按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Min yhe is fed； bot finaly；
Whan he the port and the manere
Seth of hire wommanysshe chere；
Than hath he such delice on honde；
Him thenkth he mihte stille stonde；
And that he hath ful sufficance
Of liflode and of sustienance
As to his part for everemo。
And if it thoghte alle othre so； 800
Fro thenne wolde he nevere wende；
Bot there unto the worldes ende
He wolde abyde； if that he mihte；
And fieden him upon the syhte。
For thogh I mihte stonden ay
Into the time of domesday
And loke upon hire evere in on；
Yit whanne I scholde fro hire gon；
Min yhe wolde； as thogh he faste；
Ben hungerstorven al so faste； 810
Til efte ayein that he hire syhe。
Such is the nature of myn yhe：
Ther is no lust so deintefull；
Of which a man schal noght be full；
Of that the stomac underfongeth；
Bot evere in on myn yhe longeth：
For loke hou that a goshauk tireth；
Riht so doth he； whan that he pireth
And toteth on hire wommanhiede；
For he mai nevere fulli fiede 820
His lust； bot evere aliche sore
Him hungreth； so that he the more
Desireth to be fed algate：
And thus myn yhe is mad the gate；
Thurgh which the deyntes of my thoght
Of lust ben to myn herte broght。
Riht as myn yhe with his lok
Is to myn herte a lusti coc
Of loves fode delicat；
Riht so myn Ere in his astat； 830
Wher as myn yhe mai noght serve；
Can wel myn hertes thonk deserve
And fieden him fro day to day
With suche deyntes as he may。
For thus it is； that overal；
Wher as I come in special；
I mai hiere of mi ladi pris；
I hiere on seith that sche is wys；
An other seith that sche is good；
And som men sein； of worthi blod 840
That sche is come； and is also
So fair； that nawher is non so；
And som men preise hire goodli chiere：
Thus every thing that I mai hiere；
Which souneth to mi ladi goode；
Is to myn Ere a lusti foode。
And ek min Ere hath over this
A deynte feste； whan so is
That I mai hiere hirselve speke；
For thanne anon mi faste I breke 850
On suche wordes as sche seith；
That full of trouthe and full of feith
Thei ben； and of so good desport；
That to myn Ere gret confort
Thei don； as thei that ben delices。
For al the metes and the spices；
That eny Lombard couthe make；
Ne be so lusti forto take
Ne so ferforth restauratif；
I seie as for myn oghne lif； 860
As ben the wordes of hire mouth：
For as the wyndes of the South
Ben most of alle debonaire；
So whan hir list to speke faire；
The vertu of hire goodly speche
Is verraily myn hertes leche。
And if it so befalle among；
That sche carole upon a song；
Whan I it hiere I am so fedd；
That I am fro miself so ledd； 870
As thogh I were in paradis；
For certes； as to myn avis；
Whan I here of hir vois the stevene；
Me thenkth it is a blisse of hevene。
And ek in other wise also
Fulofte time it falleth so；
Min Ere with a good pitance
Is fedd of redinge of romance
Of Ydoine and of Amadas；
That whilom weren in mi cas； 880
And eke of othre many a score；
That loveden longe er I was bore。
For whan I of here loves rede；
Min Ere with the tale I fede；
And with the lust of here histoire
Somtime I drawe into memoire
Hou sorwe mai noght evere laste；
And so comth hope in ate laste；
Whan I non other fode knowe。
And that endureth bot a throwe； 890
Riht as it were a cherie feste；
Bot forto compten ate leste；
As for the while yit it eseth
And somdel of myn herte appeseth：
For what thing to myn Ere spreedeth；
Which is plesant； somdel it feedeth
With wordes suche as he mai gete
Mi lust； in stede of other mete。
Lo thus； mi fader； as I seie；
Of lust the which myn yhe hath seie； 900
And ek of that myn Ere hath herd；
Fulofte I have the betre ferd。
And tho tuo bringen in the thridde；
The which hath in myn herte amidde
His place take； to arraie
The lusti fode； which assaie
I mot； and nameliche on nyhtes；
Whan that me lacketh alle sihtes；
And that myn heringe is aweie；
Thanne is he redy in the weie 910
Mi reresouper forto make；
Of which myn hertes fode I take。
This lusti cokes name is hote
Thoght； which hath evere hise pottes hote
Of love buillende on the fyr
With fantasie and with desir；
Of whiche er this fulofte he fedde
Min herte； whanne I was abedde；
And thanne he set upon my bord
Bothe every syhte and every word 920
Of lust； which I have herd or sein。
Bot yit is noght mi feste al plein；
Bot al of woldes and of wisshes；
Therof have I my fulle disshes；
Bot as of fielinge and of tast；
Yit mihte I nevere have o repast。
And thus； as I have seid aforn；
I licke hony on the thorn；
And as who seith； upon the bridel
I chiewe； so that al is ydel 930
As in effect the fode I have。
Bot as a man that wolde him save；
Whan he is seck； be medicine；
Riht so of love the famine
I fonde in al that evere I mai
To fiede and dryve forth the day；
Til I mai have the grete feste；
Which al myn hunger myhte areste。
Lo suche ben mi lustes thre；
Of that I thenke and hiere and se 940
I take of love my fiedinge
Withoute tastinge or fielinge：
And as the Plover doth of Eir
I live； and am in good espeir
That for no such delicacie
I trowe I do no glotonie。
And natheles to youre avis；
Min holi fader； that be wis；
I recomande myn astat
Of that I have be delicat。 950
Mi Sone； I understonde wel
That thou hast told hier everydel；
And as me thenketh be thi tale；
It ben delices wonder smale；
Wherof thou takst thi loves fode。
Bot； Sone； if that thou understode
What is to ben delicious；
Thou woldest noght be curious
Upon the lust of thin astat
To ben to sore delicat； 960
Wherof that thou reson excede：
For in the bokes thou myht rede；
If mannes wisdom schal be suied；
It oghte wel to ben eschuied
In love als wel as other weie；
For； as these holi bokes seie；
The bodely delices alle
In every point； hou so thei falle；
Unto the Soule don grievance。
And forto take in remembrance； 970
A tale acordant unto this；
Which of gret understondinge is
To mannes soule resonable；
I thenke telle； and is no fable。
Of Cristes word； who wole it rede；
Hou that this vice is forto drede
In thevangile it telleth plein；
Which mot algate be certein；
For Crist himself it berth witnesse。
And thogh the clerk and the clergesse 980
In latin tunge it rede and singe；
Yit for the more knoulechinge
Of trouthe； which is good to wite；
I schal declare as it is write
In Engleissh； for thus it began。
Crist seith： 〃Ther was a riche man；
A mihti lord of gret astat；
And he was ek so delicat
Of his clothing； that everyday
Of pourpre and bisse he made him gay； 990
And eet and drank therto his fille
After the lustes of his wille；
As he which al stod in delice
And tok non hiede of thilke vice。
And as it scholde so betyde；
A povere lazre upon a tyde
Cam to the gate and axed mete：
Bot there mihte he nothing gete
His dedly hunger forto stanche；
For he； which hadde his fulle panche 1000
Of alle lustes ate bord；
Ne deigneth noght to speke a word；
Onliche a Crumme forto yive；
Wherof the povere myhte live
Upon the yifte of his almesse。
Thus lai this povere in gret destresse
Acold and hungred ate gate；
Fro which he mihte go no gate；
So was he wofulli besein。
And as these holi bokes sein； 1010
The houndes comen fro the halle；
Wher that this sike man was falle；
And as he lay ther forto die；
The woundes of his maladie
Thei licken forto don him ese。
Bot he was full of such desese；
That he mai noght the deth eschape；
Bot as it was that time schape；
The Soule fro the bodi passeth；
And he whom nothing overpasseth； 1020
The hihe god； up to the hevene
Him tok； wher he hath set him evene
In Habrahammes barm on hyh；
Wher he the hevene joie syh
And hadde al that he have wolde。
And fell； as it befalle scholde；
This riche man the same throwe
With soudein deth was overthrowe；
And forth withouten eny wente
Into the helle straght he wente； 1030
The fend into the fyr him drouh；
Wher that he hadde peine ynouh
Of flamme which that evere brenneth。
And as his yhe aboute renneth；
Toward the hevene he cast his lok；
Wher that he syh and hiede tok
Hou Lazar set was in his Se
Als ferr as evere he mihte se
With Habraham； and thanne he preide
Unto the Patriarch and seide： 1040
〃Send Lazar doun fro thilke Sete；
And do that he his f