From Geoffrey Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde", Book IV, lines 337-427

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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book IV, lines 218-336:
Troilus pities himself for the decision of the Troians

Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book IV, lines 337-427: Pandarus speaks with Troilus and suggests Troilus should start to love another woman

	A thousand sykes, hottere than the glede,
	Out of his brest ech after other wente,
	Medled with pleyntes newe, his wo to fede,
340	For which his woful teeris never stente;
	And shortly, so his peynes him to-rente,
	And wex so mat, that joye nor penaunce
	He feleth noon, but lyth forth in a traunce.

Pandare, which that in the parlement

345 Hadde herd what every lord and burgeys seyde,

And how ful graunted was, by oon assent,

For Antenor to yelden so Criseyde,

Gan wel neigh wood out of his wit to breyde,

So that, for wo, he niste what he mente;

350 But in a rees to Troilus he wente.

A certeyn knight, that for the tyme kepte

The chaumbre-dore, undide it him anon;

And Pandare, that ful tendreliche wepte,

In-to the derke chaumbre, as stille as ston,

355 Toward the bed gan softely to goon,

So confus, that he niste what to seye;

For verray wo his wit was neigh aweye.

And with his chere and loking al to-torn,

For sorwe of this, and with his armes folden,

360 He stood this woful Troilus biforn,

And on his pitous face he gan biholden;

But lord, so often gan his herte colden,

Seing his freend in wo, whos hevinesse

His herte slow, as thoughte him, for distresse.

365 This woful wight, this Troilus, that felte

His freend Pandare ycomen him to see,

Gan as the snow ayein the sonne melte,

For which this sorwful Pandare, of pitee,

Gan for to wepe as tendreliche as he;

370 And specheles thus been thise ilke tweye,

That neyther mighte o word for sorwe seye.

But at the laste this woful Troilus,

Ney deed for smert, gan bresten out to rore,

And with a sorwful noyse he seyde thus,

375 Among his sobbes and his sykes sore,

`Lo! Pandare, I am deed, withouten more.

Hastow nought herd at parlement,' he seyde,

`For Antenor how lost is my Criseyde?'

This Pandarus, ful deed and pale of hewe,

380 Ful pitously answerde and seyde, `Yis!

As wisly were it fals as it is trewe,

That I have herd, and woot al how it is.

O mercy, God, who wolde have trowed this?

Who wolde have wend that, in so litel a throwe,

385 Fortune our joye wolde han over-throwe?

`For in this world ther is no creature,

As to my doom, that ever saw ruyne

Straungere than this, thorugh cas or aventure.

But who may al eschewe, or al devyne?

390 Swich is this world; for-thy I thus defyne,

Ne trust no wight to finden in Fortune

Ay propretee; hir yiftes been comune.

`But tel me this, why thou art now so mad

To sorwen thus? Why lystow in this wyse,

395 Syn thy desyr al holly hastow had,

So that, by right, it oughte ynow suffyse?

But I, that never felte in my servyse

A frendly chere or loking of an ye,

Lat me thus wepe and wayle, til I dye.

400 `And over al this, as thou wel wost thy-selve,

This town is ful of ladies al aboute;

And, to my doom, fairer than swiche twelve

As ever she was, shal I finde, in som route,

Ye, oon or two, withouten any doute.

405 For-thy be glad, myn owene dere brother,

If she be lost, we shal recovere another.

`What, God forbede alwey that ech plesaunce

In o thing were, and in non other wight!

If oon can singe, another can wel daunce;

410 If this be goodly, she is glad and light;

And this is fayr, and that can good a-right.

Ech for his vertu holden is for dere,

Bothe heroner and faucon for rivere.

`And eek, as writ Zanzis, that was ful wys,

415 "The newe love out chaceth ofte the olde;"

And upon newe cas lyth newe avys.

Thenk eek, thyself to saven artow holde;

Swich fyr, by proces, shal of kinde colde.

For syn it is but casuel plesaunce,

420 Som cas shal putte it out of remembraunce.

`For al-so seur as day cometh after night,

The newe love, labour or other wo,

Or elles selde seinge of a wight,

Don olde affecciouns alle over-go.

425 And, for thy part, thou shalt have oon of tho

To abrigge with thy bittre peynes smerte;

Absence of hir shal dryve hir out of herte.'

Next:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book IV, lines 428-518:
Troilus rejects to love another woman

	Pandare, which that in the parlement
345	Hadde herd what every lord and burgeys seyde,
	And how ful graunted was, by oon assent,
	For Antenor to yelden so Criseyde,
	Gan wel neigh wood out of his wit to breyde,
	So that, for wo, he niste what he mente;
350	But in a rees to Troilus he wente.

	A certeyn knight, that for the tyme kepte
	The chaumbre-dore, undide it him anon;
	And Pandare, that ful tendreliche wepte,
	In-to the derke chaumbre, as stille as ston,
355	Toward the bed gan softely to goon,
	So confus, that he niste what to seye;
	For verray wo his wit was neigh aweye.

	And with his chere and loking al to-torn,
	For sorwe of this, and with his armes folden,
360	He stood this woful Troilus biforn,
	And on his pitous face he gan biholden;
	But lord, so often gan his herte colden,
	Seing his freend in wo, whos hevinesse
	His herte slow, as thoughte him, for distresse.

365	This woful wight, this Troilus, that felte
	His freend Pandare ycomen him to see,
	Gan as the snow ayein the sonne melte,
	For which this sorwful Pandare, of pitee,
	Gan for to wepe as tendreliche as he;
370	And specheles thus been thise ilke tweye,
	That neyther mighte o word for sorwe seye.

	But at the laste this woful Troilus,
	Ney deed for smert, gan bresten out to rore,
	And with a sorwful noyse he seyde thus,
375	Among his sobbes and his sykes sore,
	`Lo! Pandare, I am deed, withouten more.
	Hastow nought herd at parlement,' he seyde,
	`For Antenor how lost is my Criseyde?'

	This Pandarus, ful deed and pale of hewe,
380	Ful pitously answerde and seyde, `Yis!
	As wisly were it fals as it is trewe,
	That I have herd, and woot al how it is.
	O mercy, God, who wolde have trowed this?
	Who wolde have wend that, in so litel a throwe,
385	Fortune our joye wolde han over-throwe?

	`For in this world ther is no creature,
	As to my doom, that ever saw ruyne
	Straungere than this, thorugh cas or aventure.
	But who may al eschewe, or al devyne?
390	Swich is this world; for-thy I thus defyne,
	Ne trust no wight to finden in Fortune
	Ay propretee; hir yiftes been comune.

	`But tel me this, why thou art now so mad
	To sorwen thus? Why lystow in this wyse,
395	Syn thy desyr al holly hastow had,
	So that, by right, it oughte ynow suffyse?
	But I, that never felte in my servyse
	A frendly chere or loking of an ye,
	Lat me thus wepe and wayle, til I dye.

400	`And over al this, as thou wel wost thy-selve,
	This town is ful of ladies al aboute;
	And, to my doom, fairer than swiche twelve
	As ever she was, shal I finde, in som route,
	Ye, oon or two, withouten any doute.
405	For-thy be glad, myn owene dere brother,
	If she be lost, we shal recovere another.

	`What, God forbede alwey that ech plesaunce
	In o thing were, and in non other wight!
	If oon can singe, another can wel daunce;
410	If this be goodly, she is glad and light;
	And this is fayr, and that can good a-right.
	Ech for his vertu holden is for dere,
	Bothe heroner and faucon for rivere.

	`And eek, as writ Zanzis, that was ful wys,
415	"The newe love out chaceth ofte the olde;"
	And upon newe cas lyth newe avys.
	Thenk eek, thyself to saven artow holde;
	Swich fyr, by proces, shal of kinde colde.
	For syn it is but casuel plesaunce,
420	Som cas shal putte it out of remembraunce.

	`For al-so seur as day cometh after night,
	The newe love, labour or other wo,
	Or elles selde seinge of a wight,
	Don olde affecciouns alle over-go.
425	And, for thy part, thou shalt have oon of tho
	To abrigge with thy bittre peynes smerte;
	Absence of hir shal dryve hir out of herte.'