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I. (The Lover’s worthiness.)
THER nis so hy comfort to my plesaunce, | |
| Whan that I am in any hevinesse, | |
| As for to have leyser of remembraunce | |
| Upon the manhod and the worthinesse, | |
| Upon the trouthe, and on the stedfastnesse | 5 |
| Of him whos I am al, whyl I may dure; | |
| Ther oghte blame me no creature, | |
| For every wight preiseth his gentilesse. | |
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| In him is bountee, wisdom, governaunce | |
| Wel more then any mannes wit can gesse; | 10 |
| For grace hath wold so ferforth him avaunce | |
| That of knighthode he is parfit richesse. | |
| Honour honoureth him for his noblesse; | |
| Therto so wel hath formed him Nature, | |
| That I am his for ever, I him assure, | 15 |
| For every wight preiseth his gentilesse. | |
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| And not-withstanding al his suffisaunce, | |
| His gentil herte is of so greet humblesse | |
| To me in worde, in werke, in contenaunce, | |
| And me to serve is al his besinesse, | 20 |
| That I am set in verrey sikernesse. | |
| Thus oghte I blesse wel myn aventure, | |
| Sith that him list me serven and honoure; | |
| For every wight preiseth his gentilesse. | |
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II. (Disquietude caused by Jealousy.)
Now certes, Love, hit is right covenable | 25 |
| That men ful dere bye thy noble thing, | |
| As wake a-bedde, and fasten at the table, | |
| Weping to laughe, and singe in compleyning, | |
| And doun to caste visage and loking, | |
| Often to chaungen hewe and contenaunce, | 30 |
| Pleyne in sleping, and dremen at the daunce, | |
| Al the revers of any glad feling. | |
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| Ialousye be hanged by a cable! | |
| She wolde al knowe through hir espying; | |
| Ther doth no wight no-thing so resonable, | 35 |
| That al nis harm in hir imagening. | |
| Thus dere abought is love in yeving, | |
| Which ofte he yiveth with-outen ordinaunce, | |
| As sorow ynogh, and litel of plesaunce, | |
| Al the revers of any glad feling. | 40 |
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| A litel tyme his yift is agreable, | |
| But ful encomberous is the using; | |
| For sotel Ialousye, the deceyvable, | |
| Ful often-tyme causeth destourbing. | |
| Thus be we ever in drede and suffering, | 45 |
| In nouncerteyn we languisshe in penaunce, | |
| And han ful often many an hard meschaunce, | |
| Al the revers of any glad feling. | |
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III. (Satisfaction in Constancy.)
But certes, Love, I sey nat in such wyse | |
| That for tescape out of your lace I mente; | 50 |
| For I so longe have been in your servyse | |
| That for to lete of wol I never assente; | |
| No force thogh Ialousye me tormente; | |
| Suffyceth me to see him whan I may, | |
| And therfore certes, to myn ending-day | 55 |
| To love him best ne shal I never repente. | |
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| And certes, Love, whan I me wel avyse | |
| On any estat that man may represente, | |
| Than have ye maked me, through your franchyse, | |
| Chese the best that ever on erthe wente. | 60 |
| Now love wel, herte, and look thou never stente; | |
| And let the Ielous putte hit in assay | |
| That, for no peyne wol I nat sey nay; | |
| To love him best ne shal I never repente. | |
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| Herte, to thee hit oghte y-nogh suffyse | 65 |
| That Love so hy a grace to thee sente, | |
| To chese the worthiest in alle wyse | |
| And most agreable unto myn entente. | |
| Seche no ferther, neyther wey ne wente, | |
| Sith I have suffisaunce unto my pay. | 70 |
| Thus wol I ende this compleynt or lay; | |
| To love him best ne shal I never repente. | |
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Lenvoy.
Princess, receyveth this compleynt in gree, | |
| Unto your excellent benignitee | |
| Direct after my litel suffisaunce. | 75 |
| For eld, that in my spirit dulleth me, | |
| Hath of endyting al the soteltee | |
| Wel ny bereft out of my remembraunce; | |
| And eek to me hit is a greet penaunce, | |
| Sith rym in English hath swich scarsitee, | 80 |
| To folowe word by word the curiositee | |
| Of Graunson, flour of hem that make in Fraunce. | |
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