| |
A TRILOGY
ON LOVE
PART 1
Lo, what it is to love !
Lerne ye, that list to prove,
At me I
say,
No ways
that may
The grownd is greiff remove,
My liff
alwaie,
That doeth
decaye ;
Lo ! what it is to love.
Ffle alwaye from the snare,
Lerne by me to beware,
Of suche
a trayne,
Which doubles
payne,
And endles woo and care,
That doth
retayne ;
Which to
refrayne,
Fle alwaye from the snare.
To love and to be wise,
To rage with good admyse,
Now thus
now than
Now of
now an
Uncerteyn as the dyse ;
There is
no man
At ons
that can
To love and to be wise.
Suche are the dyvers throws,
Suche, that no man knows
That hath
no profd,
And ons
have losd :
Suche are the raging woos
:
Soner reprofd
Then well
remofd,
Suche are the dyvers throws.
Love is a fervent fire
Kendeld by hote desire,
For a short
pleasure,
Long displeasur
;
Repentaunce is the hire ;
A poure
tresoure,
Withoute
mesure,
Love is a fervent fire.
Lo ! what it is to love, etc.
PART II
Leve thus to slander love !
Though evill, with suche
it prove
Which often
use
Love to
mysuse,
And loving to reprove ;
Such cannot
chose,
For their
refuse,
But thus, to slaunder love.
Ffle not so much the snare ;
Love sildam causeth care
;
But by
deserftes
And crafty
partes,
Som lese their owne welfar
;
Be true
of hertes,
And for
no smartes
Fle not so much the snare
To love and not to be wise
Is but a mad devise ;
Such love
doeth last
As sure
and fast
As chaunce on the dyse ;
A bitter
tast
Coms at
the last,
To love and not to be wise.
Such be the plaisaunt daies,
Such be the honest wayes
;
There is
no man,
That fully
can
Know it, but he that sayes
Loving
to ban
Were folly
than !
Such be the pleasaunt daies.
Such is a plaisaunt fire,
Kyndeled by true desire ;
And though
the payne
Cause men
to playne
Sped well is oft the hiere.
Then though
some fayne
And lese
the gayne
Love is a pleasaunt fire.
PART III
Who most doeth slaunder love
The dede must alwaye prove
;
Trouth
shall excuse
That you
accuse,
For slaunder and reprove
;
Not by
refuse,
But by
abuse
You most do slaunder love.
Ye graunt it is a snare !
And would us not beware !
Lest that
your trayne
Should
be to playne,
Ye colour all the care !
Lo, how
you fayne,
Pleasur
for payne,
And graunt it is a snare.
To love and to be wise !
It were a straunge devise
!
But from
that tast
Ye vow
the fast, --
On zyns tho run your dise,
Ambs-as
may hast
Your payne
to wast
To love, and to be wise.
Of all such pleasaunt dayes,
Of all such pleasaunt playes,
Without
deserft,
You have
your part,
And all the worould so says
;
Save that
poure hert
That for
more smart
Feleth yet suche pleasaunt
dayes.
Such fire and suche hete
Did never make ye swete,
For withoute
payne
You best
obtayne
To good spede and to grete
Who so
doeth playne,
You best
do fayne
Such fire and such hete.
Who now doeth slaunder Love, etc. |
A TRILOGY
ON LOVE
PART 1
Lo, what it is to love!
Learn ye, that list to prove,
At me I
say,
No ways
that may 4
The grounded grief remove,
My life
alway
That doth
decay.
Lo! what it is to love. 8
Flee alway from the snare,
Learn by me to beware
Of such
a train
Which doubles
pain, 12
And endless woe and care
That doth
retain;
Which to
refrain
Flee alway from the snare.
16
To love and to be wise,
To rage with good advice,
Now thus,
now then,
Now off,
now on, 20
Uncertain as the dice;
There is
no man
At once
that can
To love and to be wise. 24
Such are the diverse throes,
Such, that no man knows
That hath
not proved,
And once
have loved. 28
Such are the raging woes:
Sooner
reproved
Than well
removed,
Such are the diverse throes.
32
Love is a fervent fire
Kindled by hot desire;
For a short
pleasure,
Long displeasure;
36
Repentance is the hire.
A poor
treasure,
Without
measure.
Love is a fervent fire. 40
Lo! what it is to love!
PART II
Leave thus to slander love!
Though evil with such it
prove
Which often
use
Love to
misuse, 4
And loving to reprove.
Such cannot
chose,
For their
refuse,
But thus, to slander love.
8
Flee not so much the snare -
Love seldom causeth care,
But by
deserts
And crafty
parts, 12
Some leese their own welfare.
Be true
of hearts,
And for
no smarts
Flee not so much the snare.
16
To love and not to be wise
Is but a mad device.
Such love
doth last
As sure
and fast 20
As chance on the dice.
A bitter
taste
Comes at
the last,
To love and not to be wise.
24
Such be the pleasant days,
Such be the honest ways.
There is
no man,
That fully
can 28
Know it, but that he says
Loving
to ban
Were folly
then!
Such be the pleasant days.
32
Such is a pleasant fire,
Kindled by true desire.
And though
the pain
Cause men
to plain 36
Speed well is oft the hire.
Then though
some feign
And leese
the gain,
Love is a pleasant fire.
40
PART III
Who most doth slander love
The deed must alway prove.
Truth shall
excuse
That you
accuse, 4
For slander and reprove;
Not by
refuse,
But by
abuse
You most do slander love.
8
Ye grant it is a snare
And would us not beware.
Lest that
your train
Should
be too plain, 12
Ye colour all the care.
Lo, how
you feign,
Pleasure
for pain,
And grant it is a snare.
16
To love and to be wise,
It were a strange device!
But from
that taste
Ye vow
the fast, -- 20
On zyns though run your dice,
Ambs-ace
may haste
Your pain
to waste,
To love, and to be wise.
24
Of all such pleasant days,
Of all such pleasant plays,
Without
desert
You have
your part, 28
And all the world so says.
Save that
poor heart
That for
more smart
Feeleth yet such pleasant
days. 32
Such fire and such heat
Did never make ye sweat,
For without
pain
You best
obtain 36
To good speed and to great.
Who so
doth plain,
You best
do feign
Such fire and such heat.
40
Who now doth slander love? |
| |
|
NOTES
Arguments for and against love. The final
part of the trilogy is somewhat obscure, but it seems to be spoken by the
first speaker, he who contemned love and advised against it, rather than
being a summary of the arguments pro and contra.
PART I
2. list to prove = desire to experience.
3. at me = from me.
5. grounded = deep-seated.
11. train = lure, bait; pother, turmoil.
14. that doth retain = which (i.e. love)
keeps within itself.
17-21. These lines are governed by what
follows in 22-4. I.e there is no man who can withstand these contraries
listed here raging within him.
26-7 - I.e. no man could know of these
things unless he had experienced them.
37. hire = reward, paymment.
39. without measure = unlimited, boundless
(refers to repentance and regret) .
PART II
1. Leave thus = cease, desist from.
2-5. Those who frequently abuse and misuse
love cannot choose but to see it as evil, and to reprove it.
7. their refuse = having met with refusal
(?).
11-12. deservedly, and for using deception.
13. leese = lose.
18. a mad device = a foolish plan, an idiotic
approach.
26-31. No man who has tasted the fruits
of love could possibly wish to ban it.
37. Speed well etc. = the reward is often
success.
PART III
The first speaker now responds and attempts
to prove his point, that love is not worth the candle.
1-2. The fact itself will show who is most
guilty of slandering love.
4. That you accuse = him, whom you accuse
(i.e. me, the speaker).
5. For = of. reprove = reproof, criticism.
6-8. It is not by refusing to love, but
by misreprenting its true nature (abuse) that one most slanders love.
11. your train = the allurements which
you describe love as having.
14-15. Look how you pretend that the pain
of love is really a pleasure.
17-18. The speaker implies that to love
and to be wise is near impossible.
19-20. You vow that you will not be so
foolish as to love madly, but will refrain from such food. (That = that
other possibility, of loving and being unwise).
21. zyns = five and six, the highest and
luckiest score at dice.
22. Ambs-ace = two aces, a low and unlucky
score.
21-22 = Do not trust to your luck, which
is sure to change.
The final two stanzas are difficult to
interpret, but they seem to suggest that the speaker of Part II has just
been lucky, and that his day of pain and torment in love will one day come.
|
IR THOMAS WYATT
