BALLAD
Farewell, my lady dear and dread,Farewell, of all sovereign and queen,Farewell, perfect and sacred head,Farewell, who dost all honour mean,Farewell, true heart, loyal and clean,Farewell, best flower the world doth bear,Farewell, yet not farewell, O white and fair!Farewell, O wise, that no ill said,Farewell, river that made life green,Farewell, in whom fame harboured,Farewell, voice that all ears could win,Farewell, solace of all my teen,Farewell, whose grace is wide as air,Farewell, yet not farewell, O white and fair!Farewell, soft look that through me sped,Farewell, more fair than Helen queen,Farewell, body and sweet soul wed,Farewell, thou most gracious demesne,Farewell, pole-star, joyous and keen,Farewell, fountain of valour rare,Farewell, yet not farewell, O white and fair!Farewell, Princess of noblest mien,Farewell, thou aweing smile serene,Farewell, without fault, sin's despair,Farewell, yet not farewell, O white and fair!
Thus did I commune with myself, and, sighing, I departed, and made great haste to reach my dwelling. [pg 47] And I was weighed down and troubled with grievous sorrow when I no longer saw there her whom I had dared choose as my lady, and whom my heart held so dear.
Now I made known at the beginning how that I desired to be a lover, and to be gentle, and how love wounded me with his dart, of the which my heart will never be healed, and as I have spoken of the ill that came to me from that time, so is it meet that I tell you of the good. And this distemper increased, by reason of which my strength diminished, so that in a little I grew pale, and thin, and sad, and ofttimes sighed from grief, for no solace had I, since I knew not how to discover any good way to see my sweet lady, and, certes, so much did I fear her rebuke, that I dared not approach her, however grievous it was, and this plunged me into tears, and troubled me. Thus I was sick a-bed, and then I uttered this ballad:—