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| O blisful light of whiche the bemes clere | |
| Adorneth al the thridde hevene faire! | |
| O sonnes lief, O Joves doughter dere, | |
| Plesaunce of love, O goodly debonaire, | |
| 5 | In gentil hertes ay redy to repaire! |
| O verray cause of hele and of gladnesse, | |
| Yheried be thy might and thy goodnesse! |
| In hevene and helle, in erthe and salte see | |
| Is felt thy might, if that I wel descerne; | |
| 10 | As man, brid, best, fish, herbe and grene tree |
| Thee fele in tymes with vapour eterne. | |
| God loveth, and to love wol nought werne; | |
| And in this world no lyves creature, | |
| Withouten love, is worth, or may endure. |
| 15 | Ye Joves first to thilke effectes glade, |
| Thorugh which that thinges liven alle and be, | |
| Comeveden, and amorous him made | |
| On mortal thing, and as yow list, ay ye | |
| Yeve him in love ese or adversitee; | |
| 20 | And in a thousand formes doun him sente |
| For love in erthe, and whom yow liste, he hente. |
| Ye fierse Mars apeysen of his ire, | |
| And, as yow list, ye maken hertes digne; | |
| Algates, hem that ye wol sette a-fyre, | |
| 25 | They dreden shame, and vices they resigne; |
| Ye do hem corteys be, fresshe and benigne, | |
| And hye or lowe, after a wight entendeth; | |
| The joyes that he hath, your might him sendeth. |
| Ye holden regne and hous in unitee; | |
| 30 | Ye soothfast cause of frendship been also; |
| Ye knowe al thilke covered qualitee | |
| Of thinges which that folk on wondren so, | |
| Whan they can not construe how it may jo, | |
| She loveth him, or why he loveth here; | |
| 35 | As why this fish, and nought that, comth to were. |
| Ye folk a lawe han set in universe, | |
| And this knowe I by hem that loveres be, | |
| That whoso stryveth with yow hath the werse: | |
| Now, lady bright, for thy benignitee, | |
| 40 | At reverence of hem that serven thee, |
| Whos clerk I am, so techeth me devyse | |
| Som joye of that is felt in thy servyse. |
| Ye in my naked herte sentement | |
| Inhelde, and do me shewe of thy swetnesse. -- | |
| 45 | Caliope, thy vois be now present, |
| For now is nede; sestow not my destresse, | |
| How I mot telle anonright the gladnesse | |
| Of Troilus, to Venus heryinge? | |
| To which gladnes, who nede hath, God him bringe! |
| Next: From Troilus and Criseyde, Book III, lines 50-112: Pandarus and Criseyde enter Troilus' room |