No More Learning

Ou fons de la fontaine aval
Avoit deux pierres de cristal
Qu'a grande entente remirai,
Et une chose vous dirai,

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That ye wol holde a greet mervayle
Whan it is told, withouten fayle.
For whan the sonne, cleer in sighte,
Cast in that welle his bemes brighte,
And that the heet descended is, 1575
Than taketh the cristal stoon, y-wis,
Agayn the sonne an hundred hewes,
Blewe, yelowe, and rede, that fresh and newe is.
Yit hath the merveilous cristal
Swich strengthe, that the place overal, 1580
Bothe fowl and tree, and leves grene,
And al the yerd in it is sene.
And for to doon you understonde,
To make ensample wol I fonde;
Right as a mirour openly 1585
Sheweth al thing that stant therby,
As wel the colour as the figure,
Withouten any coverture;
Right so the cristal stoon, shyning,
Withouten any disceyving, 1590
The estres of the yerde accuseth
To him that in the water museth;
For ever, in which half that he be,
He may wel half the gardin see;

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Qu'a merveilles, ce cuit, tenres
Tout maintenant que vous l'orres. 1550
Quant li solaus qui tout aguete,
Ses rais en la fontaine giete,
Et la clartes aval descent,
Lors perent colors plus de cent
Ou cristal, qui por le soleil
Devient ynde, jaune et vermeil:
Si ot le cristal merveilleus
Itel force que tous li leus,
Arbres et flors et quanqu'aorne
Li vergiers, i pert tout aorne; 1560
Et por faire la chose entendre,
Un essample vous veil aprendre.
Ainsinc cum li mireors montre
Les choses qui li sunt encontre,
Et y voit-l'en sans coverture
Et lor color, et lor figure;
Tretout ausinc vous dis por voir,
Que li cristal, sans decevoir,
Tout l'estre du vergier accusent
A ceus qui dedens l'iaue musent: 1570
Car tous jours quelque part qu'il soient,
L'une moitie du vergier voient;

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And if he turne, he may right wel 1595
Seen the remenaunt everydel.
For ther is noon so litel thing
So hid, ne closed with shitting,
That it ne is sene, as though it were
Peynted in the cristal there. 1600
This is the mirour perilous,
In which the proude Narcisus
Saw al his face fair and bright,
That made him sith to lye upright.
For who-so loke in that mirour, 1605
Ther may no-thing ben his socour
That he ne shal ther seen som thing
That shal him lede into [loving].
Ful many a worthy man hath it
Y-blent; for folk of grettest wit 1610
Ben sone caught here and awayted;
Withouten respyt been they bayted.
Heer comth to folk of-newe rage,
Heer chaungeth many wight corage;
Heer lyth no reed ne wit therto; 1615
For Venus sone, daun Cupido,
Hath sowen there of love the seed,
That help ne lyth ther noon, ne reed,

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Et s'il se tornent maintenant,
Pueent veoir le remenant.
Si n'i a si petite chose,
Tant reposte, ne tant enclose,
Dont demonstrance n'i soit faite,
Cum s'ele iert es cristaus portraite.
C'est li mireoirs perilleus,
Ou Narcisus li orguilleus 1580
Mira sa face et ses yex vers,
Dont il jut puis mors tout envers.
Qui en cel mireor se mire,
Ne puet avoir garant de mire,
Que tel chose a ses yex ne voie,
Qui d'amer l'a tost mis en voie.
Maint vaillant homme a mis a glaive
Cis mireors, car li plus saive,
Li plus preus, li miex afetie
I sunt tost pris et aguetie.
1590
Ci sourt as gens novele rage,
Ici se changent li corage;
Ci n'a mestier sens, ne mesure,
Ci est d'amer volente pure;
Ci ne se set conseiller nus;
Car Cupido, li fils Venus,

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So cercleth it the welle aboute.
His ginnes hath he set withoute 1620
Right for to cacche in his panteres
These damoysels and bacheleres.
Love wil noon other bridde cacche,
Though he sette either net or lacche.
And for the seed that heer was sowen, 1625
This welle is cleped, as wel is knowen,
The Welle of Love, of verray right,
Of which ther hath ful many a wight
Spoke in bokes dyversely.
But they shulle never so verily 1630
Descripcioun of the welle here,
Ne eek the sothe of this matere,
As ye shulle, whan I have undo
The craft that hir bilongeth to.
Alway me lyked for to dwelle, 1635
To seen the cristal in the welle,
That shewed me ful openly
A thousand thinges faste by.
But I may saye, in sory houre
Stood I to loken or to poure; 1640
For sithen [have] I sore syked,
That mirour hath me now entryked.

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Sema ici d'Amors la graine
Qui toute a cainte la fontaine;
Et fist ses las environ tendre,
Et ses engins i mist por prendre 1600
Damoiseles et Damoisiaus;
Qu'Amors ne velt autres oisiaus.
Por la graine qui fu semee,
Fu cele fontaine clamee
La Fontaine d'Amors par droit,
Dont plusors ont en maint endroit
Parle, en romans et en livre;
Mais james n'orrez miex descrivre
La verite de la matere,
Cum ge la vous vodre retrere. 1610
Ades me plot a demorer
A la fontaine, et remirer
Les deus cristaus qui me monstroient
Mil choses qui ilec estoient.
Mes de fort hore m'i mire:
Las! tant en ai puis souspire!
Cis mireors m'a deceu;
Se j'eusse avant cogneu

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But hadde I first knowen in my wit
The vertue and [the] strengthe of it,
I nolde not have mused there; 1645
Me hadde bet ben elles-where;
For in the snare I fel anoon,
That hath bitraisshed many oon.
In thilke mirour saw I tho,
Among a thousand thinges mo, 1650
A ROSER charged ful of roses, THE ROSER.
That with an hegge aboute enclos is.
Tho had I swich lust and envye,
That, for Parys ne for Pavye,
Nolde I have left to goon and see 1655
Ther grettest hepe of roses be.