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The Canterbury Tales and Other Works of Chaucer (Middle English), by Geoffery Chaucer, [14th cent.], at sacred-texts.com
The Shorter Poems
Merciles Beaute
Your yen two wol slee me sodenly;
I may the beautee of hem not sustene,
So woundeth hit thourghout my herte kene.
And but your word wol helen hastily
My hertes wounde while that hit is grene,
Your yen [two wol slee me sodenly];
[I may the beautee of hem not sustene].
Upon my trouthe I sey you feithfully
That ye ben of my lyf and deeth the quene,
10 For with my deeth the trouthe shal be sene.
Your yen [two wol slee me sodenly];
[I may the beautee of hem not sustene],
[So woundeth it thourghout my herte kene].
So hath your beautee fro your herte chaced
Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne,
For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne.
Giltles my deeth thus han ye me purchaced;
I sey you sooth, me nedeth not to feyne;
So hath your beautee [fro your herte chaced]
20 [Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne].
Allas, that Nature hath in you compassed
So greet beautee, that no man may atteyne
To mercy though he sterve for the peyne.
So hath your beautee [fro your herte chaced]
[Pitee, that me ne availeth not to pleyne],
[For Daunger halt your mercy in his cheyne].
Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,
I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;
Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.
30 He may answere and seye this and that;
I do no fors, I speke right as I mene.
Sin I fro Love [escaped am so fat],
[I never thenk to ben in his prison lene].
Love hath my name ystrike out of his sclat,
And he is strike out of my bokes clene
For evermo; [ther] is non other mene.
Sin I fro Love [escaped am so fat],
[I never thenk to ben in his prison lene];
[Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene].
Next: A Balade of Complaint