Geoffrey Chaucer

“ Why niltow love an-other lady swete, That may thyn herte setten in quiete? 490 `If thou hast had in love ay yet mischaunce, And canst it not out of thyn herte dryve, I, that livede in lust and in plesaunce With hir as muche as creature on-lyve, How sholde I that foryete, and that so blyve? ”

“ For-thy ensample taketh of this man, Ye wyse, proude, and worthy folkes alle, To scornen Love, which that so sone can The freedom of your hertes to him thralle; 235 For ever it was, and ever it shal bifalle, That Love is he that alle thing may binde; For may no man for-do the lawe of kinde. That this be sooth, hath preved and doth yet; For this trowe I ye knowen, alle or some, 240 Men reden not that folk han gretter wit Than they that han be most with love y-nome; And strengest folk ben therwith overcome, The worthiest and grettest of degree: This was, and is, and yet men shal it see. ”

“ Dorstestow that I tolde hir in hir ere Thy wo, sith thou darst not thy-self for fere, And hir bisoughte on thee to han som routhe?' `Why, nay,' quod he, `by god and by my trouthe!' 770 `What, Not as bisily,' quod Pandarus, `As though myn owene lyf lay on this nede?' `No, certes, brother,' quod this Troilus, `And why?' — `For that thou sholdest never spede.' `Wostow that wel?' — `Ye, that is out of drede,' 775 Quod Troilus, `for al that ever ye conne, She nil to noon swich wrecche as I be wonne.' Quod Pandarus, `Allas! What may this be, That thou dispeyred art thus causelees? ”

“ Now, thonked be god, he may goon in the daunce Of hem that Love list febly for to avaunce!' `But, O thou woful Troilus, god wolde, Sin thou most loven thurgh thi destinee, 520 That thow beset were on swich oon that sholde Knowe al thy wo, al lakkede hir pitee: But al so cold in love, towardes thee, Thy lady is, as frost in winter mone, And thou fordoon, as snow in fyr is sone.' 525 `God wolde I were aryved in the port Of deth, to which my sorwe wil me lede! ”

“ Ful redy was at pryme Dyomede, 15 Criseyde un-to the Grekes ost to lede, For sorwe of which she felt hir herte blede, As she that niste what was best to rede. And trewely, as men in bokes rede, Men wiste never womman han the care, 20 Ne was so looth out of a toun to fare. This Troilus, with-outen reed or lore, As man that hath his Ioyes eek forlore, Was waytinge on his lady ever-more As she that was the soothfast crop and more 25 Of al his lust, or Ioyes here-tofore. But Troilus, now farewel al thy Ioye, For shaltow never seen hir eft in Troye! ”

“ But whan the cok, comune astrologer, 1415 Gan on his brest to bete, and after crowe, And Lucifer, the dayes messager, Gan for to ryse, and out hir bemes throwe; And estward roos, to him that coude it knowe, Fortuna maior, than anoon Criseyde, 1420 With herte sore, to Troilus thus seyde: — `Myn hertes lyf, my trist and my plesaunce, That I was born, allas! What me is wo, That day of us mot make desseveraunce! For tyme it is to ryse, and hennes go, 1425 Or elles I am lost for evermo! O night, allas! Why niltow over us hove, As longe as whanne Almena lay by Iove? ”

“ In May, that moder is of monthes glade, 50 That fresshe floures, blewe, and whyte, and rede, Ben quike agayn, that winter dede made, And ful of bawme is fleting every mede; Whan Phebus doth his brighte bemes sprede Right in the whyte Bole, it so bitidde 55 As I shal singe, on Mayes day the thridde, That Pandarus, for al his wyse speche, Felt eek his part of loves shottes kene, That, coude he never so wel of loving preche, It made his hewe a-day ful ofte grene; 60 So shoop it, that hym fil that day a tene In love, for which in wo to bedde he wente, And made, er it was day, ful many a wente. ”

“ Shal never lover seyn that Troilus 1200 Dar not, for fere, with his lady dye; For certeyn, I wol bere hir companye. But sin ye wol not suffre us liven here, Yet suffreth that our soules ben y-fere. `And thou, citee, whiche that I leve in wo, 1205 And thou, Pryam, and bretheren al y-fere, And thou, my moder, farwel! For I go; And Attropos, make redy thou my bere! And thou, Criseyde, o swete herte dere, Receyve now my spirit!' wolde he seye, 1210 With swerd at herte, al redy for to deye But as god wolde, of swough ther-with she abreyde, And gan to syke, and `Troilus' she cryde ”

“ Pandare, I am deed, with-outen more. Hastow nought herd at parlement,' he seyde, `For Antenor how lost is my Criseyde?' This Pandarus, ful deed and pale of hewe, Ful pitously answerde and seyde, `Yis! 380 As wisly were it fals as it is trewe, That I have herd, and wot al how it is. O mercy, god, who wolde have trowed this? Who wolde have wend that, in so litel a throwe, Fortune our Ioye wolde han over-throwe? 385 `For in this world ther is no creature, As to my doom, that ever saw ruyne Straungere than this, thorugh cas or aventure. But who may al eschewe, or al devyne? Swich is this world ”

“ For I am ever a-gast, for-why men rede, That "love is thing ay ful of bisy drede." 1645 `For in this world ther liveth lady noon, If that ye were untrewe, as god defende! That so bitraysed were or wo bigoon As I, that alle trouthe in yow entende. And douteles, if that ich other wende, 1650 I nere but deed; and er ye cause finde, For goddes love, so beth me not unkinde.' To this answerde Troilus and seyde, `Now god, to whom ther nis no cause y-wrye, Me glade, as wis I never un-to Criseyde, 1655 Sin thilke day I saw hir first with ye, Was fals, ne never shal til that I dye. ”

“ How sholde I live, if that I from him twinne? O dere herte eek, that I love so, Who shal that sorwe sleen that ye ben inne? 760 O Calkas, fader, thyn be al this sinne! O moder myn, that cleped were Argyve, Wo worth that day that thou me bere on lyve! `To what fyn sholde I live and sorwen thus? How sholde a fish with-oute water dure? 765 What is Criseyde worth, from Troilus? How sholde a plaunte or lyves creature Live, with-oute his kinde noriture? For which ful oft a by-word here I seye, That "rotelees, mot grene sone deye." ”

“ Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so, 25 And spedde as wel in love as men now do; Eek for to winne love in sondry ages, In sondry londes, sondry ben usages. ”

“ Why nil I rather with a man or two Stele hir a-way? Why wol I this endure? Why nil I helpen to myn owene cure?' But why he nolde doon so fel a dede, 50 That shal I seyn, and why him liste it spare; He hadde in herte alweyes a maner drede, Lest that Criseyde, in rumour of this fare, Sholde han ben slayn; lo, this was al his care. And ellis, certeyn, as I seyde yore, 55 He hadde it doon, with-outen wordes more. Criseyde, whan she redy was to ryde, Ful sorwfully she sighte, and seyde `Allas!' But forth she moot, for ought that may bityde, And forth she rit ful sorwfully a pas. ”

“ Allas! And falsen Troilus? I knowe him not, god helpe me so,' quod she; `Allas! What wikked spirit tolde him thus? Now certes, eem, to-morwe, and I him see, I shal ther-of as ful excusen me 810 As ever dide womman, if him lyke'; And with that word she gan ful sore syke. `O god!' quod she, `So worldly selinesse, Which clerkes callen fals felicitee, Y-medled is with many a bitternesse! 815 Ful anguisshous than is, god woot,' quod she, `Condicioun of veyn prosperitee; For either Ioyes comen nought y-fere, Or elles no wight hath hem alwey here. ”

“ And semeth me that he desyreth fawe With yow to been al night, for to devyse Remede in this, if ther were any wyse. `This, short and pleyne, theffect of my message, 890 As ferforth as my wit can comprehende. For ye, that been of torment in swich rage, May to no long prologe as now entende; And her-upon ye may answere him sende. And, for the love of god, my nece dere, 895 So leef this wo er Troilus be here.' `Gret is my wo,' quod she, and sighte sore, As she that feleth dedly sharp distresse; `But yet to me his sorwe is muchel more, That love him bet than he him-self, I gesse. ”

“ For me were lever, thou and I and he Were hanged, than I sholde been his baude, As heyghe, as men mighte on us alle y-see: I am thyn eem, the shame were to me, 355 As wel as thee, if that I sholde assente, Thorugh myn abet, that he thyn honour shente. `Now understond, for I yow nought requere, To binde yow to him thorugh no beheste, But only that ye make him bettre chere 360 Than ye han doon er this, and more feste, So that his lyf be saved, at the leste; This al and som, and playnly our entente; God help me so, I never other mente. ”

“ For I have seyn, of a ful misty morwe 1060 Folwen ful ofte a mery someres day; And after winter folweth grene May. Men seen alday, and reden eek in stories, That after sharpe shoures been victories. This Troilus, whan he hir wordes herde, 1065 Have ye no care, him liste not to slepe; For it thoughte him no strokes of a yerde To here or seen Criseyde, his lady wepe; But wel he felte aboute his herte crepe, For every teer which that Criseyde asterte, 1070 The crampe of deeth, to streyne him by the herte. And in his minde he gan the tyme acurse That he cam there, and that that he was born ”

“ For wel fele I alwey my love encresse, And hope is lasse and lasse alwey, Pandare! Encressen eek the causes of my care; So wel-a-wey, why nil myn herte breste? 580 For, as in love, ther is but litel reste.' Pandare answerde, `Freend, thou mayst, for me, Don as thee list; but hadde ich it so hote, And thyn estat, she sholde go with me; Though al this toun cryede on this thing by note, 585 I nolde sette at al that noyse a grote. For when men han wel cryed, than wol they roune; A wonder last but nyne night never in toune. `Devyne not in reson ay so depe Ne curteysly, but help thy-self anoon ”

“ God loveth, and to love wol nought werne; And in this world no lyves creature, With-outen love, is worth, or may endure. Ye Ioves first to thilke effectes glade, 15 Thorugh which that thinges liven alle and be, Comeveden, and amorous him made On mortal thing, and as yow list, ay ye Yeve him in love ese or adversitee; And in a thousand formes doun him sente 20 For love in erthe, and whom yow liste, he hente. Ye fierse Mars apeysen of his ire, And, as yow list, ye maken hertes digne; Algates, hem that ye wol sette a-fyre, They dreden shame, and vices they resigne ”

“ Quod Troilus, `Allas! Now am I war That Pirous and tho swifte stedes three, Whiche that drawen forth the sonnes char, Han goon som by-path in despyt of me; 1705 That maketh it so sone day to be; And, for the sonne him hasteth thus to ryse, Ne shal I never doon him sacrifyse!' But nedes day departe moste hem sone, And whanne hir speche doon was and hir chere, 1710 They twinne anoon as they were wont to done, And setten tyme of meting eft y-fere; And many a night they wroughte in this manere. And thus Fortune a tyme ladde in Ioye Criseyde, and eek this kinges sone of Troye. ”

“ The more harm is, Unhappily at Thebes al to rathe, Polymites and many a man to scathe. `But herte myn, sin that I am your man, And been the ferste of whom I seche grace, 940 To serven you as hertely as I can, And ever shal, whyl I to live have space, So, er that I departe out of this place, Ye wol me graunte, that I may to-morwe, At bettre leyser, telle yow my sorwe.' 945 What shold I telle his wordes that he seyde? ”

“ But, as a dreedful lover, he seyde this: — 1045 `Allas, my dere brother Pandarus, I am ashamed for to wryte, y-wis, Lest of myn innocence I seyde a-mis, Or that she nolde it for despyt receyve; Thanne were I deed, ther mighte it no-thing weyve.' 1050 To that Pandare answerde, `If thee lest, Do that I seye, and lat me therwith goon; For by that lord that formed est and west, I hope of it to bringe answere anoon Right of hir hond, and if that thou nilt noon, 1055 Lat be; and sory mote he been his lyve, Ayeins thy lust that helpeth thee to thryve.' Quod Troilus, `Depardieux, I assente ”