To Love, and to the ladyship
Of her which thy lady is?
Lover. My father, ever yet ere this
In every place, in every stead,1
What so my lady hath me bid2
With all my heart obedient
I have thereto been diligent;
And, if so is that she bid nought,
What thing that then into my thought
Comth first of that I may suffice,
I bow and proffer my service,
Sometime in chamber, sometime in hall,
Right as I see the timès fall.
And, when she goth to hearè mass,
That timè shall not overpass
That I n'approach her lady-head,
In aunter if I may her lead
Unto the chapel and again ;*
Then is not all my way in vain.
But afterward it doth me harnı
Of pure imagination;
For thennè this collation5
I make unto myselven oft,
And say: Ha, lord, how she is soft,
How she is round, how she is small;
Now, wolde God, I had her all
Withoute daunger at my will!
And then I sigh and sittè still,
Of that I see my busy thought
Is turned idle into nought.
But, for all that, let I ne may,7
When I see time another day,
That I ne do my busyness
Unto my lady's worthiness;
For I thereto my wit affaite9
To see the timès and await
What is to done10 and what to leave.
And so, when time is, by her leave,
What thing she bid me done I do ;
And where she bid me gone I go;
And, when her list to clepe,11 I come.
Thus hath she fully overcome
3 To adventure. 4 To the chapel and home again. 7 I cannot hinder. 8 Service.
Mine idlenessè till I sterve1
So that I must her needès serve;
For, as men sayn,
2 "need hath no law;"
Thus must I needly3 to her draw.
I serve, I bow, I look, I lout;
Mine eye followeth her about.
What so she wollè, so woll I;
When she woll sit, I kneelè by ;
And, when she stont, then woll I stond;
And, when she taketh her work on hond
Of weaving, or of embroiderie,
Then can I nought but muse and pry
Upon her fingers long and small.
And now I think, and now I tale,5
And now I sing, and now I sike,
And thus my countenance I pike."
And, if it fall as for a timè
Her liketh nought abidè by me,
But busien her on other things,
Then make I other tarryings
To dretchè9 forth the longè day ;
For me is loth depart away.
And then I am so simple of port10
That, for to feignè some disport,11
I playè with her little hound,
Now on the bed, now on the ground,
Now with the birdès in the cage;
For there is none so little page,
Ne yet so simple a chamberere,12
That I ne make them allè chere,
All for13 they shouldè speakè well.
Thus may ye see my busy wheel,
That goth nought idelich14 about.
And, if her list to riden out
On pelrinage1 or other stead,16
I come, though I be nought bid,17
And take her in mine arm aloft,
And set her in her saddle soft,
And so forth lead her by the bridle,—
For that I woldè not been idle.
3 Necessarily. 4 Standeth.
8 Excuses for delay.
12 House servant.
5 Tell stories 9 Linger. 13 So that.
GOWER IN HIS OLD AGE BIDS FAREWELL TO LOVE.
I made a likeness of myselve
Unto the sundry monthès twelve.
For who the timès well recordeth,—
And then at March if he begin,
When that the lusty year comth in,
Till Augst be passed and September,—
The mighty youth he may remember
In which the year hath his deduit1
Of grass, of leaf, of flower, of fruit,
Of corn and of the winey grape :
And afterward the time is shape
To frost, to snow, to wind, to rain,
Til eft2 that March be come again.
The winter woll no summer know;
The greenè leaf is overthrow ;3
The clothed earth is thennè bare;
Despoiled is the summer fair.
Venus beheld me then and lough,1
And axeth, as it were in game,
"What love was?" And I for shame
Ne wistè what I should answer.
"Madame," I saidè, "by your leave,
Ye weten well, and so wot I,
That I am unbehovèly
Your court fro this day for to serve.
And, for I may no thank deserve,
And also for I am refused,
I praiè you to been excused.
And netheless, as for to last,8
While that my wittès with me last,
Touchend my Confession,
I ax10 an absolution
Of Genius11 ere that I go.
The priest anon was ready tho,12
And said, Son, as of thy shrift,13
Thou hast full pardon and forgift :14
Forget it thou, and so will I."
"Mine holy father, grant mercy,
Quoth I to him; and to the Queen16
I fell on knees upon the green,
6 Unprofitably. 7 Because.
Il Genius is the "Father."
4 Laughed. 5 Know. 9 The Confessio Amantis. 13 Confession.
And took my leavè for to wend.
But she, that woldè make an end,
As thereto which I was most able,
A pair of beadès,1 black as sable,
She took, and hung my neck about.
Upon the gaudès2 all without
Was writ of gold Pour reposer.
"Lo," thus she saidè, "Johan Gower,
Now thou art at the lastè cast,
Thus have I for thine easè cast3
That thou no more of lovè seech. . .
But my will is that thou beseech
And pray hereafter for the peace,
And that thou make a plein3 release
To Love, which taketh little heed
Of oldè men.
And tarry thou in my court no more;
But go where virtue moral dwelleth,
Where been thy bookès, as men telleth,
Which of long time thou hast y-writ.
And greet well Chaucer, when ye meet,
As my disciple and my poete.
For, in the flowers of his youth,
In sundry-wise as he well couth,
Of ditties and of songès glad,
The which he for my sakè made,
The land fulfilled is over all;
Wherof to him in special
Above all other I am most hold."7
Madame, I can me well accord,”
Quoth I, "to tell as ye me bid.”
And with that word, all suddenly
Enclosed in a starred sky,
Venus, which is the Queen of Love,
Was take into her place above.
3 Ordained. 8 Filled with stars
GOWER IN HIS OLD AGE BIDS FAREWELL TO LOVE.
I made a likeness of myselve
Unto the sundry monthès twelve.
For who the timès well recordeth,-
And then at March if he begin,
When that the lusty year comth in,
Till Augst be passed and September,—
The mighty youth he may remember
In which the year hath his deduit1
Of grass, of leaf, of flower, of fruit,
Of corn and of the winey grape :
And afterward the time is shape
To frost, to snow, to wind, to rain,
Til eft that March be come again.
The winter woll no summer know;
The greenè leaf is overthrow ;3
The clothed earth is thennè bare;
Despoiled is the summer fair.
Venus beheld me then and lough,4
And axeth, as it were in game,
"What love was?" And I for shame
Ne wistè what I should answer. . . .
"Madame,” I saidè, "by your leave,
Ye weten well, and so wot I,
That I am unbehovèly
Your court fro this day for to serve.
And, for I may no thank deserve,
And also for I am refused,
I praiè you to been excused.
And netheless, as for to last,8
While that my wittès with me last,
Touchend my Confession,9
I ax10 an absolution
Of Genius11 ere that I go.
The priest anon was ready tho,12
And said, 66
Son, as of thy shrift,13
Thou hast full pardon and forgift :14
Forget it thou, and so will I."
"Mine holy father, grant mercy,"
Quoth I to him; and to the Queen16
I fell on knees upon the green,
4 Laughed. 5 Know. 9 The Confessio Amantis. 13 Confession.
3 Overthrown.
8 To continue.
12 Then.
6 Unprofitably. 7 Because.
Il Genius is the "Father."
|