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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
THE COMPLAINT OF VENUS, by GEOFFREY CHAUCER Poet Analysis Poet's Biography First Line: Ther nys so high comfort to my pleasaunce Last Line: Of graunson, flour of hem that make in fraunce. | |||
I THER nys so high comfort to my plesaunce, When that I am in any hevynesse, As for to have leyser of remembraunce Upon the manhod and the worthynesse, Upon the trouthe and on the stidfastnesse Of him whos I am al, while I may dure. Ther oghte blame me no creature, For every wight preiseth his gentilesse. In him is bounte, wysdom, governaunce, Wel more then any mannes wit can gesse; For grace hath wold so ferforth hym avaunce That of knyghthod he is parfit richesse. Honour honoureth him for his noblesse; Therto so wel hath formed him Nature That I am his for ever, I him assure; For every wight preyseth his gentilesse. And notwithstondyng al his suffisaunce, His gentil herte is of so gret humblesse To me in word, in werk, in contenaunce, And me to serve is al his besynesse, That I am set in verrey sikernesse. Thus oghte I blesse wel myn aventure, Sith that him list me serven and honoure; For every wight preiseth his gentilesse. II Now certis, Love, hit is right covenable That men ful dere abye thy nobil thing, As wake abedde, and fasten at the table, Wepinge to laughe, and singe in compleynyng, And doun to caste visage and lokyng, Often to chaunge hewe and contenaunce, Pleyne in slepyng, and dremen at the daunce, Al the revers of any glad felyng. Jelosie be hanged be a cable! She wolde al knowe thurgh her espying. Ther doth no wyght nothing so resonable, That al nys harm in her ymagenyng. Thus dere abought is Love in yevyng, Which ofte he yiveth withouten ordynaunce, As sorwe ynogh, and litil of plesaunce, Al the revers of any glad felyng. A lytel tyme his yift ys agreable, But ful encomberous is the usyng; For subtil Jelosie, the deceyvable, Ful often tyme causeth desturbyng. Thus be we ever in drede and sufferyng; In nouncerteyn we languisshe in penaunce, And han ful often many an hard mischaunce, Al the revers of any glad felyng. III But certes, Love, I sey not in such wise That for t'escape out of youre las I mente; For I so longe have ben in your servise That for to lete of wil I never assente; No fors thogh Jelosye me turmente! Sufficeth me to sen hym when I may; And therfore certes, to myn endyng day, To love hym best ne shal I never repente. And certis, Love, when I me wel avise On any estat that man may represente, Then have ye maked me, thurgh your fraunchise, Chese the best that ever on erthe wente. Now love wel, herte, and lok thou never stente; And let the jelous putte it in assay That, for no peyne, wol I not sey nay; To love him best ne shal I never repente. Herte, to the hit oughte ynogh suffise That Love so high a grace to the sente, To chese the worthieste in alle wise And most agreable unto myn entente. Seche no ferther, neythir wey ne wente, Sith I have suffisaunce unto my pay. Thus wol I ende this compleynt or this lay: To love hym best ne shal I never repente. Lenvoy Princesse, receyveth this compleynt in gre, Unto your excelent benignite Direct after my litel suffisaunce. For elde, that in my spirit dulleth me, Hath of endyting al the subtilte Wel nygh bereft out of my remembraunce; And eke to me it ys a gret penaunce, Syth rym in Englissh hath such skarsete, To folowe word by word the curiosite Of Graunson, flour of hem that make in Fraunce. | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...LACK OF STEADFASTNESS; BALLAD by GEOFFREY CHAUCER MERCILES BEAUTE; A TRIPLE ROUNDEL: 1. CAPTIVITY by GEOFFREY CHAUCER MERCILES BEAUTE; A TRIPLE ROUNDEL: 2. REJECTION by GEOFFREY CHAUCER MERCILES BEAUTE; A TRIPLE ROUNDEL: 3. ESCAPE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE CANTERBURY TALES: THE GENERAL PROLOGUE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE CHARACTER OF A GOOD PARSON by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE COCK AND THE FOX, OR THE TALE OF THE NUN'S PRIEST by GEOFFREY CHAUCER THE COMPLAINT OF CHAUCER TO HIS EMPTY PURSE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER TO ROSAMONDE: A BALADE by GEOFFREY CHAUCER A BALADE OF COMPLAINT by GEOFFREY CHAUCER |
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