From Geoffrey Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde", Book I, lines 1-55

Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book I, lines 1-55: About Troilus, son of Priamus who is king of Troy

	The double sorwe of Troilus to tellen,
	That was the king Priamus sone of Troye,
	In lovinge, how his aventures fellen
	Fro wo to wele, and after out of joye,
5	My purpos is, er that I parte fro ye.
	Thesiphone, thou help me for t'endite
	Thise woful vers, that wepen as I write!

To thee clepe I, thou goddesse of torment,

Thou cruel Furie, sorwing ever in peyne;

10 Help me, that am the sorwful instrument

That helpeth lovers, as I can, to pleyne!

For wel sit it, the sothe for to seyne,

A woful wight to han a drery feere,

And, to a sorwful tale, a sory cheere.

15 For I, that God of Loves servaunts serve,

Ne dar to Love, for myn unlyklinesse,

Preyen for speed, al sholde I therfor sterve,

So fer am I fro his help in derknesse;

But nathelees, if this may doon gladnesse

20 To any lover, and his cause avayle,

Have he my thank, and myn be this travayle!

But ye loveres, that bathen in gladnesse,

If any drope of pitee in yow be,

Remembreth yow on passed hevynesse

25 That ye han felt, and on the adversitee

Of othere folk, and thenketh how that ye

Han felt that Love dorste yow displese;

Or ye han wonne hym with to greet an ese.

And preyeth for hem that ben in the cas

30 Of Troilus, as ye may after here,

That love hem bringe in hevene to solas,

And eek for me preyeth to God so dere,

That I have might to shewe, in som manere,

Swich peyne and wo as Loves folk endure,

35 In Troilus unsely aventure.

And biddeth eek for hem that been despeyred

In love, that never nil recovered be,

And eek for hem that falsly been apeyred

Thorugh wikked tonges, be it he or she;

40 Thus biddeth God, for his benignitee,

So graunte hem sone out of this world to pace,

That been despeyred out of Loves grace.

And biddeth eek for hem that been at ese,

That God hem graunte ay good perseveraunce,

45 And sende hem might hir ladies so to plese,

That it to Love be worship and plesaunce.

For so hope I my soule best avaunce,

To preye for hem that Loves servaunts be,

And write hir wo, and live in charitee.

50 And for to have of hem compassioun

As though I were hir owene brother dere.

Now herkneth with a good entencioun,

For now wol I gon streight to my matere,

In whiche ye may the double sorwes here

55 Of Troilus, in loving of Criseyde,

And how that she forsook him er she deyde.

Next:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book I, lines 56-91:
The treason of Calkas

	To thee clepe I, thou goddesse of torment,
	Thou cruel Furie, sorwing ever in peyne;
10	Help me, that am the sorwful instrument
	That helpeth lovers, as I can, to pleyne!
	For wel sit it, the sothe for to seyne,
	A woful wight to han a drery feere,
	And, to a sorwful tale, a sory cheere.

15	For I, that God of Loves servaunts serve,
	Ne dar to Love, for myn unlyklinesse,
	Preyen for speed, al sholde I therfor sterve,
	So fer am I fro his help in derknesse;
	But nathelees, if this may doon gladnesse
20	To any lover, and his cause avayle,
	Have he my thank, and myn be this travayle!

	But ye loveres, that bathen in gladnesse,
	If any drope of pitee in yow be,
	Remembreth yow on passed hevynesse
25	That ye han felt, and on the adversitee
	Of othere folk, and thenketh how that ye
	Han felt that Love dorste yow displese;
	Or ye han wonne hym with to greet an ese.

	And preyeth for hem that ben in the cas
30	Of Troilus, as ye may after here,
	That love hem bringe in hevene to solas,
	And eek for me preyeth to God so dere,
	That I have might to shewe, in som manere,
	Swich peyne and wo as Loves folk endure,
35	In Troilus unsely aventure.

	And biddeth eek for hem that been despeyred
	In love, that never nil recovered be,
	And eek for hem that falsly been apeyred
	Thorugh wikked tonges, be it he or she;
40	Thus biddeth God, for his benignitee,
	So graunte hem sone out of this world to pace,
	That been despeyred out of Loves grace.

	And biddeth eek for hem that been at ese,
	That God hem graunte ay good perseveraunce,
45	And sende hem might hir ladies so to plese,
	That it to Love be worship and plesaunce.
	For so hope I my soule best avaunce,
	To preye for hem that Loves servaunts be,
	And write hir wo, and live in charitee.

50	And for to have of hem compassioun
	As though I were hir owene brother dere.
	Now herkneth with a good entencioun,
	For now wol I gon streight to my matere,
	In whiche ye may the double sorwes here
55	Of Troilus, in loving of Criseyde,
	And how that she forsook him er she deyde.