(Note: I retrieved this from an archived copy at http://www.archive.org on 09.10.02, because it is an excellent page. It has been taken off the Net. But it is the property of Prof. Markland, and I will take it down from my site if he contacts me and asks me to do so. - GF)

Go to: Notes for this poem.

Fortune

Balads de visage sans peinture.

I. Le Plentif countre Fortune

the plaintiff pleads against Fortune;


This wrecched worldes transmutacioun,


As wele or wo, now povre and now honour,


Whith-outen ordre or wys discrecioun


Governed is by Fortunes errour ,
fickleness ;
5
But natheles, the lak of hir favour


Ne may nat don me singen, though I dye,


'Iay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour:'
"I have lost all my time and labor"


For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!








Yit is me left the light of my resoun,
10
To knowen frend fro fo in thy mirour.


So much hath yit thy whirling up and doun


Y-taught me for to knowen in an hour.


But trewely, no force of thy reddour
has no force, does not matter; severity, harshness ;


To him that over him-self hath the maystrye!
15
My suffisaunce shal be my socour:


For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!








O Socrates, thou stedfast champioun,


She never mighte be thy tormentour;


Thou never dreddest hir oppressioun,
20
Ne in hir chere founde thou no savour.


Thou knewe wel the deceit of hir colour,


And that hir moste worshipe is to lye.
greatest dignity;


I knowe hir eek a fals dissimulour:


For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye!



II. La respounse de Fortune au Pleintif.

Fortune's response to the plaintiff;
25
No man is wrecched, but him-self hit wene ,
suppose ;


And he that hath him-self hat suffisaunce.


Why seystou thanne I am to the so kene,


That hast thy-self out of my governaunce?


Sey thus: 'Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce
30
That thou hast lent or this.' Why wolt thou stryve?
ere;


What wostou yit, how I thee wol avaunce?


And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve!








I have thee taught divisioun bi-twene


Frend of effect , and frend of countenaunce;
in actuality, in deeds; in appearance;
35
Thee nedeth nat the galle of noon hyene ,
hyena ;


That cureth eyen derked for penaunce;


Now sestou cler, that were in ignoraunce.


Yit halt thyn ancre , and yit thou mayst arryve
holds fast ; anchor ;


Ther bountee berth the keye of my substaunce:
40
And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve.








How many have I refused to sustene,


Sin I thee fostred have in thy plesaunce!


Woltou than make a statut on thy quene
law applying to ;


That I shal been ay at thyn or dinaunce?
45
Thou born art in my regne of variaunce,


About the whell with other most thou dryve.


My lore is be than wikke is thy grevaunce,


And eek thou hast thy best frend alyve.






III. La respounse du Pleintif countre Fortune.

Fortune's response to the Plaintiff;


Thy lore I dampne, hit is adversitee.
50
My frend maystou nat reven , blind goddesse!
take away ;


That I thy frendes knowe, I thanke hit thee.


Tak hem agayn, lat hem go lye on presse !
keep to themselves, stay away ;


The nigardye in keping hir richesse
miserliness;


Prenostik is thou wolt hir tour assayle;
is a sign that ;
55
Wikke appetyt comth ay before seknesse:


In general , this reule may nat fayle.
universally ;






La respounse de Fortune countre le Pleintif.



Thou pinchest at my mutabilitee,
find fault with ;


For I the lente a drope of my richesse,


And now me lyketh to with-drawe me.
60
Why sholdestou my realtee oppresse?
royalty, royal power ;


The see may ebbe and flowen more or lesse;


The welkne hath might to shyne, reyne, or hayle;


Right so mot I kythen my brotelnesse.


In general , this reule may nat fayle.
universally ;






65
Lo, thexecucion of the magestee
the performance; God;


That al purveyeth of his rightwisnesse,


That same thing 'Fortune' clepen ye,


Ye blinde bestes, ful of lewednesse!


The hevene hat proprete of sikernesse ,
security, stability ;
70
This world hat ever resteles travayle;


Thy laste day is ende of myn intresse :
interest ;


In general , this reule may nat fayle.
universally ;






Lenvoy de Fortune

the dedication concerning Fortune;


Princes, I prey you of your gentilesse,


Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne,
75
And I shal quyte you your bysinesse


At my requeste, as thre of you or tweyne;


And, but you list releve him of his peyne,


Preyeth his beste frend, of his noblesse,


That to som beter estat he may atteyne.

Explicit.


Notes

Both the Riverside notes and Jane Chance point to the Boethian influences for this work. Chance selects II.pr.1-8 and II.pr.1-9, while the Riverside points to II.m.1 also.

Brusendorff believes the work to be based upon those of Deschamps, a French contemporary of Chaucer.


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Matthew Markland / markland@cs.iastate.edu / mwmarkla@iastate.edu