Incipit Liber Quintus°
begins book five
That Jovës hath in disposicioun,
And to yow, angry Parcas sustren thre,°
the three fates
Committeth to don execucioun,
For which Criseydë muste oute of the towne,
And Troilus shal dwellen forth in pyne,°
pain
Til Lathesisº his threde° no lenger twyne.
the fate Lachesis; thread (of life)
7
The goldtressëd Phebus, highe on lofte,
Thriësº hadde alle, with his bemës cleere,
for three years
The snowës molte,° and zepherus° as ofte
melted; west wind (zephyr)
Ibroughte ageyn the tendre levës greene,
Syn that the son of Ecuba the queene°
i.e., Troilus
Began to love hir first for whom his sorwe
Was al that she departë sholde amorwe.
14
Criseyde unto the grekis oostë° for to leede,
host
For sorwe of which she felt hir hertë bleede,
As she that nystë what was best to rede.°
best to advise
And trewëly, as men in bookës rede,°
read
Men wistë nevere womman han the care,°
such concern (as Criseyde has)
Ne was so loth out of a town to fare.
21
This Troilus, withouten reed° or lore,
advice or wisdom
As man that hath his joyës ek forlore,
Was waytyng on his lady evere more,
As she that was the sothefast crop and more
Of al his lust or joyës heretofore.
But Troilus, now fare wel al thy joie,
For shaltow never seen hir eft in Troie.
28
Soth is that while he bood° in this manere,
waited
He gan his wo ful manly for to hide,
That wel unnethe it seen was in his cheere;°
i.e., it was hardly noticeable
But at the gatë, there she sholde out ride,
With certeyn folk he hovëd hir tabide,°
hovered to await her
So wo bigon, al° wolde he naught hym pleyne,
although
That on his hors unnethe° he sat for peyne.
uneasily
35
For ire he quook,° so gan his hertë gnawe,
quaked
When Diomede on hors gan hym dresse,°
approach (address)
And seydë to hymself this ilkë sawe:
"Allas," quod he, "thus foule a wrecchednesse,
Why suffre ich° it? Why nyl ich it redresse?
I
Were it nat bet atonës° for to dye
at once
"Why nyl I make atonës riche and pore
i.e., make trouble . . .
To have inough to doon er that she go?°
. . . for everyone
Why nyl I brynge al Troie upon a rore?°
uproar
Whi nyl I slen this Diomede also?
Why nyl I rather, with a man or two,
Stele hir away? Why wol I this endure?
Whi nyl I helpen to myn owën cure?"
49
But why he noldë don so fel a dede,°
so terible a deed
That shal I seyn, and why him liste it spare:
He hadde in herte alweyes a manere drede
Lest that Criseyde, in rumour of this fare,°
of this business
Sholde han ben slayn; lo this was al his care.
And ellis certeyn, as I seydë yore,
He hadde it don withouten wordës more.
5.56
Criseydë, whan she redy was to ride,
Ful sorwfully she sighte, and seyde, "Allas";
But forth she moot,° for aught that may betide,
she must
And forth she rit ful sorwfully a pas.°
rode at a walk (pace)
Ther is non other remedie in this cas.
What wonder is, though that hir sorë smerte,
Whan she forgoth hire owën sweetë herte?
63
With hauke on honde, and with an hugë route°
crowd
Of knyghtës, rode and did hire companye,°
kept her company
Passyng al the valeye far withoute;
And ferther wolde han riden, oute of doute
Ful fayn,° and wo was him to gon so soone,
readily
But turne he muste, and it was ek to doone.°
it must be done
70
And right with that was Antenor ycome
Out of the grekis ooste, and every wight
Was of it glad, and seyde he was welcome,
And Troilus, al nere his hertë light,°
though his heart wasn't light
He peynëd hym, with al his fullë might,
Hym to withholde of weepyng attë leeste,
And Antenor he kiste and madë feste.
77
And therwithal he muste his levë take,
And caste his eye upon hir pitously,
And neer he rood, his causë for to make,
To take hir by the honde al sobrely.
And lord, so he gan weepen tendrely,
And he ful softe and sleighly gan hir seye,
"Now holde your day,° and do me not to deye."
i.e., keep our appointment
84
With that his courser turnëd he aboute
With facë pale, and unto Diomede
No word he spak, ne non of al his route,
Of which the son of Tideus° took heede,
i. e., Diomede
In swich a craft, and by the reyne hir hente;º
caught her by the reins
And Troilus to Troie homward he wente.
91
This Diomede, that ledde hir by the bridel,
Whan that he sawe the folke of Troie awaye,
Thoughte, "Al my labour shal nat ben on ydel,°
idle
If that I may, for somwhat shal I seye;
For at the worste, it may yet shorte oure weye.
I have herde sayde ek tymës twyës twelve,
He is a fool that wol forgete hymselve."°
i.e., ignore his own interests
98
But natheles, this thoughte he wel ynough,
That "Certeynlich I am aboutë nought
If that I speke of love or make it tough;°
push too hard
For doutëles, if she have in hir thought
Him that I gesse, he may nat ben ybrought
So soon awey, but I shal fynde a meene°
a means
That she naught wite as yet shal° what I meene."
she won't see as yet
5.105
This Diomede, as he that koude his good,°
knew his interests
Whan this was done gan fallen forth in speche
Of this and that, and axëd why she stoode
In swich disese,° and gan hir ek biseche
difficulty (dis-ease)
That if that he encressë° myghte or eche°
increase; add to (eke out)
With any thing hir esë, that she sholde
Comaunde it him, and seyde he done it wolde.°
he would do it
112
For trewëliche, he swore hir as a knyght
That ther nas thyng with which he myghte hir plese
That he nolde don his peyne and al his mighte
To don it for to don hir herte an ese,
And preydë hir she wolde hir sorwe apese,
And seyde, "Iwys. we grekis kan have joie
To honouren you as wel as folk of Troie."
119
He seyde ek thus: "I woot you thinketh straunge,
Ne wonder is, for it is to you newe,
Thaquayntaunce of these Troians to chaunge
For folk of grecë that ye nevere knewe.
But woldë nevere god but if as trewe
you'd find as true . . .
A greke ye sholde among us allë fynde°
. . . a Greek among us
As any Troian is, and ek as kynde.
126
"And by the cause I swore yow right lo now,
To ben youre frende, and helply to my might,°
within my power
And for that° more aquayntaunce ek of yow
because
Have ich hadde than another straunger wight,
So fro this forth I pray yow, day and nyght,
Comaundeth me, how sorë that me smerte,°
however it hurts me
To don al that may like unto youre herte.
133
"And that ye me wolde as youre brother trete,
And taketh not my frendshipe in despite,
And though youre sorwes be for thyngës grete,°
great
Not I nat why,º but oute of more respite°
I don't know why; without delay
Myn herte hath for tamende it grete delite.
And if I may youre harmës not redresse,
I am right sory for youre hevynesse.
140
"For though ye Troians with us grekës wrothe
Han many a day ben, alwey yet, pardee,
O° god of love, in soth we serven bothe,
one
And for the love of god, my lady free,
Whom so ye hate, as beth nat wroth with me,
For trewëly ther kan no wyght yow serve°
no other can serve you
That half so loth youre wratthë wold deserve.
147
"And nere it that we ben so neigh the tente
Of Calkas, which that seen us bothë may,
I wolde of this yow telle al myn entente;
But this enselëd° til anothir day.
leave this sealed
Give me youre honde; I am and shal ben ay,°
always
God helpe me so, while that my lyf may dure,
Youre owene aboven every creature.
5.154
"Thus seyde I nevere er now to womman born,
For god myn herte as wisly gladë so,°
may god gladden my heart
I lovëd never womman here beforn
As paramours,° ne nevere shal no mo.
as lover
And for the love of god, beth nat my fo,
Al kan I naught to yow, my lady deere,
Compleyne aright,° for I am yet to leere.°
court properly; still unlearned
161
"And wondreth nought, myn owen lady bright,
Though that I speke of love to yow thus blyve,°
readily
For I have herde er this of many a wight
Hath lovëd thyng he nevere sawe his lyve.°
in his life
Ek I am nat of power for to stryve
Ageyns the god of love, but hym obeye
I wil alwey, and mercye I yow preye.
168
"There ben so worthy knyghtës in this place,
And ye so fayre that everich of hem alle
Wol peynen hym to stonden in youre grace.
But myghtë me so faire a gracë falle
That ye me for youre servant woldë calle,
So lowely ne so trewëly yow serve
none of them would serve you . . .
Nil non of hem as I shal,° til I sterve."
. . . as humbly and truly as I
175
Criseyde unto that purpos lite answerde,
As she that was with sorwe oppressëd so
That in effect she not his talës herde,
But here and there, now here a word or two.
Hir thoughte hir sorwful hertë brast atwo,
For when she gan hire fader far espie,
Wel neigh down of hir hors she gan to sye.°
sink
182
But natheles, she thanketh Diomede
Of alle his travaile and his good cheere,
And that hym list his frendshipe hir to bede,°
to offer
And she accepteth it in good manere,
And wol do fayn that is hym° lief and deere,
what is to him
And trusten hym she wolde, and wel she myght,
As seydë she, and from hir hors shalight.°
she alighted
189
And twenty tyme he kiste his doughter sweete,
And seyde, "O deerë doughter myn, welcome."
She seyde ek she was fayn° with hym to meete,
eager
And stood forth muwët,° milde, and mansuete.°
mute; gentle
But here I leve hir with hir fader dwelle,
And forth I wol of Troilus you telle.
196
To Troie is come this woful Troilus,
In sorwe aboven allë sorwes smerte,
With feloun° look and facë dispitouse;°
evil; pitiless
Tho sodeynly, down from his hors he sterte,
And thorugh his paleys, with a swollen herte,
To chaumbre he wente; of nothyng took he heede,
Ne non to hym dar speke a word for drede.
5.203
And there his sorwes that he sparëd hadde,
He gaf an issue large,° and deth he criede,
i.e, he vented
And in his throwës° frenetik and madde,
throes
He corseth Jove, Appollo, and ek Cupide.
He corseth Ceres, Bacus, and Cipride,°
Venus
His burthe, hymself, his fate, and ek nature,
And save his lady, every creature.
210
To bedde he gothe and weyleth there and turneth
And in this wise he neigh til day sojourneth,
But tho bigan his herte a lite unswelle,
Thorugh teeris which that gonnen up to welle,
And pitously he cryde upon Criseyde,
And to hymself right thus he spak and seyde:
217
"Wher is myn owëne lady lief and deere?
Where is hir whitë brest? Where is it, where?
Where ben hir armës and hir eyen cleere
That yesternyght this tymë with me were?
Now may I wepe allonë many a teere;
And graspe aboute I may, but in this place,
Save a Pilowe I fyndë naught tenbrace.º
to embrace
224
"How shal I do? When shal she come ageyn?
I not, allas, why let ich hir to go?
As woldë god ich hadde as tho° ben sleyn.
then
O hertë myn Criseyde, O sweetë fo;
O lady myn that I love and na mo,
To whom for evermo myn herte I dowe,°
give (endow)
See how I deye; ye nyl me nat rescowe.
231
"Who seth yow now, my rightë lodë sterre?°
lodestar
Who sit right now or stant in youre presence?
Who kan conforten now youre hertës werre?
Now I am gon,° whome give ye audience?
now that I'm gone
Who speketh for me right now in myn absence?
Allas, no wight, and that is al my care,
For wel woot I, as yvele as I ye fare.
238
"How sholde I thus ten dayës ful endure,
Whan I the firstë nyght have all this tene?°
trouble
How shal she don ek, sorwful creature?
For tendernesse how shal she ek sustene
Swich wo for me? O pitous palë greene
Shal ben youre fresshë wommanlichë face
For langoure er ye turne unto° this place."
return to
245
And whan he felle in any slomberynges,
Anon bygynne he sholdë for to grone
And dremen of the dredefullestë thynges
That myghtë ben, as mete° he were allone
as to dream
In place horrible makyng ay his mone,
Or meten that he was amongës alle
His enemys, and in hire hondës falle.
5.252
And therwithal his body sholdë sterte,
And with the sterte al sodeynliche awake,
And swiche a tremour feele aboute his herte,
That of the feere his body sholdë quake;
And therwithal he sholde a noysë make,
And seme as though he sholdë fallë depe
From heigh olofte,° and thenne he woldë weepe.
aloft
259
And rewen on hymself so pitously
That wonder was to heere his fantasie.
Another tyme he sholdë myghtyly
Conforte hymself and seyn it was folie
So causëles swich dredë for to drye,°
suffer
And eft bygynne his aspre° sorwe newe,
bitter
That every man myght on his sorwes rewe.
266
Who koudë telle aright or ful discryve
His wo, his pleynt, his langoure, and his pyne?
Not alle the men that han or ben on lyve.
Thow, redere,° maist thyself ful wel devyne°
reader; divine
That swich a wo my wit kan nat diffyne,°
define
On ydel for to write it sholde I swynke,°
I'd work in vain to write it
When that my wit is wery it to thynke.°
even to think it
273
On hevene yet the sterrës weren seene,
Although ful pale ywoxen was the moone,
And whiten gan the orisentë shene°
bright horizon
And Phebus with his rosy cartë soone
Gan after that to dresse hym up to fare,°
i.e., the sun began to rise
Whan Troilus hath sent after Pandare.
280
This Pandare, that of al the day biforn,
Ne myghte han comen Troilus to see,
Although he on his hed it haddë sworne,
For with the kyng Priam alday was he,
So that it lay not in his libertee
Nowher to gon; but on the morwe he wente
To Troilus, when that he for hym sente.
287
For in his herte he koudë wel devyne
That Troilus for sorwe al nyght woke,
And that he woldë telle hym of his pyne.
This knewe he wel ynough withoutë booke,
For which to chaumbre streight the way he tooke,
And Troilus tho° sobrelich he grette,°
then; greeted
And on the bed ful soone he gan hym sette.
294
"My Pandarus," quod Troilus, "the sorwe
Which that I drye° I may nat longe endure.
suffer
I trowe I shal nat lyven til tomorwe,
For which I wolde alweys, on aventure,°
in that event
To the devysen of my sepulture°
sepulchre
The fourme, and of my moeble,° thow dispone,°
possessions; leave you to dispose
Right as thee semeth best is for to done.
5.301
"But of the fir and flaumbë funeral°
funeral fire and flame
In which my body brynnen shal to glede,°
shall burn to ashes
And of the feste and pleyës palestral°
athletic games
At my vigile, I pray thee, tak good heede
That that be wel, and offre Mars my steede,
My swerde, myn helm, and, levë brother deere,
My swerde to pallas° give that shyneth cleere.
Pallas Athena
308
"The poudre in which° myn herte ybrend° shal turne,
powder into which; burned
That praye I thee, thow take and it conserve
In a vessell that men clepeth° an urne
call
Of gold, and to my lady that I serve,
For love of whom thus pitouslich I sterve,
So give it hire, and do me this plesaunce,
To prayen hir to keepe it for a remembraunce.
315
"For wele I feelë by my maladie,
And by my dremës, now and yore ago,
Al certeynly that I mot needës dye;
The owlë which that hette Escaphilo,°
was called Ascaphalus
Hath after me shright° al these nyghtës two,
shrieked (portending death)
And god Mercurye, of me now, woful wrecche,
The soulë gyde,° and when thee liste, it fecche."
guide
322
Pandare answerde and seydë, "Troilus,
My deerë frende, as I have tolde thee yore
That it is folye for to sorwen thus,
And causëles, for which I kan namore.°
I can say no more
But whoso wil nought trowen rede ne lore,°
believe advice or wisdom
I kan nat seen in hym no remedie,
But let hym worthen° with his fantasie.
remain
329
"But Troilus, I prey thee, telle me now
If that thow trowe er this that any wight
Hath lovëd paramours° as wel as thow.
passionately
Ye, god woot, and fro many a worthy knyght
Hath his lady gon a fourtënyght,
And he not yet made halvendel the fare.°
half the commotion
What neede is thee to maken al this care?
336
"Syn day be day thow maist thyselven see
That from his love, or ellis from his wif,
A man mote twynnen of necessitee,
Ye, though he love hir as his owëne life,
Yet nyl he with hymself thus maken strif.
For wel thow wost, my levë brother deere,
That alwey frendës may nat ben yfeere.°
together
343
"How don this folk that seen hire lovës wedded
By frendës might, as it betit° ful ofte,
happens (betides)
And seen hem in hire spousës bed ybedded,
God woot they take it wisly, faire and softe,
Forwhy good hope halt° up hire herte olofte,°
holds; aloft
And for they kan a tyme of sorwe endure,
As tyme hem hurt, a tymë doth hem cure.
5.350
"So sholdëstow endure and leten slide
The tyme, and fondë° to ben glad and lighte.
undertake
Ten dayës nys so longë not tabide.°
not so long to wait (abide)
And syn she thee to comen hath bihyghte,°
promised to come to you
She nyl hir hestë breken for no wighte.
For drede thee nat that she nyl fynden waye
To come ageyn; my lif,° that dorste I leye.°
on my life; lay odds to
357
"Thy swevenës° ek, and al swich fantasie,
dreams
Drif out, and let hem faren to meschaunce,°
i.e., let them go to the devil
For they procedeº of thy malencolie,
proceed
That dothe thee feele° in slepe al this penaunce.°
makes you feel; suffering
A strawe for allë swevenes signifiaunce.
God help me so, I counte hem not a bene;°
not worth a bean
There woot no man aright what dremës meene.
364
"For prestës of the temple tellen this,
That dremës ben the revelaciouns
Of goddës, and as wel they telle, iwys,
That they ben infernals illusiouns.
And lechës° seyne that of complexiouns°
physicians; humors
Proceden they, or fast, or glotonye.
Who woot in soth thus what they signifie?
371
"Ek oother seyn that thorugh impressiouns,
As if a wight hath faste a thyng in mynde,
That therof cometh swiche avysiouns.°
such visions
And other seyn, as they in bookës fynde,
That after tymës of the yere,° by kynde
i.e., according to the seasons
Men dreme, and that theffect goth by° the moone.
is governed by
But leve° no dreme, for it is not to doone.
believe
378
"Wel worthe of dremës, ay, these oldë wives,°
i.e., leave dreams to old women
And trewëliche, ek, augurye of these fowles,
For feere of which men wenen lese hire lyves,
To trowen on it bothë fals and foul is.
Allas, allas, so noble a creature
As is a man shal dreden swiche ordure.°
garbage
385
"For which, with al myn herte, I thee biseche,
Unto thyself that al this thow forgyve.°
forgive yourself for believing
And ris now up withowten morë speche,
And let us caste how forth may best be dryve
This tyme, and ek how fresshely we may lyve
Whan that she comth, the which shal be right soone.
God helpe me so, the beste is thus to doone.
392
"But let us speke of lusty lif in Troie
That we han ledde, and forth the tymë dryve;
And ek of tymë comyng us rejoie,°
rejoice
That bryngen shal oure blissë now so blyve.°
shall bring our bliss so soon
And langour of these twyës dayës fyve
We shal therwith so forgete oure oppresse°
our suffering (oppression)
That wel unneth it don shal us° duresse.
it will hardly cause us
399
"This town is ful of lordës al aboute,
And trewës° lasten al this menë while.
truce
Go we pleye us in some lusty route°
crowd
To Sarpedoun, nat hennës but a myle.
And thus thow shalt the tymë wel bygile,
And dryve it forth unto that blisful morwe
That thow hir see that cause is of thy sorwe.
5.406
"Now rise, my deerë brother Troilus,
For certës it non honour is to thee
To weepe and in thy bedde to jouken° thus,
roost
For trewëlich, of o thyng truste to me:
If thow thus ligge a day or two or thre,
The folk wol wene that thow for cowardise
Thee feynest sik, and that thow darst nat rise."
413
This Troilus answerde, "O brother deere,
This knowen folk that han ysuffred peyne,
That though he weepe and makë sorwful cheere,
That feeleth harm and smerte in every veyne,
No wonder is; and though ich evere pleyne,
Or alwey weepe, I am no thyng to blame,
Syn I have loste the cause of al my game.°
playfulness
420
"But syn of fynë force° I mote arise,
of necessity (perforce)
I shal arise as soone as evere I may,
And god, to whom myn herte I sacrifice,
So sende us hastëly the tenthë day,
For was there never fowle° so fayn° of May
bird (fowl); eager for
As I shal ben, when that she comth in Troie,
That cause is of my torment and my joie.
427
"But whider is thy reed,"° quod Troilus,
why do you advise
That we may pleye us best in al this town?"
"By god, my conseil is," quod Pandarus,
To ride and pleye us with kyng Sarpedoun."
So longe of this they speken up and down,
Til Troilus gan at the laste assente
To rise, and forth to Sarpedoun they wente.
434
This Sarpedoun, as he that honourable
Was evere his lyve, and ful of high prowesse,
With al that myghte yservëd ben on table
That deyntee was, al coste it° grete richesse,
although it cost
He fedde hem day by day, that swich noblesse,
As seyden bothe the moste and ek the leeste,
Was never ere that day wist at any feste.
441
Nor in this world there is non instrument
Delicious, thorugh wynde or touche of corde,°
wind or string instrument
As fer as any wight hath evere ywent,
That tongë telle or hertë may recorde,
That at that feste it nas wel herd acorde,°
in harmony
Ne of ladys ek so faire a compaignie
On daunce,° er tho,° was nevere iseye° with eye.
dancing; before then; seen
448
But what availeth this to Troilus,
That for his sorwe nothyng of it roughte?°
cared
Ful bisyly Criseyde his lady soughte.
On hir was evere al that his hertë thoughte:
Now this, now that, so faste ymagenynge
That glade, iwys, kan hym no festenynge.°
no feast can gladden him
5.455
These ladies, ek, that at this festë ben,
Syn that he sawe his lady was aweye,
It was his sorwe upon hem for to seen,
Or for to heere on instrumentes to pleye.
For she, that of his hertë berth the keye,
Was absent; lo this was his fantasie,
That no wight sholdë maken melodie.
462
Nor ther nas houre, in al the day or nyght,
Whan he was there, as no wight myghte hym heere,
That he ne seyde, "O lufsome lady bryght,
How have ye faren syn that ye were here?
Welcome, iwys, myn ownë lady deere."
But weylaway, al this nas but a maze.°
illusion
Fortune his howve entended bet to glaze.°
to glaze his hood (fool him)
469
The lettres ek that she of oldë tyme
Hadde hym ysent, he wolde allonë rede,
An hondred sithe atwixen noon and prime,°
i.e., mid-afternoon
Refiguryng hir shap, hir wommanhede,
Withinne his herte, and every word or dede
That passëd was, and thus he drof tanende°
drove to an ende
The ferthë day, and seyde he woldë wende.°
would leave
476
And seydë, "Levë brother Pandarus,
Intendestow that we shal herë bleve°
remain here
Til Sarpedoun wol forth congeyen us?°
send us away
Yet were it fairer that we tooke oure leve.
For goddës love, let us now soone at eve
Oure levë take, and homward let us turne,
For trewëliche I nyl nat thus sojourne."
483
Pandare answerde, "Be we comen hider
To fecchen fire and rennen° home ageyn?
run
God help me so, I kan nat tellen whider
We myghtë gon, if I shal sothly seyn,
There° any wight is of us morë feyn°
where; would welcome us more
Than Sarpedoun, and if we hennës hye,
Thus sodeynly I holde it vilanye.
490
"Syn that we seyden that we woldë bleve°
stay
With hym a wowke,° and now thus sodeynly
week
The ferthë day to take of hym owre leve,
He woldë wondren on it trewëly.
Let us holden forth oure purpos fermëly,
And syn that ye bihighten hym to bide,°
promised to stay
Holde forward now, and after let us ride."
497
This Pandarus, with allë peyne and wo,
Made him to dwelle, and at the wikës° ende,
week's
Of Sarpedoun they tooke hire levë tho,°
then
And on hire way they spedden hem to wende.
Quod Troilus, "Now lord, me gracë sende,
That I may fyndë, at myn home comyng,
Criseydë comen," and therwith gan he syng.
5.504
"Ye hazelwodë,"° thoughtë this Pandare,
nonsense
And to hymself ful softëliche he seyde,
"God woot, refreyden° may this hotë fare,°
cool; this hot affair
Er Calkas sendë Troilus Criseyde."
But natheles he japëd thus and seyde,
And swor, iwys, his herte hym wel bihighte,°
that his heart assured him
She woldë come as soone as ever she myghte.
511
When they unto the paleys were ycomen
Of Troilus, they down of hors alighte,
And to the chambre hire way thenne han they nomen,°
taken their way
And into tymë that it gan to nyghte,
They spaken of Criseydë the brighte,
And after this, when that hem bothë leste°
wished
They spedde hem fro the soper unto reste.
518
On morwe, as soone as day bygan to cleere,
This Troilus gan of his slepe tabrayde,°
start from sleep
And to Pandare, his owën brother deere,
For love of god ful pitously he sayde,
"As go we seen the palais of Criseyde;
For syn we yet may have namorë feste,
So let us seen hir paleys attë leste."
525
And therwithal, his meynee for to blende,°
to deceive his household
A cause he fond° in townë for to go,
undertook
And to Criseydës hous they gonnen wende.
But lord, this sely Troilus was wo.
Hym thoughte his sorwful hertë braste atwo,
For when he sawe hir doorës sperëd° alle,
barred
Wel neigh for sorwe adoun he gan to falle.
532
Therwith, when he was war and gan beholde
How shet° was every wyndow of the place,
shut
As frost hym thoughte his hertë gan to colde,
For which with chaungëd dedlich palë face,
Withouten word he forth by gan to pace,
And as god wolde he gan so fastë ride,
That no wight of his contenaunce espide.°
spied
539
Thenne sayde he thus, "O paleys desolat,
O hous of houses whilom best ihight;°
once best called
O paleys empty and disconsolat;
O thow lanterne of which queynt° is the light;
quenched
O paleys, whilom day, that now art nyght,
Wel oughtëstow to falle and I to dye,
Syn she is wente that wont was us to gye.°
to guide us
546
"O paleis, whilom crowne of paleis alle,
Enlumynëd° with sunne of allë blisse;
illuminated
O ryng fro which the rubie is out falle;
O cause of wo that cause hast ben of lisse;°
joy
Yet syn I may no bet, fayn wolde I kisse
The coldë doorës, dorste I for this route.°
crowd
And farwel shryne, of which the seynt is oute."°
from which the saint is gone
5.553
Therwith he caste on Pandarus his eye,
With chaungëd face and pitous to beholde,
And when he myghte his tyme aright aspie,°
spy
Ay as he rode, to Pandarus he tolde
His newë sorwe, and ek his joyës olde,
So pitously, and with so dede an hewe,°
so dead a hue
That every wight myghte on his sorwe rewe.
560
Fro thennësforth, he rideth up and down,
And every thyng come hym to remembraunce
As he rode forby places of the town,
In which he whilom hadde al his plesaunce.
"Lo, yonder sawe ich myn owene lady daunce.
And in that temple, with hir eyen cleere,
Me kaughtë first my rightë lady deere.
567
"And yonder have I herde ful lustyly,
My deerë hertë laugh and yonder pleye.
Sawe ich hire onës ek ful blisfully,
And yonder onës to me gan she saye,
'Now goodë sweetë love, me wel I preye,'
And yond so goodly gan she me beholde
That to the deth myn herte is to hir holde.
574
"And at that corner in the yonder hous,
Herde I myn alderlevest lady deere,
So wommanly, with vois melodious,
Syngen so wel, so goodly and so cleere,
That in my soulë yet me thynketh ich heere
The blisful sown, and in that yonder place,
My lady first me took unto hir grace."
581
Thenne thoughte he thus, "O blisful lord Cupide,
When I the processe have in memorie,
How thou me hast wereyed° on every side,
warred with me
Men myght a book make of it lik a storie.
What neede is thee to seke° on me victorie,
seek
Syn I am thyne and holly° at thy wille?
wholly
What joye has thou thyne owën folk to spille?°
kill
588
"Wel hastow, lord, ywroke° on me thyne ire,
wreaked
Thow mighty god and dredefull for to greve.°
to cause me grief
Now mercy, lord, thow wost wel I desire
Thy gracë moost of allë lustës leeve.°
of all dear desires
And lyve and dye I wol in thy byleve,°
belief
For which I naxe in guerdoun but o boone,°
ask but one favor in reward
That thow Criseyde ageyn me sendë soone.
595
"Distreyne° hir herte as fastë to retorne,
constrain
As thow dost myn° to longen hir to see;
mine
Thenne woot I wel that she nyl not sojorne.°
stay away
Now blisful lord, so cruel thow ne be
Unto the blood of Troie, I preyë the,
As Juno was unto the blood Thebane,
For which the folk of Thebës caughte hire bane."°
destruction (bane)
5.602
And after this, he to the gatës wente,
There as Criseyde out rode a ful good paas,
And up and down ther made he many a wente,°
many a turn
And to hym self ful ofte he seyde, "Allas,
Fro hennës° rode my blisse and my solas.
hence
As woldë blisful god now for his joie,
I myghte hir seen agein come into Troie.
609
"And to the yonder hille I gan hir gyde,
Allas, and there I took of hir my leve,
And yond I sawe hir to hir fader ride,
For sorwe of which myn hertë shal to cleve.°
cleave
And hider home I com when it was eve,
And here I dwelle, out castë from al joie,
And shal til I may seen hir eft in Troie."
616
And of hymself ymagenëd he ofte
To be defet,° and pale, and waxen lesse
brought down (defeated)
Than he was wont, and that men seydë softe,
"What may it be? Who kan the sothë gesse
Why Troilus hathe al this hevynesse?"
And al this nas but his malencolie,
That he hadde of hymself swich fantasie.
623
Another tyme ymaginen he wolde
That every wight that wentë by the weye
Hadde of hym routhe, and that they seyn sholde,
"I am right sory Troilus wol deye."
And thus he drof a day yet forth or tweye,
As ye have herde. Swich lif right gan he lede
As he that stood bitwixen hope and drede.
630
For whiche hym likede in his songës shewe
Thenchesoun° of his wo, as he beste myghte,
the reason for
And made a songe of wordës but a fewe,
Somwhat his woful hertë for to lighte,
And whan he was from every mannës syghte,
With softë vois he of his lady deere
That absent was gan synge as ye may heere.
637
With hertë sore wel oughte I to biwaille
That evere derk in torment, nyght by nyght,
Toward my deth with wynd in steere I saille.
For which the tenthë nyght, if that I faille
The gydyng° of thy bemës bright an houre,
guidance
My shippe and me Caribdis° wol devoure."
Charybdis (whirlpool)
644
He felle ageyn into his sikës olde,
And every nyght, as was his wone to doone,
He stood the brightë moonë to beholde,
And al his sorwe he to the moonë tolde,
And seyde, "Iwys, when thow art hornëd newe,
I shal be glad if al the world be trewe.
5.651
"I sawe thyne hornës olde ek by the morwe,
Whan hennës rode my right lady deere,
That cause is of my torment and my sorwe,
For which, o brightë Latona° the cleere,
Diana (the moon)
For love of god, ren° faste aboute thy spere,°
run; sphere
For when thyne hornës newë gynnen sprynge,
Thenne shal she come that may my blissë brynge."
658
The dayës more and lenger every nyghte
Than they ben wont to be, hym thoughtë tho,
And that the sunnë went his cours unrighte,°
went wrong, strayed
By lenger weye than it was wont to do.
And seyde, "Iwys, me dredeth evere mo
The sunnës sonë Pheton° be on lyve,
Phaeton (Apollo's son)
And that his fader carte amys he dryve."°
drive off course (amiss)
665
Upon the wallës faste ek wolde he walke,
And on the grekis oost he woldë see,
And to hymself right thus he woldë talke:
"Lo yonder is myn owene lady free";
Or ellis, "Yonder there tho tentës be,
And thennës comth this eyre that is so soote,°
air that is so sweet
That in my soule I feele it doth me boote.°
comforts me
672
"And hardily this wynde, that more and more
Thus stoundëmele° encresseth in my face,
bit by bit
Is of my ladys depë sikës sore.
I preve it thus, for in non othere place
Of al this town, save onliche in this space,
Feele I no wynde that sowneth so like peyne.
It seyth, allas, why twynnëd be we tweyne?"
679
Til fully passëd was the nynthë nyghte,
And ay bisyde hym was this Pandarus,
That bisily did al his fullë myght
Hym to conforte, and make his hertë lighte,
Gevyng hym hope alwey the tenthë morwe
That she shal come and stynten al his sorwe.
686
Upon that other side ek was Criseyde,
With wommen fewe among the grekis stronge,
For whiche ful ofte a day, "Allas," she seyde,
"That I was born. Wel may myn hertë longe
After my deth,"° for now lyve I to longe.°
for my death; too long
Allas, and I ne may it nat amende,
For now is wors than evere yet I wende.
693
"My fader nyl for nothyng do me grace
To gon ageyn, for naught I kan hym queme;°
no matter how I can please him
And if so be that I my termë pace,°
i.e., stay too long
My Troilus shal in his hertë deme
That I am fals, and so it may wel seme.
Thus shal ich have unthonke° on every side,
ingratitude
That I was born so weilaway the tide.°
alas that I was born
5.700
"And if that I me putte in jupertie
To stele awey by nyght, and it befalle
That I be kaught, I shal be holde a spie.
Or elles, lo, this drede I most of alle,
If in the hondës of som wrecche I falle,
I nam but lost, al be myn hertë trewe.
Now myghty god, thow on my sorwe rewe."
707
Ful pale ywexen was hir brightë face;
Hir lymës leene as she that al the day
Stood whan she dorste; and looked on the place
There she was born, and there she dwelt hadde ay.
And al the nyght, weepyng allas she lay,
And thus despeirëd out of allë cure,
She ledde hir lif, this woful creature.
714
Ful ofte a day she sighte,° ek, for distresse,
sighed
And in hireself she wente ay purtrayng°
describing (portraying)
Of Troilus the gretë worthynesse,
And al his goodly wordës recordyng,°
recalling
Syn first that day hir love began to spring.
And thus she sette hir woful herte afire
Thorugh remembraunce of that she gan desire.
721
In al this world there nys so cruel herte,
That hir hadde herde compleynen in hir sorwe,
That nolde han weepen for hire peynës smerte,
So tendrely she wepte, bothe eve and morwe.
Hire needed nonë teeris for to borwe.
And this was yet the worste of alle hir peyne:
Bihelde the tourës heigh and ek the hallës.
"Allas," quod she, "the plesaunce and the joie
The which that now al turnëd into galle es,°
is turned to gall
Have ich had ofte, withinne the yonder wallës.
O Troilus, what dostow now?" she seyde.
"Lord, wheyther thow yet thinke upon Criseyde?
735
"Allas, I ne hadde trowëd on youre lore,
And went with yow, as ye me redde° er this.
advised
Thenne hadde I now nat sikëd half so sore.
Who myghte have seyde that I hadde don amys
To stele awey with swich oon as he ys?
But alle to latë comth the letwarie,°
medicine
Whan men the cors° unto the gravë carie.
corpse
742
"To° late is now to speke of that matere.
too
Me lakkëd alwey, er that I come here.
On tyme ypassëd wel remembred me,
And present tyme ek koud ich wel isee,
But future tyme, er I was in the snare,
Koude I nat seen that causeth now my care.
749
"But natheles, bitydë what bityde,
I shal to morwe at nyght, by est or west,
Out of this oost stele on some manere syde,°
by some way
And gon with Troilus where as hym lest.°
wherever he wishes
This purpos wol ich holde, and this is best.
No fors° of wikked tongës janglerie.°
never mind; gossip
For evere on love han wrecchës hadde envye.
5.756
"For whoso wol of every word take heede,
Or reulen hym by every wightës wit,°
by others' wisdom
Ne shal he nevere thryven, out of drede,°
no doubt
For that that some men blamen evere yit,
Lo other manere folk comenden it.
And as for me, for al swich variaunce,°
disagreement
Felicitee clepe I my suffisaunce.°
sufficiency is my joy
763
"For which, withouten any wordës mo,
To Troie I wole, as for conclusioun."
But god it wot, er fully monthës two,
She was ful far fro that entencioun.
For bothë Troilus and Troië town
Shal knottëles° thorughout hir hertë slide,
easily (knotless)
For she wol take a purpos for tabyde.°
to stay
770
This Diomede, of whom yow tell I gan,
Goth now withinne hymself ay arguyng,
With al the sleghte° and al that evere he kan,
with all his tricks
How he may best with shortest tarying,°
delay (tarrying)
Into his net Criseydës hertë bryng.
To this entent he koudë nevere fyne.°
cease
To fisshen hir he leyde out hook and lyne.
777
But natheles, wel in his herte he thoughte
That she nas nat withoute a love in Troie.
For evere, sythen he hir thennës broughte,°
since he brought her from there
Ne koude he seen hir laughe or maken joie.
He nyst how best hire hertë for tacoye,°
to soothe
"But for tasay,"° he seydë, "naught it ne greveth,°
try (assay); does no harm
Yet seyde he to hymself upon a nyght,
"Now am I nat a fool that woot wel how
Hir wo for love is of another wight,
And hereupon to gon asseye hir now?
I may wel wit, it nyl nat ben my prow,°
my profit
For wisë folk in bookës it expresse:
'Men shal nat wowe a wight in hevynesse.'°
woo a sad person
791
"But whoso myghtë wynnen swich a floure
From hym for whom she morneth nyght and day,
mourns
He myghtë seyn he were a conqueroure";
And right anon,° as he that bold was, ay
right away
Thoughte in his hertë, "Happe how happë may,°
whatever happens
Al sholde I dye, I wol hir hertë seche.
I shal namorë lesën° but my speche."
lose
798
Was in his needës prest° and corageous,
eager to act
With sternë vois and myghty lymës° square;
limbs
Hardy, testif,° strong and chivalerous;
daring
Of dedes° lik his fader Tideus.
deeds
And some men seyn he was of tongë large,°
outspoken
And heir he was of Calydoigne and Arge.°
Calydon and Argos
5.805
Criseyde menë was of hir stature;°
of average height
Therto of shap, of face, and ek of cheereº
expression
Ther myghtë seen no fairere creature,
And oftë tymës this was hir manere,
To gon ytressëd with hir herës clere
with braided hair hanging . . .
Doun by hire coler° at hire bak byhynde,
. . . down past her collar
Which with a thred of gold she woldë bynde.
812
And, save hire browës joynëden yfeere,°
brows joined together
Ther nas no lakke in aught I kan espien,
But for to speken of hir eyen cleere,
Lo trewëly they writen that hir seyen°
that saw her
That Paradis stood formëd in hir eyen;
And with hir richë beautee, evere more,
Strof° love in hir ay which of hem was more.
strove
819
She sobre was, ek symple and wise withal,
The best ynorisshed ek that myghtë be,
And goodly of hir speche in general,
Charitable, estatlich, lusty, free.°
stately, animated, generous
Ne nevere mo ne lakkëd hir pitee;
Tendre herted, slydynge of corage,°
wavering, irresolute
But trewëly I kan nat telle hir age.
826
And Troilus wel woxen was in highte°
in height
And complet formëd by proporcioun,
So wel that kynde it nought amenden myght,°
that nature couldn't improve it
Yong, fressh, strong, and hardy as lyoun,
Trewe as steel in ich condicioun;°
each circumstance
Oon of the beste entecchëd° creature
endowed
That is or shal, while that the world may dure.
833
And certeynly, in storye it is yfounde
That Troilus was nevere unto no wight,
As in this tyme, in no degree secounde
In duryng don° that longeth to a knyght.
bravery (derring do)
Al° myghte a geant passen hym of myght,
although
His herte ay with the first and with the beste
Stood peregal° to durre don that hym leste.
equal
840
But for to tellen forth of Diomede,
It fel that after on the tenthë day
Syn that Criseyde oute of the citee gede,°
went (goed)
This Diomede, as fressh as braunche in May,
Come to the tentë there as Calkas lay,
And feynëd hym with Calkas han to doone.°
to have to do with Calchas
But what he mente I shal you tellen soone.
847
Criseyde, at shortë wordës for to telle,
Welcomed hym and down hym by hir sette,
And he was ethe ynough to maken dwelle.°
easy to convince to stay
And after this, withouten longë lette,
The spices and the wyne men forth hem fette,°
fetched
And forth they speke of this and that yfeere,°
together
As frendës don, of which some shal ye heere.
5.854
Bitwixen hem and the folk of Troië town;
And of thassege he gan hir ek biseche
To tellen hym what was hir opynyoun.
Fro that demaunde he so descendeth down
To axen hir if that hir straungë thoughte°
if she thought strange
The grekis gise,° and workës that they wroughte,
ways, manners
861
And why hir fader tarieth so longe
To wedden hir unto some worthy wight.
Criseydë, that was in hir peynës stronge
For love of Troilus, hir owën knyght,
As ferforth as she konnyng hadde, or myght,
Answerde hym so, but as of his entente,
It semëd nat she wistë what he mente.
868
But natheles, this ilkë Diomede
"If ich aright have taken of yow heede,°
if I've heard you right
Me thynketh thus, O lady myn Criseyde,
That syn I first hond on youre bridel leyde,
Whan ye out come of Troië by the morwe,
Ne koude I nevere seen yow but in sorwe.
875
"Kan I nat seyn what may the causë be,
But if for love of some Troian it were,
The which right sorë wolde athynken me
That ye, for any wight that dwelleth there,
Sholden spille a quarter of a teere,
Or pitously youreselven so bigile,
For dredëles it is nought worth the while.
882
"The folk of Troie, as who seyth, alle and some
In prisoun ben, as ye youreselven see,
For thennës shal nat oon on lyvë° come,
anyone alive
For al the gold atwixen sunne and see.
Trusteth wel and understondeth me;
There shal nat oon to mercy gon on lyve,°
not one will be spared
Al were he lord of worldës twiës fyve.
889
"Swicche wreche° on hem, for fecchynge of Eleyne,°
vengeance; fetching of Helen
Ther shal ben take, er that we hennës wende,
That Manës,° whiche that goddës ben of peyne,
underworld spirits
Shal ben agast that grekës wol hem shende;°
destroy them
And men shul drede, unto the worldës ende,
From hennësforth to ravysshen any queene,
So cruel shal oure wreche on hem be seene.
896
"And but if Calkas leede us with ambagës,°
ambiguities, trickeries
That is to seyn with double wordës slye,
Swiche as men clepen° a word with two visagës,
call
Ye shal wel knowën that I naught ne lie.
And al this thynge right seen it with youre eye,
And that anon; ye nyl nat trowe how soone.
Now taketh heede for it is for to doone.°
it will happen
5.903
Han geven Antenor for yow anon
If he ne wistë that the citee sholde
Destroiëd ben? Why nay, so mote I gon.°
i.e, on my life
He knewe ful wel ther shal nat scapen° oon
escape
That Troian is, and for the gretë feere
He dorstë nat ye dweltë lenger there.
910
"What wol ye morë, lufsom lady deere?
Let Troie and Troian fro youre hertë pace.
Drif oute that bittre hope and make good cheere,
And clepe ageyn° the beautee of youre face,
recall
That ye with saltë teeris so deface.
For Troie is brought in swich a jupertie,
That it to save is now no remedie.
917
"And thinketh wel ye shal in grekis fynde
A morë perfit love, er it be nyght,
Than any Troian is, and morë kynde,
And bet to serven yow wol don his myght.
And if ye vouchësauf, my lady bright,
I wol ben he to serven yow myselve,
Ye, levere° than be lord of Grecës twelve."
more readily
924
And with that word, he gan to waxen red,
And in his speche a litel wight he quoke,°
stammered a bit
And caste asyde a litle wight his hed,
And stynte° a while, and afterward he woke,°
stopped; refocused
And sobreliche on hir he threw his looke,
And seyde, "I am, al be it you no joie,
As gentil man as any wight in Troie.
931
"For if my fader Tideus," he seyde,
"Ilyvëd hadde, ich haddë ben, er this,
Of Calydoyne and Arge a kyng, Criseyde;
And so hope I that I shal yet, iwys.
But he was slayn, allas, the more harm is,
Unhappily at Thebës, al to rathe,°
all too soon
Polymyte and many a man to scathe.°
to the harm of
938
"But hertë myn, syn that I am youre man,
And ben the first° of whom I sechë° grace
and you're the first; seek
To servë you as hertely as I kan,
And evere shal, whil I to lyve have space,
So er that I departe out of this place,
Ye wol me grauntë that I may tomorwe
At bettre leyser tellë yow my sorwe."
945
What sholde I telle his wordës that he seyde?
He spak inough for o day at the meeste.°
most
It preveth wel, he spak so that Criseyde
Graunted on the morwe, at his requeste,
For to speken with hym at the leeste,
So that° he noldë speke of swiche matere,
provided that
And thus to hym she seyde as ye mowe heere,
5.952
So fastë that ther may it non arace;°
erase
And strangëly she spak, and seydë thus:
"O Diomede, I love that ilkë place
Ther I was born, and Jovës, for his grace,
Delyvere it soone of alle that doth it care.
God, for thy myghte, so leve it wel to fare.°
let it go well
959
"That grekis wolde hire wrath on Troië wreke
If that they myght, I knowe it wel, iwys;
But it shal not byfallen as ye speke,
And god toforn, and forther overe this,
I wot my fader wise and redy is,
And that he me hath bought,° as ye me tolde,
bought me dearly . . .
So deere I am, the more unto hym holde.°
. . . because he holds me dear
966
I woot ek wel, but certeyn, men shal fynde
As worthy folk withinnë Troië town,
As konnyng and as perfit and as kynde
As ben bitwixen Orkadas and Inde;°
the Orkneys and India
And that ye koudë wel yowre lady serve,
I trowe ek wel, hir thank for to deserve.
973
"But as to speke of love, iwys," she seyde,
"I hadde a lord to whom I wedded was,
The whos myn herte al was, til that he deyde,
And other love, as help me now, Pallas,°
Athena
There in myn hertë nys, ne nevere was,
And that ye ben of noble and high kynrede,°
kin
I have wel herde it tellen, oute of drede.°
without doubt
980
"And that doth me to han so grete a wonder
That ye wol scornen any womman so.
Ek, god woot, love and I ben far ysonder.
I am disposëd bet, so mot I go,
Unto my deth to pleynen and maken wo.
What I shal after don° I kan nat seye,
do
But trewëlich, as yet me list nat pleye.
987
"Myn herte is now in tribulacioun,
And ye in armës bisy day by day.
Herafter, when ye wonnen han the town,
Peraunter thenne so it happen may,
That when I see that I nevere er say,°
what I never saw before
Thenne wol I workë that I nevere wroughte.°
do what I never did
This word to yow ynough suffisen oughte.
994
So that ye touchen naught° of this matere.
don't mention
And whan yow list, ye may come here agayn,
And er ye gon, thus muche I say yow here:
As helpe me Pallas, with hir herës clere,°
bright hair
If that I sholde of any greke han routhe,
It sholdë be youreselven by my trouthe.
5.1001
"I say nat therfore that I wol yow love,
Ny say nat nay,° but in conclusioun,
nor say no
I meenë wel, by god that sit above."
And therwithal she caste hir eyen down,
And gon to sike, and seyde, "O Troië town,
Yet bidde I god, in quiete and in reste
I may yow seen, or do myn hertë breste."
1008
But in effect, and shortly for to seye,
This Diomede al fresshly newe ageyn
Gan pressen on, and faste hir mercy preye.
And after this, the sothë for to seyn,
And finaly, whan it was woxen eve,
And al was wel, he roos and tooke his leve.
1015
The brightë venus folwede, and ay taughte
The way ther brodë Phebus down alighte,
i.e., the sun set. . .
And Cynthea hir charhors overeraughte°
. . .and the moon rose
To whirle out of the leoun° if she myghte,
out of Leo
And Signifer° his candels sheweth brighte,
zodiac
When that Criseyde unto hir beddë wente,
Inwith hir fadres fairë brightë tente.
1022
Retornyng in hir soule ay, up and down,
The wordës of this sodeyn Diomede,
His grete estat, and perel° of the town,
peril
And that she was allone, and haddë neede
Of frendës help, and thus began to brede
The causë why, the sothë for to telle,
That she took fully purpos for to dwelle.
1029
The morwen com, and gostly for to speke,°
to speak from the heart
This Diomede is come unto Criseyde,
And shortly, lest that ye my talë breke,°
interrupt
So wel he for hymself spak and seyde,
That alle hir sikës sore adown he leyde,
And finaly, the sothë for to seyne,
He refte hir of° the grete of alle hir peyne.
rid her of
1036
That she hym gaf the fairë bayë steede
The which he onës wan° of Troilus,
won
And ek a broche, and that was litel neede,
That Troilus was,° she gaf this Diomede;
that was Troilus's (the brooch)
And ek, the bet from sorwe hym to releve,°
relieve
She made hym were a pencel of hir sleve.°
i.e, wear a cloth love token
1043
I fynde ek in stories ellëswhere,
When thorugh the body hurt was Diomede
Of Troilus,° tho wepte she many a teere
by Troilus
Whan that she sawe his wydë wowndës blede;
And that she took to keepen hym good heede,
And for to heelen hym° of his sorwes smerte.
heal him
But trewëly, the storie telleth us,
There madë nevere woman morë wo
Than she, when that she falsëd Troilus.
She seyde, "Allas, for now is cleene ago
My name of trouthe in love for everemo,
For I have falsëd oon the gentileste
That evere was, and oon the worthiest.
1057
"Allas of me, unto the worldës ende,
Shal neyther ben ywriten nor ysonge°
sung
No good word, for these bookës wol me shende.°
scorn, ruin
O, rollëd shal I ben on many a tonge.
Throughoute the world my bellë shal be ronge,
And wommen most wol haten me of alle.°
will hate me most of all
Allas that swich a cas me sholdë falle.
1064
"They wol seyen, in as muche as in me is,°
as much as I'm able
I have hem don dishonour, weylaway,
Al be I nat the first that dide amys.
What helpeth that to don my blame awey?
But syn I see ther is no bettre way,
And that to late is° now for me to rewe,
it's too late
To Diomede algate° I wol be trewe.
at least
1071
"But Troilus, syn I no bettre may,
And syn that thus departen ye and I,
Yet prey I god so give yow right good day,
As for the gentilestë, trewëly,
That evere I say,° to serven feythfully,
saw
And beste kan ay his lady honour keepe."
And with that word she braste anon to weepe.
1078
"And certës, yow ne haten shal I nevere,
And frendës love, that shal ye han of me,
And my good word, al sholde I lyven evere,
And trewëly, I woldë sory be
For to seen yow in adversitee;
And giltëles, I woot wel, I yow leve;°
I believe you
But al shal passe, and thus take I my leve."
1085
But trewëly, how longe it was bytwene
That she forsoke hym for this Diomede,
Ther is non autour telleth it, I wene.
Take every man now to his bookës heede;°
take to his books
He shal no termë fynden, out of drede.
For though that he began to wowe hir soone,
Er he hir wan,° yet was there more to doone.
won
1092
Ne me ne list this sely womman chyde,
Forther than the storye wol devyse.
Hir name, allas, is punysshëd so wide
That for hir gilte it oughte ynough suffise.
And if I myghte excuse hir any wise,
For she so sory was for hir untrouthe,
Iwys I wolde excuse hir yet for routhe.
1099
Thus driveth forth, as wel as he hath mighte;
But oftë was his hertë hot and colde,
And namëly that ilkë nynthë nyghte
Which on the morwe she hadde hym bihighte°
promised
To come ageyn, god woot, ful litel reste
Hadde he that nyght. Nothyng to slepe hym leste.
5.1106
The laurer crownëd Phebus with his heete
Gan in his course, ay upward as he wente,
To warmen of the est° see the wawës weete;°
east; wet waves
And Nysus doughter° song with fressh entente,
Scylla, transformed into a lark
When Troilus his Pandare after sente,
And on the wallës of the town they pleyde
To looke if they can seen aught of Criseyde.
1113
Tyl it was noon, they stooden for to see
Who that there come, and every manere wight
That com fro far, they seyden it was she,
Til that they koudë knowen° hym aright.
recognize
Now was his hertë dul, now was it light.
And thus byjapëd,° stonden for to stare
tricked
Aboutë naught, this Troilus and Pandare.
1120
To Pandarus this Toilus tho seyde,
"For aught I woot, befor noon sikerly
Into this town ne comth nat here Criseyde.
She hath ynough to doon hardyly,
To wynnen from hir fader, so trowe I.
Hire oldë fader wol yet make hir dyne,
Er that she go; god give hys hertë pyne."
1127
Pandare answerede, "It may wel be, certeyn,
And forthy lat us dyne, I thee byseche.
And after noon, thenne maystow come ageyn."
And hom they go withoutë morë speche,
And comen ageyn but longë may they seche
Er that they fyndë that they after cape.°
what they look for
Fortune hem bothë thenketh for to jape.°
mock
1134
Quod Troilus, "I see wel now that she
Is taried with hir oldë fader so
That er she come it wol neigh even° be.
evening
Com forth; I wole unto the gatë go.
These porters ben unkonnyng evere mo,
And I wol don hem holden up the gate,°
make them hold the gate open
As naught ne were, although she comë late."
1141
The day goth faste, and after that come eve,
And yet come not to Troilus Criseyde.
He loketh forth by hegge, by tre, by greve;°
hedge; tree; grove
And far his hede overe the walle he leyde,
And at the laste he turnëd hym and seyde,
"By god, I woot hir menyng now, Pandare.
Almost, iwys, al newë° was my care.
renewed
1148
"Now doutëles, this lady kan hir good;°
knows her interests
I woot she meneth riden pryvëly.
I comende hir wisdome, by myn hoode.
She wol nat maken peple nycëly
foolishly
Gaure° on hir when that she comth; but softly°
stare; quietly
By nyghte into the town she thenketh ride.
And, deerë brother, thynke not longe tabide.
5.1155
"We han naught ellës for to don, iwys;
And Pandarus, now woltow trowen me?
Have here my trouthe; I see hir, yond she is.
Heve up thyne eyen, man; maistow nat see?"
Pandare answerede, "Nay, so mote I thee,°
so may I thrive
Al wronge, by god. What saistow man?° Where arte?
what are you saying
That I see yond nys but a farë carte."°
goods cart
1162
"Allas, thow seyst right soth," quod Troilus.
But hardily, it is not al for nought
That in my herte I now rejoyssë thus;
It is ageyn som good,° I have a thought.
i.e., it's hopeful
Not I nat° how, but syn that I was wrought,
I don't know
Ne felte I swich a comfort, dar I seye.
She comth to nyght; my lif that dorste I leye."
1169
Pandare answerde, "It may be wel ynough,"
And helde with hym° of alle that evere he seyde.
agreed with him
But in his herte he thought, and softë lough,°
laughed
And to hymself ful sobreliche he seyde,
"From haselwode, there° Joly Robyn pleyde,
where
Shal come al that thow abidest here.°
i.e., you're dreaming
Ye, fare wel al the snough of fernë yere."°
snows of yesteryear
1176
The warden of the gatës gan to calle
The folk which that withoute the gatës were,
And bad hem dryven in hire bestës alle°
drive in all their beasts
Or all the nyght they mustë bleven° there.
must remain
And far withinne the nyght, with many a teere,
This Troilus gan homward for to ride,
For wel he seeth it helpeth naught tabide.
1183
But natheles, he gladed hym in this:
He thought he miscounted hadde his day,
And seyde, "I understonde have al amys,
For thilkë nyght I last Criseyde say,°
saw
She seyde, 'I shal ben here if that I may,
Er that the moone, o deerë hertë sweete,
The leoun passe out of this ariete,'°
pass Leo after Aries
1190
"For which she may yet holde al hir byheste."
And on the morwe unto the gate he wente,
And up and down, by west and ek by este,
Upon the wallës made he many a wente.°
turn
But al for nought; his hope alwey hym blente.°
blinded
For which, at nyght in sorwe and sikës sore,
He wente hym home withouten any more.
1197
His hope al cleene out of his hertë fledde.
He nath wheron now lenger for to honge;°
has nothing to hang onto
But for the peyne, hym thoughte his hertë bledde.
So were his throwës° sharpe and wonder stronge,
sufferings (throes)
For when he sawe that she abood so longe,
He nystë what he juggen of it myghte,
Syn she hath broken that she hym bihighte.°
what she promised him
5.1204
The thriddë, ferthë, fiftë, sextë day
After tho dayës ten of which I tolde,
Bitwixen hope and drede his hertë lay;
Yet somwhat trustyng on hir hestës° olde.
promises
But whan he sawe she nolde hir termë holde,
He kan now seen non other remedie
But for to shape hym soonë for to dye.
1211
Therwith the wikked spirit, god us blisse,
Which that men clepeth the woodë jalousie,°
that men call the mad jealousy
Gan in hym crepe in al this hevynesse,
For which, by cause he woldë soonë dye,
He ne ete ne drank for his malencolye,
And ek from every compaignye he fledde.
This was the lif that al the tyme he ledde.
1218
He so defet° was that no manere man
brought down (defeated)
Unneth hym myghtë knowen° there he wente,
could hardly recognize him
So was he leene, and therto pale and wanne
And feble, that he walketh by potente.°
with a crutch
And with his ire he thus hymselvë shente,°
destroyed
And whoso axëd hym wherof hym smerte,°
why he hurt (smarted)
He seyde his harm was al aboute his herte.
1225
Priam ful ofte, and ek his moder deere,
His bretheren and his sustren gon hym freyne,°
question him
Why he sorowful was in his cheere,
And what thyng was the cause of alle his peyne.
But al for naught; he nolde his causë pleyne,
But seyde he felte a grevouse maladie
Aboute his herte, and fayn he woldë dye.
1232
And so befel that in his slepe he thoughte
That in a forest faste he welke,° to weepe
walked
For love of hir that hym this peynë wroughte.
And up and down, as he the forest soughte,
Hym mette he say a boor with tuskës grete,°
saw a boar with great tusks
That slep agein° that bryghtë sunnës heete.
against
1239
And by this boor, faste in hir armës folde,
Lay kissynge ay his lady bright Criseyde,
For sorwe of which, when he it gan biholde,
And for despite, out of his slep he breyde,°
he started
And loude he cried on Pandarus, and seyde,
"O Pandarus, now knowe I, crop and roote,
I nam but ded; ther nys no oother boote.°
remedy
1246
"My lady bright Criseyde hath me bitraiede,
In whom I trusted most of any wight.
She elliswhere hath now hir herte apaiede.°
given (paid)
The blisful goddës, thurgh hir gretë might,
Han in my dreme ishawëd° it ful right.
showed
Thus in my dreme Criseyde have I biholde."
And al this thing to Pandarus he tolde.
5.1253
"O my Criseyde, allas, what subtillitee,
What newë lust, what beautee, what science,
What wrathe of justë cause° han ye to me?
i.e., what grievance
What gilt° of me, what fel° experience,
guilt; wicked
Hath from me reft allas thyn advertence?°
attention
O trust, o faith, o depe aseurance;
Who hath me reft Criseyde, al my plesaunce?
1260
"Allas, why let I yow from hennës go?
For which, wel neygh out of my wit I breide.°
started (i.e., lost my mind)
Who shal now trowe on any othës mo?
God wot I wende,° o lady bright Criseyde,
believed
That every word was gospel that ye seyde.
But who may bet bigilë, if hym liste,
Than he on whom men weneth beste to triste.°
think best to trust
1267
"What shal I don, my Pandarus, allas?
I feelë now so sharp a newë peyne,
Syn that there lith no remedy in this cas,
That bet were it I with my hondës tweyne
Myselven slewe, alwey than thus to pleyne.°
than always to lament
For thorugh the deth, my wo sholde have an ende,
There° every day with lif myselve I shende."°
where; destroy
1274
Pandare answerde and seyde, "Allas, the whiles
That I was born. Have I nat seyde er this
That dremës many a maner man bigiles?°
beguiles
And why, for folk expounden hem amys.°
interpret them wrong
How darstow seyn that fals thy lady ys
For any dreme, right for thyn owëne drede?
Let be this thought; thou kanst no dremës rede.
1281
"Peraunter° there thow dremest of this boor,
perhaps
It may so be that it may signifie
Hir fader, which that old is and ek hoor,
Ageyn the sunnë lith o poynt to dye,°
lies on the point of death
And she for sorwe gynneth weepe and crie,
And kisseth hym ther he lith on the grounde.
Thus sholdestow thy dreme aright expounde."
1288
"How myghte I thenne do," quod Troilus,
"To knowe of this, yee, were it nevere so lite?"°
were it ever so little
"Now seystow wisly," quod this Pandarus.
"My rede is this: syn thow kanst wel endite,
That hastily a lettre thow hir write,
Thorugh which thow shalt wel bryngyn it aboute
To know a soth of that thow art in doute.
1295
"And see now why; for this I dar wel seyn,
That if so is that she untrewë be,
I kan nat trowen that she wol write ageyn.
And if she write, thow shalt ful soone ysee
As wheither she hath any libertee
To come ageyn, or ellis in som clause,
If she be lette,° she wol assigne a cause.
held back
5.1302
"Thow hast nat writen hir syn that she wente,
Nor she to thee, and this I durstë lay:°
I bet (lay odds)
Ther may swich causë ben in hir entente
That hardily thow wolt thyselven seye
That hir abode° the best is for yow tweye.
her delay
Now write hir thenne, and thow shalt feelë soone
A soth of alle; there is namore to done."
1309
Acorded ben to this conclusioun,
these same two . . .
And that anon, thise ilkë lordës two.°
. . . were quickly agreed
And hastily sit Troilus adown,
And rolleth in his hertë to and fro
How he may best discryven hir his wo.
And to Criseyde, his owën lady deere,
He wrote right thus, and seyde as ye may heere.
1316
Withouten parte of ellëswhere servise,
With hertë, body, lif, lust, thought, and al,
I, woful wyght, in everich humble wise
That tongë telle, or hertë may devise,
As ofte as matere occupieth place,
Me recomaunde unto youre noble grace.
1323
"Liketh you to witen, sweetë herte,
As ye wel knowe, how longë tyme agon
That ye me left in aspre° peynës smerte,
bitter
When that ye wente, of which yet bootë° non
remedy, comfort
Have I non had, but evere wors begon
Fro day to day am I, and so mote dwelle,
While it you list, of wel and wo my welle.°
my well of good and bad
1330
"For which to yow, with dredful hertë trewe,
I write as he that sorwe driveth to write
My wo, that everich houre encresseth newe,
Compleynyng as I dar or kan endite,°
compose
And that defacëd is, that may ye wite,
The teeris whiche that fro myn eyen reyne,
That woldë speke if that they koude, and pleyne.
1337
"Yow first biseche I that youre eyen cleere,
that your eyes aren't . . .
To looke on this defoulëd ye nat holde,°
. . . befouled to look on this
And overe al this, that ye, my lady deere,
Wol vouchësauf this lettre to beholde,
And by the cause ek of my carës colde
That sleth° my wit, if aught amys masterte,°
slays; escapes me
Forgeve it me, myn owën sweetë herte.
1344
"If any servant durst or oughte of right
Upon his lady pitously compleyne,
Thenne wene I° that ich oughtë be that wight.
I believe
Considered this, that ye these monthës tweyne
Han taried ther ye seyden,° soth to seyne,
where you said
But dayës ten ye nolde in oost sojourne;°
stay with the Greek host
But in two monthës yet ye nat retourne.
5.1351
"But for as muche as me mote nedës like
Alle that yow liste, I dar nat pleynë more,
But humbly, with sorwful sikës sike,°
sick sighs
Yow write ich myn unresty° sorwes sore,
restless
Fro day to day, desiryng evere more
To knowen fully if youre wille it were,
How ye han ferde and don while ye be there.
1358
"Thee, whose welfare and heele° ek god encresse
health
In honour, swich that upward in degree
It grewe alwey, so that it nevere cesse,
Right as youre herte ay kan, my lady free,
Devise, I prey to god, so moot it be,
And graunte it that ye soone upon me rewe,
As wisly° as in alle I am yow trewe.°
as surely; true to you
1365
"And if yow liketh, knowen of the fare
Of me,° whos wo ther may no wit discryve.°
how I'm doing; describe
I kan namore but, chiste° of every care,
vessel (chest)
At wrytyng of this lettre I was on lyve,
Al redy out my woful gost to dryve,
Which I delaye, and holde hym° yet in honde,
i.e., hold my soul
Upon the sighte° of matere of youre sonde.°
until I see; your message
1372
"Myn eyen two, in veyn with which I see,
in vain
Of sorwful teeris salte arn waxen welles.°
are become wells
My songe, in pleynte of myn adversitee,
My god in harm, myn ese ek woxen helle is,
My joie in wo. I kan say yow naught ellis,
But turnëd is--for which my life I warie--°
curse
Every joie or ese in his contrarie.°
turned to its contrary
1379
"Which, with youre commyng home ageyn to Troie,
Ye may redresse, and morë--thousand sithe°
times
Than evere ich hadde--encressen in me joie.
For was there nevere hertë yet so blithe
To han his lif, as I shal ben as swithe°
soon
As I yow see, and though no manere routhe
Commevë yow,° yet thynketh on youre trouthe.°
move you; pledge of constancy
1386
"And if so be my gilt hath deth deserved,
Or if yow list namore upon me see,
In guerdoun yet of that I have yow served,
reward
Byseche I yow, myn owën lady free,
That hereupon ye wolden writë me,
For love of god, my right lodë sterre,°
lodestar
That deth may make an ende of al my werre.°
war
1393
"If other cause aught doth yow for to dwelle,
That° with youre lettre ye me recomforte.°
I beg that; comfort
For though to me youre absence is an helle,
With pacience I wol my wo comporte,°
bear (comportment)
And with youre lettre of hope I wol desporte.
Now writeth, sweete, and let me thus nat pleyne.
With hope or deth delivereth me from peyne.
5.1400
"Iwys, myne owëne deerë hertë trewe,
I woot that when ye next upon me see,
So loste have I myn heele,° and ek myn hewe,
health
Criseyde shal nought konnë knowen me.°
not know how to recognize me
Iwys, myn hertës day, my lady free,
So thrusteth° ay myn hertë to beholde
thirsts
Youre beautee, that my lif unnethe I holde.
1407
"I say namore, al have I for to seye
To yow wel morë than I tellë may.
But wheither that ye do me lyve or deye,
Yet praye I god so give yow right good day,
And fareth wel, goodly faire fresshë may,°
maid
As ye that lif or dethe may me comande,
And to youre trouthe, ay I me recomande
1414
"With heelë, swich that, but ye given me
The samë heele, I shal none heelë have.
In yow lith, whan yow liste that it so be,
The day in which me clothen shal my grave.°
my grave shall clothe me
In yow my lif, in yow myght for to save
Me fro disese of allë peynës smerte;
And far now wel, myn owën sweetë herte."
1421
This lettre forth was sent unto Criseyde,
Ful pitously she wrote ageyn and seyde
That also soone as that she myghte, iwys,
She woldë come and mende al that was mys.
And fynaly she wrote and seyde hym thenne,
She woldë come, ye, but she nystë whenne.
1428
But in hir lettre madë she swich festes°
pleasantries
That wonder was, and swerth she loveth him beste,
Of which he fonde but botmeles bihestes.°
empty promises
But Troilus, thow maist now, est or west,
Pipe in an ivy lef° if that thee lest.
i.e., whistle in the wind
Thus goth the world, god shilde us fro meschaunce;
And every wight that meeneth trouthe avaunce.
1435
Encressen gan the wo fro day to night
Of Troilus for tarying of Criseyde;°
because of Criseyde's tarrying
And lessen gan his hope and ek his might,
For which al down he in his bed hym leyde.
He ne eet, ne dronk, ne slep, ne wordë seyde,
Ymagynyng ay that she was unkynde,
For which wel neigh he wex out of his mynde.
1442
This dreme, of which I tolde have ek byforn,
May nevere come out of his remembraunce.
He thought ay wel he hadde his lady lorn,
And that Jovës, of his purveyaunce,°
foresight
Hym shewëd hadde in slepe the signifiaunce
Of hir untrouthe, and his disaventure,°
his misfortune
And that the boor was shewed hym in figure.°
as a symbol
1449
That callëd was Cassandre ek al aboute,
And al his dreme he tolde hir er he stente,
And hir bisoughte assoilen° hym the doute
begged her to absolve
Of the strongë boor with tuskës stoute,
And fynaly, withinne a litel stounde,°
a little while
Cassandre hym gan right thus his dreme expounde.
5.1456
She gan first smyle and seyde, "O brother deere,
If thou a soth of this desirest knowe,
Thow muste a fewe of oldë stories heere,°
hear
To purpos how that fortune overthrowe
fortune has overthrown . . .
Hath lordës olde,° thorugh which, withinne a throwe,°
. . . former lords; in a while
Thow wel this boor shalt knowe, and of what kynde
He comen is, as men in bookës fynde.
1463
"Dianë, which that wroth was and in ire,
For grekis noldë don hir sacrifice,
Ne encens° upon hir auter° sette afire,
incense; altar
She for that grekis gonne hir so despise,
Wrak° hire in a wonder cruel wise,
avenged (wreaked)
For with a boor as grete as ox in stalle
She made up frete hire cornes° and vynes alle.
made to devour their grain
1470
"To sle this boor was al the contree raysed,
Amongë which ther come this boor to see
A mayde, oon of this world the beste ypreysed,
And Meleagre, lord of that contree,
He lovëd so this fresshë mayden free,
That with his manhode, er he woldë stente,
This boor he slewe, and hir the hed he sente.
1477
"Of which, as oldë bookës tellen us,
Ther ros a contek° and a grete envye,
strife
And of this lord descended Tydeus
from
By ligne, or ellis oldë bookës lye.
But how this Meleagre gan to dye,
Thorugh his moder wol I yow not telle,
For al to longe it werë for to dwelle."
1484
Unto the strongë citee of Thebes
To cleymen° kyngdome of the citee wente
claim
For his felawe daun Polymetes,
Of which the brother daun Ethiocles,
Ful wrongfully of Thebës held the strengthe.
This told she by processe,° al by lengthe.°
methodically; at length
1491
She tolde ek how Hemonydes asterte°
(a Theban) escaped
When Tideus slewe fifty knyghtës stoute.
She tolde ek alle the prophecyes by herte,
And how that seven kyngës with hire route°
with their armies
Bysegëden the citee al aboute,
And of the holy serpent and the welle,
And of the furies al she gan hym telle.
1498
Tidea legatum docet Insidias que secundus;
Tercius hemoduden canit et vates latitantes;
Quartus habet Reges ineuntes prelia septem;
Mox furie lenne quinto narratur et anguis;
Archymory bustum sexto ludique leguntur;
Dat grayos Thebes et vatem septimus umbris;
Octavo cecedit Tideus spes vita pelasgis;
Ypomedon nono moritur cum Parthenopea;
Fulmine percussus decimo Capaneus superatur;
Undecimo sese perimunt per vulnera fratres;
Argiva flentem narrat duodenus et ignem.
Of Archymoris burying and the pleyes,°
funereal games
And how Amphiorax fil thorugh the grounde;
How Tideus was sleyn, lord of Argeyes,
And how Ypomedoun a litel stounde
in a while
Was dreynt,° and deydë Parthonope of wownde,
drowned
And also how Capaneus the proude
With thonder dynt° was slayn, that cridë loude.
thunderbolt
5.1505
She gan ek telle hym how that eyther brother,
Ethiocles and Polymyte also,
At a scarmuche° ech of hem slewe other,
skirmish
And of Argyves wepynge and hire wo;
And how the town was brent she tolde ek tho,
And so descendeth down from gestës° olde
stories
To Diomede, and thus she spak and tolde.
1512
"This ilkë boor bitokneth Diomede,
Tideus son that down descended is
Fro Meleagre, that made the boor to bleede.
And thy lady, wherso she be, iwys,
This Diomede hir herte hath and she his.
Weepe if thow wolt, or lef,° for out of doute,
leave off
This Diomede is inne and thow art oute."
1519
With al thy falsë goost of prophecye.
Thow wenest ben a grete devyneresse.°
you think you're a great diviner
Now sestow nat° this fool of fantasie
don't you see
Peyneth hir on ladys for to lye?°
to lie about ladies
Awey," quod he, "ther Jovës give thee sorwe.
Thow shalte be fals peraunter° yet to morwe.
perhaps
1526
"As wel thow myghtest lien on Alceste°
Alcestis, the perfect wife
That was of creaturës--but° men lye--
unless
That evere weren, kyndest and the beste,
For when hir housbonde was in jupertye,
To dye hym self, but if she woldë dye,
She ches for hym to dye° and gon to helle,
chose to die for him
And starf anon as us the bookës telle."
1533
Cassandre goth, and he with cruel herte
Forgat his wo for angre of hir speche.
And from his bedde al sodeynly he sterte,
As though al hool° hym hadde ymad a leche.°
whole; a doctor had made him
And day by day, he gan enquere and seche
A sooth of this, with al his ful cure°
with all care
And thus he drieth forth° his aventure.
goes about
1540
Fortune, which that permutacioun°
which governs change . . .
Of thyngës hath, as it is hir comitted
. . . as it is assigned to her . . .
Thorugh purveyaunce and disposicioun
. . . by the providence . . .
Of heigh Jove,° as regnës° shal be flitted°
. . . of Jove; reigns; changed . . .
Fro folk in folk, or when they shal be smytted,
Gan° pulle awey the fetheres brighte of Troie
(fortune) began
Fro day to day, til they ben bare of joie.
1547
Among al this, the fyn of the parodie°
end of the period of life
Of Ector gan aprochen wonder blyve.°
swiftly
The fatë wolde his soulë sholde unbodye,
And shapen hadde a mene° it out to dryve,
had shaped a means
Ageyns which fate hym helpeth nat to stryve.
But on a day to fighten gan he wende,
At which, allas, he caught his lyvës ende.
5.1554
For which me thynketh every manere wight
That haunteth armës oughtë to biwaille
The deth of hym that was so noble a knyght,
For as he drough° a kyng by thaventaille,°
dragged; helmet neck guard
Unwar of this, Achilles, thorugh the maille
And thorugh the body gan hym for to ryve,°
pierce
And thus the worthy knyght was brought of lyve.
1561
Was made swich wo that tonge it may nat telle,
And namëly the sorwe of Troilus,
That next hym was of worthynessë welle.°
well of worthiness
And in this wo gan Troilus to dwelle,
That what for sorwe and love and unreste,
Ful ofte a day he bade his hertë breste.
1568
But nathëles, though he gan hym dispaire,
And dradde° ay that his lady was untrewe,
dreaded
Yet ay on hir his hertë gan repaire,°
returned to her
And as these loveres don, he soughte ay newe
To gete ageyn Criseydë, brighte of hewe.
And in his herte he wente hir excusyng
That Calkas causëd al hir tariyng.
1575
And oftë tyme, he was in purpos grete,°
great
Hymself like a pilgryn to desgise,°
disguise
To seen hir; but he may nat contrefete
To ben unknowen of° folk that werën wise,
to be unrecognized by
Ne fynde excuse aright that may suffise
If he amonge the grekis knowen were,
For which he wep ful ofte and many a teere.
1582
To hir he wrote yet oftë tyme al newe
Ful pitously--he left it not° for slouthe--
he didn't neglect it
Bisechyng hir, syn that he was trewe,
That she wol come ageyn and holde hir trouthe;
For which Criseyde, upon a day for routhe,
I take it so, touchyng al this matere,
O swerde of knyghthode, sours of gentilesse,
How myght a wight in torment and in drede
And helëles° yow sende as yet gladnesse?
ill (healthless)
I hertëles, I sik, I in destresse,
Syn ye with me nor I with yow may deele,
Yow neyther sende ich hertë may nor heele.°
I can't send you heart or health
1596
"Youre lettres ful, the papir al ypleynted,º
full of complaint
I have ek seyn, with teeris al depeynted,°
painted with tears
Youre lettre, and how that ye requeren me
To come ageyn, which yet ne may nat be.
But why, lest that this lettre founden were,
No mencioun ne make I now for feere.
5.1603
"Grevouse to me, god woot, is youre unreste,
Youre haste, and that the goddës ordinaunce
It semeth nat ye take it for the beste.
Nor other thing nys in youre remembraunce,
As thynketh me, but only youre plesaunce.
But beth nat wroth, and that I yow biseche,
For that I tarie is al for wikked speche.°
i.e., gossip
1610
"For I have herdë wel more than I wende,°
more than I thought to hear
Touchyng us two, how thyngës han ystonde,
Which I shal with dissymelyng° amende.
by dissembling
And beth nat wroth; I have ek understonde
How ye ne do but holden me in honde.°
that you deceive me
But now no force;° I kan not in you gesse
no matter
But allë trouthe and allë gentilesse.
1617
"Come I wole, but yet in swich disjoynte
I stonde as now, that what yer or what day
That this shal be, that kan I naught apoynte.
But in effecte, I pray yow as I may
Of youre good word and of youre frendship ay,
For trewëly, while that my lif may dure,
As for a frend ye may in me assure.
1624
"Yet prey ich yow, on yvel ye ne take°
don't be offended
That it is short which that I to yow write.
I dar nat, ther I am,° wel lettres make,
where I am
Ne nevere yet koude I wel endite.
Ek grete effect men write in placë lite.°
little
Thentente is alle, and nat the lettres space.
And fareth now wel, god have yow in his grace."
1631
This Troilus this lettre thoughte al straunge
Whan he it sawe, and sorwfullich he sighte.°
sighed
Hym thoughte it lik a kalendës° of chaunge.
a portent (calendar)
But fynaly he ful ne trowen myghte
That she ne wolde hym holden that she hyghte,°
promised
For with ful yvel wille list hym to lese°
reluctantly will he lose
That loveth wel in swiche cas, though hym greve.
1638
But nathëles, men seyen that at the laste,
For any thyng men shal the sothë see;
And swich a cas bitidde, and that as faste,
That Troilus wel understode that she
Nas nought so kynde as that hir oughtë be.
And fynaly, he woot now, out of doute,
That al is lost that he hath ben aboute.
1645
Stood on a day in his malencolie
This Troilus, and in suspecioun
Of hir, for whom he wendë for to dye.
And so bifel that thorughoute Troyë town,
As was the gise,° iborn was up and down
custom
A manere cote armure,° as seyth the storie,
a coat of arms
Byforn Deiphebe,° in signe of his victorie.
Deiphebus
5.1652
Deiphebe it haddë rent fro Diomede
The samë day, and when this Troilus
It sawe, he gan to taken of it heede,
Avysyng of the lengthe and of the brede,
And al the werk; but as he gan byholde,
Ful sodeynly his hertë gan to colde,
1659
As he that on the coler° founde withinne
collar
That she from Troië mustë needës twynne,
In remembraunce of hym and of his sorwe;
And she hym leyde ageyn hir feith to borwe°
i.e., she made him promise
To keepe it ay;° but now ful wel he wiste
always
His lady nas no lenger on to triste.°
to be trusted
1666
He goth him home, and gan ful soonë sende
For Pandarus, and al this newë chaunce,°
event
And of this broche, he tolde hym worde and ende,
Compleynyng of hire hertës variaunce.
His longë love, his trouthe and his penaunce.
And after deth, withouten wordës more,
Ful faste he cride, his reste hym to restore.
1673
Where is youre feith, and where is youre biheste?
Where is youre love? Where is youre trouthe?" he seyde.
"Of Diomede have ye now al this feste?°
pleasure (feastng)
Allas, I wolde han trowëd attë leste
That syn ye nolde in trouthë to me stonde,
That ye thus nolde han holden me in honde.°
deceived me
1680
"Who shal now trowe on any othës mo?°
believe in any more oaths
Allas, I nevere wolde han wende er this
That ye, Criseydë, koude han chaungëd so,
Ne but I hadde agilt and don amys.°
unless I had wronged you
So cruel wende I nought youre herte, iwys,
To sle me thus. Allas, youre name of trouthe
Is now fordon, and that is al my routhe.
1687
"Was ther non other broche yow listë lete°
let go of
To feffë° with youre newë love," quod he.
to endow
But thilkë broch that I, with teeris wete,
Yow gaf as for a remembraunce of me?
Non other cause allas ne haddë ye,
But for despite, and ek for that ye mente
Al outrely° to shewen youre entente.
openly
1694
Thorugh which I see that cleene out of youre mynde
Ye han me caste, and I ne kan nor may,
For al this world, withinne myn hertë fynde
To unloven yow a quarter of a day.
In corsëd tyme I born was, weilaway,
That yow that doon me al this wo endure.
Yet love I beste of any creature.
5.1701
"Now god," quod he, "me sendë yet the grace
That I may meeten with this Diomede.
And trewëly, if I have might and space,
Yet shal I make, I hope, his sydës bleede.
O god," quod he, "that oughtest taken heede
To fortheren trouthe, and wrongës to punyce.°
punish
Whi nyltow don a vengeaunce of this vice?
1708
"O Pandarus, that in dremës for to triste
Me blamëd hast, and wont art oft to upbreyde,°
are inclined to upbraid me
Now maistow see thyself if that thee liste,
How trewe is now thy necë brighte Criseyde
In sondry formës, god it woot," he seyde,
"The goddës shewen bothë joie and tene°
trouble
In slepe, and by my dreme it is now seene.
1715
"And certeynly, withouten morë speche,
From hennësforth, as ferforth as I may,
Myn owën deth in armës wol I seche.
I recchë nat° how soonë be the day.
I care not
But trewëly Criseydë, sweetë may,°
maid
Whom I have ay with al my mighte yserved,
That ye thus doon° I have it nat deserved."
what you've done
1722
This Pandarus, that al these thyngës herde,
And wistë wel he seyde a sothe of this.
He not a word ageyn to hym answerde,
For sory of his frendës sorwe he is,
And shamëd for his nece hath don amys;
And stante astonëd of these causes tweye,
As stille as ston. A word ne kowde he seye.
1729
But at the lastë, thus he spak and seyde,
"My brother deer, I may do thee namore.
What sholde I seyen? I hate, iwys, Criseyde,
And god woot, I wol hate hir evermore.
And that thow me bisoughtest don of yore,
what you asked me to do . . .
Havyng unto myn honour ne my reste
. . . with no reward . . .
Right no rewarde, I dide al that thee liste.°
. . . to me, I did as you wished
1736
"If I dide aughte that myghtë liken thee,°
that you liked
It is me lief,° and of this tresoun now,
it is dear to me
God woot that it a sorwe is unto me,
And dredëles for hertës ese of yow,
Right fayn I wolde amende it, wiste I how,°
if I knew how
And fro this world, almyghty god I preye,
Delivere hir soon. I kan namorë seye."
1743
Grete was the sorwe and pleynte of Troilus,
But forth hir cours fortune ay gan to holde.
Criseydë loveth the son of Tideus,
And Troilus moot wepe in carës colde.
Swich is this world, who so it kan beholde.
In ech estat is litel hertës reste.
God leve us for to take it for the beste.
5.1750
In many cruel bataille, out of drede,
Of Troilus, this ilkë noble knyght,
As men may in these oldë bookës rede,
Was seen his knyghthode and his gretë myghte;
And dredëles, his irë, day and nyghte,
Ful cruely these grekis ay aboughte,°
bought (his ire)
And alwey most this Diomede he soughte.
1757
And oftë tyme I fyndë that they mette,
With blody strokës and with wordës grete,
Assayinge how hire sperës weren whette;°
sharp (whetted)
And god it woot, with many a cruel hete
Gan Troilus upon his helm to bete.
But nathëles, fortune it naught no wolde
Of others honde that eyther deyen sholde.
1764
And if I hadde ytaken for to write
The armës of this ilkë worthy man,
Than wolde ich of his bataillës endite,
But for that I to writen first began
Of his love, I have seyde as I kan.
His worthy dedës, whoso list hem heere,
Rede Dares; he kan telle hem all ifeere.°
all together
1771
And every gentil womman, what she be,
That al be that Criseydë was untrewe,
That for that gilte she be nat wrothe with me.
Ye may hir giltes in other bookës see,
And gladlier I wol write, if yow leste,
Penolopes trouthe and good Alceste.°
i.e., write of faithful wives
1778
Ne say nat this al only for these men,
But most for wommen that bitraisëd be
Thorugh falsë folk--god give hem sorwe, amen--
That with hire gretë wit and subtilitee
Bytraisë yow, and this commeveth me
To speke, and in effect, yow alle I preye,
Beth war of men, and herkneth what I seye.
1785
Go litel boke, go litel myn tragedye,
Ther god thy maker yet, er that he dye
may god send your maker . . .
So sende myght to make in° some comedye.
. . . the might to add in
But litel book, no makyng thow nenvie,°
don't envy other works
But subgit be to allë poesye,
And kis the steppes where as thow seëst pace,
Virgile, Ovide, Omer,° Lucan, and Stace.°
Homer; Statius
1792
And for ther is so grete diversitee
In Englissh, and in writyng of oure tonge,
So prey I to god that non myswrytë the,
Ne the mysmetre for defaute of tonge.°
for lack of language
And red wherso yow be, or ellës songe,°
wherever read or sung
That thow be understondë, god biseche.
But yet to purpos of my rather° speche.
former
1799
The wrath, as I began yow for to seye,
Of Troilus the grekis boughten deere,
For thousandës his hondës maden deye,
As he that was withouten any peere
Save Ector in his tyme, as I kan heere,
But weilaway, save only goddës wille,°
alas, but it was god's will
Despitously hym slewe the fierse Acchile.°
Acchiles slew him
5.1806
His lightë goost ful blisfully is went
In convers letyng° every element;
leaving behind
And there he sawe with ful avysëment°
saw clearly
The erratik sterrës° herkenyng armonye,
the planets
With sownës° ful of hevenyssh melodie.
sounds
1813
And down from thennës faste he gan avyse°
to regard
This litel spot of erthe, that with the see
Embracëd is, and fully gan despise
This wrecched world, and held al vanitee
To respect of° the pleyn felicitee
compared to
That is in hevene above; and at the laste,
There he was slayn his lookyng down he caste,
1820
And in hymself he lough° right at the wo
laughed
Of hem that wepten for his deth so faste,
And dampnëd al oure work that foloweth so
The blyndë lust, the which that may nat laste;
And sholden al oure herte on heven caste.
And forth he wentë, shortly for to telle,
Swich fyn° hath lo this Troilus for love;
such end
Swich fyn hath al his gretë worthynesse;
Swich fyn hath his estat real above;
Swich fyn his lust; swich fyn hath his noblesse;
Swich fyn hath falsë worldës brotelnesse.°
brittleness
And thus began his lovyng of Criseyde,
As I have told, and in this wise he deyde.
1834
O yongë fresshë folkës, he or she,
In which that love up groweth with youre age,
Repeyreth° home fro worldly vanytee,
return
And of youre herte up casteth the visage
To thilkë god that after his ymage
You made, and thynketh al nys but a faire,°
a temporary spectacle
This world that passeth soone as flourës faire.
1841
And loveth hym the which that, right for love,
Upon a crois, oure soulës for to beye,°
to buy
First starf, and roos,° and sit in hevene above,
died and rose
For he nyl falsen° no wight, dar I seye,
be false to
That wol his herte al holly° on hym leye;
wholly
And syn he beste to love is and most meke,
What needeth feynede° lovës for to seke?
false (feigned)
1848
Lo here of payens° corsëd oldë rites;
pagans'
Lo here what alle hire goddës may availle;
Lo here these wrecched worldës appetites;
Lo here the fyn and guerdoun° for travaille
end and reward
Of Jove, Appollo, of Mars, of swich rascaille;°
rascals
Lo here the forme of oldë clerkis speche
In poetrie, if ye hire bookës seche.°
seek their books
5.1855
O moral Gower, this book I directe
To vouchësauf,° there neede is, to correcte
to agree
Of youre benignitees and zelës° goode;
zeals
And to that sothefast crist that starf on rode,°
died on cross
With al myn herte of mercy evere I preye,
And to the lord right thus I speke and seye:
1862
Thow oon and two and thre, eterne on lyve,
That regnest ay in thre and two and oon,
Uncircumscript,° and al maist circumscrive,
uncircumscribed
Us from visible and invisible foon°
foes
Defende, and to thy mercye everichon
So make us, Jhesus, for thy mercy digne,°
worthy
For love of Mayde and moder thyn benigne.
1869
Amen.
Explicit Liber Troily°
ends the book of Troilus