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they lived lustily!
A gret fool were he, sikerly, 1320
That nolde, his thankes, swich lyf lede!
For this dar I seyn, out of drede,
That who-so mighte so wel fare,
For better lyf [thurte] him not care;
For ther nis so good paradys 1325
As have a love at his devys.
Out of that place wente I tho,
And in that gardin gan I go,

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Qui estoient de lor mesnies,
Franches gens et bien enseignies, 1290
Et gens de bel afetement
Estoient tuit communement.
Quant j'oi veues les semblances
De ceus qui menoient les dances,
J'oi lors talent que le vergier
Alasse veoir et cerchier,
Et remirer ces biaus moriers,
Ces pins, ces codres, ces loriers.
Les karoles ja remanoient,
Car tuit li plusors s'en aloient 1300
O lor amies umbroier
Sous ces arbres por dosnoier.
Diex, cum menoient bonne vie!
Fox est qui n'a de tel envie;
Qui autel vie avoir porroit,
De mieudre bien se sofferroit,
Qu'il n'est nul greignor paradis
Qu'avoir amie a son devis.
D'ilecques me parti atant,
Si m'en alai seus esbatant 1310

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Pleying along ful merily.
The God of Love ful hastely 1330
Unto him Swete-Loking clepte,
No lenger wolde he that he kepte
His bowe of golde, that shoon so bright.
He [bad] him [bende it] anon-right;
And he ful sone [it] sette on ende, 1335
And at a braid he gan it bende,
And took him of his arowes fyve,
Ful sharpe and redy for to dryve.
Now god that sit in magestee
Fro deedly woundes kepe me, 1340
If so be that he [wol] me shete;
For if I with his arowe mete,
It [wol me greven] sore, y-wis!
But I, that no-thing wiste of this,
Wente up and doun ful many a wey, 1345
And he me folwed faste alwey;
But no-wher wolde I reste me,
Til I hadde al the [yerde in] be.
The gardin was, by mesuring,
Right even and squar in compassing; 1350
It was as long as it was large.
Of fruyt hadde every tree his charge, THE TREES.
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Par le vergier de ca en la;
Et li Diex d'Amors apela
Tretout maintenant Dous-Regart:
N'a or plus cure qu'il li gart
Son arc: donques sans plus atendre
L'arc li a commande a tendre,
Et cis gaires n'i atendi,
Tout maintenant l'arc li tendi,
Si li bailla et cinq sajetes
Fors et poissans, d'aler loing prestes. 1320
Li Diex d'Amors tantost de loing
Me prist a suivir, l'arc ou poing.
Or me gart Diex de mortel plaie!
Se il fait tant que a moi traie,
Il me grevera moult forment.
Je qui de ce ne soi noient,
Vois par la vergier a delivre,
Et cil pensa bien de moi sivre;
Mes en nul leu ne m'arreste,
Devant que j'oi par tout este. 1330
Li vergiers par compasseure
Si fu de droite quarreure,
S'ot de lonc autant cum de large;
Nus arbres qui soit qui fruit charge,

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But it were any hidous tree
Of which ther were two or three.
Ther were, and that wot I ful wel, 1355
Of pomgarnettes a ful gret del;
That is a fruyt ful wel to lyke,
Namely to folk whan they ben syke.
And trees ther were, greet foisoun,
That baren notes in hir sesoun, 1360
Such as men notemigges calle,
That swote of savour been withalle.
And alemandres greet plentee,
Figes, and many a date-tree
Ther weren, if men hadde nede, 1365
Through the gardin in length and brede.
Ther was eek wexing many a spyce,
As clow-gelofre, and licoryce,
Gingere, and greyn de paradys,
Canelle, and setewale of prys, 1370
And many a spyce delitable,
To eten whan men ryse fro table.
And many hoomly trees ther were,
That peches, coynes, and apples bere,
Medlers, ploumes, peres, chesteynes, 1375
Cheryse, of whiche many on fayn is,

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Se n'est aucuns arbres hideus,
Dont il n'i ait ou ung, ou deus
Ou vergier, ou plus, s'il avient.
Pomiers i ot, bien m'en sovient,
Qui chargoient pomes grenades,
C'est uns fruis moult bons a malades; 1340
De noiers i ot grant foison,
Qui chargoient en la saison
Itel fruit cum sunt nois mugades,
Qui ne sunt ameres, ne fades;
Alemandiers y ot plante,
Et si ot ou vergier plante
Maint figuier, et maint biau datier;
Si trovast qu'en eust mestier,
Ou vergier mainte bone espice,
Cloz de girofle et requelice, 1350
Graine de paradis novele,
Citoal, anis, et canele,
Et mainte espice delitable,
Que bon mengier fait apres table.
Ou vergier ot arbres domesches,
Qui chargoient et coins et pesches,
Chataignes, nois, pommes et poires,
Nefles, prunes blanches et noires,

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Notes, aleys, and bolas,
That for to seen it was solas;
With many high lorer and pyn
Was renged clene al that gardyn; 1380
With cipres, and with oliveres,
Of which that nigh no plente here is.
Ther were elmes grete and stronge,
Maples, asshe, ook, asp, planes longe,
Fyn ew, popler, and lindes faire, 1385
And othere trees ful many a payre.
What sholde I telle you more of it?
Ther were so many trees yit,
That I sholde al encombred be
Er I had rekened every tree.