No More Learning

470
Cis vergiers en trop bel leu sist:
Qui dedens mener me vousist
Ou par echiele ou par degre,
Je l'en seusse moult bon gre;

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For swich solace, swich Ioye, and play,
I trowe that never man ne say,
As in that place delitous.
The gardin was not daungerous 490
To herberwe briddes many oon.
So riche a yerd was never noon
Of briddes songe, and braunches grene.
Therin were briddes mo, I wene,
Than been in alle the rewme of Fraunce. 495
Ful blisful was the accordaunce
Of swete and pitous songe they made,
For al this world it oughte glade.
And I my-self so mery ferde,
Whan I hir blisful songes herde, 500
That for an hundred pound nolde I,--
If that the passage openly
Hadde been unto me free--
That I nolde entren for to see
Thassemblee, god [it kepe and were! ]-- 505
Of briddes, whiche therinne were,
That songen, through hir mery throtes,
Daunces of love, and mery notes.
Whan I thus herde foules singe,
I fel faste in a weymentinge, 510

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Car tel joie ne tel deduit
Ne vit nus hons, si cum ge cuit,
Cum il avoit en ce vergier:
Car li leus d'oisiaus herbergier
N'estoit ne dangereux ne chiches.
Onc mes ne fu nus leus si riches 480
D'arbres, ne d'oisillons chantans:
Qu'il i avoit d'oisiaus trois tans
Qu'en tout le remanant de France.
Moult estoit bele l'acordance
De lor piteus chant a oir:
Tous li mons s'en dust esjoir.
Je endroit moi m'en esjoi
Si durement, quant les oi,
Que n'en preisse pas cent livres,
Se li passages fust delivres, 490
Que ge n'entrasse ens et veisse
L'assemblee (que Diex garisse! )
Des oisiaus qui leens estoient,
Qui envoisiement chantoient
Les dances d'amors et les notes
Plesans, cortoises et mignotes.
Quant j'oi les oisiaus chanter,
Forment me pris a dementer

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By which art, or by what engyn
I mighte come in that gardyn;
But way I couthe finde noon
Into that gardin for to goon.
Ne nought wiste I if that ther were 515
Eyther hole or place [o]-where,
By which I mighte have entree;
Ne ther was noon to teche me;
For I was al aloon, y-wis,
Ful wo and anguissous of this. 520
Til atte laste bithoughte I me,
That by no weye ne mighte it be;
That ther nas laddre or wey to passe,
Or hole, into so fair a place.
Tho gan I go a ful gret pas 525
Envyroning even in compas
The closing of the square wal,
Til that I fond a wiket smal
So shet, that I ne mighte in goon,
And other entree was ther noon. 530
Upon this dore I gan to smyte, THE DOOR.
That was [so] fetys and so lyte;
For other wey coude I not seke.
Ful long I shoof, and knokked eke,

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Par quel art ne par quel engin
Je porroie entrer ou jardin; 500
Mes ge ne poi onques trouver
Leu par ou g'i peusse entrer.
Et sachies que ge ne savoie
S'il i avoit partuis ne voie,
Ne leu par ou l'en i entrast,
Ne hons nes qui le me monstrast
N'iert illec, que g'iere tot seus,
Moult destroit et moult angoisseus;
Tant qu'au darrenier me sovint
C'oncques a nul jor ce n'avint 510
Qu'en si biau vergier n'eust huis,
Ou eschiele ou aucun partuis.
Lors m'en alai grant aleure
Acaignant la compasseure
Et la cloison du mur quarre,
Tant que ung guichet bien barre
Trovai petitet et estroit;
Par autre leu l'en n'i entroit.
A l'uis commencai a ferir,
Autre entree n'i soi querir. 520
Assez i feri et boutai,
Et par maintes fois escoutai

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And stood ful long and of[t] herkning 535
If that I herde a wight coming;
Til that the dore of thilke entree
A mayden curteys opened me. YDELNESSE.
Hir heer was as yelowe of hewe
As any basin scoured newe. 540
Hir flesh [as] tendre as is a chike,
With bente browes, smothe and slike;
And by mesure large were
The opening of hir yen clere.
Hir nose of good proporcioun, 545
Hir yen greye as a faucoun,
With swete breeth and wel savoured.
Hir face whyt and wel coloured,
With litel mouth, and round to see;
A clove chin eek hadde she. 550
Hir nekke was of good fasoun
In lengthe and gretnesse, by resoun,
Withoute bleyne, scabbe, or royne.
Fro Ierusalem unto Burgoyne
Ther nis a fairer nekke, y-wis, 555
To fele how smothe and softe it is.
Hir throte, al-so whyt of hewe
As snow on braunche snowed newe.