No More Learning

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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. 700

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Tant estoit cil chans dous et biaus,
Qu'il ne sombloit pas chans d'oisiaus,
Ains le peust l'en aesmer
A chant de seraines de mer,
Qui par lor vois, qu'eles ont saines
Et series, ont non seraines.
A chanter furent ententis
Li oisillon qui aprenti 680
Ne furent pas ne non sachant;
Et sachies quant j'oi lor chant,
Et je vi le leu verdaier,
Je me pris moult a esgaier;
Que n'avoie encor este onques
Si jolif cum je fui adonques;
Por la grant delitablete
Fui plains de grant joliete.
Et lores soi-je bien et vi
Que Oiseuse m'ot bien servi, 690
Qui m'avoit en tel deduit mis:
Bien deusse estre ses amis,
Quant ele m'avoit defferme
Le guichet du vergier rame.

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From hennesforth how that I wroughte,
I shal you tellen, as me thoughte.
First, whereof Mirthe served there,
And eek what folk ther with him were,
Withoute fable I wol descryve. 705
And of that gardin eek as blyve
I wol you tellen after this.
The faire fasoun al, y-wis,
That wel [y-]wrought was for the nones,
I may not telle you al at ones: 710
But as I may and can, I shal
By ordre tellen you it al.
Ful fair servyse and eek ful swete
These briddes maden as they sete.
Layes of love, ful wel sowning 715
They songen in hir Iargoning;
Summe highe and summe eek lowe songe
Upon the braunches grene y-spronge.
The sweetnesse of hir melodye
Made al myn herte in reverdye.
720
And whan that I hadde herd, I trowe,
These briddes singing on a rowe,
Than mighte I not withholde me
That I ne wente in for to see

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Des ore si cum je saure,
Vous conterai comment j'ovre.
Primes de quoi Deduit servoit,
Et quel compaignie il avoit
Sans longue fable vous veil dire,
Et du vergier tretout a tire 700
La facon vous redirai puis.
Tout ensemble dire ne puis,
Mes tout vous contere par ordre,
Que l'en n'i sache que remordre.
Grant servise et dous et plaisant
Aloient cil oisel faisant;
Lais d'amors et sonnes cortois
Chantoit chascun en son patois,
Li uns en haut, li autre en bas;
De lor chant n'estoit mie gas. 710
La doucor et la melodie
Me mist ou cuer grant reverdie;
Mes quant j'oi escoute ung poi
Les oisiaus, tenir ne me poi
Que dant Deduit veoir n'alasse;
Car a savoir moult desirasse

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Sir Mirthe; for my desiring 725
Was him to seen, over alle thing,
His countenaunce and his manere:
That sighte was to me ful dere.
Tho wente I forth on my right hond
Doun by a litel path I fond 730
Of mentes ful, and fenel grene;
And faste by, withoute wene,
SIR MIRTHE I fond; and right anoon SIR MIRTHE.
Unto sir Mirthe gan I goon,
Ther-as he was, him to solace. 735
And with him, in that lusty place,
So fair folk and so fresh hadde he,
That whan I saw, I wondred me
Fro whennes swich folk mighte come,
So faire they weren, alle and some; 740
For they were lyk, as to my sighte,
To angels, that ben fethered brighte.
This folk, of which I telle you so,
Upon a carole wenten tho.
A lady caroled hem, that highte 745
GLADNES, [the] blisful and the lighte; GLADNESSE.
Wel coude she singe and lustily,
Non half so wel and semely,
And make in song swich refreininge,
It sat hir wonder wel to singe. 750

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Son contenement et son estre.
Lors m'en alai tout droit a destre,
Par une petitete sente
Plaine de fenoil et de mente; 720
Mes auques pres trove Deduit,
Car maintenant en ung reduit
M'en entre ou Deduit estoit.
Deduit ilueques s'esbatoit;
S'avoit si bele gent o soi,
Que quant je les vi, je ne soi
Dont si tres beles gens pooient
Estre venu; car il sembloient
Tout por voir anges empennes,
Si beles gens ne vit homs nes. 730
Ceste gent dont je vous parole,
S'estoient pris a la carole,
Et une dame lor chantoit,
Qui Leesce apelee estoit:
Bien sot chanter et plesamment,
Ne nule plus avenaument,
Ne plus bel ses refrains ne fist,
A chanter merveilles li sist;

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Hir vois ful cleer was and ful swete.
She was nought rude ne unmete,
But couthe y-now of swich doing
As longeth unto caroling:
For she was wont in every place 755
To singen first, folk to solace;
For singing most she gaf hir to;
No craft had she so leef to do.