Previous: From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 414-434: Pandarus suggests to visit king Sarpendoun

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	Nor in this world ther is non instrument
	Delicious, through wind, or touche, of corde,
	As fer as any wight hath ever ywent,
445	That tonge telle or herte may recorde,
	That at that feste it nas wel herd acorde;
	Ne of ladies eek so fayr a companye
	On daunce, er tho, was never yseyn with ye.

	But what avayleth this to Troilus,
450	That for his sorwe no thing of it roughte?
	For ever in oon his herte pietous
	Ful bisily Criseyde his lady soughte.
	On hir was ever al that his herte thoughte,
	Now this, now that, so faste imagininge,
455	That glade, iwis, can him no festeyinge.

	These ladies eek that at this feste been,
	Syn that he saugh his lady was a-weye,
	It was his sorwe upon hem for to seen,
	Or for to here on instrumentz so pleye.
460	For she, that of his herte berth the keye,
	Was absent, lo, this was his fantasye,
	That no wight sholde make melodye.

	Nor ther nas houre in al the day or night,
	Whan he was ther as no wight mighte him here,
465	That he ne seyde, `O lufsom lady bright,
	How have ye faren, syn that ye were here?
	Welcome, ywis, myn owene lady dere.'
	But welaway, al this nas but a mase;
	Fortune his howve entended bet to glase.

470	The lettres eek, that she of olde tyme
	Hadde him ysent, he wolde allone rede,
	An hundred sythe, a-twixen noon and pryme;
	Refiguringe hir shap, hir womanhede,
	Withinne his herte, and every word and dede
475	That passed was, and thus he droof to an ende
	The ferthe day, and seyde, he wolde wende.

	And seyde, `Leve brother Pandarus,
	Intendestow that we shal here bleve
	Til Sarpedoun wol forth congeyen us?
480	Yet were it fairer that we toke our leve.
	For Goddes love, lat us now sone at eve
	Our leve take, and homward lat us torne;
	For trewely, I nil not thus sojourne.'

	Pandare answerde, `Be we comen hider
485	To fecchen fyr, and rennen hoom ayeyn?
	God helpe me so, I can not tellen whider
	We mighten goon, if I shal soothly seyn,
	Ther any wight is of us more fayn
	Than Sarpedoun; and if we hennes hye
490	Thus sodeinly, I holde it vileynye.

	`Syn that we seyden that we wolde bleve
	With him a wouke; and now, thus sodeynly,
	The ferthe day to take of him oure leve,
	He wolde wondren on it, trewely!
495	Lat us holde forth our purpos fermely;
	And syn that ye bihighten him to byde,
	Hold forward now, and after lat us ryde.'

	Thus Pandarus, with alle peyne and wo,
	Made him to dwelle; and at the woukes ende,
500	Of Sarpedoun they toke hir leve tho,
	And on hir wey they spedden hem to wende.
	Quod Troilus, `Now God me grace sende,
	That I may finden, at myn hom-cominge,
	Criseyde comen!' And therwith gan he singe.

505	`Ye, hasel-wode!' thoughte this Pandare,
	And to himself ful softely he seyde,
	`God woot, refreyden may this hote fare,
	Er Calkas sende Troilus Criseyde!'
	But nathelees, he japed thus, and seyde,
510	And swor, ywis, his herte him wel bihighte,
	She wolde come as sone as ever she mighte.

Next: From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 512-602: Troilus and Pandarus go to Criseyde's empty house