Laughing grey eyes, whose light in me I bear,
Deep in my heart's remembrance and delight,
Remembrance is so infinite delight
Of your brightness, O soft eyes that I fear.
Of love-sickness my life had perished here,
But you raise up my strength in death's respite,
Laughing grey eyes, whose light in me I bear.
Certes, by you my heart, I see full clear,
Shall of desire attain at last the height,
Even that my lady, through your sovereign might,
May me continue in her service dear,
Laughing grey eyes, whose light in me I bear.
And the day dawned, and what shall I tell concerning it? Wherefore
should I longer stray from my subject without good cause? On the morrow,
throughout the whole day, the esquires, who bore them fairly and well in
every way, likewise jousted. And there were also twenty, clad all in
green, who maintained the combat, and the ladies assembled to watch
them, and to bestow the prizes. And there were twenty damsels there,
apparelled in green, and they wore golden chaplets on their tresses, and
were all very noble ladies, comely, and fair to look on. And during the
encounter, many high-saddled chargers were overthrown, and shields were
struck, and lances broken. And many a blow deserving of praise was given
and endured. But I will not stay me further to give a long account of
this, for it pleases me better to rehearse that for the sake of which I
began this story, and that which I thought and did and said in this love
affair, about the which at that time I made great dole.
For three whole days--this is no fable--the pleasing festival dured, at
the which all were made welcome and at their ease. Then the revel ended,
but my lady departed not for the space of a whole month. I besought of
him who was her lord to grant this, and he granted it, and if that I had
dared, right willingly would I have made a recompense unto him for this.
And you may know right well what joy I must needs have had from this
pleasing sojourn. Each hour my only care was to devise perfectly how I
could best give her diversion.
And on a day I caused baths to be made ready, and the stoves to be
heated, and the tubs to be placed in white pavilions in a fitting spot.
And it chanced that I went thither when my lady was in the bath, and she
received me not with pleasure, but I had perfect joy when I looked upon
her fair flesh as white as a lily. Greatly did this delight me, as you
who hear tell of it can well believe. On another day we went to the
chase, and on another we descended down to the river to fish. In
suchwise did we pass the whole month, following many gladsome pursuits.
But know that in the midst of this my happiness, love bound my heart in
its toils more firmly than ever, and laid so violent hold on it, that a
great desire to be loved was so kindled within me, that, ere the
festival was ended, never did any other miserable being endure such
stress of mind. No happiness had I if I could not see her and gaze
constantly upon her, of the which I never wearied, for, as it seemed to
me, never could I be enough in her presence, and moreover this mood made
me so to crave after her kindly goodwill, that dolour laid grievous hold
on me, and you may well believe that I was not skilled enough to know
how wholly to hide the grievous sorrow I endured. And albeit I would not
discover my thoughts to either man or woman, ne'ertheless so troubled
was I in mind, and in such great tumult, that, in spite of myself, my
face revealed my state.
I was now pensive, now merry. And like unto one forsaken, I ofttimes
wept so bitterly, that I seemed to myself like to die in grievous sorrow
from despair and from loss of the hope of ever gaining her love;
wherefore I paled, and trembled, and reddened, and oft changed colour,
and sweated from fear, and became disquieted, so that at times my
courage altogether failed me, and then it oft happened that in bed I
became quite calm. I neither drank nor ate meat with relish, nor could I
in anywise sleep, the which threw me into such state, that I grew worse
and worse. And no one knew what ailed me, for in nowise would I speak to
any one of my condition, nor for my life would I confess it even to her
whom I loved. Ne'ertheless she ofttimes enquired of me what ailed me,
and bade me tell unto her my condition, and hide it not from her, and
that I should speak to her without fear, for I must not doubt me that
she would do all that in her lay to ease me.
Thus longwhiles my lady comforted me, but ne'ertheless I dared not, for
all the gold in the world, make known or confess unto her the load which
my heart bare, and thus, in deep thought, I wept and sighed.
And at that time I became so filled with love, that I know not what more
to say concerning it, save that I had troublous and painful acquaintance
with it, and from that time lacked the quiet and pleasurable peace of
mind which aforetime I enjoyed, and plunged my heart into another peril,
for I came to reject all solace, and to make of sorrow my very pitiless
guest. Longwhiles did I remain in this state, without daring to pray for
mercy, for fear of refusal. And thus, bewailing my ill-fortune, I made
complaint in these words:--