按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
The Hare in pees stod with the Hound；
And every man upon this ground
Which Arion that time herde；
Als wel the lord as the schepherde；
He broghte hem alle in good acord；
So that the comun with the lord；
And lord with the comun also；
He sette in love bothe tuo
And putte awey malencolie。
That was a lusti melodie； 1070
Whan every man with other low；
And if ther were such on now；
Which cowthe harpe as he tho dede；
He myhte availe in many a stede
To make pes wher now is hate；
For whan men thenken to debate；
I not what other thing is good。
Bot wher that wisdom waxeth wod；
And reson torneth into rage；
So that mesure upon oultrage 1080
Hath set his world； it is to drede；
For that bringth in the comun drede；
Which stant at every mannes Dore：
Bot whan the scharpnesse of the spore
The horse side smit to sore；
It grieveth ofte。 And now nomore；
As forto speke of this matiere；
Which non bot only god may stiere。
Explicit Prologus
Incipit Liber Primus
Naturatus amor nature legibus orbem
Subdit； et vnanimes concitat esse feras：
Huius enim mundi Princeps amor esse videtur；
Cuius eget diues； pauper et omnis ope。
Sunt in agone pares amor et fortuna； que cecas
Plebis ad insidias vertit vterque rotas。
Est amor egra salus； vexata quies； pius error；
Bellica pax； vulnus dulce； suaue malum。
I may noght strecche up to the hevene
Min hand； ne setten al in evene
This world； which evere is in balance：
It stant noght in my sufficance
So grete thinges to compasse；
Bot I mot lete it overpasse
And treten upon othre thinges。
Forthi the Stile of my writinges
Fro this day forth I thenke change
And speke of thing is noght so strange； 10
Which every kinde hath upon honde；
And wherupon the world mot stonde；
And hath don sithen it began；
And schal whil ther is any man；
And that is love； of which I mene
To trete； as after schal be sene。
In which ther can noman him reule；
For loves lawe is out of reule；
That of tomoche or of tolite
Welnyh is every man to wyte； 20
And natheles ther is noman
In al this world so wys； that can
Of love tempre the mesure；
Bot as it falth in aventure：
For wit ne strengthe may noght helpe；
And he which elles wolde him yelpe
Is rathest throwen under fote；
Ther can no wiht therof do bote。
For yet was nevere such covine；
That couthe ordeine a medicine 30
To thing which god in lawe of kinde
Hath set； for ther may noman finde
The rihte salve of such a Sor。
It hath and schal ben everemor
That love is maister wher he wile；
Ther can no lif make other skile；
For wher as evere him lest to sette；
Ther is no myht which him may lette。
Bot what schal fallen ate laste；
The sothe can no wisdom caste； 40
Bot as it falleth upon chance；
For if ther evere was balance
Which of fortune stant governed；
I may wel lieve as I am lerned
That love hath that balance on honde；
Which wol no reson understonde。
For love is blind and may noght se；
Forthi may no certeinete
Be set upon his jugement；
Bot as the whiel aboute went 50
He yifth his graces undeserved；
And fro that man which hath him served
Fulofte he takth aweye his fees；
As he that pleieth ate Dees；
And therupon what schal befalle
He not； til that the chance falle；
Wher he schal lese or he schal winne。
And thus fulofte men beginne；
That if thei wisten what it mente；
Thei wolde change al here entente。 60
And forto proven it is so；
I am miselven on of tho；
Which to this Scole am underfonge。
For it is siththe go noght longe；
As forto speke of this matiere；
I may you telle； if ye woll hiere；
A wonder hap which me befell；
That was to me bothe hard and fell；
Touchende of love and his fortune；
The which me liketh to comune 70
And pleinly forto telle it oute。
To hem that ben lovers aboute
Fro point to point I wol declare
And wryten of my woful care；
Mi wofull day； my wofull chance；
That men mowe take remembrance
Of that thei schall hierafter rede：
For in good feith this wolde I rede；
That every man ensample take
Of wisdom which him is betake； 80
And that he wot of good aprise
To teche it forth； for such emprise
Is forto preise； and therfore I
Woll wryte and schewe al openly
How love and I togedre mette；
Wherof the world ensample fette
Mai after this； whan I am go；
Of thilke unsely jolif wo；
Whos reule stant out of the weie；
Nou glad and nou gladnesse aweie； 90
And yet it may noght be withstonde
For oght that men may understonde。
Upon the point that is befalle
Of love； in which that I am falle；
I thenke telle my matiere：
Now herkne； who that wol it hiere；
Of my fortune how that it ferde。
This enderday； as I forthferde
To walke； as I yow telle may；…
And that was in the Monthe of Maii； 100
Whan every brid hath chose his make
And thenkth his merthes forto make
Of love that he hath achieved；
Bot so was I nothing relieved；
For I was further fro my love
Than Erthe is fro the hevene above；
As forto speke of eny sped：
So wiste I me non other red；
Bot as it were a man forfare
Unto the wode I gan to fare； 110
Noght forto singe with the briddes；
For whanne I was the wode amiddes；
I fond a swote grene pleine；
And ther I gan my wo compleigne
Wisshinge and wepinge al myn one；
For other merthes made I none。
So hard me was that ilke throwe；
That ofte sithes overthrowe
To grounde I was withoute breth；
And evere I wisshide after deth； 120
Whanne I out of my peine awok；
And caste up many a pitous lok
Unto the hevene； and seide thus：
〃O thou Cupide； O thou Venus；
Thou god of love and thou goddesse；
Wher is pite？ wher is meknesse？
Now doth me pleinly live or dye；
For certes such a maladie
As I now have and longe have hadd；
It myhte make a wisman madd； 130
If that it scholde longe endure。
O Venus； queene of loves cure；
Thou lif； thou lust； thou mannes hele；
Behold my cause and my querele；
And yif me som part of thi grace；
So that I may finde in this place
If thou be gracious or non。〃
And with that word I sawh anon
The kyng of love and qweene bothe；
Bot he that kyng with yhen wrothe 140
His chiere aweiward fro me caste；
And forth he passede ate laste。
Bot natheles er he forth wente
A firy Dart me thoghte he hente
And threw it thurgh myn herte rote：
In him fond I non other bote；
For lenger list him noght to duelle。
Bot sche that is the Source and Welle
Of wel or wo； that schal betide
To hem that loven； at that tide 150
Abod； bot forto tellen hiere
Sche cast on me no goodly chiere：
Thus natheles to me sche seide；
〃What art thou； Sone？〃 and I abreide
Riht as a man doth out of slep；
And therof tok sche riht good kep
And bad me nothing ben adrad：
Bot for al that I was noght glad；
For I ne sawh no cause why。
And eft scheo asketh； what was I： 160
I seide； 〃A Caitif that lith hiere：
What wolde ye； my Ladi diere？
Schal I ben hol or elles dye？〃
Sche seide； 〃Tell thi maladie：
What is thi Sor of which thou pleignest？
Ne hyd it noght； for if thou feignest；
I can do the no medicine。〃
〃Ma dame； I am a man of thyne；
That in thi Court have longe served；
And aske that I have deserved； 170
Some wele after my longe wo。〃
And sche began to loure tho；
And seide； 〃Ther is ma