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Whan they unto the paleys were ycomen | |
Of Troilus, they doun of hors alighte, | |
And to the chambre hir wey than han they nomen. | |
515 | And into tyme that it gan to nighte, |
They spaken of Criseyde the brighte. | |
And after this, whan that hem bothe leste, | |
They spedde hem fro the soper un-to reste. |
On morwe, as sone as day bigan to clere, | |
520 | This Troilus gan of his sleep tabrayde, |
And to Pandare, his owene brother dere, | |
`For love of God,' ful pitously he seyde, | |
`As go we seen the paleys of Criseyde; | |
For syn we yet may have namore feste, | |
525 | So lat us seen hir paleys at the leste.' |
And therwithal, his meyne for to blende, | |
A cause he fond in toune for to go, | |
And to Criseydes hous they gonnen wende. | |
But lord! This sely Troilus was wo! | |
530 | Him thoughte his sorweful herte braste atwo. |
For whan he saugh hir dores sperred alle, | |
Wel neigh for sorwe a-doun he gan to falle. |
Therwith, whan he was war and gan biholde | |
How shet was every windowe of the place, | |
535 | As frost, him thoughte, his herte gan to colde; |
For which with chaunged deedlich pale face, | |
Withouten word, he forth bigan to pace; | |
And, as God wolde, he gan so faste ryde, | |
That no wight of his contenance aspyde. |
540 | Than seyde he thus; `O paleys desolat, |
O hous, of houses whylom best y-hight, | |
O paleys empty and disconsolat, | |
O thou lanterne, of which queynt is the light, | |
O paleys, whylom day, that now art night, | |
545 | Wel oughtestow to falle, and I to dye, |
Syn she is went that wont was us to gye! |
`O paleys, whylom croune of houses alle, | |
Enlumined with sonne of alle blisse! | |
O ring, fro which the ruby is out falle, | |
550 | O cause of wo, that cause hast been of lisse! |
Yet, syn I may no bet, fayn wolde I kisse | |
Thy colde dores, dorste I for this route; | |
And fare-wel shryne, of which the seynt is oute!' |
Ther-with he caste on Pandarus his ye | |
555 | With chaunged face, and pitous to biholde; |
And whan he mighte his tyme aright aspye, | |
Ay as he rood, to Pandarus he tolde | |
His newe sorwe, and eek his joyes olde, | |
So pitously and with so dede an hewe, | |
560 | That every wight mighte on his sorwe rewe. |
Fro thennesforth he rydeth up and doun, | |
And every thing com him to remembraunce | |
As he rood forbi places of the toun | |
In whiche he whylom hadde al his plesaunce. | |
565 | `Lo, yond saugh I myn owene lady daunce; |
And in that temple, with hir eyen clere, | |
Me coughte first my righte lady dere. |
`And yonder have I herd ful lustily | |
My dere herte laugh, and yonder pleye | |
570 | Saugh I hir ones eek ful blisfully. |
And yonder ones to me gan she seye, | |
"Now goode swete, love me wel, I preye." | |
And yond so goodly gan she me biholde, | |
That to the deeth myn herte is to hir holde. |
575 | `And at that corner, in the yonder hous, |
Herde I myn alderlevest lady dere | |
So wommanly, with voys melodious, | |
Singen so wel, so goodly, and so clere, | |
That in my soule yet me thinketh I here | |
580 | The blisful soun; and, in that yonder place, |
My lady first me took unto hir grace.' |
Thanne thoughte he thus, `O blisful lord Cupyde, | |
Whanne I the proces have in my memorie, | |
How thou me hast werreyed on every syde, | |
585 | Men might a book make of it, lyk a storie. |
What nede is thee to seke on me victorie, | |
Syn I am thyn, and hoolly at thy wille? | |
What joye hastow thyn owene folk to spille? |
`Wel hastow, lord, y-wroke on me thyn ire, | |
590 | Thou mighty God, and dredful for to greve! |
Now mercy, lord, thou wost wel I desire | |
Thy grace most, of alle lustes leve, | |
And live and deye I wol in thy bileve, | |
For which I naxe in guerdon but a bone, | |
595 | That thou Criseyde ayein me sende sone. |
`Distreyne hir herte as faste to retorne | |
As thou dost myn to longen hir to see; | |
Than woot I wel, that she nil nought sojourne. | |
Now, blisful lord, so cruel thou ne be | |
600 | Unto the blood of Troye, I preye thee, |
As Juno was unto the blood Thebane, | |
For which the folk of Thebes caughte hir bane.' |
Next: From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 603-686: Troilus continues his mourning |