Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose; Minor PoemsChaucer, Geoffrey
General
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 — Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems
Chaucer, Geoffrey
English poetry -- Middle English, 1100-1500
<<
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.
>>
Tot le rivage costoiant.
Quant j'oi ung poi avant alé,
Si vi ung vergier grant et lé, 130
Tot clos d'ung haut mur bataillié,
Portrait defors et entaillié
A maintes riches escritures.
Les ymages et les paintures
Ai moult volentiers remiré:
Si vous conteré et diré
De ces ymages la semblance,
Si cum moi vient à remembrance.
Ens où milieu je vi HAÏNE HAÏNE.
Qui de corrous et d'ataïne 140
Sembloit bien estre moverresse,
Et correceuse et tencerresse,
Et plaine de grant cuvertage
Estoit par semblant cele ymage.
Si n'estoit pas bien atornée,
Ains sembloit estre forcenée,
Rechignie avoit et froncié
Le vis, et le nés secorcié.
<<
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
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account