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FRAGMENT A.
FRAGMENT A.
Chaucer - Romuant of the Rose
THE ROMAUNT OF THE ROSE.
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FRAGMENT A.
Many men seyn that in sweveninges
Ther nis but fables and lesinges;
But men may somme swevenes seen,
Which hardely ne false been,
But afterward ben apparaunte. 5
This may I drawe to waraunte
An authour, that hight Macrobes,
That halt not dremes false ne lees,
But undoth us the avisioun
That whylom mette king Cipioun. 10
And who-so sayth, or weneth it be
A Iape, or elles [a] nycetee
To wene that dremes after falle,
Let who-so liste a fool me calle.
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LE ROMAN DE LA ROSE.
Maintes gens dient que en songes
N'a se fables non et menconges;
Mais l'en puet tiex songes songier
Qui ne sunt mie mencongier;
Ains sunt apres bien apparant.
Si en puis bien trere a garant
Ung acteur qui ot non Macrobes,
Qui ne tint pas songes a lobes;
Aincois escrist la vision
Qui avint au roi Cipion. 10
Quiconques cuide ne qui die
Que soit folor ou musardie
De croire que songes aviengne,
Qui ce voldra, pour fol m'en tiengne;
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For this trowe I, and say for me, 15
That dremes signifiaunce be
Of good and harme to many wightes,
That dremen in her slepe a-nightes
Ful many thinges covertly,
That fallen after al openly. 20
Within my twenty yere of age, THE DREAM.
Whan that Love taketh his corage
Of yonge folk, I wente sone
To bedde, as I was wont to done,
And fast I sleep; and in sleping, 25
Me mette swiche a swevening,
That lykede me wonders wel;
But in that sweven is never a del
That it nis afterward befalle,
Right as this dreem wol telle us alle. 30
Now this dreem wol I ryme aright,
To make your hertes gaye and light;
For Love it prayeth, and also
Commaundeth me that it be so
And if ther any aske me, 35
Whether that it be he or she,
How [that] this book [the] which is here
Shal hote, that I rede you here;
>>
Car endroit moi ai-je fiance
Que songe soit senefiance
Des biens as gens et des anuiz,
Car li plusors songent de nuitz
Maintes choses couvertement
Que l'en voit puis apertement. 20
Ou vintiesme an de mon aage,
Ou point qu'Amors prend le paage
Des jones gens, couchiez estoie
Une nuit, si cum je souloie,
Et me dormoie moult forment,
Si vi ung songe en mon dormant,
Qui moult fut biax, et moult me plot,
Mes onques riens ou songe n'ot
Qui avenu trestout ne soit,
Si cum li songes recontoit. 30
Or veil cel songe rimaier,
Por vos cuers plus fere esgaier,
Qu'Amors le me prie et commande;
Et se nus ne nule demande
Comment ge voil que cilz Rommanz
Soit apelez, que ge commanz:
<<
It is the Romance of the Rose,
In which al the art of love I close. 40
The mater fair is of to make;
God graunte in gree that she it take
For whom that it begonnen is!
<<
FRAGMENT A.
Many men seyn that in sweveninges
Ther nis but fables and lesinges;
But men may somme swevenes seen,
Which hardely ne false been,
But afterward ben apparaunte. 5
This may I drawe to waraunte
An authour, that hight Macrobes,
That halt not dremes false ne lees,
But undoth us the avisioun
That whylom mette king Cipioun. 10
And who-so sayth, or weneth it be
A Iape, or elles [a] nycetee
To wene that dremes after falle,
Let who-so liste a fool me calle.
>>
LE ROMAN DE LA ROSE.
Maintes gens dient que en songes
N'a se fables non et menconges;
Mais l'en puet tiex songes songier
Qui ne sunt mie mencongier;
Ains sunt apres bien apparant.
Si en puis bien trere a garant
Ung acteur qui ot non Macrobes,
Qui ne tint pas songes a lobes;
Aincois escrist la vision
Qui avint au roi Cipion. 10
Quiconques cuide ne qui die
Que soit folor ou musardie
De croire que songes aviengne,
Qui ce voldra, pour fol m'en tiengne;
<<
For this trowe I, and say for me, 15
That dremes signifiaunce be
Of good and harme to many wightes,
That dremen in her slepe a-nightes
Ful many thinges covertly,
That fallen after al openly. 20
Within my twenty yere of age, THE DREAM.
Whan that Love taketh his corage
Of yonge folk, I wente sone
To bedde, as I was wont to done,
And fast I sleep; and in sleping, 25
Me mette swiche a swevening,
That lykede me wonders wel;
But in that sweven is never a del
That it nis afterward befalle,
Right as this dreem wol telle us alle. 30
Now this dreem wol I ryme aright,
To make your hertes gaye and light;
For Love it prayeth, and also
Commaundeth me that it be so
And if ther any aske me, 35
Whether that it be he or she,
How [that] this book [the] which is here
Shal hote, that I rede you here;
>>
Car endroit moi ai-je fiance
Que songe soit senefiance
Des biens as gens et des anuiz,
Car li plusors songent de nuitz
Maintes choses couvertement
Que l'en voit puis apertement. 20
Ou vintiesme an de mon aage,
Ou point qu'Amors prend le paage
Des jones gens, couchiez estoie
Une nuit, si cum je souloie,
Et me dormoie moult forment,
Si vi ung songe en mon dormant,
Qui moult fut biax, et moult me plot,
Mes onques riens ou songe n'ot
Qui avenu trestout ne soit,
Si cum li songes recontoit. 30
Or veil cel songe rimaier,
Por vos cuers plus fere esgaier,
Qu'Amors le me prie et commande;
Et se nus ne nule demande
Comment ge voil que cilz Rommanz
Soit apelez, que ge commanz:
<<
It is the Romance of the Rose,
In which al the art of love I close. 40
The mater fair is of to make;
God graunte in gree that she it take
For whom that it begonnen is!
And that is she that hath, y-wis,
So mochel prys; and ther-to she 45
So worthy is biloved be,
That she wel oughte of prys and right,
Be cleped Rose of every wight.
That it was May me thoughte tho,
It is fyve yere or more ago; 50
That it was May, thus dremed me,
In tyme of love and Iolitee,
That al thing ginneth waxen gay,
For ther is neither busk nor hay
In May, that it nil shrouded been, 55
And it with newe leves wreen.
