No More Learning

Hir face frounced and forpyned, 365
And bothe hir hondes lorn, fordwyned.

>>
Sachies de voir, il n'a talent
De dancier, ne de karoler,
Ne nus ne se porroit moller
Qui duel eust, a joie faire,
Car duel et joie sont contraire.
Apres fu VIELLECE portraite, VIEILLESSE.
Qui estoit bien ung pie retraite 340
De tele cum el soloit estre;
A paine se pooit-el pestre,
Tant estoit vielle et radotee.
Bien estoit si biaute gastee,
Et moult ert lede devenue.
Toute sa teste estoit chenue,
Et blanche cum s'el fust florie.
Ce ne fut mie grant morie
S'ele morust, ne grans pechies,
Car tous ses cors estoit sechies 350
De viellece et anoiantis:
Moult estoit ja ses vis fletris,
Qui jadis fut soef et plains;
Mes or est tous de fronces plains,
Les oreilles avoit mossues,
Et trestotes les dents perdues,
Si qu'ele n'en avoit neis une.
Tant par estoit de grant viellune,

<<
So old she was that she ne wente
A foot, but it were by potente.
The TYME, that passeth night and day, TIME.
And restelees travayleth ay, 370
And steleth from us so prively,
That to us seemeth sikerly
That it in oon point dwelleth ever,
And certes, it ne resteth never,
But goth so faste, and passeth ay, 375
That ther nis man that thinke may
What tyme that now present is:
Asketh at these clerkes this;
For [er] men thinke it redily,
Three tymes been y-passed by. 380
The tyme, that may not soiourne,
But goth, and never may retourne,
As water that doun renneth ay,
But never drope retourne may;
Ther may no-thing as tyme endure, 385
Metal, nor erthely creature;
For alle thing it fret and shal:
The tyme eek, that chaungeth al,
And al doth waxe and fostred be,
And alle thing distroyeth he: 390

>>
Qu'el n'alast mie la montance
De quatre toises sans potance. 360
Li tens qui s'en va nuit et jor,
Sans repos prendre et sans sejor,
Et qui de nous se part et emble
Si celeement, qu'il nous semble
Qu'il s'arreste ades en ung point,
Et il ne s'i arreste point,
Ains ne fine de trepasser,
Que nus ne puet neis penser
Quex tens ce est qui est presens;
Sel' demandes as clers lisans, 370
Aincois que l'en l'eust pense,
Seroit-il ja trois tens passe.
Li tens qui ne puet sejourner,
Ains vait tous jors sans retorner,
Cum l'iaue qui s'avale toute,
N'il n'en retorne arriere goute:
Li tens vers qui noient ne dure,
Ne fer ne chose tant soit dure,
Car il gaste tout et menjue;
Li tens qui tote chose mue, 380
Qui tout fait croistre et tout norist,
Et qui tout use et tout porrist;

<<
The tyme, that eldeth our auncessours
And eldeth kinges and emperours,
And that us alle shal overcomen
Er that deeth us shal have nomen:
The tyme, that hath al in welde 395
To elden folk, had maad hir elde
So inly, that, to my witing,
She mighte helpe hir-self no-thing,
But turned ageyn unto childhede;
She had no-thing hir-self to lede, 400
Ne wit ne pith in[with] hir holde
More than a child of two yeer olde.
But natheles, I trowe that she
Was fair sumtyme, and fresh to see,
Whan she was in hir rightful age: 405
But she was past al that passage
And was a doted thing bicomen.
A furred cope on had she nomen;
Wel had she clad hir-self and warm,
For cold mighte elles doon hir harm. 410
These olde folk have alwey colde,
Hir kinde is swiche, whan they ben olde.
Another thing was doon ther write, POPE-HOLY.
That semede lyk an ipocrite,

>>
Li tens qui enviellist nos peres,
Et viellist roys et emperieres,
Et qui tous nous enviellira,
Ou mort nous desavancera;
Li tens qui toute a la baillie
Des gens viellir, l'avoit viellie
Si durement, qu'au mien cuidier
El ne se pooit mes aidier, 390
Ains retornoit ja en enfance,
Car certes el n'avoit poissance,
Ce cuit-je, ne force, ne sens
Ne plus c'un enfes de deus ans.
Ne porquant, au mien escient,
Ele avoit este sage et gent,
Quant ele iert en son droit aage;
Mais ge cuit qu'el n'iere mes sage,
Ains iert trestote rassotee.
Si ot d'une chape forree 400
Moult bien, si cum je me recors,
Abrie et vestu son corps:
Bien fu vestue et chaudement,
Car el eust froit autrement.
Les vielles gens ont tost froidure;
Bien saves que c'est lor nature.
Une ymage ot empres escrite, PAPELARDIE.
Qui sembloit bien estre ypocrite;

<<
And it was cleped POPE-HOLY. 415
That ilke is she that prively
Ne spareth never a wikked dede,
Whan men of hir taken non hede;
And maketh hir outward precious,
With pale visage and pitous, 420
And semeth a simple creature;
But ther nis no misaventure
That she ne thenketh in hir corage.
Ful lyk to hir was that image,
That maked was lyk hir semblaunce. 425
She was ful simple of countenaunce,
And she was clothed and eek shod,
As she were, for the love of god,
Yolden to religioun,
Swich semed hir devocioun. 430
A sauter held she faste in honde,
And bisily she gan to fonde
To make many a feynt prayere
To god, and to his seyntes dere.
Ne she was gay, fresh, ne Iolyf, 435
But semed be ful ententyf
To gode werkes, and to faire,
And therto she had on an haire.
Ne certes, she was fat no-thing,

>>
PAPELARDIE ert apelee.
C'est cele qui en recelee, 410
Quant nus ne s'en puet prendre garde,
De nul mal faire ne se tarde.
El fait dehors le marmiteus,
Si a le vis simple et piteus,
Et semble sainte creature;
Mais sous ciel n'a male aventure
Qu'ele ne pense en son corage.
Moult la ressembloit bien l'ymage
Qui faite fu a sa semblance,
Qu'el fu de simple contenance; 420
Et si fu chaucie et vestue
Tout ainsinc cum fame rendue.
En sa main ung sautier tenoit,
Et sachies que moult se penoit
De faire a Dieu prieres faintes,
Et d'appeler et sains et saintes.
El ne fu gaie, ne jolive,
Ains fu par semblant ententive
Du tout a bonnes ovres faire;
Et si avoit vestu la haire. 430
Et sachies que n'iere pas grasse,

<<
But semed wery for fasting; 440
Of colour pale and deed was she.
From hir the gate [shal] werned be
Of paradys, that blisful place;
For swich folk maketh lene hir face,
As Crist seith in his evangyle, 445
To gete hem prys in toun a whyle;
And for a litel glorie veine
They lesen god and eek his reine.
And alderlast of everichoon, POVERT.
Was peynted POVERT al aloon, 450
That not a peny hadde in wolde,
Al-though [that] she hir clothes solde,
And though she shulde anhonged be;
For naked as a worm was she.
And if the weder stormy were, 455
For colde she shulde have deyed there.
She nadde on but a streit old sak,
And many a clout on it ther stak;
This was hir cote and hir mantel,
No more was there, never a del, 460
To clothe her with; I undertake,
Gret leyser hadde she to quake.

>>
De jeuner sembloit estre lasse,
S'avoit la color pale et morte.
A li et as siens ert la porte
Deveee de Paradis;
Car icel gent si font lor vis
Amegrir, ce dit l'Evangile,
Por avoir loz parmi la ville,
Et por un poi de gloire vaine
Qui lor toldra Dieu et son raine. 440
Portraite fu au darrenier POVRETE.
POVRETE, qui ung seul denier
N'eust pas, s'el se deust pendre,
Tant seust bien sa robe vendre;
Qu'ele iere nue comme vers:
Se li tens fust ung poi divers,
Je cuit qu'ele acorast de froit,
Qu'el n'avoit c'ung vie sac estroit
Tout plain de maves palestiaus;
Ce iert sa robe et ses mantiaus. 450
El n'avoit plus que afubler,
Grant loisir avoit de trembler.

<<
And she was put, that I of talke,
Fer fro these other, up in an halke;
There lurked and there coured she, 465
For povre thing, wher-so it be,
Is shamfast, and despysed ay.
Acursed may wel be that day,
That povre man conceyved is;
For god wot, al to selde, y-wis, 470
Is any povre man wel fed,
Or wel arayed or y-cled,
Or wel biloved, in swich wyse
In honour that he may aryse.
Alle these thinges, wel avysed, 475
As I have you er this devysed,
With gold and asure over alle
Depeynted were upon the walle.
Squar was the wal, and high somdel;
Enclosed, and y-barred wel, 480
In stede of hegge, was that gardin;
Com never shepherde therin.
Into that gardyn, wel [y-]wrought,
Who-so that me coude have brought,
By laddre, or elles by degree, 485
It wolde wel have lyked me.

>>
Des autres fu un poi loignet;
Cum chien honteus en ung coignet
Se cropoit et s'atapissoit,
Car povre chose, ou qu'ele soit,
Est ades boutee et despite.
L'eure soit ore la maudite,
Que povres homs fu conceus!
Qu'il ne sera ja bien peus, 460
Ne bien vestus, ne bien chaucies,
Neis ames, ne essaucies.
Ces ymages bien avise,
Qui, si comme j'ai devise,
Furent a or et a asur
De toutes pars paintes ou mur.
Haut fu li mur et tous quarres,
Si en fu bien clos et barres,
En leu de haies, uns vergiers,
Ou onc n'avoit entre bergiers. 470
Cis vergiers en trop bel leu sist:
Qui dedens mener me vousist
Ou par echiele ou par degre,
Je l'en seusse moult bon gre;

<<
For swich solace, swich Ioye, and play,
I trowe that never man ne say,
As in that place delitous.
The gardin was not daungerous 490
To herberwe briddes many oon.
So riche a yerd was never noon
Of briddes songe, and braunches grene.
Therin were briddes mo, I wene,
Than been in alle the rewme of Fraunce. 495
Ful blisful was the accordaunce
Of swete and pitous songe they made,
For al this world it oughte glade.
And I my-self so mery ferde,
Whan I hir blisful songes herde, 500
That for an hundred pound nolde I,--
If that the passage openly
Hadde been unto me free--
That I nolde entren for to see
Thassemblee, god [it kepe and were! ]-- 505
Of briddes, whiche therinne were,
That songen, through hir mery throtes,
Daunces of love, and mery notes.
Whan I thus herde foules singe,
I fel faste in a weymentinge, 510

>>
Car tel joie ne tel deduit
Ne vit nus hons, si cum ge cuit,
Cum il avoit en ce vergier:
Car li leus d'oisiaus herbergier
N'estoit ne dangereux ne chiches.
Onc mes ne fu nus leus si riches 480
D'arbres, ne d'oisillons chantans:
Qu'il i avoit d'oisiaus trois tans
Qu'en tout le remanant de France.
Moult estoit bele l'acordance
De lor piteus chant a oir:
Tous li mons s'en dust esjoir.
Je endroit moi m'en esjoi
Si durement, quant les oi,
Que n'en preisse pas cent livres,
Se li passages fust delivres, 490
Que ge n'entrasse ens et veisse
L'assemblee (que Diex garisse! )
Des oisiaus qui leens estoient,
Qui envoisiement chantoient
Les dances d'amors et les notes
Plesans, cortoises et mignotes.
Quant j'oi les oisiaus chanter,
Forment me pris a dementer

<<
By which art, or by what engyn
I mighte come in that gardyn;
But way I couthe finde noon
Into that gardin for to goon.
Ne nought wiste I if that ther were 515
Eyther hole or place [o]-where,
By which I mighte have entree;
Ne ther was noon to teche me;
For I was al aloon, y-wis,
Ful wo and anguissous of this. 520
Til atte laste bithoughte I me,
That by no weye ne mighte it be;
That ther nas laddre or wey to passe,
Or hole, into so fair a place.
Tho gan I go a ful gret pas 525
Envyroning even in compas
The closing of the square wal,
Til that I fond a wiket smal
So shet, that I ne mighte in goon,
And other entree was ther noon. 530
Upon this dore I gan to smyte, THE DOOR.
That was [so] fetys and so lyte;
For other wey coude I not seke.
Ful long I shoof, and knokked eke,

>>
Par quel art ne par quel engin
Je porroie entrer ou jardin; 500
Mes ge ne poi onques trouver
Leu par ou g'i peusse entrer.
Et sachies que ge ne savoie
S'il i avoit partuis ne voie,
Ne leu par ou l'en i entrast,
Ne hons nes qui le me monstrast
N'iert illec, que g'iere tot seus,
Moult destroit et moult angoisseus;
Tant qu'au darrenier me sovint
C'oncques a nul jor ce n'avint 510
Qu'en si biau vergier n'eust huis,
Ou eschiele ou aucun partuis.
Lors m'en alai grant aleure
Acaignant la compasseure
Et la cloison du mur quarre,
Tant que ung guichet bien barre
Trovai petitet et estroit;
Par autre leu l'en n'i entroit.
A l'uis commencai a ferir,
Autre entree n'i soi querir. 520
Assez i feri et boutai,
Et par maintes fois escoutai

<<
And stood ful long and of[t] herkning 535
If that I herde a wight coming;
Til that the dore of thilke entree
A mayden curteys opened me. YDELNESSE.
Hir heer was as yelowe of hewe
As any basin scoured newe. 540
Hir flesh [as] tendre as is a chike,
With bente browes, smothe and slike;
And by mesure large were
The opening of hir yen clere.
Hir nose of good proporcioun, 545
Hir yen greye as a faucoun,
With swete breeth and wel savoured.
Hir face whyt and wel coloured,
With litel mouth, and round to see;
A clove chin eek hadde she. 550
Hir nekke was of good fasoun
In lengthe and gretnesse, by resoun,
Withoute bleyne, scabbe, or royne.
Fro Ierusalem unto Burgoyne
Ther nis a fairer nekke, y-wis, 555
To fele how smothe and softe it is.
Hir throte, al-so whyt of hewe
As snow on braunche snowed newe.

>>
Se j'orroie venir nulle arme.
Le guichet, qui estoit de charme,
M'ovrit une noble pucele
Qui moult estoit et gente et bele.
Cheveus ot blons cum uns bacins,
La char plus tendre qu'uns pocins,
Front reluisant, sorcis votis.
Son entr'oil ne fu pas petis, 530
Ains iert assez grans par mesure;
Le nes ot bien fait a droiture,
Les yex ot plus vairs c'uns faucons,
Por faire envie a ces bricons.
Douce alene ot et savoree,
La face blanche et coloree,
La bouche petite et grocete,
S'ot ou menton une fossete.
Le col fu de bonne moison,
Gros assez et lons par raison, 540
Si n'i ot bube ne malen.
N'avoit jusqu'en Jherusalen
Fame qui plus biau col portast,
Polis iert et soef au tast.
La gorgete ot autresi blanche
Cum est la noif desus la branche

<<
Of body ful wel wrought was she
Men neded not, in no cuntree, 560
A fairer body for to seke.
And of fyn orfrays had she eke
A chapelet: so semly oon
Ne wered never mayde upon;. . . .
And faire above that chapelet 565
A rose gerland had she set.
She hadde [in honde] a gay mirour,
And with a riche gold tressour
Hir heed was tressed queyntely;
Hir sleves sewed fetisly. 570
And for to kepe hir hondes faire
Of gloves whyte she hadde a paire.
And she hadde on a cote of grene
Of cloth of Gaunt; withouten wene,
Wel semed by hir apparayle 575
She was not wont to greet travayle.
For whan she kempt was fetisly,
And wel arayed and richely,
Thanne had she doon al hir Iournee;
For mery and wel bigoon was she. 580

>>
Quant il a freschement negie.
Le cors ot bien fait et dougie,
L'en ne seust en nule terre
Nul plus bel cors de fame querre. 550
D'orfrois ot un chapel mignot;
Onques nule pucele n'ot
Plus cointe ne plus desguisie,
Ne l'aroie adroit devisie
En trestous les jors de ma vie.
Robe avoit moult bien entaillie;
Ung chapel de roses tout frais
Ot dessus le chapel d'orfrais:
En sa main tint ung miroer,
Si ot d'ung riche trecoer 560
Son chief trecie moult richement,
Bien et bel et estroitement
Ot ambdeus cousues ses manches;
Et por garder que ses mains blanches
Ne halaissent, ot uns blans gans.
Cote ot d'ung riche vert de gans,
Cousue a lignel tout entour.
Il paroit bien a son atour
Qu'ele iere poi embesoignie.
Quant ele s'iere bien pignie, 570
Et bien paree et atornee,
Ele avoit faite sa jornee.

<<
She ladde a lusty lyf in May,
She hadde no thought, by night ne day,
Of no-thing, but it were oonly
To graythe hit wel and uncouthly.
Whan that this dore hadde opened me 585
This mayden, semely for to see,
I thanked hir as I best mighte,
And axede hir how that she highte,
And what she was, I axede eke.
And she to me was nought unmeke, 590
Ne of hir answer daungerous,
But faire answerde, and seide thus:--
Lo, sir, my name is YDELNESSE;
So clepe men me, more and lesse.
Ful mighty and ful riche am I, 595
And that of oon thing, namely;
For I entende to no-thing
But to my Ioye, and my pleying,
And for to kembe and tresse me.
Aqueynted am I, and privee 600
With Mirthe, lord of this gardyn,
That fro the lande of Alexandryn
Made the trees be hider fet,
That in this gardin been y-set.

>>
Moult avoit bon tems et bon May,
Qu'el n'avoit soussi ne esmay
De nule riens, fors solement
De soi atorner noblement.
Quant ainsinc m'ot l'uis defferme
La pucele au cors acesme,
Je l'en merciai doucement,
Et si li demandai comment 580
Ele avoit non, et qui ele iere.
Ele ne fu pas envers moi fiere,
Ne de respondre desdaigneuse:
Je me fais apeler Oiseuse,'
Dist-ele, 'a tous mes congnoissans;
Si sui riche fame et poissans.
S'ai d'une chose moult bon tens,
Car a nule riens je ne pens
Qu'a moi joer et solacier,
Et mon chief pignier et trecier: 590
Quant sui pignee et atornee,
Adonc est fete ma jornee.
Privee sui moult et acointe
De Deduit le mignot, le cointe;
C'est cil cui est cest biax jardins,
Qui de la terre as Sarradins
Fist ca ces arbres aporter,
Qu'il fist par ce vergier planter.

<<
And whan the trees were woxen on highte, 605
This wal, that slant here in thy sighte,
Dide Mirthe enclosen al aboute;
And these images, al withoute,
He dide hem bothe entaile and peynte,
That neither ben Iolyf ne queynte, 610
But they ben ful of sorowe and wo,
As thou hast seen a whyle ago.
'And ofte tyme, him to solace,
Sir Mirthe cometh into this place,
And eek with him cometh his meynee, 615
That liven in lust and Iolitee.
And now is Mirthe therin, to here
The briddes, how they singen clere,
The mavis and the nightingale,
And other Ioly briddes smale. 620
And thus he walketh to solace
Him and his folk; for swetter place
To pleyen in he may not finde,
Although he soughte oon in-til Inde.
The alther-fairest folk to see 625
That in this world may founde be
Hath Mirthe with him in his route,
That folowen him alwayes aboute. '

>>
Quant li arbres furent creu,
Le mur que vous avez veu, 600
Fist lors Deduit tout entor faire,
Et si fist au dehors portraire
Les ymages qui i sunt paintes,
Que ne sunt mignotes ne cointes;
Ains sunt dolereuses et tristes,
Si cum vous orendroit veistes.
Maintes fois por esbanoier
Se vient en cest leu umbroier
Deduit et les gens qui le sivent,
Qui en joie et en solas vivent. 610
Encores est leens, sans doute,
Deduit orendroit qui escoute
A chanter gais rossignoles,
Mauvis et autres oiseles.
Il s'esbat iluec et solace
O ses gens, car plus bele place
Ne plus biau leu por soi joer
Ne porroit-il mie trover;
Les plus beles gens, ce sachies,
Que vous james nul leu truissies, 620
Si sunt li compaignon Deduit
Qu'il maine avec li et conduit. '

<<
When Ydelnesse had told al this,
And I hadde herkned wel, y-wis, 630
Than seide I to dame Ydelnesse,
Now al-so wisly god me blesse,
Sith Mirthe, that is so fair and free,
Is in this yerde with his meynee,
Fro thilke assemblee, if I may, 635
Shal no man werne me to-day,
That I this night ne mote it see.
For, wel wene I, ther with him be
A fair and Ioly companye
Fulfilled of alle curtesye. ' 640
And forth, withoute wordes mo,
In at the wiket wente I tho,
That Ydelnesse hadde opened me,
Into that gardin fair to see.
And whan I was [ther]in, y-wis, 645
Myn herte was ful glad of this. THE GARDEN.
For wel wende I ful sikerly
Have been in paradys erth[e]ly;
So fair it was, that, trusteth wel,
It semed a place espirituel. 650
For certes, as at my devys,
Ther is no place in paradys
So good in for to dwelle or be
As in that GARDIN, thoughte me;

>>
Quant Oiseuse m'ot ce conte,
Et j'oi moult bien tout escoute,
Je li dis lores: 'Dame Oiseuse,
Ja de ce ne soyes douteuse,
Puis que Deduit li biaus, li gens
Est orendroit avec ses gens
En cest vergier, ceste assemblee
Ne m'iert pas, se je puis, emblee, 630
Que ne la voie encore ennuit;
Veoir la m'estuet, car ge cuit
Que bele est cele compaignie,
Et cortoise et bien enseignie. '
Lors m'en entrai, ne dis puis mot,
Par l'uis que Oiseuse overt m'ot,
Ou vergier; et quant je fui ens
Je fui lies et baus et joiens.
Et sachies que je cuidai estre
Por voir en Paradis terrestre, 640
Tant estoit li leu delitables,
Qu'il sembloit estre esperitables:
Car si cum il m'iert lors avis,
Ne feist en nul Paradis
Si bon estre, cum il faisoit
Ou vergier qui tant me plaisoit.

<<
For there was many a brid singing, 655
Throughout the yerde al thringing.
In many places were nightingales,
Alpes, finches, and wodewales,
That in her swete song delyten
In thilke place as they habyten. 660
Ther mighte men see many flokkes
Of turtles and [of] laverokkes.
Chalaundres fele saw I there,
That wery, nigh forsongen were.
And thrustles, terins, and mavys, 665
That songen for to winne hem prys,
And eek to sormounte in hir song
These other briddes hem among.
By note made fair servyse
These briddes, that I you devyse; 670
They songe hir song as faire and wel
As angels doon espirituel.
And, trusteth wel, whan I hem herde,
Full lustily and wel I ferde;
For never yit swich melodye 675
Was herd of man that mighte dye.

>>
D'oisiaus chantans avoit asses
Par tout le vergier amasses;
En ung leu avoit rossigniaus,
En l'autre gais et estorniaus; 650
Si r'avoit aillors grans escoles
De roietiaus et torteroles,
De chardonnereaus, d'arondeles,
D'aloes et de lardereles;
Calendres i ot amassees
En ung autre leu, qui lassees
De chanter furent a envis:
Melles y avoit et mauvis
Qui baoient a sormonter
Ces autres oisiaus par chanter. 660
Il r'avoit aillors papegaus,
Et mains oisiaus qui par ces gaus
Et par ces bois ou il habitent,
En lor biau chanter se delitent.
Trop parfesoient bel servise
Cil oisel que je vous devise;
Il chantoient ung chant itel
Cum s'il fussent esperitel.
De voir sachies, quant les oi,
Moult durement m'en esjoi: 670
Que mes si douce melodie
Ne fu d'omme mortel oie.

<<
Swich swete song was hem among,
That me thoughte it no briddes song,
But it was wonder lyk to be
Song of mermaydens of the see; 680
That, for her singing is so clere,
Though we mermaydens clepe hem here
In English, as in our usaunce,
Men clepen hem sereyns in Fraunce.
Ententif weren for to singe 685
These briddes, that nought unkunninge
Were of hir craft, and apprentys,
But of [hir] song sotyl and wys.
And certes, whan I herde hir song,
And saw the grene place among, 690
In herte I wex so wonder gay,
That I was never erst, er that day,
So Iolyf, nor so wel bigo,
Ne mery in herte, as I was tho.
And than wiste I, and saw ful wel, 695
That Ydelnesse me served wel,
That me putte in swich Iolitee.
Hir freend wel oughte I for to be,
Sith she the dore of that gardyn
Hadde opened, and me leten in. 700

>>
Tant estoit cil chans dous et biaus,
Qu'il ne sombloit pas chans d'oisiaus,
Ains le peust l'en aesmer
A chant de seraines de mer,
Qui par lor vois, qu'eles ont saines
Et series, ont non seraines.
A chanter furent ententis
Li oisillon qui aprenti 680
Ne furent pas ne non sachant;
Et sachies quant j'oi lor chant,
Et je vi le leu verdaier,
Je me pris moult a esgaier;
Que n'avoie encor este onques
Si jolif cum je fui adonques;
Por la grant delitablete
Fui plains de grant joliete.
Et lores soi-je bien et vi
Que Oiseuse m'ot bien servi, 690
Qui m'avoit en tel deduit mis:
Bien deusse estre ses amis,
Quant ele m'avoit defferme
Le guichet du vergier rame.

<<
From hennesforth how that I wroughte,
I shal you tellen, as me thoughte.
First, whereof Mirthe served there,
And eek what folk ther with him were,
Withoute fable I wol descryve. 705
And of that gardin eek as blyve
I wol you tellen after this.
The faire fasoun al, y-wis,
That wel [y-]wrought was for the nones,
I may not telle you al at ones: 710
But as I may and can, I shal
By ordre tellen you it al.
Ful fair servyse and eek ful swete
These briddes maden as they sete.
Layes of love, ful wel sowning 715
They songen in hir Iargoning;
Summe highe and summe eek lowe songe
Upon the braunches grene y-spronge.
The sweetnesse of hir melodye
Made al myn herte in reverdye. 720
And whan that I hadde herd, I trowe,
These briddes singing on a rowe,
Than mighte I not withholde me
That I ne wente in for to see

>>
Des ore si cum je saure,
Vous conterai comment j'ovre.
Primes de quoi Deduit servoit,
Et quel compaignie il avoit
Sans longue fable vous veil dire,
Et du vergier tretout a tire 700
La facon vous redirai puis.
Tout ensemble dire ne puis,
Mes tout vous contere par ordre,
Que l'en n'i sache que remordre.
Grant servise et dous et plaisant
Aloient cil oisel faisant;
Lais d'amors et sonnes cortois
Chantoit chascun en son patois,
Li uns en haut, li autre en bas;
De lor chant n'estoit mie gas. 710
La doucor et la melodie
Me mist ou cuer grant reverdie;
Mes quant j'oi escoute ung poi
Les oisiaus, tenir ne me poi
Que dant Deduit veoir n'alasse;
Car a savoir moult desirasse

<<
Sir Mirthe; for my desiring 725
Was him to seen, over alle thing,
His countenaunce and his manere:
That sighte was to me ful dere.
Tho wente I forth on my right hond
Doun by a litel path I fond 730
Of mentes ful, and fenel grene;
And faste by, withoute wene,
SIR MIRTHE I fond; and right anoon SIR MIRTHE.
Unto sir Mirthe gan I goon,
Ther-as he was, him to solace. 735
And with him, in that lusty place,
So fair folk and so fresh hadde he,
That whan I saw, I wondred me
Fro whennes swich folk mighte come,
So faire they weren, alle and some; 740
For they were lyk, as to my sighte,
To angels, that ben fethered brighte.
This folk, of which I telle you so,
Upon a carole wenten tho.
A lady caroled hem, that highte 745
GLADNES, [the] blisful and the lighte; GLADNESSE.
Wel coude she singe and lustily,
Non half so wel and semely,
And make in song swich refreininge,
It sat hir wonder wel to singe. 750

>>
Son contenement et son estre.
Lors m'en alai tout droit a destre,
Par une petitete sente
Plaine de fenoil et de mente; 720
Mes auques pres trove Deduit,
Car maintenant en ung reduit
M'en entre ou Deduit estoit.
Deduit ilueques s'esbatoit;
S'avoit si bele gent o soi,
Que quant je les vi, je ne soi
Dont si tres beles gens pooient
Estre venu; car il sembloient
Tout por voir anges empennes,
Si beles gens ne vit homs nes. 730
Ceste gent dont je vous parole,
S'estoient pris a la carole,
Et une dame lor chantoit,
Qui Leesce apelee estoit:
Bien sot chanter et plesamment,
Ne nule plus avenaument,
Ne plus bel ses refrains ne fist,
A chanter merveilles li sist;

<<
Hir vois ful cleer was and ful swete.
She was nought rude ne unmete,
But couthe y-now of swich doing
As longeth unto caroling:
For she was wont in every place 755
To singen first, folk to solace;
For singing most she gaf hir to;
No craft had she so leef to do.
Tho mightest thou caroles seen,
And folk [ther] daunce and mery been, 760
And make many a fair tourning
Upon the grene gras springing.
Ther mightest thou see these floutours,
Minstrales, and eek Iogelours,
That wel to singe dide hir peyne. 765
Somme songe songes of Loreyne;
For in Loreyne hir notes be
Ful swetter than in this contree.
Ther was many a timbestere,
And saylours, that I dar wel swere 770
Couthe hir craft ful parfitly.
The timbres up ful sotilly
They caste, and henten [hem] ful ofte
Upon a finger faire and softe,

>>
Qu'ele avoit la vois clere et saine;
Et si n'estoit mie vilaine; 740
Ains se savoit bien desbrisier,
Ferir du pie et renvoisier.
Ele estoit ades coustumiere
De chanter en tous leus premiere:
Car chanter estoit li mestiers
Qu'ele faisoit plus volentiers.
Lors veissies carole aler,
Et gens mignotement baler,
Et faire mainte bele tresche,
Et maint biau tor sor l'erbe fresche. 750
La veissies fleuteors,
Menesterez et jougleors;
Si chantent li uns rotruenges,
Li autres notes Loherenges,
Por ce qu'en set en Loheregne
Plus cointes notes qu'en nul regne.
Assez i ot tableterresses
Ilec entor, et tymberresses
Qui moult savoient bien joer,
Et ne finoient de ruer 760
Le tymbre en haut, si recuilloient
Sor ung doi, c'onques n'i failloient.

<<
That they [ne] fayled never-mo. 775
Ful fetis damiselles two,
Right yonge, and fulle of semlihede,
In kirtles, and non other wede,
And faire tressed every tresse,
Hadde Mirthe doon, for his noblesse, 780
Amidde the carole for to daunce;
But her-of lyth no remembraunce,
How that they daunced queyntely.
That oon wolde come al prively
Agayn that other: and whan they were 785
Togidre almost, they threwe y-fere
Hir mouthes so, that through hir play
It semed as they kiste alway;
To dauncen wel coude they the gyse;
What shulde I more to you devyse? 790
Ne bede I never thennes go,
Whyles that I saw hem daunce so.
Upon the carole wonder faste,
I gan biholde; til atte laste
A lady gan me for to espye, 795
And she was cleped CURTESYE, CURTESYE.
The worshipful, the debonaire;
I pray god ever falle hir faire!

>>
Deus damoiseles moult mignotes,
Qui estoient en pures cotes,
Et trecies a une tresce,
Faisoient Deduit par noblesce
Enmi la karole baler;
Mes de ce ne fait a parler
Comme el baloient cointement.
L'une venoit tout belement 770
Contre l'autre; et quant el estoient
Pres a pres, si s'entregetoient
Les bouches, qu'il vous fust avis
Que s'entrebaisassent ou vis:
Bien se savoient desbrisier.
Ne vous en sai que devisier;
Mes a nul jor ne me queisse
Remuer, tant que ge veisse
Ceste gent ainsine efforcier
De caroler et de dancier. 780
La karole tout en estant
Regardai iluec jusqu'a tant
C'une dame bien enseignie
Me tresvit: ce fu Cortoisie
La vaillant et la debonnaire,
Que Diex deffende de contraire.

<<
Ful curteisly she called me,
'What do ye there, beau sire?
' quod she, 800
Come [neer], and if it lyke yow
To dauncen, daunceth with us now. '
And I, withoute tarying,
Wente into the caroling.
I was abasshed never a del, 805
But it me lykede right wel,
That Curtesye me cleped so,
And bad me on the daunce go.
For if I hadde durst, certeyn
I wolde have caroled right fayn, 810
As man that was to daunce blythe.
Than gan I loken ofte sythe
The shap, the bodies, and the cheres,
The countenaunce and the maneres
Of alle the folk that daunced there, 815
And I shal telle what they were.
Ful fair was MIRTHE, ful long and high; MIRTHE.
A fairer man I never sigh.
As round as appel was his face,
Ful rody and whyt in every place. 820
Fetys he was and wel beseye,
With metely mouth and yen greye;

>>
Cortoisie lors m'apela:
Biaus amis, que faites-vous la? '
Fait Cortoisie, 'ca venez,
Et avecque nous vous prenez 790
A la karole, s'il vous plest. '
Sans demorance et sans arrest
A la karole me sui pris,
Si n'en fui pas trop entrepris,
Et sachies que moult m'agrea
Quant Cortoisie m'en pria,
Et me dist que je karolasse;
Car de karoler, se j'osasse,
Estoie envieus et sorpris.
A regarder lores me pris 800
Les cors, les facons et les chieres,
Les semblances et les manieres
Des gens qui ilec karoloient:
Si vous dirai quex il estoient.
Deduit fu biaus et lons et drois,
James en terre ne venrois
Ou vous truissies nul plus bel homme:
La face avoit cum une pomme,
Vermoille et blanche tout entour,
Cointes fu et de bel atour. 810

<<
His nose by mesure wrought ful right;
Crisp was his heer, and eek ful bright.
His shuldres of a large brede, 825
And smalish in the girdilstede.
He semed lyk a portreiture,
So noble he was of his stature,
So fair, so Ioly, and so fetys,
With limes wrought at poynt devys, 830
Deliver, smert, and of gret might;
Ne sawe thou never man so light.
Of berde unnethe hadde he no-thing,
For it was in the firste spring.
Ful yong he was, and mery of thought, 835
And in samyt, with briddes wrought,
And with gold beten fetisly,
His body was clad ful richely.
Wrought was his robe in straunge gyse,
And al to-slitered for queyntyse 840
In many a place, lowe and hye.
And shod he was with greet maistrye,
With shoon decoped, and with laas.
By druerye, and by solas,
His leef a rosen chapelet 845
Had maad, and on his heed it set.

>>
Les yex ot vairs, la bouche gente,
Et le nez fait par grant entente;
Cheveus ot blons, recerceles,
Par espaules fu auques les,
Et gresles parmi la ceinture:
Il resembloit une painture,
Tant ere biaus et acesmes,
Et de tous membres bien formes.
Remuans fu, et preus, et vistes,
Plus legier homme ne veistes; 820
Si n'avoit barbe, ne grenon,
Se petiz peus folages non,
Car il ert jones damoisiaus.
D'un samit portret a oysiaus,
Qui ere tout a or batus,
Fu ses cors richement vestus.
Moult iert sa robe desguisee,
Et fu moult riche et encisee,
Et decopee par cointise;
Chaucies refu par grant mestrise 830
D'uns solers decopes a las;
Par druerie et par solas
Li ot s'amie fet chapel
De roses qui moult li sist bel.

<<
And wite ye who was his leef?
Dame GLADNES ther was him so leef, GLADNESSE.
That singeth so wel with glad corage,
That from she was twelve yeer of age, 850
She of hir love graunt him made.
Sir Mirthe hir by the finger hadde
[In] daunsing, and she him also;
Gret love was atwixe hem two.
Bothe were they faire and brighte of hewe; 855
She semede lyk a rose newe
Of colour, and hir flesh so tendre,
That with a brere smale and slendre
Men mighte it cleve, I dar wel sayn.
Hir forheed, frounceles al playn. 860
Bente were hir browes two,
Hir yen greye, and gladde also,
That laughede ay in hir semblaunt,
First or the mouth, by covenaunt.
I not what of hir nose descryve; 865
So fair hath no womman alyve. . . .
Hir heer was yelowe, and cleer shyning,
I wot no lady so lyking.

>>
Saves-vous qui estoit s'amie?
Leesce qui nel' haoit mie,
L'envoisie, la bien chantans,
Qui des lors qu'el n'ot que sept ans
De s'amor li donna l'otroi;
Deduit la tint parmi le doi 840
A la karole, et ele lui,
Bien s'entr'amoient ambedui:
Car il iert biaus, et ele bele,
Bien resembloit rose novele
De sa color. S'ot la char tendre,
Qu'en la li peust toute fendre
A une petitete ronce.
Le front ot blanc, poli, sans fronce,
Les sorcis bruns et enarchies,
Les yex gros et si envoisies, 850
Qu'il rioient tousjors avant
Que la bouchete par convant.
Je ne vous sai du nes que dire,
L'en nel' feist pas miex de cire.
Ele ot la bouche petitete,
Et por baisier son ami, preste;
Le chief ot blons et reluisant.
Que vous iroie-je disant?
Bele fu et bien atornee;
D'ung fil d'or ere galonnee, 860
S'ot ung chapel d'orfrois tout nuef;
Je qu'en oi veu vint et nuef,

<<
Of orfrays fresh was hir gerland;
I, whiche seen have a thousand, 870
Saugh never, y-wis, no gerlond yit,
So wel [y]-wrought of silk as it.
And in an over-gilt samyt
Clad she was, by gret delyt,
Of which hir leef a robe werde, 875
The myrier she in herte ferde.
And next hir wente, on hir other syde, CUPIDE.
The god of Love, that can devyde
Love, as him lyketh it [to] be.
But he can cherles daunten, he, 880
And maken folkes pryde fallen.
And he can wel these lordes thrallen,
And ladies putte at lowe degree,
Whan he may hem to proude see.
This God of Love of his fasoun 885
Was lyk no knave, ne quistroun;
His beautee gretly was to pryse.
But of his robe to devyse
I drede encombred for to be.
For nought y-clad in silk was he, 890
But al in floures and flourettes,
Y-painted al with amorettes;

>>
A nul jor mes veu n'avoie
Chapel si bien ouvre de soie.
D'un samit qui ert tous dores
Fu ses cors richement pares,
De quoi son ami avoit robe,
Si en estoit asses plus gobe.
A li se tint de l'autre part
Li Diex d'Amors, cil qui depart 870
Amoretes a sa devise.
C'est cil qui les amans justise,
Et qui abat l'orguel des gens,
Et si fait des seignors sergens,
Et des dames refait bajesses,
Quant il les trove trop engresses.
Li Diex d'Amors, de la facon,
Ne resembloit mie garcon:
De beaulte fist moult a prisier,
Mes de sa robe devisier 880
Criens durement qu'encombre soie.
Il n'avoit pas robe de soie,
Ains avoit robe de floretes,
Fete par fines amoretes

<<
And with losenges and scochouns,
With briddes, libardes, and lyouns,
And other beestes wrought ful wel. 895
His garnement was everydel
Y-portreyd and y-wrought with floures,
By dyvers medling of coloures.
Floures ther were of many gyse
Y-set by compas in assyse; 900
Ther lakked no flour, to my dome,
Ne nought so muche as flour of brome,
Ne violete, ne eck pervenke,
Ne flour non, that man can on thenke,
And many a rose-leef ful long 905
Was entermedled ther-among:
And also on his heed was set
Of roses rede a chapelet.
But nightingales, a ful gret route,
That flyen over his heed aboute, 910
The leves felden as they flyen;
And he was al with briddes wryen,
With popiniay, with nightingale,
With chalaundre, and with wodewale,
With finch, with lark, and with archaungel. 915
He semede as he were an aungel

>>
A losenges, a escuciaus,
A oiseles, a lionciaus,
Et a bestes et a liepars;
Fu la robe de toutes pars
Portraite, et ovree de flors
Par diversete de colors. 890
Flors i avoit de maintes guises
Qui furent par grant sens assises;
Nulle flor en este ne nest
Qui n'i soit, neis flor de genest,
Ne violete, ne parvanche,
Ne fleur inde, jaune ne blanche;
Si ot par leus entremeslees
Foilles de roses grans et lees.
Il ot ou chief ung chapelet
De roses; mes rossignolet 900
Qui entor son chief voletoient,
Les foilles jus en abatoient:
Car il iert tout covers d'oisiaus,
De papegaus, de rossignaus,
De calandres et de mesanges;
Il sembloit que ce fust uns anges

<<
That doun were comen fro hevene clere.
Love hadde with him a bachelere,
That he made alweyes with him be;
SWETE-LOKING cleped was he. 920
This bachelere stood biholding SWETE-LOKING.
The daunce, and in his honde holding
Turke bowes two hadde he.
That oon of hem was of a tree
That bereth a fruyt of savour wikke; 925
Ful croked was that foule stikke,
And knotty here and there also,
And blak as bery, or any slo.
That other bowe was of a plante
Withoute wem, I dar warante, 930
Ful even, and by proporcioun
Tretys and long, of good fasoun.
And it was peynted wel and thwiten,
And over-al diapred and writen
With ladies and with bacheleres, 935
Ful lightsom and [ful] glad of cheres.
These bowes two held Swete-Loking,
That semed lyk no gadeling.
And ten brode arowes held he there,
Of which five in his right hond were. 940

>>
Qui fust tantost venus du ciau.
Amors avoit ung jovenciau
Qu'il faisoit estre iluec deles;
Douz-Regard estoit apeles. 910
Ici bachelers regardoit
Les caroles, et si gardoit
Au Diex d'Amors deux ars turquois.
Li uns des ars si fu d'un bois
Dont li fruit iert mal savores;
Tous plains de nouz et boceres
Fu li ars dessous et dessore,
Et si estoit plus noirs que mores.
Li autres ars fu d'un plancon
Longuet et de gente facon; 920
Si fu bien fait et bien doles,
Et si fu moult bien pipeles.
Dames i ot de tous sens pointes,
Et vales envoisies et cointes.
Ices deux ars tint Dous-Regars
Qui ne sembloit mie estre gars,
Avec dix des floiches son mestre.
Il en tint cinq en sa main destre;

<<
But they were shaven wel and dight,
Nokked and fethered a-right;
And al they were with gold bigoon,
And stronge poynted everichoon,
And sharpe for to kerven weel. 945
But iren was ther noon ne steel;
For al was gold, men mighte it see,
Out-take the fetheres and the tree.
The swiftest of these arowes fyve
Out of a bowe for to dryve, 950
And best [y]-fethered for to flee,
And fairest eek, was cleped BEAUTEE. BEAUTEE.
That other arowe, that hurteth lesse,
Was cleped, as I trowe, SIMPLESSE. SIMPLESSE.
The thridde cleped was FRAUNCHYSE, 955
That fethered was, in noble wyse, FRAUNCHYSE.
With valour and with curtesye.
The fourthe was cleped COMPANYE COMPANYE.
That hevy for to sheten is;
But who-so sheteth right, y-wis, 960
May therwith doon gret harm and wo.
The fifte of these, and laste also,

>>
Mes moult orent ices cinq floiches
Les penons bien fais, et les coiches: 930
Si furent toutes a or pointes,
Fors et tranchans orent les pointes,
Et agues por bien percier,
Et si n'i ot fer ne acier;
Onc n'i ot riens qui d'or ne fust,
Fors que les penons et le fust:
Car el furent encarrelees
De sajetes d'or barbelees.
La meillore et la plus isnele
De ces floiches, et la plus bele, 940
Et cele ou li meillor penon
Furent entes, Biautes ot non.
Une d'eles qui le mains blece,
Ot non, ce m'est avis, Simplece.
Une autre en i ot apelee
Franchise; cele iert empenee
De Valor et de Cortoisie.
La quarte avoit non Compaignie:
En cele ot moult pesant sajete.
Ele n'iert pas d'aler loing preste; 950
Mes qui de pres en vosist traire,
Il en peust assez mal faire.

<<
FAIR-SEMBLAUNT men that arowe calle, FAIR-
The leeste grevous of hem alle; SEMBLAUNT.
Yit can it make a ful gret wounde, 965
But he may hope his sores sounde,
That hurt is with that arowe, y-wis;
His wo the bet bistowed is.
For he may soner have gladnesse,
His langour oughte be the lesse. 970
Fyve arowes were of other gyse,
That been ful foule to devyse;
For shaft and ende, sooth to telle,
Were al-so blak as feend in helle.
The first of hem is called PRYDE; PRYDE. 975
That other arowe next him bisyde,
It was [y]-cleped VILANYE; VILANYE.
That arowe was as with felonye
Envenimed, and with spitous blame.
The thridde of hem was cleped SHAME. SHAME. 980
The fourthe, WANHOPE cleped is, WANHOPE.
The fifte, the NEWE-THOUGHT, y-wis. NEWE-
These arowes that I speke of here, THOUGHT.
Were alle fyve of oon manere,
And alle were they resemblable. 985
To hem was wel sitting and able

>>
La quinte avoit non Biau-Semblant,
Ce fut toute la mains grevant.
Ne porquant el fait moult grant plaie;
Mes cis atent bonne menaie,
Qui de cele floiche est plaies,
Ses maus en est mielx emplaies;
Car il puet tost sante atendre,
S'en doit estre sa dolor mendre. 960
Cinq floiches i ot d'autre guise,
Qui furent ledes a devise:
Li fust estoient et li fer
Plus noirs que deables d'enfer.
La premiere avoit non Orguex,
L'autre qui ne valoit pas miex,
Fu apelee Vilenie;
Icele fu de felonie
Toute tainte et envenimee.
La tierce fu Honte clamee, 970
Et la quarte Desesperance:
Novel-Penser fu sans doutance
Apelee la darreniere.
Ces cinq floiches d'une maniere
Furent, et moult bien resemblables;
Moult par lor estoit convenables

<<
The foule croked bowe hidous,
That knotty was, and al roynous.
That bowe semede wel to shete
These arowes fyve, that been unmete, 990
Contrarie to that other fyve.
But though I telle not as blyve
Of hir power, ne of hir might,
Her-after shal I tellen right
The sothe, and eek signifiaunce, 995
As fer as I have remembraunce:
Al shall be seid, I undertake,
Er of this boke an ende I make.
Now come I to my tale ageyn.
But alderfirst, I wol you seyn 1000
The fasoun and the countenaunces
Of al the folk that on the daunce is.
The God of Love, Iolyf and light,
Ladde on his honde a lady bright,
Of high prys, and of greet degree. 1005
This lady called was BEAUTEE, BEAUTEE.
[As was] an arowe, of which I tolde.
Ful wel [y]-thewed was she holde;
Ne she was derk ne broun, but bright,
And cleer as [is] the mone-light, 1010

>>
Li uns des arcs qui fu hideus,
Et plains de neus, et eschardeus;
Il devoit bien tiex floiches traire,
Car el erent force et contraire 980
As autres cinq floiches sans doute.
Mes ne dire pas ore toute
Lor forces, ne lor poestes.
Bien vous sera la verites
Contee, et la senefiance
Nel'metre mie en obliance;
Ains vous dirai que tout ce monte,
Aincois que je fine mon conte.
Or revendrai a ma parole:
Des nobles gens de la karole 990
M'estuet dire les contenances,
Et les facons et les semblances.
Li Diex d'Amors se fu bien pris
A une dame de haut pris,
Et delez lui iert ajoustes:
Icele dame ot non Biautes,
Ainsinc cum une des cinq fleches.
En li ot maintes bonnes teches:
El ne fu oscure, ne brune,
Ains fu clere comme la lune, 1000

<<
Ageyn whom alle the sterres semen
But smale candels, as we demen.
Hir flesh was tendre as dewe of flour,
Hir chere was simple as byrde in bour;
As whyt as lilie or rose in rys, 1015
Hir face gentil and tretys.
Fetys she was, and smal to see;
No windred browes hadde she,
Ne popped hir, for it neded nought
To windre hir, or to peynte hir ought. 1020
Hir tresses yelowe, and longe straughten,
Unto hir heles doun they raughten:
Hir nose, hir mouth, and eye and cheke
Wel wrought, and al the remenaunt eke.
A ful gret savour and a swote 1025
Me thinketh in myn herte rote,
As helpe me god, whan I remembre
Of the fasoun of every membre!
In world is noon so fair a wight;
For yong she was, and hewed bright, 1030
[Wys], plesaunt, and fetys withalle,
Gente, and in hir middel smalle.
Bisyde Beaute yede RICHESSE, RICHESSE.
An high lady of greet noblesse,

>>
Envers qui les autres estoiles
Resemblent petites chandoiles.
Tendre ot la char comme rousee,
Simple fu cum une espousee,
Et blanche comme flor de lis;
Si ot le vis cler et alis,
Et fu greslete et alignie;
Ne fu fardee ne guignie:
Car el n'avoit mie mestier
De soi tifer ne d'afetier. 1010
Les cheveus ot blons et si lons
Qu'il li batoient as talons;
Nez ot bien fait, et yelx et bouche.
Moult grant doucor au cuer me touche,
Si m'aist Diex, quant il me membre
De la facon de chascun membre
Qu'il n'ot si bele fame ou monde.
Briement el fu jonete et blonde,
Sade, plaisant, aperte et cointe,
Grassete et grele, gente et jointe. 1020
Pres de Biaute se tint Richece,
Une dame de grant hautece,

<<
And greet of prys in every place. 1035
But who-so durste to hir trespace,
Or til hir folk, in worde or dede,
He were ful hardy, out of drede;
For bothe she helpe and hindre may:
And that is nought of yisterday 1040
That riche folk have ful gret might
To helpe, and eek to greve a wight.
The beste and grettest of valour
Diden Richesse ful gret honour,
And besy weren hir to serve; 1045
For that they wolde hir love deserve,
They cleped hir 'Lady,' grete and smalle;
This wyde world hir dredeth alle;
This world is al in hir daungere.
Hir court hath many a losengere, 1050
And many a traytour envious,
That been ful besy and curious
For to dispreisen, and to blame
That best deserven love and name.
Bifore the folk, hem to bigylen, 1055
These losengeres hem preyse, and smylen,
And thus the world with word anoynten;
But afterward they [prikke] and poynten

>>
De grant pris et de grant affaire.
Qui a li ne as siens meffaire
Osast riens par fais, ou par dis,
Il fust moult fiers et moult hardis;
Qu'ele puet moult nuire et aidier.
Ce n'est mie ne d'ui ne d'ier
Que riches gens out grant poissance
De faire ou aide, ou grevance. 1030
Tuit li greignor et li menor
Portoient a Richece honor:
Tuit baoient a li servir,
Por l'amor de li deservir;
Chascuns sa dame la clamoit,
Car tous li mondes la cremoit;
Tous li mons iert en son dangier.
En sa cort ot maint losengier,
Maint traitor, maint envieus:
Ce sunt cil qui sunt curieus 1040
De desprisier et de blasmer
Tous ceus qui font miex a amer.
Par devant, por eus losengier,
Loent les gens li losengier;
Tout le monde par parole oignent,
Mes lor losenges les gens poignent

<<
The folk right to the bare boon,
Bihinde her bak whan they ben goon, 1060
And foule abate the folkes prys.
Ful many a worthy man and wys,
An hundred, have [they] don to dye,
These losengeres, through flaterye;
And maketh folk ful straunge be, 1065
Ther-as hem oughte be prive.
Wel yvel mote they thryve and thee,
And yvel aryved mote they be,
These losengeres, ful of envye!
No good man loveth hir companye. 1070
Richesse a robe of purpre on hadde,
Ne trowe not that I lye or madde;
For in this world is noon it liche,
Ne by a thousand deel so riche,
Ne noon so fair; for it ful wel 1075
With orfrays leyd was everydel,
And portrayed in the ribaninges
Of dukes stories, and of kinges.
And with a bend of gold tasseled,
And knoppes fyne of gold ameled. 1080
Aboute hir nekke of gentil entaile
Was shet the riche chevesaile,

>>
Par derriere dusques as os,
Qu'il abaissent des bons les los,
Et desloent les aloes,
Et si loent les desloes. 1050
Maint prodommes ont encuses,
Et de lor honnor recules
Li losengier par lor losenges;
Car il font ceus des cors estranges
Qui deussent estre prives:
Mal puissent-il estre arives
Icil losengier plain d'envie!
Car nus prodons n'aime lor vie.
Richece ot une porpre robe,
Ice ne tenes mie a lobe, 1060
Que je vous di bien et afiche
Qu'il n'ot si bele, ne si riche
Ou monde, ne si envoisie.
La porpre fu toute orfroisie;
Si ot portraites a orfrois
Estoires de dus et de rois.
Si estoit au col bien orlee
D'une bende d'or neelee
Moult richement, sachies sans faille.
Si i avoit tretout a taille 1070

<<
In which ther was ful gret plentee
Of stones clere and bright to see.
Rychesse a girdel hadde upon, 1085
The bokel of it was of a stoon
Of vertu greet, and mochel of might;
For who-so bar the stoon so bright,
Of venim [thurte] him no-thing doute,
While he the stoon hadde him aboute. 1090
That stoon was greetly for to love,
And til a riche mannes bihove
Worth al the gold in Rome and Fryse.
The mourdaunt, wrought in noble wyse,
Was of a stoon ful precious, 1095
That was so fyn and vertuous,
That hool a man it coude make
Of palasye, and of tooth-ake.
And yit the stoon hadde suche a grace,
That he was siker in every place, 1100
Al thilke day, not blind to been,
That fasting mighte that stoon seen.
The barres were of gold ful fyne,
Upon a tissu of satyne,
Ful hevy, greet, and no-thing light, 1105
In everich was a besaunt-wight.
Upon the tresses of Richesse
Was set a cercle, for noblesse,

>>
De riches pierres grant plente
Qui moult rendoient grant clarte.
Richece ot ung moult riche ceint
Par desus cele porpre ceint;
La boucle d'une pierre fu
Qui ot grant force et grant vertu:
Car cis qui sor soi la portoit,
Nes uns venins ne redotoit:
Nus nel pooit envenimer,
Moult faisoit la pierre a aimer. 1080
Ele vausist a ung prodomme
Miex que trestous li ors de Romme.
D'une pierre fu li mordens,
Qui garissoit du mal des dens;
Et si avoit ung tel eur,
Que cis pooit estre asseur
Tretous les jors de sa veue,
Qui a geun l'avoit veue.
Li clou furent d'or esmere,
Qui erent el tissu dore; 1090
Si estoient gros et pesant,
En chascun ot bien ung besant.
Richece ot sus ses treces sores
Ung cercle d'or; onques encores

<<
Of brend gold, that ful lighte shoon;
So fair, trowe I, was never noon. 1110
But he were cunning, for the nones,
That coude devysen alle the stones
That in that cercle shewen clere;
It is a wonder thing to here.
For no man coude preyse or gesse 1115
Of hem the valewe or richesse.
Rubyes there were, saphyres, iagounces,
And emeraudes, more than two ounces.
But al bifore, ful sotilly,
A fyn carboucle set saugh I. 1120
The stoon so cleer was and so bright,
That, al-so sone as it was night,
Men mighte seen to go, for nede,
A myle or two, in lengthe and brede.
Swich light [tho] sprang out of the stoon, 1125
That Richesse wonder brighte shoon,
Bothe hir heed, and al hir face,
And eke aboute hir al the place.
Dame Richesse on hir hond gan lede
A yong man ful of semelihede, 1130
That she best loved of any thing;
His lust was muche in housholding.

>>
Ne fu si biaus veus, ce cuit,
Car il fu tout d'or fin recuit;
Mes cis seroit bons devisierres
Qui vous sauroit toutes les pierres,
Qui i estoient, devisier,
Car l'en ne porroit pas prisier 1100
L'avoir que les pierres valoient,
Qui en l'or assises estoient.
Rubis i ot, saphirs, jagonces,
Esmeraudes plus de dix onces.
Mais devant ot, par grant mestrise,
Une escharboucle ou cercle assise,
Et la pierre si clere estoit,
Que maintenant qu'il anuitoit,
L'en s'en veist bien au besoing
Conduire d'une liue loing. 1110
Tel clarte de la pierre yssoit,
Que Richece en resplendissoit
Durement le vis et la face,
Et entor li toute la place.
Richece tint parmi la main
Ung valet de grant biaute plain,
Qui fu ses amis veritiez.
C'est uns hons qui en biaus ostiez

<<
In clothing was he ful fetys,
And lovede wel have hors of prys.
He wende to have reproved be 1135
Of thefte or mordre, if that he
Hadde in his stable an hakeney.
And therfore he desyred ay
To been aqueynted with Richesse;
For al his purpos, as I gesse, 1140
Was for to make greet dispense,
Withoute werning or defence.
And Richesse mighte it wel sustene,
And hir dispenses wel mayntene,
And him alwey swich plentee sende 1145
Of gold and silver for to spende
Withoute lakking or daungere,
As it were poured in a garnere.
And after on the daunce wente LARGESSE.
LARGESSE, that sette al hir entente 1150
For to be honourable and free;
Of Alexandres kin was she;
Hir moste Ioye was, y-wis,
Whan that she yaf, and seide, 'have this. '
Not Avarice, the foule caytyf, 1155
Was half to grype so ententyf,

>>
Maintenir moult se delitoit.
Cis se chaucoit bien et vestoit, 1120
Si avoit les chevaus de pris;
Cis cuidast bien estre repris
Ou de murtre, ou de larrecin,
S'en s'estable eust ung roucin.
Por ce amoit-il moult l'acointance
De Richece et la bien-voillance,
Qu'il avoit tous jors en porpens
De demener les grans despens,
Et el les pooit bien soffrir,
Et tous ses despens maintenir; 1130
El li donnoit autant deniers
Cum s'el les puisast en greniers.
Apres refu Largece assise,
Qui fu bien duite et bien aprise
De faire honor, et de despendre:
El fu du linage Alexandre;
Si n'avoit-el joie de rien
Cum quant el pooit dire, 'tien. '
Neis Avarice la chetive
N'ert pas si a prendre ententive 1140

<<
As Largesse is to yeve and spende.
And god y-nough alwey hir sende,
So that the more she yaf awey,
The more, y-wis, she hadde alwey. 1160
Gret loos hath Largesse, and gret prys;
For bothe wys folk and unwys
Were hoolly to hir baundon brought,
So wel with yiftes hath she wrought.
And if she hadde an enemy, 1165
I trowe, that she coude craftily
Make him ful sone hir freend to be,
So large of yift and free was she;
Therfore she stood in love and grace
Of riche and povre in every place. 1170
A ful gret fool is he, y-wis,
That bothe riche and nigard is.
A lord may have no maner vice
That greveth more than avarice.
For nigard never with strengthe of hond 1175
May winne him greet lordship or lond.
For freendes al to fewe hath he
To doon his wil perfourmed be.