The Canterbury Tales, and Other Poems
That cometh of thee, Christe’s mother dear!
We have none other melody nor glee,* *pleasure
Us to rejoice in our adversity;
Nor advocate, that will and dare so pray
For us, and for as little hire as ye,
That helpe for an Ave-Mary or tway.
O.
O very light of eyen that be blind!
O very lust* of labour and distress! *relief, pleasure
O treasurer of bounty to mankind!
The whom God chose to mother for humbless!
From his ancill* <6> he made thee mistress *handmaid
Of heav’n and earth, our *billes up to bede;* *offer up our petitions*
This world awaiteth ever on thy goodness;
For thou ne failedst never wight at need.
P.
Purpose I have sometime for to enquere
Wherefore and why the Holy Ghost thee sought,
When Gabrielis voice came to thine ear;
He not to war* us such a wonder wrought, *afflict
But for to save us, that sithens us bought:
Then needeth us no weapon us to save,
But only, where we did not as we ought,
Do penitence, and mercy ask and have.
Q.
Queen of comfort, right when I me bethink
That I aguilt* have bothe Him and thee, *offended
And that my soul is worthy for to sink,
Alas! I, caitiff, whither shall I flee?
Who shall unto thy Son my meane* be? *medium of approach
Who, but thyself, that art of pity well?* *fountain
Thou hast more ruth on our adversity
Than in this world might any tongue tell!
R.
Redress me, Mother, and eke me chastise!
For certainly my Father’s chastising
I dare not abiden in no wise,
So hideous is his full reckoning.
Mother! of whom our joy began to spring,
Be ye my judge, and eke my soule’s leach;* *physician
For ay in you is pity abounding
To each that will of pity you beseech.
S.
Sooth is it that He granteth no pity
Withoute thee; for God of his goodness
Forgiveth none, *but it like unto thee;* *unless it please
He hath thee made vicar and mistress thee*
Of all this world, and eke governess
Of heaven; and represseth his justice
After* thy will; and therefore in witness *according to
He hath thee crowned in so royal wise.
T.
Temple devout! where God chose his wonning,* *abode
From which, these misbeliev’d deprived be,
To you my soule penitent I bring;
Receive me, for I can no farther flee.
With thornes venomous, O Heaven’s Queen!
For which the earth accursed was full yore,
I am so wounded, as ye may well see,
That I am lost almost, it smart so sore!
V.
Virgin! that art so noble of apparail,* *aspect
That leadest us into the highe tow’r
Of Paradise, thou me *wiss and counsail* *direct and counsel*
How I may have thy grace and thy succour;
All have I been in filth and in errour,
Lady! *on that country thou me adjourn,* *take me to that place*
That called is thy bench of freshe flow’r,
There as that mercy ever shall sojourn.
X.
Xpe <7> thy Son, that in this world alight,
Upon a cross to suffer his passioun,
And suffer’d eke that Longeus his heart pight,* <8> *pierced
And made his hearte-blood to run adown;
And all this was for my salvatioun:
And I to him am false and eke unkind,
And yet he wills not my damnation;
*This thank I you,* succour of all mankind! *for this I am
indebted to you*
Y.
Ysaac was figure of His death certain,
That so farforth his father would obey,
That him *ne raughte* nothing to be slain; *he cared not*
Right so thy Son list as a lamb to dey:* *die
Now, Lady full of mercy! I you pray,
Since he his mercy ’sured me so large,
Be ye not scant, for all we sing and say,
That ye be from vengeance alway our targe.* *shield, defence
Z.
Zachary you calleth the open well <9>
That washed sinful soul out of his guilt;
Therefore this lesson out I will to tell,
That, n’ere* thy tender hearte, we were spilt.** *were it not for
Now, Lady brighte! since thou canst and wilt, *destroyed, undone*
Be to the seed of Adam merciable;* *merciful
Bring us unto that palace that is built
To penitents that be *to mercy able!* *fit to receive mercy*
Explicit.* *The end
Notes to Chaucer’s A. B. C.
1. Chaucer’s A. B. C. — a prayer to the Virgin, in twenty three
verses, beginning with the letters of the alphabet in their
order — is said to have been written “at the request of Blanche,
Duchess of Lancaster, as a prayer for her private use, being a
woman in her religion very devout.” It was first printed in
Speght’s edition of 1597.
2. La Priere De Nostre Dame: French, “The Prayer of Our
Lady.”
3. Thieves seven: i.e. the seven deadly sins
4. Mary’s name recalls the waters of “Marah” or bitterness
(Exod. xv. 23), or the prayer of Naomi in her grief that she
might be called not Naomi, but “Mara” (Ruth i. 20). Mary,
however, is understood to mean “exalted.”
5. A typical representation. See The Prioress’s Tale, third
stanza.
6. The reference evidently is to Luke i. 38 — “Ecce ancilla
Domini,” (“Behold the handmaid of the Lord”) the Virgin’s
humble answer to Gabriel at the Annunciation.
7. “Xpe” represents the Greek letters chi rho epsilon, and is a
contraction for “Christe.”
8. According to tradition, the soldier who struck the Saviour to
the heart with his spear was named Longeus, and was blind;
but, touching his eyes by chance with the mingled blood and
water that flowed down the shaft upon his hands, he was
instantly restored to sight.
9. “In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of
David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for
uncleanness” (Zech. xiii. 1).
A GOODLY BALLAD OF CHAUCER.<1>
MOTHER of nurture, best belov’d of all,
And freshe flow’r, to whom good thrift God send
Your child, if it lust* you me so to call, *please
*All be I* unable myself so to pretend, *although I be
To your discretion I recommend
My heart and all, with ev’ry circumstance,
All wholly to be under your governance.
Most desire I, and have and ever shall,
Thinge which might your hearte’s ease amend
Have me excus’d, my power is but small;
Nathless, of right, ye oughte to commend
My goode will, which fame would entend* *attend, strive
To do you service; for my suffisance* *contentment
Is wholly to be under your governance.
Mieux un in heart which never shall apall, <2>
Ay fresh and new, and right glad to dispend
My time in your service, what so befall,
Beseeching your excellence to defend
My simpleness, if ignorance offend
In any wise; since that mine affiance
Is wholly to be under your governance.
Daisy of light, very ground of comfort,
The sunne’s daughter ye light, as I read;
For when he west’reth, farewell your disport!
By your nature alone, right for pure dread
Of the rude night, that with his *boistous weed* *rude garment*
Of darkness shadoweth our hemisphere,
Then close ye, my life’s lady dear!
Dawneth the day unto his kind resort,
And Phoebus your father, with his streames red,
Adorns the morrow, consuming the sort* *crowd
Of misty cloudes, that would overlade
True humble heartes with their mistihead.* *dimness, mistiness
New comfort adaws,* when your eyen clear *dawns, awakens
Disclose and spread, my life’s lady dear.
Je voudrais* — but the greate God disposeth, *I would wish
And maketh casual, by his Providence,
Such thing as manne’s fraile wit purposeth,
All for the best, if that your conscience
Not grudge it, but in humble patience
It receive; for God saith, withoute fable,
A faithful heart ever is acceptable.
Cauteles* whoso useth gladly, gloseth;** *cautious speeches
To eschew such it is right high prudence; **deceiveth
What ye said ones mine heart opposeth,
That my writing japes* in your absence *jests, coarse stories
Pleased you much better than my presence:
Yet can I more; ye be not excusable;
A faithful heart is ever acceptable.
Quaketh my pen; my spirit supposeth
That in my writing ye will find offence;
Mine hearte welketh* thus; anon it riseth; *withers, faints
Now hot, now cold, and after in fervence;
That is amiss, is caus’d of negligence,
And not of malice; therefore be merciable;
A faithful heart is ever acceptable.
L’Envoy.
Forthe, complaint! forth, lacking eloquence;
Forth little letter, of enditing lame!
I have besought my lady’s sapience
On thy behalfe, to accept in game
Thine inability; do thou the same.
Abide! have more yet! *Je serve Joyesse!* *I serve Joy*
Now forth, I close thee in holy Venus’ name!
Thee shall unclose my hearte’s governess.
Notes To a Goodly Ballad Of Chaucer
1. This elegant little poem is believed to have been addressed to
Margaret, Countess of Pembroke, in whose name Chaucer
found one of those opportunities of praising the daisy he never
lost. (Transcriber’s note: Modern scholars believe that Chaucer
was not the author of this poem)
2. Mieux un in heart which never shall apall: better one who in
heart shall never pall — whose love will never weary.
A BALLAD SENT TO KING RICHARD.
SOMETIME this world was so steadfast and stable,
That man’s word was held obligation;
And now it is so false and deceivable,* *deceitful
That word and work, as in conclusion,
Be nothing one; for turned up so down
Is all this world, through meed* and wilfulness, *bribery
That all is lost for lack of steadfastness.
What makes this world to be so variable,
But lust* that folk have in dissension? *pleasure
For now-a-days a man is held unable* *fit for nothing
*But if* he can, by some collusion,** *unless* *fraud, trick
Do his neighbour wrong or oppression.
What causeth this but wilful wretchedness,
That all is lost for lack of steadfastness?
Truth is put down, reason is holden fable;
Virtue hath now no domination;
Pity exil’d, no wight is merciable;
Through covetise is blent* discretion; *blinded
The worlde hath made permutation
From right to wrong, from truth to fickleness,
That all is lost for lack of steadfastness.
L’Envoy.
O Prince! desire to be honourable;
Cherish thy folk, and hate extortion;
Suffer nothing that may be reprovable* *a subject of reproach
To thine estate, done in thy region;* *kingdom
Show forth the sword of castigation;
Dread God, do law, love thorough worthiness,
And wed thy folk again to steadfastness!
L’ENVOY OF CHAUCER TO BUKTON. <1>
My Master Bukton, when of Christ our King
Was asked, What is truth or soothfastness?
He not a word answer’d to that asking,
As who saith, no man is all true, I guess;
And therefore, though I highte* to express *promised
The sorrow and woe that is in marriage,
I dare not write of it no wickedness,
Lest I myself fall eft* in such dotage.** *again **folly
I will not say how that it is the chain
Of Satanas, on which he gnaweth ever;
But I dare say, were he out of his pain,
As by his will he would be bounden never.
But thilke* doated fool that eft had lever *that
Y-chained be, than out of prison creep,
God let him never from his woe dissever,