Tisfm19

1390 ca.

JOHN GOWER, Confessio Amantis, III, vv. 1331-1494

I rede a tale, and telleth this:

The Cite which Semiramis

Enclosed hath with wall aboute,

Of worthi folk with many a route

Was enhabited here and there;

Among the whiche tuo ther were

Above alle othre noble and grete,

Dwellende tho withinne a Strete

So nyh togedre, as it was sene,

That ther was nothing hem betwene, 1340

Bot wow to wow and wall to wall.

This o lord hadde in special

A Sone, a lusti Bacheler,

In al the toun was non his pier:

That other hadde a dowhter eke,

In al the lond that forto seke

Men wisten non so faire as sche.

And fell so, as it scholde be,

This faire dowhter nyh this Sone

As thei togedre thanne wone, 1350

Cupide hath so the thinges schape,

That thei ne mihte his hand ascape,

That he his fyr on hem ne caste:

Wherof her herte he overcaste

To folwe thilke lore and suie

Which nevere man yit miht eschuie;

And that was love, as it is happed,

Which hath here hertes so betrapped,

That thei be alle weies seche

How that thei mihten winne a speche, 1360

Here wofull peine forto lisse.

Who loveth wel, it mai noght misse,

And namely whan ther be tuo

Of on acord, how so it go,

Bot if that thei som weie finde;

For love is evere of such a kinde

And hath his folk so wel affaited,

That howso that it be awaited,

Ther mai noman the pourpos lette:

And thus betwen hem tuo thei sette 1370

And hole upon a wall to make,

Thurgh which thei have her conseil take

At alle times, whan thei myhte.

This faire Maiden Tisbee hihte,

And he whom that sche loveth hote

Was Piramus be name hote.

So longe here lecoun thei recorden,

Til ate laste thei acorden

Be nihtes time forto wende

Al one out fro the tounes ende, 1380

Wher was a welle under a Tree;

And who cam ferst, or sche or he,

He scholde stille there abide.

So it befell the nyhtes tide

This maiden, which desguised was,

Al prively the softe pas

Goth thurgh the large toun unknowe,

Til that sche cam withinne a throwe

Wher that sche liketh forto duelle,

At thilke unhappi freisshe welle, 1390

Which was also the Forest nyh.

Wher sche comende a Leoun syh

Into the feld to take his preie,

In haste and sche tho fledde aweie,

So as fortune scholde falle,

For feere and let hire wympel falle

Nyh to the welle upon therbage.

This Leoun in his wilde rage

A beste, which that he fond oute,

Hath slain, and with his blodi snoute, 1400

Whan he hath eten what he wolde,

To drynke of thilke stremes colde

Cam to the welle, where he fond

The wympel, which out of hire hond

Was falle, and he it hath todrawe,

Bebled aboute and al forgnawe;

And thanne he strawhte him forto drinke

Upon the freisshe welles brinke,

And after that out of the plein

He torneth to the wode ayein. 1410

And Tisbee dorste noght remue,

Bot as a bridd which were in Mue

Withinne a buissh sche kepte hire clos

So stille that sche noght aros;

Unto hirself and pleigneth ay.

And fell, whil that sche there lay,

This Piramus cam after sone

Unto the welle, and be the Mone

He fond hire wimpel blodi there.

Cam nevere yit to mannes Ere 1420

Tidinge, ne to mannes sihte

Merveile, which so sore aflihte

A mannes herte, as it tho dede

To him, which in the same stede

With many a wofull compleignynge

Began his handes forto wringe,

As he which demeth sikerly

That sche be ded: and sodeinly

His swerd al nakid out he breide

In his folhaste, and thus he seide: 1430

"I am cause of this felonie,

So it is resoun that I die,

As sche is ded be cause of me."

And with that word upon his kne

He fell, and to the goddes alle

Up to the hevene he gan to calle,

And preide, sithen it was so

That he may noght his love as tho

Have in this world, that of her grace

He miht hire have in other place, 1440

For hiere wolde he noght abide,

He seith: bot as it schal betide,

The Pomel of his swerd to grounde

He sette, and thurgh his herte a wounde

He made up to the bare hilte:

And in this wise himself he spilte

With his folhaste and deth he nam;

For sche withinne a while cam,

Wher he lai ded upon his knif.

So wofull yit was nevere lif 1450

As Tisbee was, whan sche him sih:

Sche mihte noght o word on hih

Speke oute, for hire herte schette,

That of hir lif no pris sche sette,

Bot ded swounende doun sche fell.

Til after, whanne it so befell

That sche out of hire traunce awok,

With many a wofull pitous lok

Hire yhe alwei among sche caste

Upon hir love, and ate laste 1460

Sche cawhte breth and seide thus:

"O thou which cleped art Venus,

Goddesse of love, and thou, Cupide,

Which loves cause hast forto guide,

I wot now wel that ye be blinde,

Of thilke unhapp which I now finde

Only betwen my love and me.

This Piramus, which hiere I se

Bledende, what hath he deserved?

For he youre heste hath kept and served, 1470

And was yong and I bothe also:

Helas, why do ye with ous so?

Ye sette oure herte bothe afyre,

And maden ous such thing desire

Wherof that we no skile cowthe;

Bot thus oure freisshe lusti yowthe

Withoute joie is al despended,

Which thing mai nevere ben amended:

For as of me this wol I seie,

That me is levere forto deie 1480

Than live after this sorghful day."

And with this word, where as he lay,

Hire love in armes sche embraseth,

Hire oghne deth and so pourchaseth

That now sche wepte and nou sche kiste,

Til ate laste, er sche it wiste,

So gret a sorwe is to hire falle,

Which overgoth hire wittes alle.

As sche which mihte it noght asterte,

The swerdes point ayein hire herte 1490

Sche sette, and fell doun therupon,

Wherof that sche was ded anon:

And thus bothe on o swerd bledende

Thei weren founde ded liggende.