Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) (27 page)
Read Delphi Poetry Anthology: The World's Greatest Poems (Delphi Poets Series Book 50) Online
Authors: Homer,William Shakespeare
Translated by Charles Eliot Norton
Durante degli Alighieri (c. 1265–1321)
III.
To every captive soul and gentle heart
Unto whose sight may come the present word,
That they thereof to me their thoughts impart,
Be greeting in Love’s name, who is their Lord.
Now of those hours wellnigh one third had gone
What time doth every star appear most bright,
When on a sudden Love before me shone,
Remembrance of whose nature gives me fright.
Joyful to me seemed Love, and he was keeping
My heart within his hands, while on his arm
He held my lady, covered o’er, and sleeping.
Then waking her, he with this flaming heart
Did humble feed her fearful of some harm.
Thereon I saw him thence in tears depart.
VII.
O ye who turn your steps along Love’s way,
Consider, and then say,
If there be any grief than mine more great;
That ye to hear me deign, I only pray;
Then fancy, as ye may,
If I am every torment’s inn and gate.
‘T was not my little goodness to repay,
But bounty to display,
Love gave me such a sweet and pleasant fate,
That many times I heard behind me say,
”Ah, through what merit, pray,
Hath this man’s heart become so light of late?”
But now is wholly lost my hardihead,
Which came from out a treasure of Love’s own,
And I stay poor alone,
So that of speech there cometh to me dread.
Thus wishing now to do like unto one
Who, out of shame, concealeth his disgrace,
I wear a joyful face,
While in my heart I waste away and groan.
VIII.
Lovers, lament, since Love himself now cries,
Hearing what cause ‘t is maketh him to weep.
Love seëth ladies mourn in sorrow deep,
Showing their bitter grieving through their eyes;
Because discourteous Death, on gentle heart
Working his cruel, unrelenting ways,
Hath all despoiled which in the world wins praise
For gentle dame, excepting honor’s part.
Hear ye what honor Love to her did pay;
For him in real form I saw lament
Above the lovely image of the dead;
And often toward the heaven he raised his head,
Whereto the gentle soul had made ascent
Which had been mistress of a shape so gay.
Discourteous Death, of clemency the foe,
Mother from old of woe,
Thou judgment irresistible, severe,
Since sorrow to this heart thou dost not spare,
Therefore in grief I go,
And blaming thee my very tongue outwear.
And since I wish of grace to strip thee bare,
Behoves me to declare
The wrong of wrongs in this thy guilty blow;
Not that the folk do not already know,
But to make each thy foe,
Who henceforth shall be nurtured with Love’s care,
From out the world thou courtesy hast ta’en,
And virtue, which in woman is to praise;
And in youth’s gayest days
The charm of love thou hast untimely slain.
Who is this lady I will not declare,
Save as her qualities do make her known;
Who merits heaven, alone
May have the hope her company to share.
IX.
As I the other day rode far from glad
Along a way it pleased me not to take,
I came on Love, who did his journey make,
In the light garment of a pilgrim clad.
His countenance, it seemed to me, was sad,
As if he grieved for his lost lordship’s sake;
Pensive he came, and forth his sighs did break;
Not to see folk, his head bowed down he had.
When me he saw, by name he called to me,
And said, “I come from that far distant part
Where through my will thy heart did dwell of late.
I bring it now on new delight to wait.”
Thereon I took of him so great a part
That quick he vanished; how, I did not see.
XII.
Ballad, I send thee forth upon Love’s trace,
For thou must him before my Lady bring,
So that of my excuse, which thou dost sing,
My Lord may then with her speak face to face.
Such courteous aspect, Ballad, thou dost show,
That all alone, indeed,
Thou oughtest not in any place to fear;
But if securely thou dost wish to go,
First to find Love is need,
For ill it were without Him to appear;
Seeing that she who ought thy words to hear,
If she be angry, as I think, with me,
And thou with Him companioned should not be,
Might lightly make thee fall into disgrace.
With dulcet sound, when with Him thou mayst be,
Begin with words like these,
First begging her that she would pity take: —
”Lady, he who to you now sendeth me
Wills, when to you it please,
That his excuse you deign to hear me make.
Love is that one who, for thy beauty’s sake,
Makes him, as He doth will, his looks to change;
Then why He made his eyes on others range.
Think you, since in his heart no change hath place.”
Tell her: “O Lady, this his heart is stayed
With faith so firmly just,
Save to serve you, it hath no other care.
Early ‘t was yours, and never hath it strayed.”
But if she thee distrust,
Say, “Ask of Love, who will the truth declare.”
And at the end, beg her, with humble prayer,
That if it trouble her to pardon give,
She then should bid that I no longer live,
Nor shall she see her servant sue for grace.
And say to Him who is compassion’s key,
Ere from her thou depart,
That He may tell her of my reason fair, —
”Through favor unto my sweet melody,
Stay with her where thou art,
And of thy servant, what thou wilt, declare,
And if she grant forgiveness through they prayer,
Make peace on her fair countenance to shine.”
When it may please thee, gentle Ballad mine,
Honor to win, go forth upon thy race.
XV.
That which opposeth in my mind doth die
Whene’er I come to see you, beauteous Joy!
And I hear Love say, when to you I ‘m nigh,
”Begone, if death be unto thee annoy.”
My face the color of my heart displays,
Which, fainting, nay chance support doth seek;
And as I tremble in my drunken daze,
”Die! die!” the very stones appear to shriek.
He who may then behold me doeth ill,
If my affrighted soul he comfort not,
Showing at least that me he pitieth,
Through that compassion which your scorn doth kill,
And which is by the lifeless look begot
Of eyes which have a longing for their death.
XIX.
Ladies that have intelligence of Love,
I of my lady wish with you to speak;
Not that I can believe to end her praise,
But to discourse that I may ease my mind.
I say that when I think upon her worth,
So sweet doth Love make himself feel to me,
That if I then should lose not hardihood,
Speaking, I should enamour all mankind.
And I wish not so loftily to speak
As to become, through fear of failure, vile;
But of her gentle nature I will treat
In manner light compared with her desert,
Ye loving dames and damosels, with you,
For ‘t is not thing of which to speak to others.
An angel crieth in the mind divine,
And saith: “O Sire, on earth is to be seen
A miracle in action, that proceeds
From out a soul which far as here doth shine.
Heaven, which hath not any other defect
Save want of her, demands her of its Lord,
And every Saint doth for this favor beg.”
Only Compassion our part defendeth;
And thus speaks God, who of my lady thinks:
”O my elect, now suffer ye in peace
That, while it pleaseth me, your hope abide
There, where is one who dreads the loss of her:
And who shall say in hell to the foredoomed,
’I have beheld the hope of those in bliss.’”
My lady is desired in highest heaven;
Now will I of her virtue make you know.
I say: Whoso would seem a gentle dame
Should go with her; for when she goes her way
Love casts a frost upon all caitiff hearts,
So that their every thought doth freeze and perish.
And who can bear to stay on her to look
Will noble thing become, or else will die.
And when one finds that he may worthy be
To look on her, he doth his virtue prove;
For that arrives to him which gives him health,
And humbles him till he forgets all wrong.
Yet hath God given her for greater grace,
That who hath spoke with her cannot end ill.
Love saith concerning her: “How can it be
That mortal thing be thus adorned, and pure?”
Then, gazing on her, to himself he swears
That God in her a new thing means to make.
Color of pearl so clothes her as doth best
Become a lady, nowise in excess.
Whate’er of good Nature can make she is,
And by her pattern beauty tries itself.
From out her eyes, howe’er she moveth them,
Spirits inflamed of love go forth, which strike
The eyes of him who then may look on them,
And enter so that each doth find the heart.
Love you behold depicted in her smile,
Whereon no one can look with steadfast gaze.
I know, Canzonè, thou wilt go to speak
With many ladies, when I send thee forth.
And now I bid thee, having bred thee up
As young and simple daughter unto Love,
That where thou comest thou shouldst praying say:
”Direct me on my way, for I am sent
To her with praise of whom I am adorned.”
And if thou wishest not to go in vain,
Make thou no stay where villain folk may be;
Endeavor, if thou mayst, to be acquaint
Only with lady or with courteous man,
Who thee shall guide along the quickest way.
Thou wilt find Love in company with her;
Commend me to him as behoveth thee.
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order
The Prologue to the Canterbury Tales. Lines 1–200
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1340–1400)
WHAN that Aprille with his shoures soote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
5
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale fowles maken melodye,
That slepen al the night with open ye,
10
(So priketh hem nature in hir corages:
Than longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmers for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, couthe in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende
15
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The holy blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen, whan that they were seke.
Bifel that, in that sesoun on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
20
Redy to wenden on my pilgrimage
To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
At night was come in-to that hostelrye
Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye,
Of sondry folk, by aventure y-falle
25
In felawshipe, and pilgrims were they alle,
That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde;
The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
And wel we weren esed atte beste.
And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
30
So hadde I spoken with hem everichon,
That I was of hir felawshipe anon,
And made forward erly for to ryse,
To take our wey, ther as I yow devyse.
But natheles, whyl I have tyme and space,
35
Er that I ferther in this tale pace,
Me thinketh it acordaunt to resoun,
To telle yew al the condicioun
Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,
And whiche they weren, and of what degree;
40
And eek in what array that they were inne:
And at a knight than wol I first biginne.
A KNIGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the tyme that he first bigan
To ryden out, he loved chivalrye,
45
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisye.
Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,
And thereto hadde he riden (no man ferre )
As wel in cristendom as hethenesse,
And evere honoured for his worthinesse.
50
At Alisaundre he was, whan it was wonne;
Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
Aboven alle naciouns in Pruce.
In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce,
No cristen man so ofte of his degree.
55
In Gernade at the sege eek hadde he be
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye.
At Lyeys was he, and at Satalye,
Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete See
At many a noble aryve hadde he be,
60
At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,
And foughten for our feith at Tramissene
In listes thryes, and ay slayn his foo.
This ilke worthy knight hadde been also
Somtyme with the lord of Palatye,
65
Ageyn another hethen in Turkye:
And everemore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
And of his port as meek as is a mayde.
He nevere yet no vileinye ne sayde
70
In al his lyf, un-to no maner wight.
He was a verray parfit gentil knight.
But for to tellen yow of his array,
His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.
Of fustian he wered a gipoun
75
Al bismotered with his habergeoun.
For he was late y-come from his viage,
And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.
With him ther was his sone, a yong SQUYER,
A lovyer, and a lusty bacheler,
80
With lokkes crulle, as they were leyd in presse.
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,
And wonderly delivere, and greet of strengthe.
And he hadde been somtyme in chivachye,
85
In Flaundres, in Artoys, and Picardye,
And born him wel, as of so litel space,
In hope to stonden in his lady grace.
Embrouded was he, as it were a mede
Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and rede.
90
Singinge he was, or floytinge, al the day;
He was as fresh as is the month of May.
Short was his goune, with sleves longe and wyde.
Wel coude he sitte on hors, and faire ryde.
He coude songes make and wel endyte,
95
Iuste and eek daunce, and wel purtreye and wryte.
So hote he lovede, that by nightertale
He sleep namore than doth a nightingale.
Curteys he was, lowly, and servisable,
And carf biforn his fader at the table.
100
A YEMAN hadde he, and servaunts namo
At that tyme, for him liste ryde so;
And he was clad in cote and hood of grene;
A sheef of pecok arwes brighte and kene
Under his belt he bar ful thriftily,
105
(Wel coude he dresse his takel yemanly:
His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe),
And in his hand he bar a mighty bowe.
A not-heed hadde he, with a broun visage.
Of wode-craft wel coude he al the usage.
110
Upon his arm he bar a gay bracer,
And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,
And on that other syde a gay daggere,
Harneised wel, and sharp as point of spere;
A Cristofre on his brest of silver shene
115
An horn he bar, the bawdrik was of grene;
A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.
Ther was also a Nonne, a PRIORESSE,
That of hir smyling was ful simple and coy;
Hir gretteste ooth was but by seynt Loy;
120
And she was cleped madame Eglentyne.
Ful wel she song the service divyne,
Entuned in hir nose ful semely;
And Frensh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
125
For Frensh of Paris was to hir unknowe.
At mete wel y-taught was she with-alle;
She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,
Ne wette hir fingres in hir sauce depe.
Wel coude she carie a morsel, and wel kepe,
130
That no drope ne fille up-on hir brest.
In curteisye was set ful moche hir lest.
Hir over lippe wyped she so clene,
That in hir coppe was no ferthing sene
Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.
135
Ful semely after hir mete she raughte,
And sikerly she was of greet disport,
And ful plesaunt, and amiable of port,
And peyned hir to countrefete chere
Of court, and been estatlich of manere,
140
And to ben holden digne of reverence.
But, for to speken of hir conscience,
She was so charitable and so pitous,
She wolde wepe, if that she sawe a mous
Caught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.
145
Of smale houndes had she, that she fedde
With rosted flesh, or milk and wastel breed.
But sore weep she if oon of hem were deed,
Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte:
And al was conscience and tendre herte.
150
Ful semely hir wimpel pinched was;
Hir nose tretys; hir eyen greye as glas;
Hir mouth ful smal, and ther-to softe and reed;
But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed.
It was almost a spanne brood, I trowe;
155
For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.
Ful fetis was hir cloke, as I was war.
Of smal coral aboute hir arm she bar
A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene;
And ther-on heng a broche of gold ful shene,
160
On which ther was first write a crowned A,
And after,
Amor vincit omnia.
Another NONNE with hir hadde she,
That was hir chapeleyne, and PREESTES thre.
A MONK ther was, a fair for the maistrye,
165
An out-rydere, that lovede venerye;
A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable:
And, whan he rood, men mighte his brydel here
Ginglen in a whistling wynd as clere,
170
And eek as loude as dooth the chapel-belle,
Ther-as this lord was keper of the celle.
The reule of seint Maure or of seint Beneit,
By-cause that it was old and som-del streit,
This ilke monk leet olde thinges pace,
175
And held after the newe world the space.
He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,
That seith, that hunters been nat holy men;
Ne that a monk, whan he is cloisterlees
Is likned til a fish that is waterlees;
180
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloistre.
But thilke text held he nat worth an oistre.
And I seyde his opinioun was good.
What sholde he studie, and make him-selven wood,
Upon a book in cloistre alwey to poure,
185
Or swinken with his handes, and laboure,
As Austin bit? How shal the world be served?
Lat Austin have his swink to him reserved.
Therfor he was a pricasour aright;
Grehoundes he hadde, as swifte as fowel in flight;
190
Of priking and of hunting for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond
With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
And, for to festne his hood under his chin,
195
He hadde of gold y-wroght a curious pin:
A love-knot in the gretter ende ther was.
His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
And eek his face, as he hadde been anoint.
He was a lord ful fat and in good point;
200
List of Poems in Alphabetical Order
List of Poets in Alphabetical Order