No More Learning

Ne porquant el fait moult grant plaie;
Mes cis atent bonne menaie,
Qui de cele floiche est plaies,
Ses maus en est mielx emplaies;
Car il puet tost sante atendre,
S'en doit estre sa dolor mendre. 960
Cinq floiches i ot d'autre guise,
Qui furent ledes a devise:
Li fust estoient et li fer
Plus noirs que deables d'enfer.
La premiere avoit non Orguex,
L'autre qui ne valoit pas miex,
Fu apelee Vilenie;
Icele fu de felonie
Toute tainte et envenimee.
La tierce fu Honte clamee, 970
Et la quarte Desesperance:
Novel-Penser fu sans doutance
Apelee la darreniere.
Ces cinq floiches d'une maniere
Furent, et moult bien resemblables;
Moult par lor estoit convenables

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The foule croked bowe hidous,
That knotty was, and al roynous.
That bowe semede wel to shete
These arowes fyve, that been unmete, 990
Contrarie to that other fyve.
But though I telle not as blyve
Of hir power, ne of hir might,
Her-after shal I tellen right
The sothe, and eek signifiaunce, 995
As fer as I have remembraunce:
Al shall be seid, I undertake,
Er of this boke an ende I make.
Now come I to my tale ageyn.
But alderfirst, I wol you seyn 1000
The fasoun and the countenaunces
Of al the folk that on the daunce is.
The God of Love, Iolyf and light,
Ladde on his honde a lady bright,
Of high prys, and of greet degree. 1005
This lady called was BEAUTEE, BEAUTEE.
[As was] an arowe, of which I tolde.
Ful wel [y]-thewed was she holde;
Ne she was derk ne broun, but bright,
And cleer as [is] the mone-light, 1010

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Li uns des arcs qui fu hideus,
Et plains de neus, et eschardeus;
Il devoit bien tiex floiches traire,
Car el erent force et contraire 980
As autres cinq floiches sans doute.
Mes ne dire pas ore toute
Lor forces, ne lor poestes.
Bien vous sera la verites
Contee, et la senefiance
Nel'metre mie en obliance;
Ains vous dirai que tout ce monte,
Aincois que je fine mon conte.
Or revendrai a ma parole:
Des nobles gens de la karole 990
M'estuet dire les contenances,
Et les facons et les semblances.
Li Diex d'Amors se fu bien pris
A une dame de haut pris,
Et delez lui iert ajoustes:
Icele dame ot non Biautes,
Ainsinc cum une des cinq fleches.
En li ot maintes bonnes teches:
El ne fu oscure, ne brune,
Ains fu clere comme la lune, 1000

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Ageyn whom alle the sterres semen
But smale candels, as we demen.
Hir flesh was tendre as dewe of flour,
Hir chere was simple as byrde in bour;
As whyt as lilie or rose in rys, 1015
Hir face gentil and tretys.
Fetys she was, and smal to see;
No windred browes hadde she,
Ne popped hir, for it neded nought
To windre hir, or to peynte hir ought. 1020
Hir tresses yelowe, and longe straughten,
Unto hir heles doun they raughten:
Hir nose, hir mouth, and eye and cheke
Wel wrought, and al the remenaunt eke.
A ful gret savour and a swote 1025
Me thinketh in myn herte rote,
As helpe me god, whan I remembre
Of the fasoun of every membre!
In world is noon so fair a wight;
For yong she was, and hewed bright, 1030
[Wys], plesaunt, and fetys withalle,
Gente, and in hir middel smalle.
Bisyde Beaute yede RICHESSE, RICHESSE.
An high lady of greet noblesse,

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Envers qui les autres estoiles
Resemblent petites chandoiles.
Tendre ot la char comme rousee,
Simple fu cum une espousee,
Et blanche comme flor de lis;
Si ot le vis cler et alis,
Et fu greslete et alignie;
Ne fu fardee ne guignie:
Car el n'avoit mie mestier
De soi tifer ne d'afetier. 1010
Les cheveus ot blons et si lons
Qu'il li batoient as talons;
Nez ot bien fait, et yelx et bouche.
Moult grant doucor au cuer me touche,
Si m'aist Diex, quant il me membre
De la facon de chascun membre
Qu'il n'ot si bele fame ou monde.
Briement el fu jonete et blonde,
Sade, plaisant, aperte et cointe,
Grassete et grele, gente et jointe. 1020
Pres de Biaute se tint Richece,
Une dame de grant hautece,

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And greet of prys in every place. 1035
But who-so durste to hir trespace,
Or til hir folk, in worde or dede,
He were ful hardy, out of drede;
For bothe she helpe and hindre may:
And that is nought of yisterday 1040
That riche folk have ful gret might
To helpe, and eek to greve a wight.