Troilus and Criseyde. Geoffrey Chaucer

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СКАЧАТЬ youngë knightës, led them up and down

      In that large temple upon ev’ry side,

      Beholding ay the ladies of the town;

      Now here, now there, for no devotioun

      Had he to none, to reavë him{34} his rest,

      But gan to praise and lackë whom him lest;{35}

      And in his walk full fast he gan to wait{36}

      If knight or squiér of his companý

      Gan for to sigh, or let his eyen bait{37}

      On any woman that he could espy;

      Then he would smile, and hold it a follý,

      And say him thus: “Ah, Lord, she sleepeth soft

      For love of thee, when as thou turnest oft.{38}

      “I have heard told, pardie, of your living,

      Ye lovers, and your lewëd{39} observance,

      And what a labour folk have in winning

      Of love, and in it keeping with doubtánce;{40}

      And when your prey is lost, woe and penánce;{41}

      Oh, very foolës! may ye no thing see?

      Can none of you aware by other be?”{42}

      But the God of Love vowed vengeance on Troilus for that despite, and, showing that his bow was not broken, “hit him at the full.”

      Within the temple went he forth playíng,

      This Troilus, with ev’ry wight about,

      On this ladý and now on that looking,

      Whether she were of town, or of without;{43}

      And upon cas{44} befell, that through the rout{45}

      His eyë pierced, and so deep it went,

      Till on Cressíde it smote, and there it stent;{46}

      And suddenly wax’d wonder sore astoned,{47}

      And gan her bet{48} behold in busy wise:

      “Oh, very god!”{49} thought he; “where hast thou woned{50}

      That art so fair and goodly to devise?{51}

      Therewith his heart began to spread and rise;

      And soft he sighed, lest men might him hear,

      And caught again his former playing cheer.{52}

      She was not with the least of her statúre,{53}

      But all her limbës so well answeríng

      Were to womanhood, that creatúre

      Was never lessë mannish in seemíng.

      And eke the purë wise of her movíng{54}

      She showed well, that men might in her guess

      Honour, estate,{55} and womanly nobless.

      Then Troilus right wonder well withal

      Began to like her moving and her cheer,{56}

      Which somedeal dainous{57} was, for she let fall

      Her look a little aside, in such mannére

      Ascauncë{58} “What! may I not stande here?”

      And after that her looking gan she light,{59}

      That never thought him see so good a sight.

      And of her look in him there gan to quicken

      So great desire, and strong affectión,

      That in his heartë’s bottom gan to sticken

      Of her the fix’d and deep impressión;

      And though he erst had pored up and down,{60}

      Then was he glad his hornës in to shrink;

      Unnethës{61} wist he how to look or wink.

      Lo! he that held himselfe so cunning,

      And scorned them that Lovë’s painës drien,{62}

      Was full unware that love had his dwelling

      Within the subtile streamës{63} of her eyen;

      That suddenly he thought he feltë dien,

      Right with her look, the spirit in his heart;

      Blessed be Love, that thus can folk convert!

      She thus, in black, looking to Troilus,

      Over all things he stoodë to behold;

      But his desire, nor wherefore he stood thus,

      He neither cheerë made,{64} nor wordë told;

      But from afar, his manner for to hold,{65}

      On other things sometimes his look he cast,

      And eft{66} on her, while that the service last.{67}

      And after this, not fully all awhaped,{68}

      Out of the temple all easily be went,

      Repenting him that ever he had japed{69}

      Of Lovë’s folk, lest fully the descent

      Of scorn fell on himself; but what he meant,

      Lest it were wist on any manner side,

      His woe he gan dissemble and eke hide.

      Returning to his palace, he begins hypocritically to smile and jest at Love’s servants and their pains; but by and by he has to dismiss his attendants, feigning “other busy needs.” Then, alone in his chamber, he begins to groan and sigh, and call up again Criseyde’s form as he saw her in the temple—“making a mirror of his mind, in which he saw all wholly her figúre.” He thinks no travail or sorrow too high a price for the love of such a goodly woman; and, “full unadvised of his woe coming,”

      Thus took he purpose Lovë’s craft to sue,{70}

      And thought that he would work all privily,

      First for to hide his desire СКАЧАТЬ