Incipit prohemium tercii libri.

O blisful light of whiche the bemes clere  
Adorneth al the thridde hevene faire!
O sonnes lief, O Ioves doughter dere,
Plesaunce of love, O goodly debonaire,
In gentil hertes ay redy to repaire!  
O verray cause of hele and of gladnesse,
Y-heried be thy might and thy goodnesse!

In hevene and helle, in erthe and salte see
Is felt thy might, if that I wel descerne;
As man, brid, best, fish, herbe and grene tree  
Thee fele in tymes with vapour eterne.
God loveth, and to love wol nought werne;
And in this world no lyves creature,
With-outen love, is worth, or may endure.

Ye Ioves first to thilke effectes glade,  
Thorugh which that thinges liven alle and be,
Comeveden, and amorous him made
On mortal thing, and as yow list, ay ye
Yeve him in love ese or adversitee;
And in a thousand formes doun him sente  
For love in erthe, and whom yow liste, he hente.

Ye fierse Mars apeysen of his ire,
And, as yow list, ye maken hertes digne;
Algates, hem that ye wol sette a-fyre,
They dreden shame, and vices they resigne;  
Ye do hem corteys be, fresshe and benigne,
And hye or lowe, after a wight entendeth;
The Ioyes that he hath, your might him sendeth.

Ye holden regne and hous in unitee;
Ye soothfast cause of frendship been also;  
Ye knowe al thilke covered qualitee
Of thinges which that folk on wondren so,
Whan they can not construe how it may io,
She loveth him, or why he loveth here;
As why this fish, and nought that, comth to were.  

Ye folk a lawe han set in universe,
And this knowe I by hem that loveres be,
That who-so stryveth with yow hath the werse:
Now, lady bright, for thy benignitee,
At reverence of hem that serven thee,  
Whos clerk I am, so techeth me devyse
Som Ioye of that is felt in thy servyse.

Ye in my naked herte sentement
Inhelde, and do me shewe of thy swetnesse. --
Caliope, thy vois be now present,  
For now is nede; sestow not my destresse,
How I mot telle anon-right the gladnesse
Of Troilus, to Venus heryinge?
To which gladnes, who nede hath, god him bringe!

Explicit prohemium Tercii Libri.

Incipit Liber Tercius.

Lay al this mene whyle Troilus,  
Recordinge his lessoun in this manere,
'Ma fey!' thought he, 'Thus wole I seye and thus;
Thus wole I pleyne unto my lady dere;
That word is good, and this shal be my chere;
This nil I not foryeten in no wyse.'  
God leve him werken as he can devyse!

And, lord, so that his herte gan to quappe,
Heringe hir come, and shorte for to syke!
And Pandarus, that ledde hir by the lappe,
Com ner, and gan in at the curtin pyke,  
And seyde, 'God do bote on alle syke!
See, who is here yow comen to visyte;
Lo, here is she that is your deeth to wyte.'

Ther-with it semed as he wepte almost;
'A ha,' quod Troilus so rewfully,  
'Wher me be wo, O mighty god, thow wost!
Who is al there? I se nought trewely.'
'Sire,' quod Criseyde, 'it is Pandare and I.'
'Ye, swete herte? Allas, I may nought ryse
To knele, and do yow honour in som wyse.'  

And dressede him upward, and she right tho
Gan bothe here hondes softe upon him leye,
'O, for the love of god, do ye not so
To me,' quod she, 'Ey! What is this to seye?
Sire, come am I to yow for causes tweye;  
First, yow to thonke, and of your lordshipe eke
Continuance I wolde yow biseke.'

This Troilus, that herde his lady preye
Of lordship him, wex neither quik ne deed,
Ne mighte a word for shame to it seye,  
Al-though men sholde smyten of his heed.
But lord, so he wex sodeinliche reed,
And sire, his lesson, that he wende conne,
To preyen hir, is thurgh his wit y-ronne.

Cryseyde al this aspyede wel y-nough,  
For she was wys, and lovede him never-the-lasse,
Al nere he malapert, or made it tough,
Or was to bold, to singe a fool a masse.
But whan his shame gan somwhat to passe,
His resons, as I may my rymes holde,  
I yow wole telle, as techen bokes olde.

In chaunged vois, right for his verray drede,
Which vois eek quook, and ther-to his manere
Goodly abayst, and now his hewes rede,
Now pale, un-to Criseyde, his lady dere,  
With look doun cast and humble yolden chere,
Lo, the alderfirste word that him asterte
Was, twyes, 'Mercy, mercy, swete herte!'

And stinte a whyl, and whan he mighte out-bringe,
The nexte word was, 'God wot, for I have,  
As feyfully as I have had konninge,
Ben youres, also god so my sowle save;
And shal til that I, woful wight, be grave.
And though I dar ne can un-to yow pleyne,
Y-wis, I suffre nought the lasse peyne.  

'Thus muche as now, O wommanliche wyf,
I may out-bringe, and if this yow displese,
That shal I wreke upon myn owne lyf
Right sone, I trowe, and doon your herte an ese,
If with my deeth your herte I may apese.  
But sin that ye han herd me som-what seye,
Now recche I never how sone that I deye.'

Ther-with his manly sorwe to biholde,
It mighte han maad an herte of stoon to rewe;
And Pandare weep as he to watre wolde,  
And poked ever his nece newe and newe,
And seyde, 'Wo bigon ben hertes trewe!
For love of god, make of this thing an ende,
Or slee us bothe at ones, er that ye wende.'

'I? What?' quod she, 'By god and by my trouthe,  
I noot nought what ye wilne that I seye.'
'I? What?' quod he, 'That ye han on him routhe,
For goddes love, and doth him nought to deye.'
'Now thanne thus,' quod she, 'I wolde him preye
To telle me the fyn of his entente;  
Yet wist I never wel what that he mente.'

'What that I mene, O swete herte dere?'
Quod Troilus, 'O goodly, fresshe free!
That, with the stremes of your eyen clere,
Ye wolde som-tyme freendly on me see,  
And thanne agreen that I may ben he,
With-oute braunche of vyce on any wyse,
In trouthe alwey to doon yow my servyse,

'As to my lady right and chief resort,
With al my wit and al my diligence,  
And I to han, right as yow list, comfort,
Under your yerde, egal to myn offence,
As deeth, if that I breke your defence;
And that ye deigne me so muche honoure,
Me to comaunden ought in any houre.  

'And I to ben your verray humble trewe,
Secret, and in my paynes pacient,
And ever-mo desire freshly newe,
To serven, and been y-lyke ay diligent,
And, with good herte, al holly your talent  
Receyven wel, how sore that me smerte,
Lo, this mene I, myn owene swete herte.'

Quod Pandarus, 'Lo, here an hard request,
And resonable, a lady for to werne!
Now, nece myn, by natal Ioves fest,  
Were I a god, ye sholde sterve as yerne,
That heren wel, this man wol no-thing yerne
But your honour, and seen him almost sterve,
And been so looth to suffren him yow serve.'

With that she gan hir eyen on him caste  
Ful esily, and ful debonairly,
Avysing hir, and hyed not to faste
With never a word, but seyde him softely,
'Myn honour sauf, I wol wel trewely,
And in swich forme as he can now devyse,  
Receyven him fully to my servyse,

'Biseching him, for goddes love, that he
Wolde, in honour of trouthe and gentilesse,
As I wel mene, eek mene wel to me,
And myn honour, with wit and besinesse  
Ay kepe; and if I may don him gladnesse,
From hennes-forth, y-wis, I nil not feyne:
Now beeth al hool; no lenger ye ne pleyne.

'But nathelees, this warne I yow,' quod she,
'A kinges sone al-though ye be, y-wis,  
Ye shal na-more have soverainetee
Of me in love, than right in that cas is;
Ne I nil forbere, if that ye doon a-mis,
To wrathen yow; and whyl that ye me serve,
Cherycen yow right after ye deserve.  

'And shortly, dere herte and al my knight,
Beth glad, and draweth yow to lustinesse,
And I shal trewely, with al my might,
Your bittre tornen al in-to swetenesse.
If I be she that may yow do gladnesse,  
For every wo ye shal recovere a blisse';
And him in armes took, and gan him kisse.

Fil Pandarus on knees, and up his eyen
To hevene threw, and held his hondes hye,
'Immortal god!' quod he, 'That mayst nought dyen,  
Cupide I mene, of this mayst glorifye;
And Venus, thou mayst maken melodye;
With-outen hond, me semeth that in the towne,
For this merveyle, I here ech belle sowne.

'But **! No more as now of this matere,  
For-why this folk wol comen up anoon,
That han the lettre red; lo, I hem here.
But I coniure thee, Criseyde, and oon,
And two, thou Troilus, whan thow mayst goon,
That at myn hous ye been at my warninge,  
For I ful wel shal shape youre cominge;

'And eseth ther your hertes right y-nough;
And lat see which of yow shal bere the belle
To speke of love a-right!' ther-with he lough,
'For ther have ye a layser for to telle.'  
Quod Troilus, 'How longe shal I dwelle
Er this be doon?' Quod he, 'Whan thou mayst ryse,
This thing shal be right as I yow devyse.'

With that Eleyne and also Deiphebus
Tho comen upward, right at the steyres ende;  
And Lord, so than gan grone Troilus,
His brother and his suster for to blende.
Quod Pandarus, 'It tyme is that we wende;
Tak, nece myn, your leve at alle three,
And lat hem speke, and cometh forth with me.'  

She took hir leve at hem ful thriftily,
As she wel coude, and they hir reverence
Un-to the fulle diden hardely,
And speken wonder wel, in hir absence,
Of hir, in preysing of hir excellence,  
Hir governaunce, hir wit; and hir manere
Commendeden, it Ioye was to here.

Now lat hir wende un-to hir owne place,
And torne we to Troilus a-yein,
That gan ful lightly of the lettre passe  
That Deiphebus hadde in the gardin seyn.
And of Eleyne and him he wolde fayn
Delivered been, and seyde that him leste
To slepe, and after tales have reste.

Eleyne him kiste, and took hir leve blyve,  
Deiphebus eek, and hoom wente every wight;
And Pandarus, as faste as he may dryve,
To Troilus tho com, as lyne right;
And on a paillet, al that glade night,
By Troilus he lay, with mery chere,  
To tale; and wel was hem they were y-fere.

Whan every wight was voided but they two,
And alle the dores were faste y-shette,
To telle in short, with-oute wordes mo,
This Pandarus, with-outen any lette,  
Up roos, and on his beddes syde him sette,
And gan to speken in a sobre wyse
To Troilus, as I shal yow devyse:

'Myn alderlevest lord, and brother dere,
God woot, and thou, that it sat me so sore,  
When I thee saw so languisshing to-yere,
For love, of which thy wo wex alwey more;
That I, with al my might and al my lore,
Have ever sithen doon my bisinesse
To bringe thee to Ioye out of distresse,  

'And have it brought to swich plyt as thou wost,
So that, thorugh me, thow stondest now in weye
To fare wel, I seye it for no bost,
And wostow which? For shame it is to seye,
For thee have I bigonne a gamen pleye  
Which that I never doon shal eft for other,
Al-though he were a thousand fold my brother.

'That is to seye, for thee am I bicomen,
Bitwixen game and ernest, swich a mene
As maken wommen un-to men to comen;  
Al sey I nought, thou wost wel what I mene.
For thee have I my nece, of vyces clene,
So fully maad thy gentilesse triste,
That al shal been right as thy-selve liste.

'But god, that al wot, take I to witnesse,  
That never I this for coveityse wroughte,
But only for to abregge that distresse,
For which wel nygh thou deydest, as me thoughte.
But, gode brother, do now as thee oughte,
For goddes love, and kep hir out of blame,  
Sin thou art wys, and save alwey hir name.

'For wel thou wost, the name as yet of here
Among the peple, as who seyth, halwed is;
For that man is unbore, I dar wel swere,
That ever wiste that she dide amis.  
But wo is me, that I, that cause al this,
May thenken that she is my nece dere,
And I hir eem, and trattor eek y-fere!

'And were it wist that I, through myn engyn,
Hadde in my nece y-put this fantasye,  
To do thy lust, and hoolly to be thyn,
Why, al the world up-on it wolde crye,
And seye, that I the worste trecherye
Dide in this cas, that ever was bigonne,
And she for-lost, and thou right nought y-wonne.  

'Wher-fore, er I wol ferther goon a pas,
Yet eft I thee biseche and fully seye,
That privetee go with us in this cas;
That is to seye, that thou us never wreye;
And be nought wrooth, though I thee ofte preye  
To holden secree swich an heigh matere;
For skilful is, thow wost wel, my preyere.

'And thenk what wo ther hath bitid er this,
For makinge of avantes, as men rede;
And what mischaunce in this world yet ther is,  
Fro day to day, right for that wikked dede;
For which these wyse clerkes that ben dede
Han ever yet proverbed to us yonge,
That "Firste vertu is to kepe tonge."

'And, nere it that I wilne as now tabregge  
Diffusioun of speche, I coude almost
A thousand olde stories thee alegge
Of wommen lost, thorugh fals and foles bost;
Proverbes canst thy-self y-nowe, and wost,
Ayeins that vyce, for to been a labbe,  
Al seyde men sooth as often as they gabbe.

'O tonge, allas! So often here-biforn
Hastow made many a lady bright of hewe
Seyd, "Welawey! The day that I was born!"
And many a maydes sorwes for to newe;  
And, for the more part, al is untrewe
That men of yelpe, and it were brought to preve;
Of kinde non avauntour is to leve.

'Avauntour and a lyere, al is on;
As thus: I pose, a womman graunte me  
Hir love, and seyth that other wol she non,
And I am sworn to holden it secree,
And after I go telle it two or three;
Y-wis, I am avauntour at the leste,
And lyere, for I breke my biheste.  

'Now loke thanne, if they be nought to blame,
Swich maner folk; what shal I clepe hem, what,
That hem avaunte of wommen, and by name,
That never yet bihighte hem this ne that,
Ne knewe hem more than myn olde hat?  
No wonder is, so god me sende hele,
Though wommen drede with us men to dele.

'I sey not this for no mistrust of yow,
Ne for no wys man, but for foles nyce,
And for the harm that in the world is now,  
As wel for foly ofte as for malyce;
For wel wot I, in wyse folk, that vyce
No womman drat, if she be wel avysed;
For wyse ben by foles harm chastysed.

'But now to purpos; leve brother dere,  
Have al this thing that I have seyd in minde,
And keep thee clos, and be now of good chere,
For at thy day thou shalt me trewe finde.
I shal thy proces sette in swich a kinde,
And god to-forn, that it shall thee suffyse,  
For it shal been right as thou wolt devyse.

'For wel I woot, thou menest wel, parde;
Therfore I dar this fully undertake.
Thou wost eek what thy lady graunted thee,
And day is set, the chartres up to make.  
Have now good night, I may no lenger wake;
And bid for me, sin thou art now in blisse,
That god me sende deeth or sone lisse.'

Who mighte telle half the Ioye or feste
Which that the sowle of Troilus tho felte,  
Heringe theffect of Pandarus biheste?
His olde wo, that made his herte swelte,
Gan tho for Ioye wasten and to-melte,
And al the richesse of his sykes sore
At ones fledde, he felte of hem no more.  

But right so as these holtes and these hayes,
That han in winter dede been and dreye,
Revesten hem in grene, whan that May is,
Whan every ***** lyketh best to pleye;
Right in that selve wyse, sooth to seye,  
Wax sodeynliche his herte ful of Ioye,
That gladder was ther never man in Troye.

And gan his look on Pandarus up caste
Ful sobrely, and frendly for to see,
And seyde, 'Freend, in Aprille the laste,  
As wel thou wost, if it remembre thee,
How neigh the deeth for wo thou founde me;
And how thou didest al thy bisinesse
To knowe of me the cause of my distresse.

'Thou wost how longe I it for-bar to seye  
To thee, that art the man that I best triste;
And peril was it noon to thee by-wreye,
That wiste I wel; but tel me, if thee liste,
Sith I so looth was that thy-self it wiste,
How dorst I mo tellen of this matere,  
That quake now, and no wight may us here?

'But natheles, by that god I thee swere,
That, as him list, may al this world governe,
And, if I lye, Achilles with his spere
Myn herte cleve, al were my lyf eterne,  
As I am mortal, if I late or yerne
Wolde it b

Incipit Liber Quintus.

Aprochen gan the fatal destinee
That Ioves hath in disposicioun,
And to yow, angry Parcas, sustren three,
Committeth, to don execucioun;
For which Criseyde moste out of the toun,  
And Troilus shal dwelle forth in pyne
Til Lachesis his threed no lenger twyne. --

The golden-tressed Phebus heighe on-lofte
Thryes hadde alle with his bemes shene
The snowes molte, and Zephirus as ofte  
Y-brought ayein the tendre leves grene,
Sin that the sone of Ecuba the quene
Bigan to love hir first, for whom his sorwe
Was al, that she departe sholde a-morwe.

Ful redy was at pryme Dyomede,  
Criseyde un-to the Grekes ost to lede,
For sorwe of which she felt hir herte blede,
As she that niste what was best to rede.
And trewely, as men in bokes rede,
Men wiste never womman han the care,  
Ne was so looth out of a toun to fare.

This Troilus, with-outen reed or lore,
As man that hath his Ioyes eek forlore,
Was waytinge on his lady ever-more
As she that was the soothfast crop and more  
Of al his lust, or Ioyes here-tofore.
But Troilus, now farewel al thy Ioye,
For shaltow never seen hir eft in Troye!

Soth is, that whyl he bood in this manere,
He gan his wo ful manly for to hyde.  
That wel unnethe it seen was in his chere;
But at the yate ther she sholde oute ryde
With certeyn folk, he hoved hir tabyde,
So wo bigoon, al wolde he nought him pleyne,
That on his hors unnethe he sat for peyne.  

For ire he quook, so gan his herte gnawe,
Whan Diomede on horse gan him dresse,
And seyde un-to him-self this ilke sawe,
'Allas,' quod he, 'thus foul a wrecchednesse
Why suffre ich it, why nil ich it redresse?  
Were it not bet at ones for to dye
Than ever-more in langour thus to drye?

'Why nil I make at ones riche and pore
To have y-nough to done, er that she go?
Why nil I bringe al Troye upon a rore?  
Why nil I sleen this Diomede also?
Why nil I rather with a man or two
Stele hir a-way? Why wol I this endure?
Why nil I helpen to myn owene cure?'

But why he nolde doon so fel a dede,  
That shal I seyn, and why him liste it spare;
He hadde in herte alweyes a maner drede,
Lest that Criseyde, in rumour of this fare,
Sholde han ben slayn; lo, this was al his care.
And ellis, certeyn, as I seyde yore,  
He hadde it doon, with-outen wordes more.

Criseyde, whan she redy was to ryde,
Ful sorwfully she sighte, and seyde 'Allas!'
But forth she moot, for ought that may bityde,
And forth she rit ful sorwfully a pas.  
Ther nis non other remedie in this cas.
What wonder is though that hir sore smerte,
Whan she forgoth hir owene swete herte?

This Troilus, in wyse of curteisye,
With hauke on hond, and with an huge route  
Of knightes, rood and dide hir companye,
Passinge al the valey fer with-oute,
And ferther wolde han riden, out of doute,
Ful fayn, and wo was him to goon so sone;
But torne he moste, and it was eek to done.  

And right with that was Antenor y-come
Out of the Grekes ost, and every wight
Was of it glad, and seyde he was wel-come.
And Troilus, al nere his herte light,
He peyned him with al his fulle might  
Him to with-holde of wepinge at the leste,
And Antenor he kiste, and made feste.

And ther-with-al he moste his leve take,
And caste his eye upon hir pitously,
And neer he rood, his cause for to make,  
To take hir by the honde al sobrely.
And lord! So she gan wepen tendrely!
And he ful softe and sleighly gan hir seye,
'Now hold your day, and dooth me not to deye.'

With that his courser torned he a-boute  
With face pale, and un-to Diomede
No word he spak, ne noon of al his route;
Of which the sone of Tydeus took hede,
As he that coude more than the crede
In swich a craft, and by the reyne hir hente;  
And Troilus to Troye homwarde he wente.

This Diomede, that ladde hir by the brydel,
Whan that he saw the folk of Troye aweye,
Thoughte, 'Al my labour shal not been on ydel,
If that I may, for somwhat shal I seye,  
For at the worste it may yet shorte our weye.
I have herd seyd, eek tymes twyes twelve,
"He is a fool that wol for-yete him-selve."'

But natheles this thoughte he wel ynough,
'That certaynly I am aboute nought,  
If that I speke of love, or make it tough;
For douteles, if she have in hir thought
Him that I gesse, he may not been y-brought
So sone awey; but I shal finde a mene,
That she not wite as yet shal what I mene.'  

This Diomede, as he that coude his good,
Whan this was doon, gan fallen forth in speche
Of this and that, and asked why she stood
In swich disese, and gan hir eek biseche,
That if that he encrese mighte or eche  
With any thing hir ese, that she sholde
Comaunde it him, and seyde he doon it wolde.

For trewely he swoor hir, as a knight,
That ther nas thing with whiche he mighte hir plese,
That he nolde doon his peyne and al his might  
To doon it, for to doon hir herte an ese.
And preyede hir, she wolde hir sorwe apese,
And seyde, 'Y-wis, we Grekes con have Ioye
To honouren yow, as wel as folk of Troye.'

He seyde eek thus, 'I woot, yow thinketh straunge,  
No wonder is, for it is to yow newe,
Thaqueintaunce of these Troianis to chaunge,
For folk of Grece, that ye never knewe.
But wolde never god but-if as trewe
A Greek ye shulde among us alle finde  
As any Troian is, and eek as kinde.

'And by the cause I swoor yow right, lo, now,
To been your freend, and helply, to my might,
And for that more aqueintaunce eek of yow
Have ich had than another straunger wight,  
So fro this forth, I pray yow, day and night,
Comaundeth me, how sore that me smerte,
To doon al that may lyke un-to your herte;

'And that ye me wolde as your brother trete,
And taketh not my frendship in despyt;  
And though your sorwes be for thinges grete,
Noot I not why, but out of more respyt,
Myn herte hath for to amende it greet delyt.
And if I may your harmes not redresse,
I am right sory for your hevinesse,  

'And though ye Troians with us Grekes wrothe
Han many a day be, alwey yet, pardee,
O god of love in sooth we serven bothe.
And, for the love of god, my lady free,
Whom so ye hate, as beth not wroth with me.  
For trewely, ther can no wight yow serve,
That half so looth your wraththe wolde deserve.

'And nere it that we been so neigh the tente
Of Calkas, which that seen us bothe may,
I wolde of this yow telle al myn entente;  
But this enseled til another day.
Yeve me your hond, I am, and shal ben ay,
God help me so, whyl that my lyf may dure,
Your owene aboven every creature.

'Thus seyde I never er now to womman born;  
For god myn herte as wisly glade so,
I lovede never womman here-biforn
As paramours, ne never shal no mo.
And, for the love of god, beth not my fo;
Al can I not to yow, my lady dere,  
Compleyne aright, for I am yet to lere.

'And wondreth not, myn owene lady bright,
Though that I speke of love to you thus blyve;
For I have herd or this of many a wight,
Hath loved thing he never saugh his lyve.  
Eek I am not of power for to stryve
Ayens the god of love, but him obeye
I wol alwey, and mercy I yow preye.

'Ther been so worthy knightes in this place,
And ye so fair, that everich of hem alle  
Wol peynen him to stonden in your grace.
But mighte me so fair a grace falle,
That ye me for your servaunt wolde calle,
So lowly ne so trewely you serve
Nil noon of hem, as I shal, til I sterve.'  

Criseide un-to that purpos lyte answerde,
As she that was with sorwe oppressed so
That, in effect, she nought his tales herde,
But here and there, now here a word or two.
Hir thoughte hir sorwful herte brast a-two.  
For whan she gan hir fader fer aspye,
Wel neigh doun of hir hors she gan to sye.

But natheles she thonked Diomede
Of al his travaile, and his goode chere,
And that him liste his friendship hir to bede;  
And she accepteth it in good manere,
And wolde do fayn that is him leef and dere;
And trusten him she wolde, and wel she mighte,
As seyde she, and from hir hors she alighte.

Hir fader hath hir in his armes nome,  
And tweynty tyme he kiste his doughter swete,
And seyde, 'O dere doughter myn, wel-come!'
She seyde eek, she was fayn with him to mete,
And stood forth mewet, milde, and mansuete.
But here I leve hir with hir fader dwelle,  
And forth I wol of Troilus yow telle.

To Troye is come this woful Troilus,
In sorwe aboven alle sorwes smerte,
With felon look, and face dispitous.
Tho sodeinly doun from his hors he sterte,  
And thorugh his paleys, with a swollen herte,
To chambre he wente; of no-thing took he hede,
Ne noon to him dar speke a word for drede.

And there his sorwes that he spared hadde
He yaf an issue large, and 'Deeth!' he cryde;  
And in his throwes frenetyk and madde
He cursed Iove, Appollo, and eek Cupyde,
He cursed Ceres, Bacus, and Cipryde,
His burthe, him-self, his fate, and eek nature,
And, save his lady, every creature.  

To bedde he goth, and weyleth there and torneth
In furie, as dooth he, Ixion in helle;
And in this wyse he neigh til day soiorneth.
But tho bigan his herte a lyte unswelle
Thorugh teres which that gonnen up to welle;  
And pitously he cryde up-on Criseyde,
And to him-self right thus he spak, and seyde: --

'Wher is myn owene lady lief and dere,
Wher is hir whyte brest, wher is it, where?
Wher ben hir armes and hir eyen clere,  
That yesternight this tyme with me were?
Now may I wepe allone many a tere,
And graspe aboute I may, but in this place,
Save a pilowe, I finde nought tenbrace.

'How shal I do? Whan shal she com ayeyn?  
I noot, allas! Why leet ich hir to go?
As wolde god, ich hadde as tho be sleyn!
O herte myn, Criseyde, O swete fo!
O lady myn, that I love and no mo!
To whom for ever-mo myn herte I dowe;  
See how I deye, ye nil me not rescowe!

'Who seeth yow now, my righte lode-sterre?
Who sit right now or stant in your presence?
Who can conforten now your hertes werre?
Now I am gon, whom yeve ye audience?  
Who speketh for me right now in myn absence?
Allas, no wight; and that is al my care;
For wel wot I, as yvel as I ye fare.

'How sholde I thus ten dayes ful endure,
Whan I the firste night have al this tene?  
How shal she doon eek, sorwful creature?
For tendernesse, how shal she this sustene,
Swich wo for me? O pitous, pale, and grene
Shal been your fresshe wommanliche face
For langour, er ye torne un-to this place.'  

And whan he fil in any slomeringes,
Anoon biginne he sholde for to grone,
And dremen of the dredfulleste thinges
That mighte been; as, mete he were allone
In place horrible, makinge ay his mone,  
Or meten that he was amonges alle
His enemys, and in hir hondes falle.

And ther-with-al his body sholde sterte,
And with the stert al sodeinliche awake,
And swich a tremour fele aboute his herte,  
That of the feer his body sholde quake;
And there-with-al he sholde a noyse make,
And seme as though he sholde falle depe
From heighe a-lofte; and than he wolde wepe,

And rewen on him-self so pitously,  
That wonder was to here his fantasye.
Another tyme he sholde mightily
Conforte him-self, and seyn it was folye,
So causeles swich drede for to drye,
And eft biginne his aspre sorwes newe,  
That every man mighte on his sorwes rewe.

Who coude telle aright or ful discryve
His wo, his pleynt, his langour, and his pyne?
Nought al the men that han or been on-lyve.
Thou, redere, mayst thy-self ful wel devyne  
That swich a wo my wit can not defyne.
On ydel for to wryte it sholde I swinke,
Whan that my wit is wery it to thinke.

On hevene yet the sterres were sene,
Al-though ful pale y-waxen was the mone;  
And whyten gan the orisonte shene
Al estward, as it woned is for to done.
And Phebus with his rosy carte sone
Gan after that to dresse him up to fare,
Whan Troilus hath sent after Pandare.  

This Pandare, that of al the day biforn
Ne mighte han comen Troilus to see,
Al-though he on his heed it hadde y-sworn,
For with the king Pryam alday was he,
So that it lay not in his libertee  
No-wher to gon, but on the morwe he wente
To Troilus, whan that he for him sente.

For in his herte he coude wel devyne,
That Troilus al night for sorwe wook;
And that he wolde telle him of his pyne,  
This knew he wel y-nough, with-oute book.
For which to chaumbre streight the wey he took,
And Troilus tho sobreliche he grette,
And on the bed ful sone he gan him sette.

'My Pandarus,' quod Troilus, 'the sorwe  
Which that I drye, I may not longe endure.
I trowe I shal not liven til to-morwe;
For whiche I wolde alwey, on aventure,
To thee devysen of my sepulture
The forme, and of my moeble thou dispone  
Right as thee semeth best is for to done.

'But of the fyr and flaumbe funeral
In whiche my body brenne shal to glede,
And of the feste and pleyes palestral
At my vigile, I prey thee tak good hede  
That be wel; and offre Mars my stede,
My swerd, myn helm, and, leve brother dere,
My sheld to Pallas yef, that shyneth clere.

'The poudre in which myn herte y-brend shal torne,
That preye I thee thou take and it conserve  
In a vessel, that men clepeth an urne,
Of gold, and to my lady that I serve,
For love of whom thus pitously I sterve,
So yeve it hir, and do me this plesaunce,
To preye hir kepe it for a remembraunce.  

'For wel I fele, by my maladye,
And by my dremes now and yore ago,
Al certeinly, that I mot nedes dye.
The owle eek, which that hight Ascaphilo,
Hath after me shright alle thise nightes two.  
And, god Mercurie! Of me now, woful wrecche,
The soule gyde, and, whan thee list, it fecche!'

Pandare answerde, and seyde, 'Troilus,
My dere freend, as I have told thee yore,
That it is folye for to sorwen thus,  
And causeles, for whiche I can no-more.
But who-so wol not trowen reed ne lore,
I can not seen in him no remedye,
But lete him worthen with his fantasye.

'But Troilus, I pray thee tel me now,  
If that thou trowe, er this, that any wight
Hath loved paramours as wel as thou?
Ye, god wot, and fro many a worthy knight
Hath his lady goon a fourtenight,
And he not yet made halvendel the fare.  
What nede is thee to maken al this care?

'Sin day by day thou mayst thy-selven see
That from his love, or elles from his wyf,
A man mot twinnen of necessitee,
Ye, though he love hir as his owene lyf;  
Yet nil he with him-self thus maken stryf.
For wel thow wost, my leve brother dere,
That alwey freendes may nought been y-fere.

'How doon this folk that seen hir loves wedded
By freendes might, as it bi-*** ful ofte,  
And seen hem in hir spouses bed y-bedded?
God woot, they take it wysly, faire and softe.
For-why good hope halt up hir herte on-lofte,
And for they can a tyme of sorwe endure;
As tyme hem hurt, a tyme doth hem cure.  

'So sholdestow endure, and late slyde
The tyme, and fonde to ben glad and light.
Ten dayes nis so longe not tabyde.
And sin she thee to comen hath bihight,
She nil hir hestes breken for no wight.  
For dred thee not that she nil finden weye
To come ayein, my lyf that dorste I leye.

'Thy swevenes eek and al swich fantasye
Dryf out, and lat hem faren to mischaunce;
For they procede of thy malencolye,  
That doth thee fele in sleep al this penaunce.
A straw for alle swevenes signifiaunce!
God helpe me so, I counte hem not a bene,
Ther woot no man aright what dremes mene.

'For prestes of the temple tellen this,  
That dremes been the revelaciouns
Of goddes, and as wel they telle, y-wis,
That they ben infernals illusiouns;
And leches seyn, that of complexiouns
Proceden they, or fast, or glotonye.  
Who woot in sooth thus what they signifye?

'Eek othere seyn that thorugh impressiouns,
As if a wight hath faste a thing in minde,
That ther-of cometh swiche avisiouns;
And othere seyn, as they in bokes finde,  
That, after tymes of the yeer by kinde,
Men dreme, and that theffect goth by the mone;
But leve no dreem, for it is nought to done.

'Wel worth o

WHILOM, as olde stories tellen us,                            formerly
There was a duke that highte* Theseus.                   was called
Of Athens he was lord and governor,
And in his time such a conqueror
That greater was there none under the sun.
Full many a riche country had he won.
What with his wisdom and his chivalry,
He conquer'd all the regne of Feminie,
That whilom was y-cleped Scythia;
And weddede the Queen Hippolyta
And brought her home with him to his country
With muchel glory and great solemnity,                           great
And eke her younge sister Emily,
And thus with vict'ry and with melody
Let I this worthy Duke to Athens ride,
And all his host, in armes him beside.

And certes, if it n'ere too long to hear,                     were not
I would have told you fully the mannere,
How wonnen was the regne of Feminie,                            won
By Theseus, and by his chivalry;
And of the greate battle for the *****
Betwixt Athenes and the Amazons;
And how assieged was Hippolyta,
The faire hardy queen of Scythia;
And of the feast that was at her wedding
And of the tempest at her homecoming.
But all these things I must as now forbear.
I have, God wot, a large field to ear                       plough;
And weake be the oxen in my plough;
The remnant of my tale is long enow.
I will not *letten eke none of this rout.                hinder any of
Let every fellow tell his tale about,                      this company
And let see now who shall the supper win.
There as I left, I will again begin.                where I left off

This Duke, of whom I make mentioun,
When he was come almost unto the town,
In all his weal, and in his moste pride,
He was ware, as he cast his eye aside,
Where that there kneeled in the highe way
A company of ladies, tway and tway,
Each after other, clad in clothes black:
But such a cry and such a woe they make,
That in this world n'is creature living,
That hearde such another waimenting                      lamenting
And of this crying would they never stenten,                    desist
Till they the reines of his bridle henten.                       *seize
"What folk be ye that at mine homecoming
Perturben so my feaste with crying?"
Quoth Theseus; "Have ye so great envy
Of mine honour, that thus complain and cry?
Or who hath you misboden, or offended?                         wronged
Do telle me, if it may be amended;
And why that ye be clad thus all in black?"

The oldest lady of them all then spake,
When she had swooned, with a deadly cheer,                 countenance
That it was ruthe for to see or hear.                             pity
She saide; "Lord, to whom fortune hath given
Vict'ry, and as a conqueror to liven,
Nought grieveth us your glory and your honour;
But we beseechen mercy and succour.
Have mercy on our woe and our distress;
Some drop of pity, through thy gentleness,
Upon us wretched women let now fall.
For certes, lord, there is none of us all
That hath not been a duchess or a queen;
Now be we caitives, as it is well seen:                       captives
Thanked be Fortune, and her false wheel,
That *none estate ensureth to be wele.       assures no continuance of
And certes, lord, t'abiden your presence              prosperous estate
Here in this temple of the goddess Clemence
We have been waiting all this fortenight:
Now help us, lord, since it lies in thy might.

"I, wretched wight, that weep and waile thus,
Was whilom wife to king Capaneus,
That starf* at Thebes, cursed be that day:                     died
And alle we that be in this array,
And maken all this lamentatioun,
We losten all our husbands at that town,
While that the siege thereabouten lay.
And yet the olde Creon, wellaway!
That lord is now of Thebes the city,
Fulfilled of ire and of iniquity,
He for despite, and for his tyranny,
To do the deade bodies villainy,                                insult
Of all our lorde's, which that been y-slaw,                       *slain
Hath all the bodies on an heap y-draw,
And will not suffer them by none assent
Neither to be y-buried, nor y-brent,                             burnt
But maketh houndes eat them in despite."
And with that word, withoute more respite
They fallen groff, and cryden piteously;                    grovelling
"Have on us wretched women some mercy,
And let our sorrow sinken in thine heart."

This gentle Duke down from his courser start
With hearte piteous, when he heard them speak.
Him thoughte that his heart would all to-break,
When he saw them so piteous and so mate                         abased
That whilom weren of so great estate.
And in his armes he them all up hent,                     raised, took
And them comforted in full good intent,
And swore his oath, as he was true knight,
He woulde do *so farforthly his might        as far as his power went
Upon the tyrant Creon them to wreak,                            avenge
That all the people of Greece shoulde speak,
How Creon was of Theseus y-served,
As he that had his death full well deserved.
And right anon withoute more abode                               *delay
His banner he display'd, and forth he rode
To Thebes-ward, and all his, host beside:
No ner Athenes would he go nor ride,                            nearer
Nor take his ease fully half a day,
But onward on his way that night he lay:
And sent anon Hippolyta the queen,
And Emily her younge sister sheen                       bright, lovely
Unto the town of Athens for to dwell:
And forth he rit; there is no more to tell.                       rode

The red statue of Mars with spear and targe                     shield
So shineth in his white banner large
That all the fieldes glitter up and down:
And by his banner borne is his pennon
Of gold full rich, in which there was y-beat                   stamped
The Minotaur which that he slew in Crete
Thus rit this Duke, thus rit this conqueror
And in his host of chivalry the flower,
Till that he came to Thebes, and alight
Fair in a field, there as he thought to fight.
But shortly for to speaken of this thing,
With Creon, which that was of Thebes king,
He fought, and slew him manly as a knight
In plain bataille, and put his folk to flight:
And by assault he won the city after,
And rent adown both wall, and spar, and rafter;
And to the ladies he restored again
The bodies of their husbands that were slain,
To do obsequies, as was then the guise.                         custom

But it were all too long for to devise                        describe
The greate clamour, and the waimenting,                      lamenting
Which that the ladies made at the brenning                     burning
Of the bodies, and the great honour
That Theseus the noble conqueror
Did to the ladies, when they from him went:
But shortly for to tell is mine intent.
When that this worthy Duke, this Theseus,
Had Creon slain, and wonnen Thebes thus,
Still in the field he took all night his rest,
And did with all the country as him lest.                      pleased
To ransack in the tas of bodies dead,                             heap
Them for to strip of *harness and of *****,           armour *clothes
The pillers* did their business and cure,                 pillagers
After the battle and discomfiture.
And so befell, that in the tas they found,
Through girt with many a grievous ****** wound,
Two younge knightes *ligging by and by             lying side by side
Both in one armes, wrought full richely:             the same armour
Of whiche two, Arcita hight that one,
And he that other highte Palamon.
Not fully quick, nor fully dead they were,                       *alive
But by their coat-armour, and by their gear,
The heralds knew them well in special,
As those that weren of the blood royal
Of Thebes, and *of sistren two y-born.            born of two sisters
Out of the tas the pillers have them torn,
And have them carried soft unto the tent
Of Theseus, and he full soon them sent
To Athens, for to dwellen in prison
Perpetually, he n'olde no ranson.               would take no ransom
And when this worthy Duke had thus y-done,
He took his host, and home he rit anon
With laurel crowned as a conquerour;
And there he lived in joy and in honour
Term of his life; what needeth wordes mo'?
And in a tower, in anguish and in woe,
Dwellen this Palamon, and eke Arcite,
For evermore, there may no gold them quite                    set free

Thus passed year by year, and day by day,
Till it fell ones in a morn of May
That Emily, that fairer was to seen
Than is the lily upon his stalke green,
And fresher than the May with flowers new
(For with the rose colour strove her hue;
I n'ot* which was the finer of them two),                      know not
Ere it was day, as she was wont to do,
She was arisen, and all ready dight,                           dressed
For May will have no sluggardy a-night;
The season pricketh every gentle heart,
And maketh him out of his sleep to start,
And saith, "Arise, and do thine observance."

This maketh Emily have remembrance
To do honour to May, and for to rise.
Y-clothed was she fresh for to devise;
Her yellow hair was braided in a tress,
Behind her back, a yarde long I guess.
And in the garden at *the sun uprist                           sunrise
She walketh up and down where as her list.
She gathereth flowers, party white and red,                    mingled
To make a sotel garland for her head,            subtle, well-arranged
And as an angel heavenly she sung.
The greate tower, that was so thick and strong,
Which of the castle was the chief dungeon
(Where as these knightes weren in prison,
Of which I tolde you, and telle shall),
Was even joinant to the garden wall,                         adjoining
There as this Emily had her playing.

Bright was the sun, and clear that morrowning,
And Palamon, this woful prisoner,
As was his wont, by leave of his gaoler,
Was ris'n, and roamed in a chamber on high,
In which he all the noble city sigh,                               saw
And eke the garden, full of branches green,
There as this fresh Emelia the sheen
Was in her walk, and roamed up and down.
This sorrowful prisoner, this Palamon
Went in his chamber roaming to and fro,
And to himself complaining of his woe:
That he was born, full oft he said, Alas!
And so befell, by aventure or cas,                              chance
That through a window thick of many a bar
Of iron great, and square as any spar,
He cast his eyes upon Emelia,
And therewithal he blent and crie

Incipit Prohemium Secundi Libri.

Out of these blake wawes for to sayle,
O wind, O wind, the weder ginneth clere;
For in this see the boot hath swich travayle,
Of my conning, that unnethe I it stere:
This see clepe I the tempestous matere  
Of desespeyr that Troilus was inne:
But now of hope the calendes biginne.
O lady myn, that called art Cleo,
Thou be my speed fro this forth, and my muse,
To ryme wel this book, til I have do;  
Me nedeth here noon other art to use.
For-why to every lovere I me excuse,
That of no sentement I this endyte,
But out of Latin in my tonge it wryte.

Wherfore I nil have neither thank ne blame  
Of al this werk, but prey yow mekely,
Disblameth me if any word be lame,
For as myn auctor seyde, so seye I.
Eek though I speke of love unfelingly,
No wondre is, for it no-thing of newe is;  
A blind man can nat Iuggen wel in hewis.

Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge
With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge
Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so,  
And spedde as wel in love as men now do;
Eek for to winne love in sondry ages,
In sondry londes, sondry ben usages.

And for-thy if it happe in any wyse,
That here be any lovere in this place  
That herkneth, as the storie wol devyse,
How Troilus com to his lady grace,
And thenketh, so nolde I nat love purchace,
Or wondreth on his speche or his doinge,
I noot; but it is me no wonderinge;  

For every wight which that to Rome went,
Halt nat o path, or alwey o manere;
Eek in som lond were al the gamen shent,
If that they ferde in love as men don here,
As thus, in open doing or in chere,  
In visitinge, in forme, or seyde hire sawes;
For-thy men seyn, ech contree hath his lawes.

Eek scarsly been ther in this place three
That han in love seid lyk and doon in al;
For to thy purpos this may lyken thee,  
And thee right nought, yet al is seyd or shal;
Eek som men grave in tree, som in stoon wal,
As it bitit; but sin I have begonne,
Myn auctor shal I folwen, if I conne.

Exclipit prohemium Secundi Libri.

Incipit Liber Secundus.

In May, that moder is of monthes glade,  
That fresshe floures, blewe, and whyte, and rede,
Ben quike agayn, that winter dede made,
And ful of bawme is fleting every mede;
Whan Phebus doth his brighte bemes sprede
Right in the whyte Bole, it so bitidde  
As I shal singe, on Mayes day the thridde,

That Pandarus, for al his wyse speche,
Felt eek his part of loves shottes kene,
That, coude he never so wel of loving preche,
It made his hewe a-day ful ofte grene;  
So shoop it, that hym fil that day a tene
In love, for which in wo to bedde he wente,
And made, er it was day, ful many a wente.

The swalwe Proigne, with a sorwful lay,
Whan morwe com, gan make hir waymentinge,  
Why she forshapen was; and ever lay
Pandare a-bedde, half in a slomeringe,
Til she so neigh him made hir chiteringe
How Tereus gan forth hir suster take,
That with the noyse of hir he gan a-wake;  

And gan to calle, and dresse him up to ryse,
Remembringe him his erand was to done
From Troilus, and eek his greet empryse;
And caste and knew in good plyt was the mone
To doon viage, and took his wey ful sone  
Un-to his neces paleys ther bi-syde;
Now Ianus, god of entree, thou him gyde!

Whan he was come un-to his neces place,
'Wher is my lady?' to hir folk seyde he;
And they him tolde; and he forth in gan pace,  
And fond, two othere ladyes sete and she,
With-inne a paved parlour; and they three
Herden a mayden reden hem the geste
Of the Sege of Thebes, whyl hem leste.

Quod Pandarus, 'Ma dame, god yow see,  
With al your book and al the companye!'
'Ey, uncle myn, welcome y-wis,' quod she,
And up she roos, and by the hond in hye
She took him faste, and seyde, 'This night thrye,
To goode mote it turne, of yow I mette!'  
And with that word she doun on bench him sette.

'Ye, nece, ye shal fare wel the bet,
If god wole, al this yeer,' quod Pandarus;
'But I am sory that I have yow let
To herknen of your book ye preysen thus;  
For goddes love, what seith it? tel it us.
Is it of love? O, som good ye me lere!'
'Uncle,' quod she, 'your maistresse is not here!'

With that they gonnen laughe, and tho she seyde,
'This romaunce is of Thebes, that we rede;  
And we han herd how that king Laius deyde
Thurgh Edippus his sone, and al that dede;
And here we stenten at these lettres rede,
How the bisshop, as the book can telle,
Amphiorax, fil thurgh the ground to helle.'  

Quod Pandarus, 'Al this knowe I my-selve,
And al the assege of Thebes and the care;
For her-of been ther maked bokes twelve: --
But lat be this, and tel me how ye fare;
Do wey your barbe, and shew your face bare;  
Do wey your book, rys up, and lat us daunce,
And lat us don to May som observaunce.'

'A! God forbede!' quod she. 'Be ye mad?
Is that a widewes lyf, so god you save?
By god, ye maken me right sore a-drad,  
Ye ben so wilde, it semeth as ye rave!
It sete me wel bet ay in a cave
To bidde, and rede on holy seyntes lyves;
Lat maydens gon to daunce, and yonge wyves.'

'As ever thryve I,' quod this Pandarus,  
'Yet coude I telle a thing to doon you pleye.'
'Now, uncle dere,' quod she, 'tel it us
For goddes love; is than the assege aweye?
I am of Grekes so ferd that I deye.'
'Nay, nay,' quod he, 'as ever mote I thryve!  
It is a thing wel bet than swiche fyve.'

'Ye, holy god,' quod she, 'what thing is that?
What! Bet than swiche fyve? Ey, nay, y-wis!
For al this world ne can I reden what
It sholde been; som Iape, I trowe, is this;  
And but your-selven telle us what it is,
My wit is for to arede it al to lene;
As help me god, I noot nat what ye meene.'

'And I your borow, ne never shal, for me,
This thing be told to yow, as mote I thryve!'  
'And why so, uncle myn? Why so?' quod she.
'By god,' quod he, 'that wole I telle as blyve;
For prouder womman were ther noon on-lyve,
And ye it wiste, in al the toun of Troye;
I iape nought, as ever have I Ioye!'  

Tho gan she wondren more than biforn
A thousand fold, and doun hir eyen caste;
For never, sith the tyme that she was born,
To knowe thing desired she so faste;
And with a syk she seyde him at the laste,  
'Now, uncle myn, I nil yow nought displese,
Nor axen more, that may do yow disese.'

So after this, with many wordes glade,
And freendly tales, and with mery chere,
Of this and that they pleyde, and gunnen wade  
In many an unkouth glad and deep matere,
As freendes doon, whan they ben met y-fere;
Til she gan axen him how Ector ferde,
That was the tounes wal and Grekes yerde.

'Ful wel, I thanke it god,' quod Pandarus,  
'Save in his arm he hath a litel wounde;
And eek his fresshe brother Troilus,
The wyse worthy Ector the secounde,
In whom that ever vertu list abounde,
As alle trouthe and alle gentillesse,  
Wysdom, honour, fredom, and worthinesse.'

'In good feith, eem,' quod she, 'that lyketh me;
They faren wel, god save hem bothe two!
For trewely I holde it greet deyntee
A kinges sone in armes wel to do,  
And been of good condiciouns ther-to;
For greet power and moral vertu here
Is selde y-seye in o persone y-fere.'

'In good feith, that is sooth,' quod Pandarus;
'But, by my trouthe, the king hath sones tweye,  
That is to mene, Ector and Troilus,
That certainly, though that I sholde deye,
They been as voyde of vyces, dar I seye,
As any men that liveth under the sonne,
Hir might is wyde y-knowe, and what they conne.  

'Of Ector nedeth it nought for to telle:
In al this world ther nis a bettre knight
Than he, that is of worthinesse welle;
And he wel more vertu hath than might.
This knoweth many a wys and worthy wight.  
The same prys of Troilus I seye,
God help me so, I knowe not swiche tweye.'

'By god,' quod she, 'of Ector that is sooth;
Of Troilus the same thing trowe I;
For, dredelees, men tellen that he dooth  
In armes day by day so worthily,
And bereth him here at hoom so gentilly
To every wight, that al the prys hath he
Of hem that me were levest preysed be.'

'Ye sey right sooth, y-wis,' quod Pandarus;  
'For yesterday, who-so hadde with him been,
He might have wondred up-on Troilus;
For never yet so thikke a swarm of been
Ne fleigh, as Grekes fro him gonne fleen;
And thorugh the feld, in everi wightes ere,  
Ther nas no cry but "Troilus is there!"

'Now here, now there, he hunted hem so faste,
Ther nas but Grekes blood; and Troilus,
Now hem he hurte, and hem alle doun he caste;
Ay where he wente, it was arayed thus:  
He was hir deeth, and sheld and lyf for us;
That as that day ther dorste noon with-stonde,
Whyl that he held his blody swerd in honde.

'Therto he is the freendlieste man
Of grete estat, that ever I saw my lyve;  
And wher him list, best felawshipe can
To suche as him thinketh able for to thryve.'
And with that word tho Pandarus, as blyve,
He took his leve, and seyde, 'I wol go henne.'
'Nay, blame have I, myn uncle,' quod she thenne.  

'What eyleth yow to be thus wery sone,
And namelich of wommen? Wol ye so?
Nay, sitteth down; by god, I have to done
With yow, to speke of wisdom er ye go.'
And every wight that was a-boute hem tho,  
That herde that, gan fer a-wey to stonde,
Whyl they two hadde al that hem liste in honde.

Whan that hir tale al brought was to an ende,
Of hire estat and of hir governaunce,
Quod Pandarus, 'Now is it tyme I wende;  
But yet, I seye, aryseth, lat us daunce,
And cast your widwes habit to mischaunce:
What list yow thus your-self to disfigure,
Sith yow is tid thus fair an aventure?'

'A! Wel bithought! For love of god,' quod she,  
'Shal I not witen what ye mene of this?'
'No, this thing axeth layser,' tho quod he,
'And eek me wolde muche greve, y-wis,
If I it tolde, and ye it **** amis.
Yet were it bet my tonge for to stille  
Than seye a sooth that were ayeins your wille.

'For, nece, by the goddesse Minerve,
And Iuppiter, that maketh the thonder ringe,
And by the blisful Venus that I serve,
Ye been the womman in this world livinge,  
With-oute paramours, to my wittinge,
That I best love, and lothest am to greve,
And that ye witen wel your-self, I leve.'

'Y-wis, myn uncle,' quod she, 'grant mercy;
Your freendship have I founden ever yit;  
I am to no man holden trewely,
So muche as yow, and have so litel quit;
And, with the grace of god, emforth my wit,
As in my gilt I shal you never offende;
And if I have er this, I wol amende.  

'But, for the love of god, I yow beseche,
As ye ben he that I love most and triste,
Lat be to me your fremde manere speche,
And sey to me, your nece, what yow liste:'
And with that word hir uncle anoon hir kiste,  
And seyde, 'Gladly, leve nece dere,
Tak it for good that I shal seye yow here.'

With that she gan hir eiyen doun to caste,
And Pandarus to coghe gan a lyte,
And seyde, 'Nece, alwey, lo! To the laste,  
How-so it be that som men hem delyte
With subtil art hir tales for to endyte,
Yet for al that, in hir entencioun
Hir tale is al for som conclusioun.

'And sithen thende is every tales strengthe,  
And this matere is so bihovely,
What sholde I peynte or drawen it on lengthe
To yow, that been my freend so feithfully?'
And with that word he gan right inwardly
Biholden hir, and loken on hir face,  
And seyde, 'On suche a mirour goode grace!'

Than thoughte he thus: 'If I my tale endyte
Ought hard, or make a proces any whyle,
She shal no savour han ther-in but lyte,
And trowe I wolde hir in my wil bigyle.  
For tendre wittes wenen al be wyle
Ther-as they can nat pleynly understonde;
For-thy hir wit to serven wol I fonde --'

And loked on hir in a besy wyse,
And she was war that he byheld hir so,  
And seyde, 'Lord! So faste ye me avyse!
Sey ye me never er now? What sey ye, no?'
'Yes, yes,' quod he, 'and bet wole er I go;
But, by my trouthe, I thoughte now if ye
Be fortunat, for now men shal it see.  

'For to every wight som goodly aventure
Som tyme is shape, if he it can receyven;
And if that he wol take of it no cure,
Whan that it commeth, but wilfully it weyven,
Lo, neither cas nor fortune him deceyven,  
But right his verray slouthe and wrecchednesse;
And swich a wight is for to blame, I gesse.

'Good aventure, O bele nece, have ye
Ful lightly founden, and ye conne it take;
And, for the love of god, and eek of me,  
Cacche it anoon, lest aventure slake.
What sholde I lenger proces of it make?
Yif me your hond, for in this world is noon,
If that yow list, a wight so wel begoon.

'And sith I speke of good entencioun,  
As I to yow have told wel here-biforn,
And love as wel your honour and renoun
As creature in al this world y-born;
By alle the othes that I have yow sworn,
And ye be wrooth therfore, or wene I lye,  
Ne shal I never seen yow eft with ye.

'Beth nought agast, ne quaketh nat; wher-to?
Ne chaungeth nat for fere so your hewe;
For hardely the werste of this is do;
And though my tale as now be to yow newe,  
Yet trist alwey, ye shal me finde trewe;
And were it thing that me thoughte unsittinge,
To yow nolde I no swiche tales bringe.'

'Now, my good eem, for goddes love, I preye,'
Quod she, 'com of, and tel me what it is;  
For bothe I am agast what ye wol seye,
And eek me longeth it to wite, y-wis.
For whether it be wel or be amis,
Say on, lat me not in this fere dwelle:'
'So wol I doon; now herkneth, I shal telle:  

'Now, nece myn, the kinges dere sone,
The goode, wyse, worthy, fresshe, and free,
Which alwey for to do wel is his wone,
The noble Troilus, so loveth thee,
That, bot ye helpe, it wol his bane be.  
Lo, here is al, what sholde I more seye?
Doth what yow list, to make him live or deye.

'But if ye lete him deye, I wol sterve;
Have her my trouthe, nece, I nil not lyen;
Al sholde I with this knyf my throte kerve --'  
With that the teres braste out of his yen,
And seyde, 'If that ye doon us bothe dyen,
Thus giltelees, than have ye fisshed faire;
What mende ye, though that we bothe apeyre?

'Allas! He which that is my lord so dere,  
That trewe man, that noble gentil knight,
That nought desireth but your freendly chere,
I see him deye, ther he goth up-right,
And hasteth him, with al his fulle might,
For to be slayn, if fortune wol assente;  
Allas! That god yow swich a beautee sente!

'If it be so that ye so cruel be,
That of his deeth yow liste nought to recche,
That is so trewe and worthy, as ye see,
No more than of a Iapere or a wrecche,  
If ye be swich, your beautee may not strecche
To make amendes of so cruel a dede;
Avysement is good bifore the nede.

'Wo worth the faire gemme vertulees!
Wo worth that herbe also that dooth no bote!  
Wo worth that beautee that is routhelees!
Wo worth that wight that tret ech under fote!
And ye, that been of beautee crop and rote,
If therwith-al in you ther be no routhe,
Than is it harm ye liven, by my trouthe!  

'And also thenk wel that this is no gaude;
For me were lever, thou and I and he
Were hanged, than I sholde been his baude,
As heyghe, as men mighte on us alle y-see:
I am thyn eem, the shame were to me,  
As wel as thee, if that I sholde assente,
Thorugh myn abet, that he thyn honour shente.

'Now understond, for I yow nought requere,
To binde yow to him thorugh no beheste,
But only that ye make him bettre chere  
Than ye han doon er this, and more feste,
So that his lyf be saved, at the leste;
This al and som, and playnly our entente;
God help me so, I never other mente.

'Lo, this request is not but skile, y-wis,  
Ne doute of reson, pardee, is ther noon.
I sette the worste that ye dredden this,
Men wolden wondren seen him come or goon:
Ther-ayeins answere I thus a-noon,
That every wight, but he be fool of kinde,  
Wol deme it love of freendship in his minde.

'What? Who wol deme, though he see a man
To temple go, that he the images eteth?
Thenk eek how wel and wy

To much attraction..not enough reaction...but don't reactions cause attractions...or just irritations...scratching the surface until one bleeds...and not healing the wounds that one needs...in all essences the soul should stay strong...if the skin, muscles, and bones stay where they belong...but sometime the shift just a tad..altering the soul you once had.

Looking for my number 2.....cuz my number 1 died a long time ago... surprised....im not she was gettin old...but you...can do what you gotta do to stay brand new...bend over a lil touch your toes... stretch a lil and build strong bones...she forgot to change it up.. after the first time i tore it up.. so eventually the wounds wouldn't stop bleeding...so she had to resort to cheating...

So As i tip toe through the valley of death I shall feel no evil...But im jumping off buildings back flipping blinded like evil Knievel... i shall look death in the face and laugh....as all who oppose my GOD shall fear his wrath...so a dead man i'm for I oppose him daily...And his cries to save me i only hear faintly....but nevertheless he calls me...as i fail to answer but scurry along blindly in to eternity...

i lost my touch, no longer Im i in reach... some body save me.... My body is queasy...and my mind is wheezing... for air....and if I dare....ask why... i only get questions as a reply... is there any help out there?????

why cant i have what i want when shes soo far away...I see her every day in my own special way...My dreams can suffice but only for so long...It wont be to long till i just cant go on...Warm embraces are needed to reassure my freedom..Cuz with out them im a slave to this lust demon...but once she surrounds me..my heart can love freely...and live to survive another day

Still looking for that smile I cant find...and grabbing for that hand i cant touch....feeling incomplete even tho love stares me in the face...its not filling the void.... I'm reaching back for what I let go, letting go so i can reach back...but then there was a reason it lost grip and slipped....

I'm back on the scene like a river flowing stream...I got the sprinkles to make the donut cream...but I don't eat em only learn to treat em....But if they taste good I guess I gotta feed em....Food for your thought wax on wax off...The Kabasa is guaranteed to knock your socks off..

lonely!!!!!!!! but only sleepy.... sad but happy.... Open today closed tomorrow....never look back but im stuck lookin backwards....Hummm this is what happens when you go into withdraw... I depressed...

lonely in the bed with songs in my head....visions of maken love with a body so soft...but when I open my eyes its just a pillow at myside...Time to let it go and free up some room...So may be when I open my eyes I can be holding on to you....(thought)....

Shortly and swiftly I'll drift in to eternity...to be forgotten by those drove into insanity..but remembered by those who still live with humanity...So this death ain't hard to see..Only easy to envision.. destine since the beginnin...ever since we... started sinnin..I can see the future comen and still Im not running....

Why cant you just chill and relax im not here for all this bs.... but you buggin trippen...Im crazy from the words that u shitin... **** now Im all lost for tonight straight up Im lookin for some *** for tonight..since you wanna go there Im trying to... take it there...im a be ******* cuz now i really don't care~!!!

I wish i could be so tender now... but i dont think I know how now... I'm just tryin chill to save us from future ill...It not like i want this cup to spill...Why cant strings be missin why must i be attached...Honestly i can love you but im just not ready for that...Actions of haste leave me with sour taste..as we just became ill.. because you forgotten how to chill..maybe i wont cry, but i will if we die.....

Goodafternoon cruel world how you doin, how you livin...been kinda crazy since i walked in the beginnin...but to you dear world leave my skin and my sin...Cuz where im trying go that stuff cant get in...Well in any way Im still lookin for that somethin, but if it dont come im i can go back to loven runnin!!!

Almost time to become a legal man...a lil wiser and smarter at playin my hand...no more foolish girls...nor foolish boys and there lil worlds...well maybe a lil fun...but making sure i get it done..almost time brand new to the game like Sir'Siah.......but hopefully by the end of the night ill be hearing Jeremiah.....

Dada beepbodo beepbodo
These songs rambling in my head
Dada beepbodo
Making sense of what was said

Whackawhackawhacka
With a little tingtang fizzle
Maken ma ***** wanna wiggle

STOP
Before your caught slackin
You might get a smackin
With a paper reading
This is your written warning!

soms een erg tegenstrijdig gevoel
gelukkig zijn
terwijl je weet hoeveel mensen
er wegkwijnen van de pijn
medeleven, empathie
houden mijn lach nu tegen
heeft niks te maken met verlegen
of depressie
nee, het zijn al deze andere levens
die ik altijd maar dichtbij voel, zie
een gift zou je zeggen?
als iemand de zwaarte ervan begreep
als ik het nu eens op tafel kon leggen

mijn medemens heb ik tot egoïst bekroond
omdat men in mijn ogen
te weinig interesse in elkaar toont
kijken alleen naar zichzelf of scherm
zoemen rustig mee in de zwerm
tot ik mijn mond open trek
verschijnt er plotseling een blinde vlek
noemen ze me gek..
willen de waarheid niet onder ogen zien
ik zeg ze: je kan altijd meer geven of doen
al geef je miljoen keer die zelfde zoen
moet de waarde er dan vanaf gaan?
of kan men gewoon blijven genieten
in dit bestaan
meer dan 'normaal' aan elkaar geven
meer dan deze maatschappij
*** graag ik dat altijd al had willen beleven

een meisje wilt iets
na een feest
slapen bij jou
want ze is nog nooit
zo ver weg geweest

aan jouw zijde sta ik
en met meelevend hart
zei je 'dat is goed'
op dat moment zei ik
'goodbye' to my mood

ik hou me groot
ik hou mijn mond
terwijl ik wil zakken
me laten vallen
op de grond

als van binnen
een demoon of meer
mij aan het verslinden zijn
negatief van de pijn
ik voel me klein

dat het goed is, zei je
tegen wat?
bij mijn ex had ik hier
nooit last van
geen moeite mee gehad

nu graaf ik dan misschien
elke keer mijn graf
maar dit hier was een droom
gebroken wakker
is niet iets dat ik mezelf gaf

en ik weet niet wat te zeggen
weet niet wat ik moet doen

misschien is jouw hart goed
maar zo is onze ****
laat het de onze blijven
niet verpesten door een heks

rampscenarios om te overleven
bedrogen door eigen boven kamer
maar om **** niet erger te maken
is het soms beter te zwijgen

omdat je de 'ja' hebt
maar 'nee' nog **** krijgen

Lieve Celina ,
Ik heb gehoord dat je een One Direction fan bent,
een nogal grote ook.
Er schoot Something Great in me te voor ,
Ik weet dat One Thing dat jij wilt is om *** te ontmoetenLieve Celina ,
Ik heb gehoord dat je een One Direction fan bent,
een nogal grote ook.
Er schoot Something Great in me te voor ,
Ik weet dat One Thing dat jij wilt is om *** te ontmoeten
Dus ik was Up All Night
om iets over een energie volle meid te schrijven
die van One Direction houd met No Control
en dat is niet erg want You Gotta be You
One way or another wou ik er iets moois van maken
What makes you beautiful is dat jij jezelf blijft
In de klas of buiten de klas blijf je wie je bent en dat is iets dat niemand van je af kan nemen
blijf wie je bent en One Way Or Another
zullen je dromen uit komen maar Live While You’re Young
wees Alive en Believe in your Heart
Magic Moments zijn er voor even maar die Midnight Memories blijven in je hart
Ik wil dat je Magic Moments in je leven maakt en daarvan de Memories in je hart opslaat
Leef je leven als 1 groot Moment en Happily believe in your Heart
zodat je alle obstakels overwint en dat je je dromen waar maakt.
Stand Up en wees jezelf , kijk de wereld aan en overkom alle moeilijke tijden
door altijd jezelf te blijven , een energie volle meid die toch gewoon wilt slapen
maar ze weet andere blij te houden met haar energie volle houding.
We zijn allemaal heel erg dankbaar dat je ons blij houd als je bij ons bent en
dat is iets dat niemand van je kan afnemen.
You are more than a class mate , you are a Girl Almighty


----Door Levon Tamazyan

Thought are not suppose to be bottled.So I pour my *** down the sink when I think, it runs down,and I **** away the world afflictions, cause its bigger than my shrink.Hard to blink cause my addiction is I stare into space tryna find my place.To be libra, even with the ying yang cause its constant battle in my cerebral.
Dealin with neglectful people,resultin with me to project hate towards the one I call fam.
****!
I should crucify my hands cause its writtin so much sin from heart.Its truely hard to be positive cause im always dwellin in the dark.
I feel thats what my only option is.
Haunted by the future, dreamin bout the past,tryin to recover, and exhume feelings to rid of that never last.Cause I dont want  stained names writtin on my heart cast growin pains maken me nuts, groin pains.
I want no part of that!
Sometimes I wanna die of a broken heart attack.Beating too seperate pulses on the screen, watch  it get flatlined and silent like my hopes and dreams.
pshhh **** this self esteem!
I been bullied at young,laugh at cause I was fat and dumb,always askin for theyre pizza crust nd crumbs.Always picked last and never won not once.
But I aint done,lost my father, young and I wasnt a good son.Im his off spring that sprung with mean gene son.Him a Drug addict, im the pain addict,I inject the hate habbits an cry in my own attic.
Hopin for a dragon tails, or some
Harry potter magic.
At night I see father & son commercials on the tv screen, I cringe, cause I remember thinking one day thatll be me.To have some  sorta memory of the dAy that we meet.But it never came to pass or be. No sir-ree!  he was notorious, but all he gave me was a  missed calls and birthday wishes never granted, and dead dreams.And a ache, that came with me when I left the nursery the day I was born.
Breathless, a severe asthmatic. Abnia child,who eventually  grew wild,while with no father to tell him to sit down! Im AdHd I cant keep calm! Ima a pessimisst with thoughts in my
Mind that storms from night till dawn.
All about christ,with nails as the  pen in my palms.Reading the psalms,to keep strong but im still weak ,a lefty doin right is wrong.
Still keep my heart on my arm I still flex  nd rep love till packed solid like abs and pecs. But just give a nine or tech, to shoot bullet notes.The ology of knowing me, is a study of a SOB.. Shortness of breath...


Lost in direction I need a pointer,
And eyes cause im walkin wrong,
No seein
Not believing


-Deep Thought

I Had love someone  with all my might.
But he did nothing but put pain in my life.

So we departed n that **** really left me BRoKen heaRt'd.

Months pass'd & ! Had regain my strength.
But then I saw h!m.....& i Fell once again.

& then A year pass'd & I Had a strong stand.
Got me maken right moves, I Was constructing my land.

Had no sorrow in me, not a single trace.
**** i Didnt even remember his face.

But one night I saw him & all that was burried relived.
So We TalKed & I  Thought, so I Was back with this Kid.

& foR some reason I Thought he'd changed.
I was wrong.
he told me "Yo I cheated on u n Ima start singing Lullaby songs".

I Fell to the ground with masive tears.
Felt such an imence pain that would last me years.

Didnt hear or see him for months, I Was still handicap.
Still NuM, no color 2 my life, **** it i aint want it back.

Yeah he had me like that.
But I GIve hIm BIG propS.

CAUSE He IS the 1st n laSt for me.
but ONE nIght I Saw hIm N he Saw me.

Ask me why my eyez where so lonely.
As 1f he didnt know but he really didnt cuz he never cared.

So I reminded him n he said "grow up life aint fair".

Do u, Move on n live.
As much as it hurted me I Had to...so I Did.

N thats when I Grew strong n stood tall.
Promised myself I'd never eveR Fall.

Now im back n that whole lovy dovy concept is out.
Love dont live here n that to me is something Im no longer about.

No longer wish to have it.Thats something I dont need. I Mean im living good now, I got what I Need.

Got my spot, pair of wheels n a whole lot of green.
Im looking at the sky just feeling the breeze.

Man **** LOVE IM GOOD.
N **** that fage *** n his wack lil hood.

It's 2015 n now hes on my **** asking for forgiveness.
I Aint that weak ***** so go on with yr business.

Who crys now does laugh later.
Get the **** out my face, go to your ex & date her.

Cause this **** queen don't want u nor need you.
Got my 5, got my green & I Got a true Ride or die too.

kankerlijer
klootzak
met een halve maan op je gezicht
het is goed bedoelt
als dat het minder erg moet maken
maar nee
het enige wat ik nodig had
was een grijntje begrip
een beetje respect misschien
nu is het al gebeurt
gezegd en gedaan
zal ik jouw gezicht liever niet meer zien
of krijg ik zin om te slaan
sorry oke
maar zonder traan
oprechtheid ver te zoeken dan
is het voorbij
niet meer dichtbij
het is gedaan
klootzak
en nog bedankt voor de argwaan

I get told I run from my problems
I have 99 of em but I never solve em
Doin what I do to get paid
Maken more then most make in a month in one day
Income like this has me goin state to state
Passport in my bag traveling across the American border
Runnin from my problems cause their stuck in my mind
I guess When it comes  holding on to thought I always been a horder
I thought things would get easier as I got older
It's crazy how I'm so bummed out
I got everything now
Everything but love I guess
John Lennon told me ever since I was a shorty love was all I needed
I get it I get I just don't get why when I look I never see it
It's hard I trust women of my generation
It's all good I'm ona plane right now
Just hit the city I can see the lights from the window
Comen home to everything I ran from knowing bull ***** only continue
I'll just leave this with a to be continued
I'll probably bring part 2 up whenever I decide to grow up

vluchtende mensen
grijpend
naar een pilletje
medicijnen
voor balans, tegen het kwijnen
een fles wijn
gewoon
om, voor de verandering,
eens met jezelf te zijn
het heil zoekend
in een grote groep vrienden
even niet bepalen
laat anderen de beslissing maken
een joint misschien?
zelfconfrontatie gaat me raken
piekeren
ik gok liever voor tien
een kameraad vierentwintigzeven
om mijn innerlijke stem te ontwaken
God zeg me, wie ik ben, waar ik sta
stop het nou maar onder het laken
ik zelf heb al vaak genoeg geprobeerd
het te weten, te weten waar ik ga
op de langertermijn
nog steeds niet in balans
gek he?
als we blijven vluchten van onze dans
het hoofd bieden aan een eigen kans
ver weg in het duister
nog wel
en dan
*** voel jij je weer licht?
ben je dan ook werkelijk in
evenwicht?
of houd je het masker voor
om meer te krijgen
iets van gehoor
met alle prikkels en falen
vrijheid en eenzaamheid
toppen en dalen
laat mij
het allemaal lekker zelf bepalen
zodat ik kan zeggen
dit ben ik
zonder die ergens anders te halen
arme mensen, voor de verandering
kom op de proppen
met eigen verhalen

Mag ik nog eens
komen kloppen,
komen vragen of ik binnen mag.
Ik heb de deurbel niet gevonden
dacht toch dat ik een opening zag.

Weet je nog, toen we elke dag wel konden?
Toen de vaten leidingen waren, die altijd waren aangesloten, toen de auto's te water gingen en veranderden in boten, toen we elk plezier in plaats van elk probleem nog uitvergrootten
en niemand

het nog druk had.

🧭Ik kan me niet meer voorstellen
     met welke fout het begon.
     Maar ik weet wel dat ik het
     met mijn eigen krachten overwon.

🧭Maar nu weken later
     denk ik echter.
     Doe ik het nou zo beroerd
     of ben ik gewoon niet zo'n vechter.

🧭Want steeds stapje voor stapje
      tikt de klok mij aan.
      Het is zo verwarrend
      *** laat de zal wijzer slaan.

🧭Ik begon in het Nederlands
     maar toen ging ik echter plat.
     naar blijken is ruw zijn
     nog veel erger als glad.

🧭En welke taal ik ook spreek
     of welke ik niet kan verstaan.
     Er is op dit moment gewoon
     geen ene bal meer aan.

🧭Over ballen gesproken
     Rond, groot en klein.
     Maar waarom rolt de mijne niet?
     Het zal wel een ovale zijn.

🧭Of ligt het aan de wind
     en waait hij continue naar west.
     Of hier in het noorden
     werkt dat dan niet best.

🧭Ik kan honderd dingen denken
     maar schijnbaar niet dat ene ding.
     Want waarom val ik in de put
     als ik er daarnet nog boven hing.

🧭Ik denk dat ik een gokje wagen kan:
     het is de innerlijke kracht.
     Ik was overtuigd dat ik sterk was,
     word ik daarom neer gebracht?

🧭En toch ben ik wel overtuigd
     dat ik vol zit met wil en moed.
     Maar dat ik toch nog twijfel
     niet over een ander maar wat ik zelf doet.

🧭Waarom is het in het oosten
     niet zoals in het westen.
     En waarom zijn er boeren
     die zo onlogisch gaan bemesten.

🧭Het hele doel is toch
     om het land goed te maken.
     Waarom zul je dan zonder duidelijkheid
     je mede mens afkraken.

🧭Wat heb ik toch zo fout gedaan
     dat de wereld toch zo doet.
     Nee absoluut ik deed ook fout
     maar, momenteel bedoel ik goed.

🧭Hoop toch dat de mens nu ontdekt
     dat ik veel goed wil doen.
     Maar nogmaals ik begrijp het niet
     waarom is het ineens anders als toen.

🧭Ik bedoel, ik ben ook maar mens
     Iedereen maakt toch weleens een fout?
     Of ben ik de enige
     zonder peper of zout?

🧭Had graag willen weten
     wat de echte reden was.
     Maar waar ik ook woon, merk ik
    dat ik leef zonder duidelijk kompas.

🧭With full heart: Diegó. P. Siemsen.🧭

Ik heb zelf niemand verloren.
Waarom heeft hij te klagen,
zal je vragen. Wel, ik wil luisteren
zodat een ander jouw verhaal kan horen.
Van mij mag jij dat roepen zo hard je zelf wil
of lichtjes in mijn oren fluisteren.

Ik voel dan met je mee, ik wil dat samen dragen.
Daarmee dat het soms, in fracties van, begint te knagen.

Ik weet dat dat niet echt hetzelfde is,
zo simpel is dat zeker niet.
Daarom, echter, dicht ik toe.
Meer dan dat kan ik niet geven,
Ik hoop dat ik zo voor iemand anders,
misschien één mensenleven,
toch iets goed doe.

Om het onbreekbare te breken,
dagen die zo vastgelopen leken
opnieuw te bewandelen.
Om onderweg ongeziene dorst te laken en
zo hopelijk sommige zaken
terug los te kunnen maken.

Om het ongeziene op te merken,
samen te zien en weg te werken,
weerspannige stroefjes
of kale plekken te doen verdwijnen,
in losse proefjes en of strakke lijnen.

Als ik maar ergens helpen kan
dan mag je dat aan mij vertellen.
Misschien kunnen we het onheil vellen
of ermee leren leven.
Meer dan dat kan ik niet geven.

Voor mij is dat het waardevolste wat er bestaat,
elke dag een goede daad.
Zo wil ik laten begrijpen
dat jij altijd in mijn hand mag knijpen
wanneer de pijn weer toeslaat.

Ik wil helpen dragen,
in deze vorm, geschreven,
want meer dan dat
kan ik niet geven.

De nacht is eindeloos,
zeker als je de dageraad onverwacht
begroet na een uur of zes
verlangend naar slaap die niet komt.

The night is eternal,
especially when you greet the dawn unexpectedly,
after six hours of tossing and turning
longing for a sleep that will not befall you.

Ik ben fysiek ziek
van dit alles.
Er raast een manie door mijn lijf
en ik ben bang dat het mij de baas zal zijn.

All of this
has made me physically ill,
mania rushes through my veins
and I fear it will get the best of me.

Mijn maag draait en tolt,
het wentelt zich als zeerovers
op een schip, tiental keren op z’n kop.

My stomach twists and turns,
tips from side to side,
like pirates on a ship,
tons of times upsy-daisy.

Ik ben heel de nacht wakker geweest
radeloos over elke beweging,
peinzend over elk woord
dat jouw lippen verliet.

I have been up all night,
guessing about every move you made,
pondering the meaning of every word
that crossed your lips.

Het is haast infantiel
dat jouw aanwezigheid
zoveel invloed op mij heeft,
ik weet niet waarom ik dat toesta.

It is absurd
how much your presence
affects me,
and I don’t know why I let it.

Ik heb mijn huiswerk gemaakt
naar muziek geluisterd
wel twintig webpagina’s geraadpleegd
mijmerend over jouw gezicht,
schrijf ik gedicht na gedicht.
wat je dan ook wordt,
een muze blijk je in elk geval wel.

I did my homework,
listened to music,
took the advice of two dozen websites,
musing over your face,
I write poem after poem,
whatever you might come to mean to me,
a muse, for now, that inspires endlessly.

Ik heb een nacht slaap verloren
en heb het gevoel dat ik nu
langs de wereld heen leef,
deelnemend, maar niet participerend.

I lost a night’s sleep over you
and feel like I am
living alongside myself,
watching but not interfering.

De nacht heeft mij sterker gemaakt,
ik weet weer waar ik toe in staat ben,
*** ik in elkaar zit,
en ik heb mijn zelfvertrouwen weer herwonnen.

The night has given me strength again,
I am aware once more, of my capabilities,
what makes me tick,
and have found my confidence again.

Ik weet niet waar wij
tweeën naar toe gaan,
of we hetzelfde pad zullen betreden,
of bij de splitsing ieder een eigen weg gaan,
maar ik weet wel dat ik niet wil verdwalen,
en ik zal op het rechte pad blijven,
ook al is het misschien mistig.

I don’t know where the two of us
will end up,
if we will tread the same track,
or at the fork in the road,
will each pick our own path,
but what I do know,
is that I will not allow myself to get lost,
and will follow my trail till the end of the line.

Voor hem tien anderen,
en voor mij misschien vijf.
Ik weet dat ik beter kan krijgen,
ook al lijkt dat niet zo wanneer ik met hem praat.

There are ten others like him out there,
and maybe five like me.
I know I can do much better,
even if I forget during our talks.

Drie dagen,
niet eens drie dagen,
en hij heeft zich als een worm
in het klokkenhuis van mijn hart gewurmd,
en neemt hap na hap,
tot de appel op is.

Three days,
not even three days,
and he, much like a worm,
has burrowed itself
into the core of my heart,
and bite after bite
devours me,
until there’s nothing left.

Ik ben misselijk,
en ik mis je,
een maladie
van eenzaamheid
overspoelt mij.
Dit is niet wie ik ben,
altijd zo helder en duidelijk,
standvastig en vastberaden.
Jij doet mij ijlen
en daarom mag jij het contact
maken tussen ons,
ik heb al genoeg geleden.

I am sick to my stomach,
I miss you,
a fevered loneliness
overcomes me.
This is unlike me,
usually so clear,
determined and steadfast,
you make me delirious,
and that is why you
have to keep up the conversation
between us,
because I have already suffered enough.

Ik controleer zo vaak
of je al iets van je hebt laten horen,
dat mijn ogen langzaam vierkant worden,
ik mis geschreven schrift.

I have been incessantly,
obsessively checking my messages,
to see if you have texted me,
so much so,
that I fear I will end up like Mike TV,
I miss hand-written letters.

Er zal nooit gevoel bij hem vandaan komen,
en bij mij ook niet, zeker nu niet.

He will never reciprocate,
and neither will I, not presently.

Waar komt deze plotse last vandaan?

From whence came this plague, to plague me?

Er is nog zoveel levenswerk
in het verschiet. Gedane moeite merk
ik voorlopig niet. Ik zie
alleen de tirannie
van angst.
Op maandagochtend ben ik op mijn bangst,
gedeeld met zondag voor het slapen.
Dan moet ik mijn moed bijeen staan rapen,
mezelf overtuigen dat mijn end het langst
zou zijn. Want wat ben ik toch bang
dat ik het niet zal maken,
wat laat ik mijn leven toch wrang smaken
door steeds met takjes tussen eigen spaken
niet te werken voor waar ik naar verlang.

Jullie hebben mij immens veel bijgeleerd.
Zoveel dat ik haast niet op kan sommen
wat in mij allemaal veranderd is.
Mijn werklust heeft hier gerevalideerd
in acht bewogen maanden die ik
niet meer weg wil gommen.

Vandaar dat ik tegen het einde
van deze uitgebreide sessie, met pen,
de datum heb genoteerd.

Eerst gedaald, daarna gestegen, rechtgetrokken,
toen verlegen, toe, later open,
gebloeid, vertrokken.
Ik zal de deur nog één keer sluiten
wanneer ik jullie bedank.
Want bij aankomst kroop ik mank,
liet ik tranen met tuiten.
Ondertussen, dankzij jullie allevier,
kan ik weer lopen met plezier.

Jullie namen zullen blijven hangen.
Desnoods gebruik ik knopen
om ze vast te maken, nooit meer te vervangen.

Want zelfs als ik zelf mijn geheugen ooit verlies,
zal ik jullie nooit vergeten.
Bedankt van harte, Sarah, Katrien, Geertrui en Marlies.

Ik wil gelezen worden,
geprezen en gewezen worden,
dat mensen zien en voelen
wat mijn doelen
zijn.

Waarom wil ik dat mensen willen,
hoezo zou ik het eten hebben
dat voor hen de honger stillen
kan? Kan ik wel vermaken, kan ik het ver maken?
Of zijn dat zaken die mijn pet te boven schieten.

Lieten mensen het maar weten,
welke emotie ze graag gesmeten
zien.

Zal ik ooit iets meer bereiken,
het zachte harde leven trachtend te ontwijken,
minder klachten rapporteren,
minder zagen, minder zeuren, minder zeiken?

Ik heb het bitter makkelijk gehad
toen ik achter de schoolbanken zat.
Dat kan toch niet voor altijd mijn excuusje blijven.
Heb ik nu echt iemand nodig om op mij te kijven.

Ik wil zo graag vermakelijk zijn, soms
meeslepend, onrustig en soms zacht en fijn,
zo een ander roeren, zoals ik zei
de hongerigen voeren.

Maar ik ben te eerlijk, heerlijk en begeerlijk, in mijn hoofd,
treurig van mijn lot beroofd, machteloos, ontroostbaar, genekt.
Elke dag voor zoveel jaar heb ik mijn schram en wond gelekt.

Wees dan realistisch, werk voor een publiek, doe dan moeite, doe dan
iets. Werk.

Maar als alles door elkaar loopt, blokkeert mijn zicht, ik zie dan straten zonder licht, bowlingbanen zonder hekjes en sporen zonder bomen.
Alles is gevaarlijk, zoals plassen in je dromen, alles is een risico, niemand weet wat kan of werkt. Soms word je dan nat wakker, heb ik in mijn jeugd gemerkt.

Nu word ik ouder, de aarde warmer, de mensen kouder, zou me lijken
en zit ik nog steeds over de kleinste zorgen zo te zeiken.

Je zou me een softie kunnen noemen. Of lief, ‘t is maar *** je ‘t ziet,
je zou me vanalles kunnen noemen, maar dat ben ik niet. Althans dat zou ik niet willen zijn. Ik wil, als mogelijk, een rechte lijn zien in die weg die voor mij ligt. Dat lampen veiligheid bezorgen en bordjes wijzen in de goede richt-
ing. Ik wil één taak, één mens, één doel nastreven,

hopelijk, niet langer drie, een halve of vijfendertig
want voor mij is dat geen leven.

Mijn ogen rollen nog,
mijn stenen vallen toch.

Veel ontgaat, ontglipt, besipt
de buizen op de straat,
veel verloopt en stopt
en stokt zelfs aan de praat.

We maken ons geen zorgen, zie ik aan de poort.
Het maakt al even niet meer uit, wie oma heeft vermoord.
Het recht om zo te denken, lijnen over wie iets zegt
zonder zelf te schenken.

Ik zei het menigmaal, wie dit bedacht heeft die
is vast bezopen of simpel
weg een geniaal.

Ik wil me uitdrukken
zonder zomaar wat uit te drukken,
zonder zonder na te denken toetsen in te duwen.

Ik wil niet als een getikte tikken,
mijn levenskwaliteit opkrikken.
Ben ik wel op de juiste plaats terecht gekomen
of zit iedereen van werkverzuim te dromen?

Soms kan het me allemaal niet boeien,
wil ik me enkel met mezelf moeien,
iets maken, mag dat lukken,

mezelf voor niets uitdrukken.

Ik heb zelf niemand verloren.
Waarom heeft hij te klagen,
zal je vragen. Wel, ik wil horen,
ik wil naar jouw verhalen luisteren.
Je mag roepend in mijn handen knijpen
of zachtjes in mijn oren fluisteren.
Als ik maar kan begrijpen
en laten dat ik wil helpen dragen.

Dat is niet echt hetzelfde, geef ik zeker toe.
't Is daarom dat ik aan dichten doe.

Zo tracht ik het onbreekbare te breken,
dagen die zo vastgelopen leken
opnieuw te bewandelen,
om onderwege dorst te laken
en opgekropte zaken
los te kunnen maken.

Ik wil helpen dragen,
in deze vorm, geschreven,
want meer dan dat
kan ik niet geven.

Klassiekers die ik lees raken
vaak niet aan pagina zeven.
Stoppen kan ik ook niet maken
want boeken lezen is mijn leven.

Ik lees al zeker zo'n vijf jaar
intensief hetzelfde boek.
'k Ben zelfs bezig in twee paar
en de vijfde die is zoek.

Voor kerst kreeg ik twee dikke krakers,
bij m'n verjaardag 'n kleinfijn boekie.
Wat enig, drie eeuwige kastbewakers
om te verzamelen in dat grijze hoekie.

De letters vroegen me het op te geven.
Eindscore versus de prentjes: nul tegen zeven.

Each step
precariously maken
Every turn
variously taken

Each thought
erratically selected
Every emotion
dramatically projected

Each piece
tenderly created
Every crease
slenderly sated

Ik moet mezelf leren maken,
zonder mezelf te kraken,
wat het is, productiviteit.
Al jarenlang zit ik in strijd
met angsten, die de bangste
tracht maar niet vermijdt.
Ik verwijt voornamelijk
mezelf, onnoemelijk
een ander.

Ik ben waarschijnlijk niet alleen
wanneer ik zeg
dat ik wil dat ik
verander.

Doe mij maar gras op crackers,
Ik zet telkens veertien wekkers
Om te weten wat mag smaken
Mij zie je geen boterham
Met salami en choco maken
Pak de fiets, het houdt, het hout,
De spaken, ik moet braken
Van die biefstuk op een bedje van
En dat schreeuw ik van de daken
opdat iedereen het horen kan.

Samen wonen, samen klonen
om met het leven tijd te doden.
Zonde dat de doden niet vertellen
*** het is om dood te zijn.
Dan konden we misschien
komaf maken
met al die schone schijn.

We kunnen kiezen uit duizend bieren,
lokaal of in Hong Kong gebrouwen.
We kunnen thuis of winkelhieren
als we onszelf nog met ons geld vertrouwen.

Velen hebben maar net één persoon
aan wie ze al kunnen vertellen.
Soms is het een diertje te huis,
soms iemand elke dag te bellen.

We kunnen onze vingers afwisselen,
de smaak van het vlees bedisselen.
Zelfs zeggen of we aldaniet (helaas) gaan passen
en om 't goed te maken, helpen afwassen.

Voor *** kort het ook mag blijven hangen,
het gevoel dat iets genoeg kan zijn,
kan, gepaard met schaamrood op de wangen,
het pijnlijk meer-gewil met succes vervangen.

Even op te klaren, het is wat
zeveren en maren, zeggen dat
en dit en broer enzo. We hebben
allemaal ons eigen leven, onze zaken,
onze tijd om er wat van te maken.
Ik wilde slechts observeren, niet verwijten,
irriteren.
Want ik ben dankbaar dat je ooit voor mij
wat hebt betekend. Dat draag ik voor
altijd mee in wie ik ben en wie weet, mens,
zeggen we ooit weer meer tegen elkaar
dan een vlugge verjaardagswens.

Pampertjers verversen, verse
melk of thee op poten zetten,
sap uit appelsienen persen,
het maken van korte metten.

Ik heb het graf van mama
vandaag bezocht, bloemen
gelegd en haar mijn stem verkocht.
Toen ik vertrok, hoorde ik
ze zoemen.

De bijdehante op *** merk
gestelden, het zijn sloebers,
slurfkes waar ik elke dag voor werk.

Lawrence Hall, HSG
Mhall46184@aol.com

              Avon Man and the Mystery of His First-Best Bed

                   I gyve unto my wief my second best bed…

          -Attributed to Shakespeare in his will. Or Churchill. Or
          Milton. Or Elvis. Or Some Famous Man. And Shakespeare
          was secretly a Catholic. (No, he wasn’t.) (Yes, he was.) (No, he
          wasn’t.) (Yes, he was; I read it on the InterGossip.)

That second-best bed doesn’t matter a pop
Those anyones whoever slept in it are deads
Memorialized as dashboard bobbleheads
At Ye Olde Anne Hathawaye gifte shoppe

Kinge Richarde nevere cryede, “mye kyngdome fore ye bedde!”
Yea, goode olde Sirre Erpinghame joked, “Now lye I like a kynge”
So what’s the deale withe the firste-beste bedde thynge?
Thatte seconde bedde is where the Widowe rested hir hedde

Ande thusse ye scholares maken withouten cessatione
Unsupportede argumentes and allegationes