French fiction -- Translations into English; Italian fiction -- Translations into English
The same for to vntwine.
No hardned rigor is our guide,
Nor folly doth vs lead:
No Fortune can vs twayne deuide,
Vntill we both be deade.
Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all,
Than she that doth hir louer’s heart possesse in bondage thrall?
And thus assured certaynely,
That this our loue shall dure,
And with good lucke hope verely,
The same to put in vre
The sowen seedes of amity,
Begon betwixt vs twayne,
Shall in most perfect vnity,
For euermore remayne.
Who may better sing and daunce amongs vs Ladies all,
Than she that doth hir louer’s heart possesse in bondage thrall?
Thys Song delighted the Myndes of many in that company, and
principally Dom Deigo, and Gineura, who felt themselues tickled
without laughing: And the mayden reioysed to heare hir selfe so
greatly praysed in so noble a company, and specially in the
presence of hir friende who had no lesse pleasure by hearing the
praises of his beloued, than if he had bin made Lord of all
Aragon. She for all hir dissembled Countenaunce could not hide
the alteration of hir Mynde, without sending forth a sodayne
chaunge of colour, that forced a fayre and goodly taynt in hir
Face. Dom Diego seeing that mutation, was so ioyful as was
possible, for thereby he knew and Iudged himselfe assured of the
good grace of hys Mistresse, and therefore wringing hir finely
by the hands, sayd vnto her very soberly Smiling: “What greater
pleasure my louinge Wench can there happen vnto your Seruaunt,
than to see the accomplishment of this Propheticall Song?
I assure you that in all my life I neuer heard musicke, that
delighted me so mutch as this, and thereby doe vnderstand the
good will of the Gentlewoman, which so curteously hath
discouered yours towards me, and the faythfull seruice whereof
you shall see me from henceforth so liberall, as neyther goods
nor life shalbe spared for your sake.” Ginuera who loued him
with all hir heart, thanked him very humbly, and prayed him to
beleeue that the Song was truely soonge, and that without any
fayle, she that soonge, had thereby manyfested all the secrets
of hir mynde. The daunce ended, they sat theym downe rounde
about a cleare Fountayne, which by silent discourse, issued from
an high and moysty rock, enuironned with an infinite number of
Maple trees, Poplars, and Ashes. To which place a Page brought a
Lute to Dom Diego, whereupon hee could play very well, and made
it more pleasauntly to sound for that hee accorded hys Fayninge
Voyce to the Instrument, Singing this song that followeth.
That I should loue and serue also, good reason doth require,
What though I suffre loathsome grief, my life in woe to wrap?
The same be th’only instruments of my good lucke and hap,
The foode and pray for hungry corps, of rest th’assured hire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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