No More Learning

Onques mes n'avoie veue
Cele iaue qui si bien coroit:
Moult m'abelissoit et seoit
A regarder le leu plaisant.
De l'iaue clere et reluisant
Mon vis rafreschi et lave.
Si vi tot covert et pave 120
Le fons de l'iaue de gravele;
La praerie grant et bele
Tres au pie de l'iaue batoit.
Clere et serie et bele estoit
La matinee et atrempee;
Lors m'en alai parmi la pree
Contre val l'iaue esbanoiant,

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The river-syde costeying.
And whan I had a whyle goon, 135
I saugh a GARDIN right anoon, THE GARDEN.
Ful long and brood, and everydel
Enclos it was, and walled wel,
With hye walles enbatailled,
Portrayed without, and wel entailled 140
With many riche portraitures;
And bothe images and peyntures
Gan I biholde bisily.
And I wol telle you, redily,
Of thilke images the semblaunce, 145
As fer as I have remembraunce.
A-midde saugh I HATE stonde, HATE.
That for hir wrathe, ire, and onde,
Semed to been a moveresse,
An angry wight, a chideresse; 150
And ful of gyle, and fel corage,
By semblaunt was that ilke image.
And she was no-thing wel arrayed,
But lyk a wood womman afrayed;
Y-frounced foule was hir visage, 155
And grenning for dispitous rage;
Hir nose snorted up for tene.

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Tot le rivage costoiant.
Quant j'oi ung poi avant ale,
Si vi ung vergier grant et le, 130
Tot clos d'ung haut mur bataillie,
Portrait defors et entaillie
A maintes riches escritures.
Les ymages et les paintures
Ai moult volentiers remire:
Si vous contere et dire
De ces ymages la semblance,
Si cum moi vient a remembrance.
Ens ou milieu je vi HAINE HAINE.
Qui de corrous et d'ataine 140
Sembloit bien estre moverresse,
Et correceuse et tencerresse,
Et plaine de grant cuvertage
Estoit par semblant cele ymage.
Si n'estoit pas bien atornee,
Ains sembloit estre forcenee,
Rechignie avoit et froncie
Le vis, et le nes secorcie.

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Ful hidous was she for to sene,
Ful foul and rusty was she, this.
Hir heed y-writhen was, y-wis, 160
Ful grimly with a greet towayle.
An image of another entayle, FELONYE.
A lift half, was hir faste by;
Hir name above hir heed saugh I,
And she was called FELONYE. 165
Another image, that VILANYE VILANYE.
Y-cleped was, saugh I and fond
Upon the walle on hir right hond.
Vilanye was lyk somdel
That other image; and, trusteth wel, 170
She semed a wikked creature.
By countenaunce, in portrayture,
She semed be ful despitous,
And eek ful proud and outrageous.
Wel coude he peynte, I undertake, 175
That swiche image coude make.
Ful foul and cherlish semed she,
And eek vilaynous for to be,
And litel coude of norture,
To worshipe any creature. 180

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Par grant hideur fu soutilliee,
Et si estoit entortillee 150
Hideusement d'une toaille.
Une autre ymage d'autel taille FELONNIE.
A senestre vi delez lui;
Son non desus sa teste lui;
Apellee estoit FELONNIE.
Une ymage qui VILONIE VILENNIE.
Avoit non, revi devers destre,
Qui estoit auques d'autel estre
Cum ces deus et d'autel feture;
Bien sembloit male creature, 160
Et despiteuse et orguilleuse,
Et mesdisant et ramponeuse.