Previous Previous:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book I, lines 400-469:
Canticus Troili: Troilus falls deeper in love with Criseyde
Previous
Librarius Homepage
© Librarius
All rights reserved.


Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book I, lines 470-539: Troilus becomes lovesick


470The sharpe shoures felle of armes preve,
That Ector or his othere bretheren diden,
Ne made him only therfore ones meve;
And yet was he, where so men wente or riden,
Founde oon the beste, and lengest tyme abiden
475Ther peril was, and dide eek such travayle
In armes, that to thenke it was mervayle.

But for non hate he to the Grekes hadde,
Ne also for the rescous of the toun,
Ne made him thus in armes for to madde,
480But only, lo, for this conclusioun,
To lyken hir the bet for his renoun;
Fro day to day in armes so he spedde,
That alle the Grekes as the deeth him dredde.

And fro this forth tho refte him love his sleep,
485And made his mete his foo; and eek his sorwe
Gan multiplie, that, whoso toke keep,
It shewed in his hewe, bothe eve and morwe;
Therfor a title he gan him for to borwe
Of other syknesse, lest of him men wende
490That the hote fyr of love him brende,

And seyde, he hadde a fever and ferde amis;
But how it was, certayn, can I not seye,
If that his lady understood not this,
Or feyned hir she niste, oon of the tweye;
495But wel I rede that, by no maner weye,
Ne semed it as that she of him roughte,
Nor of his peyne, or whatsoever he thoughte.

But than fel to this Troilus swich wo,
That he was wel neigh wood; for ay his drede
500Was this, that she som wight had loved so,
That never of him she wolde han taken hede;
For whiche him thoughte he felte his herte blede.
Ne of his wo ne dorste he not biginne
To tellen it, for al this world to winne.

505But whanne he hadde a space fro his care,
Thus to himself ful ofte he gan to pleyne;
He sayde, `O fool, now art thou in the snare,
That whilom japedest at loves peyne;
Now artow hent, now gnaw thyn owene cheyne;
510Thou were ay wont eche lovere reprehende
Of thing fro which thou canst thee nat defende.

`What wol now every lover seyn of thee,
If this be wist, but ever in thyn absence
Laughen in scorn, and seyn, `Lo, ther gooth he,
515That is the man of so gret sapience,
That held us lovers leest in reverence!
Now, thanked be God, he may goon in the daunce
Of hem that Love list febly for to avaunce!'

`But, O thou woful Troilus, god wolde,
520Syn thou most loven thurgh thi destinee,
That thow beset were on swich oon that sholde
Knowe al thy wo, al lakkede hir pitee:
But al so cold in love, towardes thee,
Thy lady is, as frost in winter mone,
525And thou fordoon, as snow in fyr is sone.'

`God wolde I were aryved in the port
Of deth, to which my sorwe wil me lede!
A, lord, to me it were a gret comfort;
Than were I quit of languisshing in drede.
530For by myn hidde sorwe y-blowe on brede
I shal byjaped been a thousand tyme
More than that fool of whos folye men ryme.

`But now help God, and ye, swete, for whom
I pleyne, y-caught, ye, never wight so faste!
535O mercy, dere herte, and help me from
The deeth, for I, whyl that my lyf may laste,
More than myself wol love yow to my laste.
And with som freendly look gladeth me, swete,
Though never more thing ye me bihete!'



Next Next:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book I, lines 540-581:
Pandarus visits his friend Troilus
Next