(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.
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. |
|||||
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.
Return to the top of this page.