But to arrive no other way is sure,
Whoe’er attempt. Therefore, I pray, be by,
O Lady fair, my wishes high and pure;
Fill with thy grace whatever I demand,
And bravely I will sing thy praise on every hand.
3
To Troil, though his ardour still burned keen,
It seemed his fortune showed itself more fair;
He only knew Criseis, pleased, had seen
And answered with a sweet and lowly air
What letters he had written her, I ween;
And often as he saw that lady rare,
She looked on him with face so soft and bright
He knew he felt in him the most supreme delight.
4
Pandar had gone, as elsewhere I have told,
Leaving the prince’s lady to her peace,
And, glad at heart and of his face quite bold,
He sought the youth he’d left so ill at ease
Between fair hope and sad plaints manifold,
When he had gone fair Criseis t’ appease;
And, seeking for a time now here now there,
He found him in a temple thinking and in prayer.
5
Soon as he came upon him thus in thought,
He drew him thence apart and gan to say:
“My friend, so deep with pain my heart was fraught,
What time I saw thee languishing away
So cruelly for love, on me was brought
No small part of thy sorrow that sad day;
To seek thee comfort I have never ceased,
Since then; e’en though I have not found thy woe decreased.
6
“For thee I have become a go-between,
For thee mine honour clear I’ve cast away,
For thee my sister’s breast, that late was clean,
I’ve made corrupt till in her heart doth play,
Deep placed, a love for thee; and her, I ween,
Ere time grows long thou’lt see as fair as day —
With greater pleasaunce than thou hear’st me speak
Thou’lt have thy Criseis in thy arms, full meek.
7
“But, as God knows, who all things yet doth see,
And thou thyself, it was a hope full poor
First sped my efforts and my loyalty,
Alone, to thee my friend, — made them endure
Till by my toil the prize I’d won for thee;
So now, if of thy wished boon thou’ldst make sure
Nor have base Fortune catch it quick away,
In all thy love schemes show thee wise, my prince,
I pray.
8
“Thou knowst through Troy town Criseis’ repute
Is yet most fair and sacred; not a deed
Of else than good do men to her impute;
And, now thou hast her in thy hands, take heed, —
For thou canst take whatever thee may suit,
Yet if her name she lose, ‘twere evil speed,
And more than shame to me, her kith and kin,
Who evermore should guard lest villain’s name I win.
9
“Therefore I pray thee now as I can best
That ‘tween ourselves we keep this business still;
From Criseis’ heart I have, with happy hest,
Removed all modest fear and every will
That checked at thee, and hold it now so stressed
With speaking of thy true love’s fill
That quite she loves thee and inclines to do
Whatever it may please thee to command her to.
10
“Yet but a little time, before success
Thou shalt enjoy complete, and I shall place
Her in thine arms for thy delight to bless!
But, ‘fore God, act with such a quiet grace
That naught escapes thy heart through carelessness;
O dear my friend, despise not my dull face
If many times I make my prayer to thee,
Seeing that what I beg is begged in honesty.”
11
O who could tell in verse the joy complete
Which Trail’s soul, now hearing Pandar, knew?
Or how, receding far, its pain did fleet,
The more he spake, away from every view?
The sighs that he had breathed to riches sweet
Yielded their place most gently; caitiff rue
Departed; and his lately tearful face
Bright new hope did reveal with signs of joyous grace.
12
And, as it chances in the new born spring
That trees and shrubs in leaves and blossoms new
Smile at the robes the sudden hours bring
To hide their limbs late nude to wintry view;
As meadows, hills, and eke the rivers too
Smile, clothed in green and every flower’s hue;
So with a newer joy ’twas easy seen
Troilo smiled and laughed now with a face serene.
13
And softly in sweet rapture first he sighed,
Gazing in glad content at Pandar’s face:
“Ah, how thou must remember,” then he cried,
“The tears thou foundst me in — my bitter case,
When still methought it best my love to hide!
Ah, how thou must recall that time and place
Where thy demands and urgent wish to know
Forced from my woeful breast the reason of my woe!
14
“Aware, then, how I tried to keep it hid
Even from thee, my only friend, although
To tell it thee no peril did forbid —
Save that I seemed immodest doing so;
Think how, when I consent, — as late I did, —
To tell’t — think how I dread lest others know!
Forget not how I fear lest men suspect;
God keep that misadventure from poor me deject!
15
“But natheless, by highest Jove I swear,
The God who heaven and earth rules equally,
That if in Agamemnon’s hands to fare
Prove not my evil chance, I swear it thee,
That were my life not mortal but more rare, —
Eternal e’en, — thou canst assuréd be
Thy trust with all my power will be preserved,
And she who wounds my heart full honestly be served.
16
“Full well I wot all thou hast said and done,
And all thy grace to me I see it clear;
And that no act of mine, howe’er begun
Or rendered, could repay thee mine arrear,
For out of Hell, — and worse, — to Heaven I’m won
And drawn by thee; so, by our friendship near,
I beg, take not the villain’s name to thee
But rather think thou servest friend’s necessity.
17
“The name of villain let those wretches claim
Whom love of gold doth spur to villainy;
What thou hast done thou didst, sans any blame,
To draw me from my bitter plaints, I see;
And from those hostile thoughts that ever came
To fight and scatter all sweet peace in me —
Just as ’tis meet that for a friend one do
When one beholds his fellow overcome with rue.
18
“And, that thou mayest fully realize
The gracious thanks I’d like to yield thee now,
Know that I have a sister, beauty’s prize,
Polyxena, whose charms are praised, I vow,
Scarce less than those of Helen in a wise;
Open thy heart, seek love of her somehow —
Or e’en of Helen, my own brother’s wife —
And, thee to win thy choice, I’ll work with all my life.
19
“But, since t
hou hast achieved me so much more
Than I could beg of thee, see to the end
My sweet desire, when time fits, I implore;
To thee I have recourse; all can depend
Only on thee; in thee my joys, and more —
My comfort, solace, health, delight — do blend; —
Yet, an thou bid it not, I’ll do no deed; —
Be my delight, and thence thou’lt see thy joy proceed.”
20
Pandar by Troil’s word was satisfied,
And both resumed their ordinary care;
But in each day now Troilo espied
A hundred days (with her so ill aware)
And, suffering in them all, could scarce abide
Those flames of love which all in him did tear;
So gave to thoughts of love the hours of night
And with his comrades spent the day in martial fight.
21
With matters thus, the time so much desired
Of those two lovers neared; whence Criseis made
To summon Pandar and it so transpired
She showed him all her wish; but Pandar played,
Grieving that Troilo that day was hired
With others for some special martial raid
Or deed of war — was far away from cry,
“Although ’twas very like he’d come back by and by.”
22
This news, the while she heard, proved grief to her,
And sad she turned; but with most friendly zeal
Pandar declared he’d find some messenger
To send the prince (she need make no appeal),
And, thereupon, with but the briefest stir
Nor any let, the man had proved him leal
And Trail found, — who listened with surprise,
Then hurried back to Troy in blithe and joyous wise.
23
And, come to Pandaro, from him he learned
In full the needful steps that he must take;
And now impatiently the young prince burned,
Awaiting night that ever seemed to break
In flight before his gaze; quiet he turned
And took his way with Pandaro, his make,
For that sweet spot where lovely Criseis stood
Lonely expectant, with fear and subtle dread subdued.
24
At length the night fell clouded and obscure,
As Troil wished, who, gazing full intent,
Examined all to be the more secure,
The while he moved, in hope that no event
Should make his eager love new pain endure
Or cheat it now when from its great torment
It seemed it should escape; and soon, — alone —
Secret — he entered Criseis’ house, now quiet grown;
25
And in a secret, safe-removéd place,
As had been him instructed, stayed in wait;
Nor seemed his waiting now an evil grace,
Nor failing yet to see clear, — harsh in fate;
But often with a sure, courageous face
He urged within; “My love, ere very late,
Will come to me, and I’ll be happier then
Than were I, all alone, the Lord of Earth and Men.”
26
Criseis, who his coming well had heard,
That he might now the better understand
How ’twas arranged, coughed once and no more stirred;
Then, lest his waiting wearily expand,
She gan to speak, with oft a quickened word,
Till all her maids she’d hastened (well she planned)
Off to their beds, declaring that such sleep
Had never fallen on her, — awake she could not keep!
27
After that each and all had gone to rest
And the whole house grown quiet everywhere,
To Lady Criseis it did first seem best
Toward Troil’s hiding place in haste to fare;
Who, as he heard her footsteps thither pressed,
Rose up and, starting tow’rd her, passed from there
With joyful face — and mute expectancy
To be prepared for all the lady might decree.
28
And now, a lighted torch within her hand,
The lady quite alone came down the stair
And found the prince, with all his ardour fanned,
Awaiting her; whom, with full courteous air,
She greeted as she could: “My lord, command
If aught I did offend thee, hidden there,
And thy high royal love in any way;
Or, sweet my love, for God’s sake grant me pardon, pray.”
29
And her her Troil answered; “Lady bright,
Sole hope and good and blessing of my heart,
Thy face hath so long been before my sight
A lucent star, so splendid in each part
And each dear ray of it such glorious light,
That all my palace seems of poorer art;
And to ask pardon more is mine than thine.”
Then he embraced her and they kissed in rapture fine.
30
And now, ere they could part from that charmed place,
With dalliance sweet and eager-joyous play
They clasped their arms in many a glad embrace;
A thousand times they kissed in amorous way,
For in them fire burned of an equal pace,
And each the other felt was dear as day;
But, when their greetings ended at the last,
They climbed the stairs and to an inner chamber passed.
31
Long would it need to tell now of their bliss
And no man could express that rich delight
They had together when they entered this,
Free for sweet nuptials and sans hindrance quite
Save that at Trail’s side fair Criseis
Trembled a moment and must cry in fright,
“O Troil, lord and love, when brides are new
They are abashed to meet, the first night, lovers’ view.”
32
To whom the prince then: “Sweet, O sweet my soul,
Yield that my arms do now thee closelier take
And have, as Lord Love wills, more perfect toll
Of love.” And she: “Behold, for thy sweet sake,
I rid me of all fear and seek my goal
In thine arms only.” Then courteously her make
Drew her more close and close in his embrace
That they might win of Love more high and richer grace.
33
O sweet, most sweet and most desiréd night,
How lavish wert thou to those lovers gay,
If all the knowledge were made mine of right
Which all the poets owned, I could not say
Nor truly yet explain their joyaunce bright;
But he who knows the favour of Love’s way
And boons hath had of him, can guess or know
In part at least the joy that Love to these did show.
34
And all night long from one another’s arms
They stirred not, nor released their sweet embrace;
Yet still believed, in one another’s arms,
It could not quite be real, their sweet embrace, —
They could not be in one another’s arms, —
But only dreamed they were in sweet embrace;
And each the other asked with frequent care,
“Is mine a true embrace? or dream? or art thou there?”
35
And so they gazed with such enraptured will
That neither could from other turn his eyes,
But each the other cried with voice athrill,
“My love, is’t true I’m with thee in this wise?”;
And “Yes, heart of my heart,” each answered still,
“And
God have thanks for it,” in amorous sighs;
And then each drew the other in embrace
And sweetly kissed again the other’s lovely face.
36
And oft upon her eyes, for love aglow,
Troil would press a soft, enraptured kiss,
Crying, “My heart ye have enflamed so
With Love’s sweet darts that burning now seems bliss, —
And, caught, I cannot hide nor find it woe,
Nor flee, as those are wont who fare amiss;
Ye hold, and e’er may hold, mine eyes and me
Meshed in the net of Love’s own sweet intricacy.
37
A second time he kissed them, and once more,
Till in response the lady kissed his eyes;
Then he o’er all her face and breast did kisses pour;
And no hour passed without a thousand sighs, —
Not those that come from souls with anguish sore, —
But out of reverent souls, which prove them wise,
Showing thereby the love that’s in the breast;
Then, sighing o’er, themselves to joy they new addressed.
38
Such scenes should make the caitiff misers pause,
Who so themselves have given all to gold,
A-counting pence, they reckon love but cause
For scorn and laughter — and him who loves, too bold;
Let them but ponder if by any laws
They can from all their wealth such pleasure hold —
In any single point — as Love doth give
To those who joined for his grand venture love and live.
39
’Tis like they’ll say they can and, willing, lie, —
Calling with many a wanton mock and jest
“Love is a wretched folly best passed by,”
Without once seeing that, by Fate’s behest,
A single hour may come their souls to try
And they, their gold lost, live thence never blest
By joy in life or love. God make them sad, —
And give to lovers all the wealth they might have had!
40
But these two lovers, feeling comforted,
Began together hopefully to speak,
Telling each other of their pains now fled, —
Their plaints, their sighs, their anguish cruel — bleak!
And oft, when such speech had been wholly said,
Again they would more fervent kisses seek;
And now, forgetting all their past annoy,
They took together thus a most delirious joy.
41
So here I have no tale to tell of sleep,
For theirs was all desire the night should last;
Such pleasure did they from their waking reap
They could not sate each other while it passed;
And all they did and said they thought to keep,
Through such an act of waking, long and fast
And not to let their fair chance lapse in vain
Collected Works of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 408
