Geoffrey Chaucer

“ As I shal seyn; and who-so list it here,
Lo! next this vers, he may it finden here.
Cantus Troili. 400 `If no love is, O god, what fele I so? And if love is, what thing and whiche is he! If love be good, from whennes comth my wo? If it be wikke, a wonder thinketh me, Whenne every torment and adversitee 405 That cometh of him, may to me savory thinke; For ay thurst I, the more that I it drinke. `And if that at myn owene lust I brenne, Fro whennes cometh my wailing and my pleynte? If harme agree me, wher-to pleyne I thenne? 410 I noot, ne why unwery that I feynte. ”

“ Wostow nat wel that Fortune is commune To every maner wight in som degree? 845 And yet thou hast this comfort, lo, pardee! That, as hir Ioyes moten over-goon, So mote hir sorwes passen everichoon. `For if hir wheel stinte any-thing to torne, Than cessed she Fortune anoon to be: 850 Now, sith hir wheel by no wey may soiorne, What wostow if hir mutabilitee Right as thy-selven list, wol doon by thee, Or that she be not fer fro thyn helpinge? Paraunter, thou hast cause for to singe! 855 `And therfor wostow what I thee beseche? Lat be thy wo and turning to the grounde ”

“ But for the love of god, at my preyinge, Go henne a-way, for certes, my deyinge Wol thee disese, and I mot nedes deye; Ther-for go wey, ther is no more to seye. 575 `But if thou wene I be thus sik for drede, It is not so, and ther-for scorne nought; Ther is a-nother thing I take of hede Wel more than ought the Grekes han y-wrought, Which cause is of my deeth, for sorwe and thought. 580 But though that I now telle thee it ne leste, Be thou nought wrooth; I hyde it for the beste.' This Pandare, that neigh malt for wo and routhe, Ful often seyde, `Allas! ”

“ I me consente, And prey to thee my Iapes thou foryive, And I shal never-more whyl I live.' `Thou seyst wel,' quod Pandare, `and now I hope 940 That thou the goddes wraththe hast al apesed; And sithen thou hast wepen many a drope, And seyd swich thing wher-with thy god is plesed, Now wolde never god but thou were esed; And think wel, she of whom rist al thy wo 945 Here-after may thy comfort been al-so. `For thilke ground, that bereth the wedes wikke, Bereth eek thise holsom herbes, as ful ofte Next the foule netle, rough and thikke, The rose waxeth swote and smothe and softe ”

“ God save hem that bi-seged han our toun, And so can leye our Iolyte on presse, 560 And bring our lusty folk to holinesse!' These wordes seyde he for the nones alle, That with swich thing he mighte him angry maken, And with an angre don his sorwe falle, As for the tyme, and his corage awaken; 565 But wel he wist, as fer as tonges spaken, Ther nas a man of gretter hardinesse Than he, ne more desired worthinesse. `What cas,' quod Troilus, `or what aventure Hath gyded thee to see my languisshinge, 570 That am refus of euery creature? ”

“ But as hir man I wole ay live and sterve. `Ye stonden in hire eyen mightily, As in a place un-to youre vertu digne; 430 Wherfore, lord, if my servyse or I May lyke yow, so beth to me benigne; For myn estat royal here I resigne In-to hir hond, and with ful humble chere Bicome hir man, as to my lady dere.' 435 In him ne deyned sparen blood royal The fyr of love, wher-fro god me blesse, Ne him forbar in no degree, for al His vertu or his excellent prowesse; But held him as his thral lowe in distresse, 440 And brende him so in sondry wyse ay newe, That sixty tyme a day he loste his hewe. ”

“ And Troilus yet him no word answerde, For-why to telle nas not his entente To never no man, for whom that he so ferde. 740 For it is seyd, `Man maketh ofte a yerde With which the maker is him-self y-beten In sondry maner,' as thise wyse treten, And namely, in his counseyl tellinge That toucheth love that oughte be secree; 745 For of him-self it wolde y-nough out-springe, But-if that it the bet governed be. Eek som-tyme it is craft to seme flee Fro thing which in effect men hunte faste ”

“ How devel maystow bringen me to blisse?' `Ye, Troilus, now herke,' quod Pandare, 625 `Though I be nyce; it happeth ofte so, That oon that exces doth ful yvele fare, By good counseyl can kepe his freend ther-fro. I have my-self eek seyn a blind man go Ther-as he fel that coude loke wyde; 630 A fool may eek a wys man ofte gyde. `A whetston is no kerving instrument, And yet it maketh sharpe kerving-tolis. And ther thou woost that I have ought miswent, Eschewe thou that, for swich thing to thee scole is; 635 Thus ofte wyse men ben war by folis. ”

“ So may thy woful tyme seme lesse. Delyte not in wo thy wo to seche, 705 As doon thise foles that hir sorwes eche With sorwe, whan they han misaventure, And listen nought to seche hem other cure. `Men seyn, "To wrecche is consolacioun To have an-other felawe in his peyne;" 710 That oughte wel ben our opinioun, For, bothe thou and I, of love we pleyne; So ful of sorwe am I, soth for to seyne, That certeynly no more harde grace May sitte on me, for-why ther is no space. ”

“ Many a man hath love ful dere y-bought Twenty winter that his lady wiste, That never yet his lady mouth he kiste. `What? Shulde be therfor fallen in despeyr, Or be recreaunt for his owene tene, 815 Or sleen him-self, al be his lady fayr? ”

“ By his contrarie is every thing declared. `For how might ever sweetnesse have be knowe To him that never tasted bitternesse? 640 Ne no man may be inly glad, I trowe, That never was in sorwe or som distresse; Eek whyt by blak, by shame eek worthinesse, Ech set by other, more for other semeth; As men may see; and so the wyse it demeth. ”

“ Ne, by my trouthe, I kepe nat restreyne Thee fro thy love, thogh that it were Eleyne, That is thy brotheres wif, if ich it wiste; Be what she be, and love hir as thee liste. 680 `Therfore, as freend fullich in me assure, And tel me plat what is thyn enchesoun, And final cause of wo that ye endure; For douteth no-thing, myn entencioun Nis nought to yow of reprehencioun, 685 To speke as now, for no wight may bireve A man to love, til that him list to leve. `And witeth wel, that bothe two ben vyces, Mistrusten alle, or elles alle leve ”