(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, |
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| As wele or wo, now povre and now honour, |
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| Whith-outen ordre or wys discrecioun |
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| Governed is by Fortunes errour , |
fickleness ; | ||||
| 5 | But natheles, the lak of hir favour |
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| Ne may nat don me singen, though I dye, |
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| 'Iay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour:' |
"I have lost all my time and labor" | ||||
| For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye! |
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| Yit is me left the light of my resoun, |
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| 10 | To knowen frend fro fo in thy mirour. |
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| So much hath yit thy whirling up and doun |
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| Y-taught me for to knowen in an hour. |
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| But trewely, no force of thy reddour |
has no force, does not matter; severity, harshness ; | ||||
| To him that over him-self hath the maystrye! |
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| 15 | My suffisaunce shal be my socour: |
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| For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye! |
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| O Socrates, thou stedfast champioun, |
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| She never mighte be thy tormentour; |
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| Thou never dreddest hir oppressioun, |
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| 20 | Ne in hir chere founde thou no savour. |
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| Thou knewe wel the deceit of hir colour, |
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| And that hir moste worshipe is to lye. |
greatest dignity; | ||||
| I knowe hir eek a fals dissimulour: |
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| For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye! |
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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. |
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| Why seystou thanne I am to the so kene, |
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| That hast thy-self out of my governaunce? |
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| Sey thus: 'Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce |
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| 30 | That thou hast lent or this.' Why wolt thou stryve? |
ere; | |||
| What wostou yit, how I thee wol avaunce? |
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| And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve! |
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| I have thee taught divisioun bi-twene |
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| 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; |
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| Now sestou cler, that were in ignoraunce. |
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| Yit halt thyn ancre , and yit thou mayst arryve |
holds fast ; anchor ; | ||||
| Ther bountee berth the keye of my substaunce: |
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| 40 | And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve. |
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| How many have I refused to sustene, |
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| Sin I thee fostred have in thy plesaunce! |
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| Woltou than make a statut on thy quene |
law applying to ; | ||||
| That I shal been ay at thyn or dinaunce? |
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| 45 | Thou born art in my regne of variaunce, |
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| About the whell with other most thou dryve. |
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| My lore is be than wikke is thy grevaunce, |
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| And eek thou hast thy best frend alyve. |
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III. La respounse du Pleintif countre Fortune. |
Fortune's response to the Plaintiff; | ||||
| Thy lore I dampne, hit is adversitee. |
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| 50 | My frend maystou nat reven , blind goddesse! |
take away ; | |||
| That I thy frendes knowe, I thanke hit thee. |
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| 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: |
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| In general , this reule may nat fayle. |
universally ; | ||||
La respounse de Fortune countre le Pleintif. |
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| Thou pinchest at my mutabilitee, |
find fault with ; | ||||
| For I the lente a drope of my richesse, |
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| And now me lyketh to with-drawe me. |
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| 60 | Why sholdestou my realtee oppresse? |
royalty, royal power ; | |||
| The see may ebbe and flowen more or lesse; |
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| The welkne hath might to shyne, reyne, or hayle; |
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| Right so mot I kythen my brotelnesse. |
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| In general , this reule may nat fayle. |
universally ; | ||||
| 65 | Lo, thexecucion of the magestee |
the performance; God; | |||
| That al purveyeth of his rightwisnesse, |
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| That same thing 'Fortune' clepen ye, |
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| Ye blinde bestes, ful of lewednesse! |
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| The hevene hat proprete of sikernesse , |
security, stability ; | ||||
| 70 | This world hat ever resteles travayle; |
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| 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, |
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| Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne, |
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| 75 | And I shal quyte you your bysinesse |
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| At my requeste, as thre of you or tweyne; |
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| And, but you list releve him of his peyne, |
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| Preyeth his beste frend, of his noblesse, |
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| That to som beter estat he may atteyne. |
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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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