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620
And thus he walketh to solace
Him and his folk; for swetter place
To pleyen in he may not finde,
Although he soughte oon in-til Inde.
The alther-fairest folk to see 625
That in this world may founde be
Hath Mirthe with him in his route,
That folowen him alwayes aboute. '

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Quant li arbres furent creu,
Le mur que vous avez veu, 600
Fist lors Deduit tout entor faire,
Et si fist au dehors portraire
Les ymages qui i sunt paintes,
Que ne sunt mignotes ne cointes;
Ains sunt dolereuses et tristes,
Si cum vous orendroit veistes.
Maintes fois por esbanoier
Se vient en cest leu umbroier
Deduit et les gens qui le sivent,
Qui en joie et en solas vivent. 610
Encores est leens, sans doute,
Deduit orendroit qui escoute
A chanter gais rossignoles,
Mauvis et autres oiseles.
Il s'esbat iluec et solace
O ses gens, car plus bele place
Ne plus biau leu por soi joer
Ne porroit-il mie trover;
Les plus beles gens, ce sachies,
Que vous james nul leu truissies, 620
Si sunt li compaignon Deduit
Qu'il maine avec li et conduit. '

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When Ydelnesse had told al this,
And I hadde herkned wel, y-wis, 630
Than seide I to dame Ydelnesse,
Now al-so wisly god me blesse,
Sith Mirthe, that is so fair and free,
Is in this yerde with his meynee,
Fro thilke assemblee, if I may, 635
Shal no man werne me to-day,
That I this night ne mote it see.
For, wel wene I, ther with him be
A fair and Ioly companye
Fulfilled of alle curtesye. ' 640
And forth, withoute wordes mo,
In at the wiket wente I tho,
That Ydelnesse hadde opened me,
Into that gardin fair to see.
And whan I was [ther]in, y-wis, 645
Myn herte was ful glad of this. THE GARDEN.
For wel wende I ful sikerly
Have been in paradys erth[e]ly;
So fair it was, that, trusteth wel,
It semed a place espirituel. 650
For certes, as at my devys,
Ther is no place in paradys
So good in for to dwelle or be
As in that GARDIN, thoughte me;

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Quant Oiseuse m'ot ce conte,
Et j'oi moult bien tout escoute,
Je li dis lores: 'Dame Oiseuse,
Ja de ce ne soyes douteuse,
Puis que Deduit li biaus, li gens
Est orendroit avec ses gens
En cest vergier, ceste assemblee
Ne m'iert pas, se je puis, emblee, 630
Que ne la voie encore ennuit;
Veoir la m'estuet, car ge cuit
Que bele est cele compaignie,
Et cortoise et bien enseignie. '
Lors m'en entrai, ne dis puis mot,
Par l'uis que Oiseuse overt m'ot,
Ou vergier; et quant je fui ens
Je fui lies et baus et joiens.
Et sachies que je cuidai estre
Por voir en Paradis terrestre, 640
Tant estoit li leu delitables,
Qu'il sembloit estre esperitables:
Car si cum il m'iert lors avis,
Ne feist en nul Paradis
Si bon estre, cum il faisoit
Ou vergier qui tant me plaisoit.
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For there was many a brid singing, 655
Throughout the yerde al thringing.
In many places were nightingales,
Alpes, finches, and wodewales,
That in her swete song delyten
In thilke place as they habyten. 660
Ther mighte men see many flokkes
Of turtles and [of] laverokkes.
Chalaundres fele saw I there,
That wery, nigh forsongen were.
And thrustles, terins, and mavys, 665
That songen for to winne hem prys,
And eek to sormounte in hir song
These other briddes hem among.
By note made fair servyse
These briddes, that I you devyse; 670
They songe hir song as faire and wel
As angels doon espirituel.
And, trusteth wel, whan I hem herde,
Full lustily and wel I ferde;
For never yit swich melodye 675
Was herd of man that mighte dye.

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D'oisiaus chantans avoit asses
Par tout le vergier amasses;
En ung leu avoit rossigniaus,
En l'autre gais et estorniaus; 650
Si r'avoit aillors grans escoles
De roietiaus et torteroles,
De chardonnereaus, d'arondeles,
D'aloes et de lardereles;
Calendres i ot amassees
En ung autre leu, qui lassees
De chanter furent a envis:
Melles y avoit et mauvis
Qui baoient a sormonter
Ces autres oisiaus par chanter. 660
Il r'avoit aillors papegaus,
Et mains oisiaus qui par ces gaus
Et par ces bois ou il habitent,
En lor biau chanter se delitent.
Trop parfesoient bel servise
Cil oisel que je vous devise;
Il chantoient ung chant itel
Cum s'il fussent esperitel.
De voir sachies, quant les oi,
Moult durement m'en esjoi: 670
Que mes si douce melodie
Ne fu d'omme mortel oie.

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Swich swete song was hem among,
That me thoughte it no briddes song,
But it was wonder lyk to be
Song of mermaydens of the see; 680
That, for her singing is so clere,
Though we mermaydens clepe hem here
In English, as in our usaunce,
Men clepen hem sereyns in Fraunce.
Ententif weren for to singe 685
These briddes, that nought unkunninge
Were of hir craft, and apprentys,
But of [hir] song sotyl and wys.
And certes, whan I herde hir song,
And saw the grene place among, 690
In herte I wex so wonder gay,
That I was never erst, er that day,
So Iolyf, nor so wel bigo,
Ne mery in herte, as I was tho.
And than wiste I, and saw ful wel, 695
That Ydelnesse me served wel,
That me putte in swich Iolitee.
Hir freend wel oughte I for to be,
Sith she the dore of that gardyn
Hadde opened, and me leten in.