The Parliament of Birds

by Geoffrey Chaucer

352 That clepeth forth the fresshe leves newe;

  353 The swalow, mordrer of the flyes smale

  354 That maken hony of floures fresshe of hewe;

  355 The wedded turtel, with hir herte trewe;

  356 The pecok, with his aungels fethres brighte;

  357 The fesaunt, scorner of the cok by nighte;

  358 The waker goos; the cukkow ever unkinde;

  359 The popiniay, ful of delicasye;

  360 The drake, stroyer of his owne kinde;

  361 The stork, the wreker of avouterye;

  362 The hote cormeraunt of glotonye;

  363 The raven wys, the crow with vois of care;

  364 The throstel olde; the frosty feldefare.

  365 What shulde I seyn? of foules every kinde

  366 That in this world han fethres and stature,

  367 Men mighten in that place assembled finde

  368 Before the noble goddesse Nature,

  369 And everich of hem did his besy cure

  370 Benignely to chese or for to take,

  371 By hir acord, his formel or his make.

  372 But to the poynt -- Nature held on hir honde

  373 A formel egle, of shap the gentileste

  374 That ever she among hir werkes fonde,

  375 The moste benigne and the goodlieste;

  376 In hir was every vertu at his reste,

  377 So ferforth, that Nature hir-self had blisse

  378 To loke on hir, and ofte hir bek to kisse.

  379 Nature, the vicaire of thalmighty lorde,

  380 That hoot, cold, hevy, light, and moist and dreye

  381 Hath knit by even noumbre of acorde,

  382 In esy vois began to speke and seye,

  383 `Foules, tak hede of my sentence, I preye,

  384 And, for your ese, in furthering of your nede,

  385 As faste as I may speke, I wol me spede.

  386 Ye knowe wel how, seynt Valentynes day,

  387 By my statut and through my governaunce,

  388 Ye come for to chese -- and flee your way --

  389 Your makes, as I prik yow with plesaunce.

  390 But natheles, my rightful ordenaunce

  391 May I not lete, for al this world to winne,

  392 That he that most is worthy shal beginne.

  393 The tercel egle, as that ye knowen wel,

  394 The foul royal above yow in degree,

  395 The wyse and worthy, secree, trewe as stel,

  396 The which I formed have, as ye may see,

  397 In every part as hit best lyketh me,

  398 Hit nedeth noght his shap yow to devyse,

  399 He shal first chese and speken in his gyse.

  400 And after him, by order shul ye chese,

  401 After your kinde, everich as yow lyketh,

  402 And, as your hap is, shul ye winne or lese;

  403 But which of yow that love most entryketh,

  404 God sende him hir that sorest for him syketh.'

  405 And therwith-al the tercel gan she calle,

  406 And seyde, `my sone, the choys is to thee falle.

  407 But natheles, in this condicioun

  408 Mot be the choys of everich that is here,

  409 That she agree to his eleccioun,

  410 What-so he be that shulde be hir fere;

  411 This is our usage alwey, fro yeer to yere;

  412 And who so may at this time have his grace,

  413 In blisful tyme he com in-to this place.'

  414 With hed enclyned and with ful humble chere

  415 This royal tercel spak and taried nought:

  416 `Unto my sovereyn lady, and noght my fere,

  417 I chese, and chese with wille and herte and thought,

  418 The formel on your hond so wel y-wrought,

  419 Whos I am al and ever wol hir serve,

  420 Do what hir list, to do me live or sterve.

  421 Beseching hir of mercy and of grace,

  422 As she that is my lady sovereyne;

  423 Or let me dye present in this place.

  424 For certes, long may I not live in peyne;

  425 For in myn herte is corven every veyne;

  426 Having reward only to my trouthe,

  427 My dere herte, have on my wo som routhe.

  428 And if that I to hir be founde untrewe,

  429 Disobeysaunt, or wilful negligent,

  430 Avauntour, or in proces love a newe,

  431 I pray to you this be my Iugement,

  432 That with these foules I be al to-rent,

  433 That ilke day that ever she me finde

  434 To hir untrewe, or in my gilte unkinde.

  435 And sin that noon loveth hir so wel as I,

  436 Al be she never of love me behette,

  437 Than oghte she be myn thourgh hir mercy,

  438 For other bond can I noon on hir knette.

  439 For never, for no wo, ne shal I lette

  440 To serven hir, how fer so that she wende;

  441 Sey what yow list, my tale is at an ende.'

  442 Right as the fresshe, rede rose newe

  443 Ayen the somer-sonne coloured is,

  444 Right so for shame al wexen gan the hewe

  445 Of this formel, whan she herde al this;

  446 She neyther answerde `Wel', ne seyde amis,

  447 So sore abasshed was she, til that Nature

  448 Seyde, `doghter, drede yow noght, I yow assure.'

  449 Another tercel egle spak anoon

  450 Of lower kinde, and seyde, `that shal nat be;

  451 I love hir bet than ye do, by seynt Iohn,

  452 Or atte leste I love hir as wel as ye;

  453 And lenger have served hir, in my degree,

  454 And if she shulde have loved for long loving,

  455 To me allone had been the guerdoninge.

  456 I dar eek seye, if she me finde fals,

  457 Unkinde, Iangler, or rebel in any wyse,

  458 Or Ialous, do me hongen by the hals!

  459 And but I bere me in hir servyse

  460 As wel as that my wit can me suffyse,

  461 From poynt to poynt, hir honour for to save,

  462 Tak she my lyf, and al the good I have.'

  463 The thridde tercel egle answerde tho,

  464 `Now, sirs, ye seen the litel leyser here;

  465 For every foul cryeth out to been a-go

  466 Forth with his make, or with his lady dere;

  467 And eek Nature hir-self ne wol nought here,

  468 For tarying here, noght half that I wolde seye;

  469 And but I speke, I mot for sorwe deye.

  470 Of long servyse avaunte I me no-thing,

  471 But as possible is me to dye to-day

  472 For wo, as he that hath ben languisshing

  473 Thise twenty winter, and wel happen may

  474 A man may serven bet and more to pay

  475 In half a yere, al-though hit were no more,

  476 Than som man doth that hath served ful yore.

  477 I ne sey not this by me, for I ne can

  478 Do no servyse that may my lady plese;

  479 But I dar seyn, I am hir trewest man

  480 As to my dome, and feynest wolde hir ese;

  481 At shorte wordes, til that deth me sese,

  482 I wol ben hires, whether I wake or winke,

  483 And trewe in al that herte may bethinke.'

  484 Of al my lyf, sin that day I was born,

  485 So gentil plee in love or other thing

  486 Ne herde never no man me beforn,

  487 Who-so that hadde leyser and cunning

  488 For to reherse hir chere and hir speking;

  489 And from the morwe gan this speche laste

  490 Til dounward drow the sonne wonder faste.

  491 The noyse of foules for to ben delivered


  492 So loude rong, `have doon and let us wende!'

  493 That wel wende I the wode had al to-shivered.

  494 `Come of!' they cryde, `allas! ye wil us shende!

  495 Whan shal your cursed pleding have an ende?

  496 How shulde a Iuge eyther party leve,

  497 For yee or nay, with-outen any preve?'

  498 The goos, the cokkow, and the doke also

  499 So cryden, `kek, kek!' `kukkow!' `quek, quek!' hye,

  500 That thorgh myn eres the noyse wente tho.

  501 The goos seyde, `al this nis not worth a flye!

  502 But I can shape hereof a remedye,

  503 And I wol sey my verdit faire and swythe

  504 For water-foul, who-so be wrooth or blythe.'

  505 `And I for worm-foul,' seyde the fool cukkow,

  506 `For I wol, of myn owne auctorite,

  507 For comune spede, take the charge now,

  508 For to delivere us is gret charite.'

  509 `Ye may abyde a whyle yet, parde!'

  510 Seide the turtel, `if hit be your wille

  511 A wight may speke, him were as good be stille.

  512 I am a seed-foul, oon the unworthieste,

  513 That wot I wel, and litel of kunninge;

  514 But bet is that a wightes tonge reste

  515 Than entermeten him of such doinge

  516 Of which he neyther rede can nor singe.

  517 And who-so doth, ful foule himself acloyeth,

  518 For office uncommitted ofte anoyeth.'

  519 Nature, which that alway had an ere

  520 To murmour of the lewednes behinde,

  521 With facound voys seide, `hold your tonges there!

  522 And I shal sone, I hope, a counseyl finde

  523 You to delivere, and fro this noyse unbinde;

  524 I Iuge, of every folk men shal oon calle

  525 To seyn the verdit for you foules alle.'

  526 Assented were to this conclusioun

  527 The briddes alle; and foules of ravyne

  528 Han chosen first, by pleyn eleccioun,

  529 The tercelet of the faucon, to diffyne

  530 Al hir sentence, and as him list, termyne;

  531 And to Nature him gonnen to presente,

  532 And she accepteth him with glad entente.

  533 The tercelet seide than in this manere:

  534 `Ful hard were it to preve hit by resoun

  535 Who loveth best this gentil formel here;

  536 For everich hath swich replicacioun,

  537 That noon by skilles may be broght a-doun;

  538 I can not seen that argumentes avayle;

  539 Than semeth hit ther moste be batayle.'

  540 `Al redy!' quod these egles tercels tho.

  541 `Nay, sirs!' quod he, `if that I dorste it seye,

  542 Ye doon me wrong, my tale is not y-do!

  543 For sirs, ne taketh noght a-gref, I preye,

  544 It may noght gon, as ye wolde, in this weye;

  545 Oure is the voys that han the charge in honde,

  546 And to the Iuges dome ye moten stonde;

  547 `And therfor, pees! I seye, as to my wit,

  548 Me wolde thinke how that the worthieste

  549 Of knighthode, and lengest hath used hit,

  550 Moste of estat, of blode the gentileste,

  551 Were sittingest for hir, if that hir leste;

  552 And of these three she wot hir-self, I trowe,

  553 Which that he be, for hit is light to knowe.'

  554 The water-foules han her hedes leyd

  555 Togeder, and of short avysement,

  556 Whan everich had his large golee seyd,

  557 They seyden sothly, al by oon assent,

  558 How that `the goos, with hir facounde gent,

  559 That so desyreth to pronounce our nede,

  560 Shal telle our tale,' and preyde `god hir spede.'

  561 And for these water-foules tho began

  562 The goos to speke, and in hir cakelinge

  563 She seyde, `pees! now tak kepe every man,

  564 And herkeneth which a reson I shal bringe;

  565 My wit is sharp, I love no taryinge;

  566 I seye, I rede him, though he were my brother,

  567 But she wol love him, lat him love another!'

  568 `Lo here! a parfit reson of a goos!'

  569 Quod the sperhauk; `never mot she thee!

  570 Lo, swich hit is to have a tonge loos!

  571 Now parde, fool, yet were hit bet for thee

  572 Have holde thy pees, than shewed thy nycete!

  573 Hit lyth not in his wit nor in his wille,

  574 But sooth is seyd, "a fool can noght be stille."'

  575 The laughter aroos of gentil foules alle,

  576 And right anoon the seed-foul chosen hadde

  577 The turtel trewe, and gunne hir to hem calle,

  578 And preyden hir to seye the sothe sadde

  579 Of this matere, and asked what she radde;

  580 And she answerde, that pleynly hir entente

  581 She wolde shewe, and sothly what she mente.

  582 `Nay, god forbede a lover shulde chaunge!'

  583 The turtle seyde, and wex for shame al reed;

  584 `Thogh that his lady ever-more be straunge,

  585 Yet let him serve hir ever, til he be deed;

  586 For sothe, I preyse noght the gooses reed;

  587 For thogh she deyed, I wolde non other make,

  588 I wol ben hires, til that the deth me take.'

  589 `Wel bourded!' quod the doke, `by my hat!

  590 That men shulde alwey loven, causeles,

  591 Who can a reson finde or wit in that?

  592 Daunceth he mury that is mirtheles?

  593 Who shulde recche of that is reccheles?

  594 Ye, quek!' yit quod the doke, ful wel and faire,

  595 `There been mo sterres, god wot, than a paire!'

  596 `Now fy, cherl!' quod the gentil tercelet,

  597 `Out of the dunghil com that word ful right,

  598 Thou canst noght see which thing is wel be-set:

  599 Thou farest by love as oules doon by light,

  600 The day hem blent, ful wel they see by night;

  601 Thy kind is of so lowe a wrechednesse,

  602 That what love is, thou canst nat see ne gesse.'

  603 Tho gan the cukkow putte him forth in prees

  604 For foul that eteth worm, and seide blyve,

  605 `So I,' quod he, `may have my make in pees,

  606 I recche not how longe that ye stryve;

  607 Lat ech of hem be soleyn al hir lyve,

  608 This is my reed, sin they may not acorde;

  609 This shorte lesson nedeth noght recorde.'

  610 `Ye! have the glotoun fild ynogh his paunche,

  611 Than are we wel!' seyde the merlioun;

  612 `Thou mordrer of the heysugge on the braunche

  613 That broghte thee forth, thou rewthelees glotoun!

  614 Live thou soleyn, wormes corrupcioun!

  615 For no fors is of lakke of thy nature;

  616 Go, lewed be thou, whyl the world may dure!'

  617 `Now pees,' quod Nature, `I comaunde here;

  618 For I have herd al your opinioun,

  619 And in effect yet be we never the nere;

  620 But fynally, this is my conclusioun,

  621 That she hir-self shal han the eleccioun

  622 Of whom hir list, who-so be wrooth or blythe,

  623 Him that she cheest, he shal hir have as swythe.

  624 For sith hit may not here discussed be

  625 Who loveth hir best, as seide the tercelet,

  626 Than wol I doon hir this favour, that she

  627 Shal have right him on whom hir herte is set,

  628 And he hir that h
is herte hath on hir knet.

  629 Thus Iuge I, Nature, for I may not lye;

  630 To noon estat I have non other ye.

  631 But as for counseyl for to chese a make,

  632 If hit were reson, certes, than wolde I

  633 Counseyle yow the royal tercel take,

  634 As seide the tercelet ful skilfully,

  635 As for the gentilest and most worthy,

  636 Which I have wroght so wel to my plesaunce;

  637 That to yow oghte been a suffisaunce.'

  638 With dredful vois the formel hir answerde,

  639 `My rightful lady, goddesse of Nature,

  640 Soth is that I am ever under your yerde,

  641 Lyk as is everiche other creature,

  642 And moot be youres whyl that my lyf may dure;

  643 And therfor graunteth me my firste bone,

  644 And myn entente I wol yow sey right sone.'

  645 `I graunte it you,' quod she; and right anoon

  646 This formel egle spak in this degree,

  647 `Almighty quene, unto this yeer be doon

  648 I aske respit for to avysen me.

  649 And after that to have my choys al free;

  650 This al and sum, that I wolde speke and seye;

  651 Ye gete no more, al-though ye do me deye.

  652 I wol noght serven Venus ne Cupyde

  653 For sothe as yet, by no manere wey.'

  654 `Now sin it may non other wyse betyde,'

  655 Quod tho Nature, `here is no more to sey;

  656 Than wolde I that these foules were a-wey

  657 Ech with his make, for tarying lenger here' --

  658 And seyde hem thus, as ye shul after here.

  659 `To you speke I, ye tercelets,' quod Nature,

  660 `Beth of good herte and serveth, alle three;

  661 A yeer is not so longe to endure,

  662 And ech of yow peyne him, in his degree,

  663 For to do wel; for, god wot, quit is she

  664 Fro yow this yeer; what after so befalle,

  665 This entremes is dressed for you alle.'

  666 And whan this werk al broght was to an ende,

  667 To every foule Nature yaf his make

  668 By even acorde, and on hir wey they wende.

  669 A! lord! the blisse and Ioye that they make!

  670 For ech of hem gan other in winges take,

  671 And with hir nekkes ech gan other winde,

  672 Thanking alwey the noble goddesse of kinde.

  673 But first were chosen foules for to singe,

  674 As yeer by yere was alwey hir usaunce

  675 To singe a roundel at hir departinge,

  676 To do to Nature honour and plesaunce.

  677 The note, I trowe, maked was in Fraunce;

  678 The wordes wer swich as ye may heer finde,

  679 The nexte vers, as I now have in minde.

  Qui bien aime a tard oublie.

  680 `Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe,

  681 That hast this wintres weders over-shake,

  682 And driven awey the longe nightes blake!

  683 `Saynt Valentyn, that art ful hy on-lofte; --

  684 Thus singen smale foules for thy sake --

  685 Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe,

  686 That hast this wintres weders over-shake.

  687 `Wel han they cause for to gladen ofte,

  688 Sith ech of hem recovered hath his make;

  689 Ful blisful may they singen whan they wake;

  690 Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe,

  691 That hast this wintres weders over-shake,

  692 And driven away the longe nightes blake.'

  693 And with the showting, whan hir song was do,

  694 That foules maden at hir flight a-way,

  695 I wook, and other bokes took me to

  696 To rede upon, and yet I rede alway;

  697 In hope, y-wis, to rede so som day

  698 That I shal mete som thing for to fare

  699 The bet; and thus to rede I nil not spare.

  Parliamentum avium in die Sancti Valentini tentum secundum

  Galfridum Chaucer. Deo gracias.

  End of "Parliament of Fowles"