A Balade of Complaint

Compleyne ne koude, ne might myn herte never,
My peynes halve, ne what torment I have,
Though that I sholde in your presence ben ever,
Myn hertes lady, as wisly he me save
That Bountee made, and Beautee list to grave
In your persone, and bad hem bothe in-fere
Ever t’ awayte, and ay be wher ye were.
As wisly he gye alle my joyes here
As I am youres, and to yow sad and trewe,
And ye, my lyf and cause of my gode chere,
And deeth also, whan ye my peynes newe,
My worldes joye, whom I wol serve and sewe,
Myn heven hool, and al my suffisaunce,
Whom for to serve is set al my plesaunce.
Beseching yow in my most humble wyse
T’ accepte in worth this litel pore dyte,
And for my trouthe my servyce not despyse,
Myn observaunce eke have not in despyte,
Ne yit to longe to suffren in this plyte;
I yow beseche, myn hertes lady, here,
Sith I yow serve, and so wil yeer by yere.

(1 votes, average: 5,00 out of 5)

Womanly Noblesse So hath myn herte caught in remembraunce Your beaute hoole and stidefast governaunce, Your vertues al and yowre hie noblesse, […]...

A Lover’s Complaint FROM off a hill whose concave womb reworded A plaintful story from a sistering vale, My spirits to attend this […]...

The complaint of the greene Knight Why live I wretch (quoth he) alas and wellaway, Or why beholde my heavy eies, this gladsome sunny day? Since […]...

Der Handkub Viere lang, Zum Empfang, Vorne Jean, Elegant, Fahrt meine sube Lady. Schilderhaus, Wache raus. Schlobportal, Und im Saal Steht meine […]...

A Gentlewomans complaint, in that she found her freind faithlesse, which should haue continued constant Faith is a figure standing now for nought: faith is a fancy which ought to rest in thought. Faith now […]...

The Testament … Beholde, o man! lyft up thyn eye and see What mortall peyne I suffre for thi trespace. With pietous […]...

The Golden Gift that Nature Did Thee Give The golden gift that Nature did thee give To fasten friends and feed them at thy will With form and […]...

I never saw my Lady lay apart I never saw my Lady lay apart Her cornet black, in cold nor yet in heat, Sith first she knew […]...

19. MERRY WORDS OF THE HOST TO THE SKIPPER AND TO THE LADY PRIORESS “Well said, by corpus dominus!” said our Host. 435 “Now long may you sail up and down the coast, My […]...

Green Groweth the Holly Green groweth the holly, So doth the ivy. Though winter blasts blow never so high, Green groweth the holly. As […]...

A Bequest of His Heart Hence, heart, with her that must depart, And hald thee with thy soverane! For I had liever want ane heart, […]...

Fortune This wrecched worldes transmutacioun, As wele or wo, now povre and now honour, Withouten ordre or wys discrecioun Governed is […]...

The Parliament of Fowls – Middle English Here begynyth the Parlement of Foulys THE PROEM 1 The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne, 2 […]...

The Spanish Ladies Loue to an English Gentleman W you heare a Spanish Lady how she wooed an Englishman: Garments gay as rich as may be, deckt with […]...

Anelida and Arcite – Middle English 1 Thou ferse god of armes, Mars the rede, 2 That in the frosty contre called Trace, 3 Within thy […]...

A Dream This hinder nycht, halff sleiping as I lay, Me thocht my chalmer in ane new aray Was all depent with […]...

To the Queen [Devoyd languor and leif in lustines] O lusty flour of yowth, benyng and bricht, Fresch blome of bewty, blythfull, brycht […]...

A letter devised for a yong lover Receive you worthy Dame, this rude & ragged verse, Lend wylling eare unto the tale, which I shall nowe rehearse. […]...

13. THE FRANKLIN’S TALE Prologue 709 Thise olde gentil Britouns in hir dayes 710 Of diverse aventures maden layes, 711 Rymeyed in hir firste […]...

Praise of the mistres The hap which Paris had, as due for his desert, Who favord Venus for hir face, & skornde Menervas art: […]...

The Former Age A blisful lyf, a paisible and a swete, Ledden the peples in the former age. They helde hem payed of […]...

Ring out your bells Ring out your bells, let mourning shows be spread; For love is dead – All love is dead, infected With […]...

A Rueful Lamentation O ye that put your trust and confidence, In worldly joy and frail prosperity, That so live here as ye […]...

Epithalamium for Gloucester 1 Thorugh gladde aspectes of the god Cupid And ful accord of his moder deere, Ful oft sithes list aforne […]...

The Temple Of Glas For thought, constreint, and grevous hevines, For pensifhede and for heigh distres, To bed I went nou this othir nyght, […]...

The Want of Wyse Men Me mervellis of this grete confusion; I wald sum clerk of connyng walde declerde, Quhat gerris this warld be turnyt […]...

22. THE SECOND NUN’S TALE Prologue 1 The ministre and the norice unto vices, 2 Which that men clepe in Englissh Ydelnesse, 3 That porter […]...

16. THE SHIPMAN’S TALE 1 A marchant whilom dwelled at Seint-Denys, 2 That riche was, for which men helde hym wys. 3 A wyf […]...

Vox ultima Crucis TARYE no lenger; toward thyn heritage Hast on thy weye, and be of ryght good chere. Go eche day onward […]...

18. THE TALE OF SIR THOPAS Prologue 691 Whan seyd was al this miracle, every man 692 As sobre was that wonder was to se, 693 […]...

12. THE SQUIRE’S TALE Introduction 1 “Squier, com neer, if it youre wille be, 2 And sey somwhat of love, for certes ye 3 […]...

14. THE PHYSICIAN’S TALE 1 Ther was, as telleth Titus Livius, 2 A knyght that called was Virginius, 3 Fulfild of honour and of […]...

8. THE FRIAR’S TALE Prologue 1265 This worthy lymytour, this noble Frere, 1266 He made alwey a maner louryng chiere 1267 Upon the Somonour, […]...

A Riddle A Lady once did aske of me, This preatie thing in privitie: Good sir (quod she) faine would I crave, […]...

The Book of the Duchess – Middle English 1 I have gret wonder, be this lyght, 2 How that I lyve, for day ne nyght 3 I may […]...

10. THE CLERK’S TALE Prologue 1 “Sire Clerk of Oxenford,” oure Hooste sayde, 2 “Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde […]...

The Bludy Serk This hindir yeir I hard be tald Thair was a worthy king; Dukis, erlis, and barronis bald He had at […]...

Ye Old Mule Ye old mule that think yourself so fair, Leave off with craft your beauty to repair, For it is true, […]...

Saint Austin at Compton Lyk as the Bible makith mencioun, The original ground of devout offryng, Callyd of clerkys just decimacioun (In pleyn Ynglissh, […]...

AGAINST JEALOUSY Wretched and foolish Jealousy, How cam’st thou thus to enter me? I ne’er was of thy kind : Nor have […]...

Related posts: