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(Translated by John Payne)
I. METHOUGHT I heard the fair complain | |
| —The fair that erst was helm-maker— | |
| And wish herself a girl again. | |
| After this fashion did I hear: | |
| “Alack! old age, felon and drear, | 5 |
| Why hast so early laid me low? | |
| What hinders but I stay me here | |
| And so at one stroke end my woe? | |
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II. “Thou hast undone the mighty thrall | |
| In which my beauty held for me | 10 |
| Clerks, merchants, churchmen, one and all: | |
| For never man my face might see, | |
| But would have given his all for fee,— | |
| Without a thought of his abuse,— | |
| So I should yield him at his gree | 15 |
| What churls for nothing now refuse. | |
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III. “I did to many me deny | |
| (Therein I showed but little guile) | |
| For love of one right false and sly, | |
| Whom without stint I loved erewhile. | 20 |
| Whomever else I might bewile, | |
| I loved him well, sorry or glad: | |
| But he to me was harsh and vile | |
| And loved me but for what I had. | |
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IV. “Ill as he used me, and howe’er | 25 |
| Unkind, I loved him none the less: | |
| Even had he made me faggots bear, | |
| One kiss from him or one caress, | |
| And I forgot my every stress. | |
| The rogue! ’twas ever thus the same | 30 |
| With him. It brought me scant liesse: | |
| And what is left me? Sin and shame. | |
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V. “Now is he dead this thirty year, | |
| And I’m grown old and worn and gray: | |
| When I recall the days that were | 35 |
| And think of what I am to-day | |
| And when me naked I survey | |
| And see my body shrunk to nought, | |
| Withered and shrivelled,—wellaway! | |
| For grief I am well-nigh distraught. | 40 |
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VI. “Where is that clear and crystal brow? | |
| Those eyebrows arched and golden hair? | |
| And those bright eyes, where are they now, | |
| Wherewith the wisest ravished were? | |
| The little nose so straight and fair; | 45 |
| The tiny tender perfect ear; | |
| Where is the dimpled chin and where | |
| The pouting lips so red and clear? | |
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VII. “The shoulders gent and strait and small; | |
| Round arms and white hands delicate; | 50 |
| The little pointed breasts withal; | |
| The haunches plump and high and straight, | |
| Right fit for amorous debate; | |
| Wide hips and dainty quelquechose, | |
| Betwixt broad firm thighs situate, | 55 |
| Within its little garden-close. | |
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VIII. “Brows wrinkled sore and tresses gray; | |
| The brows all fall’n and dim the eyne | |
| That wont to charm men’s hearts away; | |
| The nose, that was so straight and fine, | 60 |
| Now bent and swerved from beauty’s line; | |
| Chin peaked, ears furred and hanging down; | |
| Faded the face and quenched its shine | |
| And lips mere bags of loose skin grown. | |
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IX. “Such is the end of human grace: | 65 |
| The arms grown short and hands all thrawn; | |
| The shoulders bowed out of their place; | |
| The breasts all shrivelled up and gone; | |
| The haunches like the paps withdrawn; | |
| The thighs no longer like to thighs, | 70 |
| Withered and mottled all like brawn, | |
| And fie on that between them lies! | |
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X. “And so the litany goes round, | |
| Lamenting the good time gone by, | |
| Among us crouched upon the ground, | 75 |
| Poor silly hags, to-huddled by | |
| A scanty fire of hempstalks dry, | |
| Kindled in haste and soon gone out; | |
| (We that once held our heads so high!) | |
| So all take turn and turn about!” | 80 |
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