No More Learning

Ne vous en sai que devisier;
Mes a nul jor ne me queisse
Remuer, tant que ge veisse
Ceste gent ainsine efforcier
De caroler et de dancier. 780
La karole tout en estant
Regardai iluec jusqu'a tant
C'une dame bien enseignie
Me tresvit: ce fu Cortoisie
La vaillant et la debonnaire,
Que Diex deffende de contraire.

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Ful curteisly she called me,
'What do ye there, beau sire? ' quod she, 800
Come [neer], and if it lyke yow
To dauncen, daunceth with us now. '
And I, withoute tarying,
Wente into the caroling.
I was abasshed never a del, 805
But it me lykede right wel,
That Curtesye me cleped so,
And bad me on the daunce go.
For if I hadde durst, certeyn
I wolde have caroled right fayn, 810
As man that was to daunce blythe.
Than gan I loken ofte sythe
The shap, the bodies, and the cheres,
The countenaunce and the maneres
Of alle the folk that daunced there, 815
And I shal telle what they were.
Ful fair was MIRTHE, ful long and high; MIRTHE.
A fairer man I never sigh.
As round as appel was his face,
Ful rody and whyt in every place. 820
Fetys he was and wel beseye,
With metely mouth and yen greye;

>>
Cortoisie lors m'apela:
Biaus amis, que faites-vous la? '
Fait Cortoisie, 'ca venez,
Et avecque nous vous prenez 790
A la karole, s'il vous plest. '
Sans demorance et sans arrest
A la karole me sui pris,
Si n'en fui pas trop entrepris,
Et sachies que moult m'agrea
Quant Cortoisie m'en pria,
Et me dist que je karolasse;
Car de karoler, se j'osasse,
Estoie envieus et sorpris.
A regarder lores me pris 800
Les cors, les facons et les chieres,
Les semblances et les manieres
Des gens qui ilec karoloient:
Si vous dirai quex il estoient.
Deduit fu biaus et lons et drois,
James en terre ne venrois
Ou vous truissies nul plus bel homme:
La face avoit cum une pomme,
Vermoille et blanche tout entour,
Cointes fu et de bel atour. 810

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His nose by mesure wrought ful right;
Crisp was his heer, and eek ful bright.
His shuldres of a large brede, 825
And smalish in the girdilstede.
He semed lyk a portreiture,
So noble he was of his stature,
So fair, so Ioly, and so fetys,
With limes wrought at poynt devys, 830
Deliver, smert, and of gret might;
Ne sawe thou never man so light.
Of berde unnethe hadde he no-thing,
For it was in the firste spring.
Ful yong he was, and mery of thought, 835
And in samyt, with briddes wrought,
And with gold beten fetisly,
His body was clad ful richely.
Wrought was his robe in straunge gyse,
And al to-slitered for queyntyse 840
In many a place, lowe and hye.
And shod he was with greet maistrye,
With shoon decoped, and with laas.
By druerye, and by solas,
His leef a rosen chapelet 845
Had maad, and on his heed it set.

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Les yex ot vairs, la bouche gente,
Et le nez fait par grant entente;
Cheveus ot blons, recerceles,
Par espaules fu auques les,
Et gresles parmi la ceinture:
Il resembloit une painture,
Tant ere biaus et acesmes,
Et de tous membres bien formes.
Remuans fu, et preus, et vistes,
Plus legier homme ne veistes; 820
Si n'avoit barbe, ne grenon,
Se petiz peus folages non,
Car il ert jones damoisiaus.
D'un samit portret a oysiaus,
Qui ere tout a or batus,
Fu ses cors richement vestus.
Moult iert sa robe desguisee,
Et fu moult riche et encisee,
Et decopee par cointise;
Chaucies refu par grant mestrise 830
D'uns solers decopes a las;
Par druerie et par solas
Li ot s'amie fet chapel
De roses qui moult li sist bel.

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And wite ye who was his leef?
Dame GLADNES ther was him so leef, GLADNESSE.
That singeth so wel with glad corage,
That from she was twelve yeer of age, 850
She of hir love graunt him made.