<< Him liste not to pleye ne sterte, Nor for to daunsen, ne to singe, 345 Ne may his herte in temper bringe To make Ioye on even or morowe; For Ioye is contraire unto sorowe. ELDE was peynted after this, ELDE. That shorter was a foot, ywis, 350 Than she was wont in her yonghede. Unnethe hir-self she mighte fede; So feble and eek so old was she That faded was al hir beautee. Ful salowe was waxen hir colour, 355 Hir heed for-hoor was, whyt as flour. Y-wis, gret qualm ne were it noon, Ne sinne, although hir lyf were gon. Al woxen was hir body unwelde, And drye, and dwyned al for elde. 360 A foul forwelked thing was she That whylom round and softe had be. Hir eres shoken fast withalle, As from her heed they wolde falle. Hir face frounced and forpyned, 365 And bothe hir hondes lorn, fordwyned. >> Sachiés de voir, il n'a talent De dancier, ne de karoler, Ne nus ne se porroit moller Qui duel éust, à joie faire, Car duel et joie sont contraire. Après fu VIELLECE portraite, VIEILLESSE. Qui estoit bien ung pié retraite 340 De tele cum el soloit estre; A paine se pooit-el pestre, Tant estoit vielle et radotée. Bien estoit si biauté gastée, Et moult ert lede devenuë. Toute sa teste estoit chenuë, Et blanche cum s'el fust florie. Ce ne fut mie grant morie S'ele morust, ne grans pechiés, Car tous ses cors estoit sechiés 350 De viellece et anoiantis: Moult estoit jà ses vis fletris, Qui jadis fut soef et plains; Mès or est tous de fronces plains, Les oreilles avoit mossues, Et trestotes les dents perdues, Si qu'ele n'en avoit neis une. Tant par estoit de grant viellune, << So old she was that she ne wente A foot, but it were by potente. The TYME, that passeth night and day, TIME. And restelees travayleth ay, 370 And steleth from us so prively, That to us seemeth sikerly That it in oon point dwelleth ever, And certes, it ne resteth never, But goth so faste, and passeth ay, 375 That ther nis man that thinke may What tyme that now present is: Asketh at these clerkes this; For [er] men thinke it redily, Three tymes been y-passed by. 380 The tyme, that may not soiourne, But goth, and never may retourne, As water that doun renneth ay, But never drope retourne may; Ther may no-thing as tyme endure, 385 Metal, nor erthely creature; For alle thing it fret and shal: The tyme eek, that chaungeth al, And al doth waxe and fostred be, And alle thing distroyeth he: 390