |
| 204 | The air of that place so attempre was |
| 205 | That never was grevaunce of hoot ne cold; |
| 206 | Ther wex eek every holsum spyce and gras, |
| 207 | Ne no man may ther wexe seek ne old; |
| 208 | Yet was ther Ioye more a thousand fold |
| 209 | Then man can telle; ne never wolde it nighte, |
| 210 | But ay cleer day to any mannes sighte. |
| 211 | Under a tree, besyde a welle, I say |
| 212 | Cupyde our lord his arwes forge and fyle; |
| 213 | And at his fete his bowe al redy lay, |
| 214 | And wel his doghter tempred al this whyle |
| 215 | The hedes in the welle, and with hir wyle |
| 216 | She couched hem after as they shulde serve, |
| 217 | Some for to slee, and some to wounde and kerve. |
| 218 | Tho was I war of Plesaunce anon-right, |
| 219 | And of Aray, and Lust, and Curtesye, |
| 220 | And of the Craft that can and hath the might |
| 221 | To doon by force a wight to do folye -- |
| 222 | Disfigurat was she, I nil not lye; |
| 223 | And by him-self, under an oke, I gesse, |
| 224 | Saw I Delyt, that stood with Gentilnesse. |
| 225 | I saw Beautee, withouten any atyr, |
| 226 | And Youthe, ful of game and Iolyte, |
| 227 | Fool-hardinesse, Flatery, and Desyr, |
| 228 | Messagerye, and Mede, and other three -- |
| 229 | Hir names shul noght here be told for me -- |
| 230 | And upon pilers grete of Iasper longe |
| 231 | I saw a temple of bras y-founded stronge. |
| 232 | Aboute the temple daunceden alway |
| 233 | Wommen y-nowe, of whiche some ther were |
| 234 | Faire of hem-self, and somme of hem were gay; |
| 235 | In kirtels, al disshevele, wente they there -- |
| 236 | That was hir office alway, yeer by yere -- |
| 237 | And on the temple, of doves whyte and faire |
| 238 | Saw I sittinge many a hunderede paire. |
| 239 | Before the temple-dore ful soberly |
| 240 | Dame Pees sat, with a curteyn in hir hond: |
| 241 | And hir besyde, wonder discretly, |
| 242 | Dame Pacience sitting ther I fond |
| 243 | With face pale, upon an hille of sond; |
| 244 | And alder-next, within and eek with-oute, |
| 245 | Behest and Art, and of hir folke a route. |
| 246 | Within the temple, of syghes hote as fyr |
| 247 | I herde a swogh that gan aboute renne; |
| 248 | Which syghes were engendred with desyr, |
| 249 | That maden every auter for to brenne |
| 250 | Of newe flaume; and wel aspyed I thenne |
| 251 | That al the cause of sorwes that they drye |
| 252 | Com of the bitter goddesse Ialousye. |
| 253 | The god Priapus saw I, as I wente, |
| 254 | Within the temple, in soverayn place stonde, |
| 255 | In swich aray as whan the asse him shente |
| 256 | With crye by night, and with ceptre in honde; |
| 257 | Ful besily men gunne assaye and fonde |
| 258 | Upon his hede to sette, of sondry hewe, |
| 259 | Garlondes ful of fresshe floures newe. |
| 260 | And in a privee corner, in disporte, |
| 261 | Fond I Venus and hir porter Richesse, |
| 262 | That was ful noble and hauteyn of hir porte; |
| 263 | Derk was that place, but afterward lightnesse |
| 264 | I saw a lyte, unnethe hit might be lesse, |
| 265 | And on a bed of golde she lay to reste, |
| 266 | Til that the hote sonne gan to weste. |
| 267 | Hir gilte heres with a golden threde |
| 268 | Y-bounden were, untressed as she lay, |
| 269 | And naked fro the breste unto the hede |
| 270 | Men might hir see; and, sothly for to say, |
| 271 | The remenant wel kevered to my pay |
| 272 | Right with a subtil kerchef of Valence, |
| 273 | Ther was no thikker cloth of no defence. |
| 274 | The place yaf a thousand savours swote, |
| 275 | And Bachus, god of wyn, sat hir besyde, |
| 276 | And Ceres next, that doth of hunger bote; |
| 277 | And, as I seide, amiddes lay Cipryde, |
| 278 | To whom on knees two yonge folkes cryde |
| 279 | To ben hir help; but thus I leet hir lye, |
| 280 | And ferther in the temple I gan espye |
| 281 | That, in dispyte of Diane the chaste, |
| 282 | Ful many a bowe y-broke heng on the wal |
| 283 | Of maydens, suche as gunne hir tymes waste |
| 284 | In hir servyse; and peynted over al |
| 285 | Of many a story, of which I touche shal |
| 286 | A fewe, as of Calixte and Athalaunte, |
| 287 | And many a mayde, of which the name I wante; |
| 288 | Semyramus, Candace, and Ercules, |
| 289 | Biblis, Dido, Thisbe, and Piramus, |
| 290 | Tristram, Isoude, Paris, and Achilles, |
| 291 | Eleyne, Cleopatre, and Troilus, |
| 292 | Silla, and eek the moder of Romulus -- |
| 293 | Alle these were peynted on that other syde, |
| 294 | And al hir love, and in what plyte they dyde. |
| 295 | Whan I was come ayen unto the place |
| 296 | That I of spak, that was so swote and grene, |
| 297 | Forth welk I tho, my-selven to solace. |
| 298 | Tho was I war wher that ther sat a quene |
| 299 | That, as of light the somer-sonne shene |
| 300 | Passeth the sterre, right so over mesure |
| 301 | She fairer was than any creature. |
| 302 | And in a launde, upon an hille of floures, |
| 303 | Was set this noble goddesse Nature; |
| 304 | Of braunches were hir halles and hir boures, |
| 305 | Y-wrought after hir craft and hir mesure; |
| 306 | Ne ther nas foul that cometh of engendrure, |
| 307 | That they ne were prest in hir presence, |
| 308 | To take hir doom and yeve hir audience. |
| 309 | For this was on seynt Valentynes day, |
| 310 | Whan every foul cometh ther to chese his make, |
| 311 | Of every kinde, that men thenke may; |
| 312 | And that so huge a noyse gan they make, |
| 313 | That erthe and see, and tree, and every lake |
| 314 | So ful was, that unnethe was ther space |
| 315 | For me to stonde, so ful was al the place. |
| 316 | And right as Aleyn, in the Pleynt of Kinde, |
| 317 | Devyseth Nature of aray and face, |
| 318 | In swich aray men mighten hir ther finde. |
| 319 | This noble emperesse, ful of grace, |
| 320 | Bad every foul to take his owne place, |
| 321 | As they were wont alwey fro yeer to yere, |
| 322 | Seynt Valentynes day, to stonden there. |
| 323 | That is to sey, the foules of ravyne |
| 324 | Were hyest set; and than the foules smale, |
| 325 | That eten as hem nature wolde enclyne, |
| 326 | As worm or thing of whiche I telle no tale; |
| 327 | And water-foul sat loweste in the dale; |
| 328 | But foul that liveth by seed sat on the grene, |
| 329 | And that so fele, that wonder was to sene. |
| 330 | There mighte men the royal egle finde, |
| 331 | That with his sharpe look perceth the sonne; |
| 332 | And other egles of a lower kinde, |
| 333 | Of which that clerkes wel devysen conne. |
| 334 | Ther was the tyraunt with his fethres done |
| 335 | And greye, I mene the goshauk, that doth pyne |
| 336 | To briddes for his outrageous ravyne. |
| 337 | The gentil faucoun, that with his feet distreyneth |
| 338 | The kinges hond; the hardy sperhauk eke, |
| 339 | The quayles foo; the merlion that payneth |
| 340 | Him-self ful ofte, the larke for to seke; |
| 341 | Ther was the douve, with hir eyen meke; |
| 342 | The Ialous swan, ayens his deth that singeth; |
| 343 | The oule eek, that of dethe the bode bringeth; |
| 344 | The crane the geaunt, with his trompes soune; |
| 345 | The theef, the chogh; and eek the Iangling pye; |
| 346 | The scorning Iay; the eles foo, heroune; |
| 347 | The false lapwing, ful of trecherye; |
| 348 | The stare, that the counseyl can bewrye; |
| 349 | The tame ruddok; and the coward kyte; |
| 350 | The cok, that orloge is of thorpes lyte; |
| 351 | The sparow, Venus sone; the nightingale, |
| 352 | That clepeth forth the fresshe leves newe; |
| 353 | The swalow, mordrer of the flyes smale |
| 354 | That maken hony of floures fresshe of hewe; |
| 355 | The wedded turtel, with hir herte trewe; |
| 356 | The pecok, with his aungels fethres brighte; |
| 357 | The fesaunt, scorner of the cok by nighte; |
| 358 | The waker goos; the cukkow ever unkinde; |
| 359 | The popiniay, ful of delicasye; |
| 360 | The drake, stroyer of his owne kinde; |
| 361 | The stork, the wreker of avouterye; |
| 362 | The hote cormeraunt of glotonye; |
| 363 | The raven wys, the crow with vois of care; |
| 364 | The throstel olde; the frosty feldefare. |
| 365 | What shulde I seyn? of foules every kinde |
| 366 | That in this world han fethres and stature, |
| 367 | Men mighten in that place assembled finde |
| 368 | Before the noble goddesse Nature, |
| 369 | And everich of hem did his besy cure |
| 370 | Benignely to chese or for to take, |
| 371 | By hir acord, his formel or his make. |
| 372 | But to the poynt -- Nature held on hir honde |
| 373 | A formel egle, of shap the gentileste |
| 374 | That ever she among hir werkes fonde, |
| 375 | The moste benigne and the goodlieste; |
| 376 | In hir was every vertu at his reste, |
| 377 | So ferforth, that Nature hir-self had blisse |
| 378 | To loke on hir, and ofte hir bek to kisse. |
| 379 | Nature, the vicaire of thalmighty lorde, |
| 380 | That hoot, cold, hevy, light, and moist and dreye |
| 381 | Hath knit by even noumbre of acorde, |
| 382 | In esy vois began to speke and seye, |
| 383 | 'Foules, tak hede of my sentence, I preye, |
| 384 | And, for your ese, in furthering of your nede, |
| 385 | As faste as I may speke, I wol me spede. |
| 386 | Ye knowe wel how, seynt Valentynes day, |
| 387 | By my statut and through my governaunce, |
| 388 | Ye come for to chese -- and flee your way -- |
| 389 | Your makes, as I prik yow with plesaunce. |
| 390 | But natheles, my rightful ordenaunce |
| 391 | May I not lete, for al this world to winne, |
| 392 | That he that most is worthy shal beginne. |
| 393 | The tercel egle, as that ye knowen wel, |
| 394 | The foul royal above yow in degree, |
| 395 | The wyse and worthy, secree, trewe as stel, |
| 396 | The which I formed have, as ye may see, |
| 397 | In every part as hit best lyketh me, |
| 398 | Hit nedeth noght his shap yow to devyse, |
| 399 | He shal first chese and speken in his gyse. |
| 400 | And after him, by order shul ye chese, |
| 401 | After your kinde, everich as yow lyketh, |
| 402 | And, as your hap is, shul ye winne or lese; |
| 403 | But which of yow that love most entryketh, |
| 404 | God sende him hir that sorest for him syketh.' |
| 405 | And therwith-al the tercel gan she calle, |
| 406 | And seyde, 'my sone, the choys is to thee falle. |
| 407 | But natheles, in this condicioun |
| 408 | Mot be the choys of everich that is here, |
| 409 | That she agree to his eleccioun, |
| 410 | What-so he be that shulde be hir fere; |
| 411 | This is our usage alwey, fro yeer to yere; |
| 412 | And who so may at this time have his grace, |
| 413 | In blisful tyme he com in-to this place.' |
| 414 | With hed enclyned and with ful humble chere |
| 415 | This royal tercel spak and taried nought: |
| 416 | 'Unto my sovereyn lady, and noght my fere, |
| 417 | I chese, and chese with wille and herte and thought, |
| 418 | The formel on your hond so wel y-wrought, |
| 419 | Whos I am al and ever wol hir serve, |
| 420 | Do what hir list, to do me live or sterve. |
| 421 | Beseching hir of mercy and of grace, |
| 422 | As she that is my lady sovereyne; |
| 423 | Or let me dye present in this place. |
| 424 | For certes, long may I not live in peyne; |
| 425 | For in myn herte is corven every veyne; |
| 426 | Having reward only to my trouthe, |
| 427 | My dere herte, have on my wo som routhe. |
| 428 | And if that I to hir be founde untrewe, |
| 429 | Disobeysaunt, or wilful negligent, |
| 430 | Avauntour, or in proces love a newe, |
| 431 | I pray to you this be my Iugement, |
| 432 | That with these foules I be al to-rent, |
| 433 | That ilke day that ever she me finde |
| 434 | To hir untrewe, or in my gilte unkinde. |
| 435 | And sin that noon loveth hir so wel as I, |
| 436 | Al be she never of love me behette, |
| 437 | Than oghte she be myn thourgh hir mercy, |
| 438 | For other bond can I noon on hir knette. |
| 439 | For never, for no wo, ne shal I lette |
| 440 | To serven hir, how fer so that she wende; |
| 441 | Sey what yow list, my tale is at an ende.' |
| 442 | Right as the fresshe, rede rose newe |
| 443 | Ayen the somer-sonne coloured is, |
| 444 | Right so for shame al wexen gan the hewe |
| 445 | Of this formel, whan she herde al this; |
| 446 | She neyther answerde 'Wel', ne seyde amis, |
| 447 | So sore abasshed was she, til that Nature |
| 448 | Seyde, 'doghter, drede yow noght, I yow assure.' |
| 449 | Another tercel egle spak anoon |
| 450 | Of lower kinde, and seyde, 'that shal nat be; |
| 451 | I love hir bet than ye do, by seynt Iohn, |
| 452 | Or atte leste I love hir as wel as ye; |
| 453 | And lenger have served hir, in my degree, |
| 454 | And if she shulde have loved for long loving, |
| 455 | To me allone had been the guerdoninge. |
| 456 | I dar eek seye, if she me finde fals, |
| 457 | Unkinde, Iangler, or rebel in any wyse, |
| 458 | Or Ialous, do me hongen by the hals! |
| 459 | And but I bere me in hir servyse |
| 460 | As wel as that my wit can me suffyse, |
| 461 | From poynt to poynt, hir honour for to save, |
| 462 | Tak she my lyf, and al the good I have.' |
| 463 | The thridde tercel egle answerde tho, |
| 464 | 'Now, sirs, ye seen the litel leyser here; |
| 465 | For every foul cryeth out to been a-go |
| 466 | Forth with his make, or with his lady dere; |
| 467 | And eek Nature hir-self ne wol nought here, |
| 468 | For tarying here, noght half that I wolde seye; |
| 469 | And but I speke, I mot for sorwe deye. |
| 470 | Of long servyse avaunte I me no-thing, |
| 471 | But as possible is me to dye to-day |
| 472 | For wo, as he that hath ben languisshing |
| 473 | Thise twenty winter, and wel happen may |
| 474 | A man may serven bet and more to pay |
| 475 | In half a yere, al-though hit were no more, |
| 476 | Than som man doth that hath served ful yore. |
| 477 | I ne sey not this by me, for I ne can |
| 478 | Do no servyse that may my lady plese; |
| 479 | But I dar seyn, I am hir trewest man |
| 480 | As to my dome, and feynest wolde hir ese; |
| 481 | At shorte wordes, til that deth me sese, |
| 482 | I wol ben hires, whether I wake or winke, |
| 483 | And trewe in al that herte may bethinke.' |
| 484 | Of al my lyf, sin that day I was born, |
| 485 | So gentil plee in love or other thing |
| 486 | Ne herde never no man me beforn, |
| 487 | Who-so that hadde leyser and cunning |
| 488 | For to reherse hir chere and hir speking; |
| 489 | And from the morwe gan this speche laste |
| 490 | Til dounward drow the sonne wonder faste. |
| 491 | The noyse of foules for to ben delivered |
| 492 | So loude rong, 'have doon and let us wende!' |
| 493 | That wel wende I the wode had al to-shivered. |
| 494 | 'Come of!' they cryde, 'allas! ye wil us shende! |
| 495 | Whan shal your cursed pleding have an ende? |
| 496 | How shulde a Iuge eyther party leve, |
| 497 | For yee or nay, with-outen any preve?' |
| 498 | The goos, the cokkow, and the doke also |
| 499 | So cryden, 'kek, kek!' 'kukkow!' 'quek, quek!' hye, |
| 500 | That thorgh myn eres the noyse wente tho. |
| 501 | The goos seyde, 'al this nis not worth a flye! |
| 502 | But I can shape hereof a remedye, |
| 503 | And I wol sey my verdit faire and swythe |
| 504 | For water-foul, who-so be wrooth or blythe.' |
| 505 | 'And I for worm-foul,' seyde the fool cukkow, |
| 506 | 'For I wol, of myn owne auctorite, |
| 507 | For comune spede, take the charge now, |
| 508 | For to delivere us is gret charite.' |
| 509 | 'Ye may abyde a whyle yet, parde!' |
| 510 | Seide the turtel, 'if hit be your wille |
| 511 | A wight may speke, him were as good be stille. |
| 512 | I am a seed-foul, oon the unworthieste, |
| 513 | That wot I wel, and litel of kunninge; |
| 514 | But bet is that a wightes tonge reste |
| 515 | Than entermeten him of such doinge |
| 516 | Of which he neyther rede can nor singe. |
| 517 | And who-so doth, ful foule himself acloyeth, |
| 518 | For office uncommitted ofte anoyeth.' |
| 519 | Nature, which that alway had an ere |
| 520 | To murmour of the lewednes behinde, |
| 521 | With facound voys seide, 'hold your tonges there! |
| 522 | And I shal sone, I hope, a counseyl finde |
| 523 | You to delivere, and fro this noyse unbinde; |
| 524 | I Iuge, of every folk men shal oon calle |
| 525 | To seyn the verdit for you foules alle.' |
| 526 | Assented were to this conclusioun |
| 527 | The briddes alle; and foules of ravyne |
| 528 | Han chosen first, by pleyn eleccioun, |
| 529 | The tercelet of the faucon, to diffyne |
| 530 | Al hir sentence, and as him list, termyne; |
| 531 | And to Nature him gonnen to presente, |
| 532 | And she accepteth him with glad entente. |
| 533 | The tercelet seide than in this manere: |
| 534 | 'Ful hard were it to preve hit by resoun |
| 535 | Who loveth best this gentil formel here; |
| 536 | For everich hath swich replicacioun, |
| 537 | That noon by skilles may be broght a-doun; |
| 538 | I can not seen that argumentes avayle; |
| 539 | Than semeth hit ther moste be batayle.' |
| 540 | 'Al redy!' quod these egles tercels tho. |
| 541 | 'Nay, sirs!' quod he, 'if that I dorste it seye, |
| 542 | Ye doon me wrong, my tale is not y-do! |
| 543 | For sirs, ne taketh noght a-gref, I preye, |
| 544 | It may noght gon, as ye wolde, in this weye; |
| 545 | Oure is the voys that han the charge in honde, |
| 546 | And to the Iuges dome ye moten stonde; |
| 547 | 'And therfor, pees! I seye, as to my wit, |
| 548 | Me wolde thinke how that the worthieste |
| 549 | Of knighthode, and lengest hath used hit, |
| 550 | Moste of estat, of blode the gentileste, |
| 551 | Were sittingest for hir, if that hir leste; |
| 552 | And of these three she wot hir-self, I trowe, |
| 553 | Which that he be, for hit is light to knowe.' |
| 554 | The water-foules han her hedes leyd |
| 555 | Togeder, and of short avysement, |
| 556 | Whan everich had his large golee seyd, |
| 557 | They seyden sothly, al by oon assent, |
| 558 | How that 'the goos, with hir facounde gent, |
| 559 | That so desyreth to pronounce our nede, |
| 560 | Shal telle our tale,' and preyde 'god hir spede.' |
| 561 | And for these water-foules tho began |
| 562 | The goos to speke, and in hir cakelinge |
| 563 | She seyde, 'pees! now tak kepe every man, |
| 564 | And herkeneth which a reson I shal bringe; |
| 565 | My wit is sharp, I love no taryinge; |
| 566 | I seye, I rede him, though he were my brother, |
| 567 | But she wol love him, lat him love another!' |
| 568 | 'Lo here! a parfit reson of a goos!' |
| 569 | Quod the sperhauk; 'never mot she thee! |
| 570 | Lo, swich hit is to have a tonge loos! |
| 571 | Now parde, fool, yet were hit bet for thee |
| 572 | Have holde thy pees, than shewed thy nycete! |
| 573 | Hit lyth not in his wit nor in his wille, |
| 574 | But sooth is seyd, "a fool can noght be stille."' |
| 575 | The laughter aroos of gentil foules alle, |
| 576 | And right anoon the seed-foul chosen hadde |
| 577 | The turtel trewe, and gunne hir to hem calle, |
| 578 | And preyden hir to seye the sothe sadde |
| 579 | Of this matere, and asked what she radde; |
| 580 | And she answerde, that pleynly hir entente |
| 581 | She wolde shewe, and sothly what she mente. |
| 582 | 'Nay, god forbede a lover shulde chaunge!' |
| 583 | The turtle seyde, and wex for shame al reed; |
| 584 | 'Thogh that his lady ever-more be straunge, |
| 585 | Yet let him serve hir ever, til he be deed; |
| 586 | For sothe, I preyse noght the gooses reed; |
| 587 | For thogh she deyed, I wolde non other make, |
| 588 | I wol ben hires, til that the deth me take.' |
| 589 | 'Wel bourded!' quod the doke, 'by my hat! |
| 590 | That men shulde alwey loven, causeles, |
| 591 | Who can a reson finde or wit in that? |
| 592 | Daunceth he mury that is mirtheles? |
| 593 | Who shulde recche of that is reccheles? |
| 594 | Ye, quek!' yit quod the doke, ful wel and faire, |
| 595 | 'There been mo sterres, god wot, than a paire!' |
| 596 | 'Now fy, cherl!' quod the gentil tercelet, |
| 597 | 'Out of the dunghil com that word ful right, |
| 598 | Thou canst noght see which thing is wel be-set: |
| 599 | Thou farest by love as oules doon by light, |
| 600 | The day hem blent, ful wel they see by night; |
| 601 | Thy kind is of so lowe a wrechednesse, |
| 602 | That what love is, thou canst nat see ne gesse.' |
| 603 | Tho gan the cukkow putte him forth in prees |
| 604 | For foul that eteth worm, and seide blyve, |
| 605 | 'So I,' quod he, 'may have my make in pees, |
| 606 | I recche not how longe that ye stryve; |
| 607 | Lat ech of hem be soleyn al hir lyve, |
| 608 | This is my reed, sin they may not acorde; |
| 609 | This shorte lesson nedeth noght recorde.' |
| 610 | 'Ye! have the glotoun fild ynogh his paunche, |
| 611 | Than are we wel!' seyde the merlioun; |
| 612 | 'Thou mordrer of the heysugge on the braunche |
| 613 | That broghte thee forth, thou rewthelees glotoun! |
| 614 | Live thou soleyn, wormes corrupcioun! |
| 615 | For no fors is of lakke of thy nature; |
| 616 | Go, lewed be thou, whyl the world may dure!' |
| 617 | 'Now pees,' quod Nature, 'I comaunde here; |
| 618 | For I have herd al your opinioun, |
| 619 | And in effect yet be we never the nere; |
| 620 | But fynally, this is my conclusioun, |
| 621 | That she hir-self shal han the eleccioun |
| 622 | Of whom hir list, who-so be wrooth or blythe, |
| 623 | Him that she cheest, he shal hir have as swythe. |
| 624 | For sith hit may not here discussed be |
| 625 | Who loveth hir best, as seide the tercelet, |
| 626 | Than wol I doon hir this favour, that she |
| 627 | Shal have right him on whom hir herte is set, |
| 628 | And he hir that his herte hath on hir knet. |
| 629 | Thus Iuge I, Nature, for I may not lye; |
| 630 | To noon estat I have non other ye. |
| 631 | But as for counseyl for to chese a make, |
| 632 | If hit were reson, certes, than wolde I |
| 633 | Counseyle yow the royal tercel take, |
| 634 | As seide the tercelet ful skilfully, |
| 635 | As for the gentilest and most worthy, |
| 636 | Which I have wroght so wel to my plesaunce; |
| 637 | That to yow oghte been a suffisaunce.' |
| 638 | With dredful vois the formel hir answerde, |
| 639 | 'My rightful lady, goddesse of Nature, |
| 640 | Soth is that I am ever under your yerde, |
| 641 | Lyk as is everiche other creature, |
| 642 | And moot be youres whyl that my lyf may dure; |
| 643 | And therfor graunteth me my firste bone, |
| 644 | And myn entente I wol yow sey right sone.' |
| 645 | 'I graunte it you,' quod she; and right anoon |
| 646 | This formel egle spak in this degree, |
| 647 | 'Almighty quene, unto this yeer be doon |
| 648 | I aske respit for to avysen me. |
| 649 | And after that to have my choys al free; |
| 650 | This al and sum, that I wolde speke and seye; |
| 651 | Ye gete no more, al-though ye do me deye. |
| 652 | I wol noght serven Venus ne Cupyde |
| 653 | For sothe as yet, by no manere wey.' |
| 654 | 'Now sin it may non other wyse betyde,' |
| 655 | Quod tho Nature, 'here is no more to sey; |
| 656 | Than wolde I that these foules were a-wey |
| 657 | Ech with his make, for tarying lenger here' -- |
| 658 | And seyde hem thus, as ye shul after here. |
| 659 | 'To you speke I, ye tercelets,' quod Nature, |
| 660 | 'Beth of good herte and serveth, alle three; |
| 661 | A yeer is not so longe to endure, |
| 662 | And ech of yow peyne him, in his degree, |
| 663 | For to do wel; for, god wot, quit is she |
| 664 | Fro yow this yeer; what after so befalle, |
| 665 | This entremes is dressed for you alle.' |
| 666 | And whan this werk al broght was to an ende, |
| 667 | To every foule Nature yaf his make |
| 668 | By even acorde, and on hir wey they wende. |
| 669 | A! lord! the blisse and Ioye that they make! |
| 670 | For ech of hem gan other in winges take, |
| 671 | And with hir nekkes ech gan other winde, |
| 672 | Thanking alwey the noble goddesse of kinde. |
| 673 | But first were chosen foules for to singe, |
| 674 | As yeer by yere was alwey hir usaunce |
| 675 | To singe a roundel at hir departinge, |
| 676 | To do to Nature honour and plesaunce. |
| 677 | The note, I trowe, maked was in Fraunce; |
| 678 | The wordes wer swich as ye may heer finde, |
| 679 | The nexte vers, as I now have in minde. |
| Qui bien aime a tard oublie. | |
| 680 | 'Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe, |
| 681 | That hast this wintres weders over-shake, |
| 682 | And driven awey the longe nightes blake! |
| 683 | 'Saynt Valentyn, that art ful hy on-lofte; -- |
| 684 | Thus singen smale foules for thy sake -- |
| 685 | Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe, |
| 686 | That hast this wintres weders over-shake. |
| 687 | 'Wel han they cause for to gladen ofte, |
| 688 | Sith ech of hem recovered hath his make; |
| 689 | Ful blisful may they singen whan they wake; |
| 690 | Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe, |
| 691 | That hast this wintres weders over-shake, |
| 692 | And driven away the longe nightes blake.' |
| 693 | And with the showting, whan hir song was do, |
| 694 | That foules maden at hir flight a-way, |
| 695 | I wook, and other bokes took me to |
| 696 | To rede upon, and yet I rede alway; |
| 697 | In hope, y-wis, to rede so som day |
| 698 | That I shal mete som thing for to fare |
| 699 | The bet; and thus to rede I nil not spare. |
Parliamentum avium in die Sancti Valentini tentum secundum Galfridum Chaucer. Deo gracias.
