English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Knights and knighthood -- Poetry; Virtues -- Poetry
And now it is empassioned so deepe,
2 For fairest _Vnaes_ sake, of whom I sing,
That my fraile eyes these lines with teares do steepe,
4 To thinke how she through guilefull handeling,
Though true as touch, though daughter of a king,
6 Though faire as euer liuing wight was faire,
Though nor in word nor deede ill meriting,
8 Is from her knight diuorced in despaire
And her due loues deriu'd to that vile witches share.
1 And now it is empassioned so deep,
empassioned > {Moved or touched with deep feeling}
2 For fairest Una's sake (of whom I sing),
3 That my frail eyes these lines with tears do steep,
4 To think how she, through guileful handling,
handling > treatment
5 Though true as touch, though daughter of a king,
touch > [a] touchstone (fine-grained stone used for testing the
quality of gold)
6 Though fair as ever living wight was fair,
wight > person, woman
7 Though +nor+ in word nor deed ill meriting,
nor > neither
8 Is from her knight divorced in despair,
9 And her due loves derived to that vile witch's share.
her due loves > [the love due to her]
derived > transferred, diverted
103.3
Yet she most faithfull Ladie all this while
2 Forsaken, wofull, solitarie mayd
Farre from all peoples prease, as in exile,
4 In wildernesse and wastfull deserts strayd,
To seeke her knight; who subtilly betrayd
6 Through that late vision, which th'Enchaunter wrought,
Had her abandond. She of nought affrayd,
8 Through woods and wastnesse wide him daily sought;
Yet wished tydings none of him vnto her brought.
1 Yet she, most faithful lady, all this while
while > (Or: while, (if "Forsaken ... mayd" is taken to be
parenthesized))
2 Forsaken, woeful, solitary maid,
3 Far from all people's press, as in exile,
press > company, throng
4 In wilderness and wasteful deserts strayed
wasteful > desolate
5 To seek her knight; who, subtly betrayed
subtly > ingeniously, cunningly
6 Through that late vision which the enchanter wrought,
Through > By means of
late > recent
7 Had her abandoned. She, of naught afraid,
8 Through woods and wasteness wide him daily sought;
wasteness > wilderness
9 Yet wished tidings none of him to her brought.
wished tidings none of him to her brought > [no one brought her
longed-for tidings of him: wished = longed-for; none = no one]
103.4
One day nigh wearie of the yrkesome way,
2 From her vnhastie beast she did alight,
And on the grasse her daintie limbes did lay
4 In secret shadow, farre from all mens sight:
From her faire head her fillet she vndight,
6 And laid her stole aside. Her angels face
As the great eye of heauen shyned bright,
8 And made a sunshine in the shadie place;
Did neuer mortall eye behold such heauenly grace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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