They made full use of it all night in glad refrain.
42
But, as the cocks gan crow and day drew nigh
And in the east the purple dawn arose,
Their will t’embrace again once more burned high;
And in that hour they felt were dolorous woes,
Which made them part, and in it pain did lie
Of such a kind none yet had known its throes,
To torture them, so hard ‘t would be to part
While Love flamed more than ever in each eager heart.
43
And, hearing them thus all too early crow,
Fair Criseis called out sad: “O love of mine,
Now ’tis ordained we rise by Fate, our foe,
Would we keep hidden well our love’s design;
But yet I wish once more, before thou go,
To kiss thy lips — to say that I am thine
With one more kiss — that, after thou art sped,
My pain, O sweet my life, may feel diminishéd.”
44
Prince Troilo embraced her weeping thus,
And, drawn within his arms, her kissed again,
Cursing the day which came so envious
And, churlish, made them part so early then;
And after, he began in words as dolorous;
“Lady, unmeasured grief comes oft to men,
But parting from thee brings e’en greater woe,
Since every joy I feel — that joy to thee I owe.
45
“I know not how I can do else than stay
For thought of how much going thwarts my will,
And that, now I have ta’en life’s pain away,
Pale death o’er me its power holdeth still;
Nor if I may return nor when I may;
O Fate, why hast thou such a pleasured thrill
In taking me from there where most I joy?
Why wilt thou now my solace and my peace destroy?
46
“Alack, what shall I do? If now desire,
When first we part, constrains me to return
Till life can hardly bear’t? O pain most dire!
And why, O hateful day, dost thou so yearn
And come so soon our parting to require?
How soon will’t be that once again I learn
Thou art restored? Alack, I cannot know.”
Then, turning back, he kissed fair Criseis’ face in woe,
47
Saying: “O lady mine, if I believed
That in thy heart my image were to stay
So sure as thine will rest in mine received,
More dear ’twould be to give Troy’s rule away
Than lose thy love, and less I should feel grieved
At parting thus, — which gainst my will doth sway, —
And hope that time and place might come again
For us to soothe, as now, our cruel fire and pain.”
48
And, sighing, him fair Criseis answered then
While closelier she her arms about him cast:
“Have done thy talk, my soul, for oft mid men
I’ve heard it said (if well my memory last!)
Love’s greedy spirit doth ne’er release again
What once’t has caught, but holds it hard and fast,
And pressed and closed in its embrace so tight
That counsel to release’t hath then no power or might.
49
“And through thee Love hath grown so whole in me,
O dear my precious lord, that if I sought
Loveless, as I was late, again to be,
I could not even wrest thee from my thought;
Morning and evening, always, shall I see
Thy image in my heart entirely wrought;
And, could I think myself so wholly thine,
I should more blessed feel than knowledge can define.
50
“Then live thou, therefore, of my love secure,
Which ne’er for other have I felt so great;
If to return thou wish with fervour pure,
I too desire it more than thou canst state;
And happy hour will not be mine, I’m sure,
Ere thou return, return thou soon or late;
Heart of my body, I commend me thee.”
She spake and sighed, and kissed her prince most tenderly.
51
And Troil, all against his will, arose
When now the hundredth time he’d kissed her face;
For then, like one who well his devoir knows,
He fought not Fate but clad himself with grace,
And then a thousand pledges did propose:
“I’ll do thy will nor break it in no case;
Thy promise keep. I yield thee to God’s care —
And mine own spirit, lady, to thy keeping rare!”
52
But Criseis had no voice to answer more
So fast pain for his parting her had caught;
And Troil with swift step, as ne’er before,
Turned toward his house, now happy in his thought,
Knowing in Love was even greater store
To kindle love than e’er his will had sought —
So much more he had found in Criseis
Than he erewhile had dreamed could ever be in bliss.
53
And, to his royal palace now returned,
The prince betook him quietly to bed,
To seek somehow the sleep he late had spurned;
But sleep refused to enter heart or head
So restless in him now his new thoughts burned,
Recalling his delight so lately sped,
Thinking how great was his fair Criseis’ worth,
So all incredible it hardly seemed of earth.
54
And now her every act in reverie
He turned, — and all her sweet, wise speech, —
Repeating to himself still happily
The pleasaunce that her every word did teach;
And love of her he even felt would be
Greater than he could image or beseech;
But with such thoughts the more he was consumed
The less he knew Love’s flame was in his heart illumed.
55
And Criseis at her home did quite the same,
Reasoning of Troil in her woman’s heart,
Speaking great praises of fair Amor’s name
That such a lover, proved in every part,
He’d given her; and then she gan to blame
The thousand years, it seemed, that must depart
Ere she that lover once more could embrace,
And, as the night before, could kiss him face to face.
56
Then, ere the morn was sped, came Pandaro
To Troil ris’n, accosting him with glee,
And fair was greeted by Prince Troilo,
Who cast him on his neck quite joyfully:
“My Pandar, none is welcome whom I know
As thou”; and, on his brow in amity,
He kissed his friend, “Thou’st won me heav’n for hell,
And, if I be not slain now, all will be most well.
57
“And I could never do as much for thee;
Were I to die a thousand times a day,
It would not even then an atom be
Of that I know is owed thee every way;
From bitter plaint thou’st brought me joy to-day.”
Once more he kissed him, and then added he:
“O sweet my love, who makest me content,
When shall I hold thee more as Amor hath it meant?
58
“The sun, which all the world each day doth view,
Sees ne’er a lady blithe or fair as she —
If to my words now any faith is due —
As sweetly clad or souled as graciously,
And service to her none
could ever rue;
Or, in her hire, live else than joyously;
O praised be Love, who now hath made her mine, —
And thy good service, Pandar, friend so true and fine.
59
“For thou no little grace hast shown to me
And given me to no slight joyousness;
My life must ever be in debt to thee
And thou mayst claim it always in redress;
From death to life thou hast delivered me.”
He ceased and gladly mused in quietness,
While Pandar, who had heard, stood waiting still
And then to his words answered with a joyful will:
60
“If I in any slightest thing, my friend,
Have pleased thee well, I am enough content;
It proves on me sweet favours do attend;
But yet, that thou now curb thy love’s intent
And guide it well, I must thee warning lend;
Be thou most sage lest cruel, harsh torment
Do wrest thy love away — and all thy joy —
Or, for thy prating, turn’t into a sad annoy.
61
“I’ll gladly do whatever may thee please,”
Troilo to his friend made fair reply;
And then recounted at his greater ease
What late had happened him of pleasures high,
Continuing, “I say, to Love’s decrees
Hath never bowed a man so much as I;
His ancient fire burns me in every place
Drawn from fair Criseis’ peerless eyes and face.
62
“I burn now more than e’er, but yet this flame,
Which thus I feel anew, hath quality
Other than that of yore; and jocund game
It doth renew in all the heart of me
For thought of Criseis’ charms and beauteous name;
And true it is that now more eagerly
Than I was wont, I yearn for her embrace;
I’d kiss a thousand times her sweet and lovely face!”
63
Nor could the youth now feel him satisfied,
But prattled on to Pandar of the good
He late had known and all his joy beside,
Of comfort sweet that had all pain withstood,
Of perfect love, that now no scorn belied,
Which he for Criseis felt and ever would, —
In whom was all his hope, he glad announced —
For whom all other wishes he had late renounced.
64
Some time elapsed; then Fortune, proving fair,
For Trail’s love, gave opportunity;
And straight, as soon as night was in the air,
He slipped forth from his palace hastily,
Glad no star showed itself in radiance there,
And on the wonted way sped quietly
To his sweet love; and in her house he strode
To his accustomed place and quiet there abode.
65
And Criseis, as the other time she came,
So this time to her love she came again,
And in her manner did all things the same;
And glad they bade each other greeting then,
As lovers should, if they would have no blame,
And after, hand in hand, with joy amain
They got them to fair Criseis’ chamber sweet,
And there at once reclined for kissing as was meet.
66
And when she held him there in her embrace,
Full blithe and joyous gan she then to speak:
“Knows or knew ever any dame such grace
As I enjoy? or could such favour seek?
What woman would refuse with quiet face
To die at her own hands with spirit meek
If she might gain thereby a joy like mine —
Know for one single moment a rapture so divine?”
67
“Ah, sweet my love!” went Criseis on to say,
“I do not know how I shall ever tell
The joy and glad desire made mine to-day
For that I have thee in my heart so well;
Where I shall always wish to have thee stay
As true as late thy image there did dwell;
And of Jove nothing else I would require
Than that thou always have within a like desire.
68
“That Jove himself could ever check this flame,
I cannot think, although I did believe,
When last we met, he might attempt that game;
But evil was the guess I did conceive;
For thou pourst fevered water on the same,
So that it burns still more, thou canst perceive;
Whence now I love as ne’er I loved before,
And day and night I do desire thee more and more.”
69
And Troil answered not far otherwise,
As still the two in sweet embraces clung
And prattled there thus in their lovers’ guise,
Choosing such words as on their lips are hung
Who best know what delight within them lies,
The while he kissed the eyes he late had sung, —
Her lips and throat; and each did other greet
In words which, written out, prove them not half so sweet.
70
But then once more the envious day drew near,
As might through many an open sign be seen;
And him as cruel they cursed, — for ’twas most clear,
Far earlier than his use had ever been,
He chose, they vowed, on that morn to appear,
Aggrieved he should himself now so demean, —
But, when their curses proved quite powerless,
Both got them up in haste, since there was no redress.
71
Then each the other bade a fond farewell,
As they were wont, and, after many sighs,
They vowed that, ere the glass should many hours tell,
Each should once more look in the other’s eyes,
And, as they could, in other’s arms dispel
The tortures which in parted lovers rise,
And practice all Love’s gifts to joyous youth
While they continued in such safety — in good sooth.
72
And Troilo now lived in mighty bliss,
Singing his lady’s charms as in a dream;
Feeling he should himself prove all remiss,
Should he another lady’s face esteem;
And that all other men lived but amiss
Who loved not such a one, it him did seem;
So matchless did his lady now appear —
Such fair fortune the thought of her drew near!
73
And often he would seize Pandaro’s hand,
And oft his fellow to some garden lead,
Where deep absorbed in thought of her he’d stand
Or praise his lady’s worth and courteous rede;
Till joy, it seemed, did so his soul command
It must disown all melancholic breed,
And he would sing such songs in joyous wise
As scarce a poet could by any means devise.
74
“O Light Eterne, whose glad and splendid rays
Make e’en the third heaven fairer still and bright, —
Whence pleasures flow, and love and pious praise, —
Daughter of Jove, beloved of Phoebus white,
Lady benign in all thy heart’s sweet ways,
’Tis thou for sure that givest me will and might
To sing my happiness in such sweet sighs;
Be praised forever hence thy puissance most wise!
75
The sky, the earth, the sea, and even hell, —
Each feels in it thy subtle potency,
O glorious Light; and, if the truth I tell,
Plants, seeds
and herbs feel’t too as equally;
Birds, beasts, and fish to its eternal spell
Subject themselves, if fair the season be;
Men, too, and gods — no creatures can endure
Unless still in the world is felt thy presence sure.
76
“’Twas thou, O goddess fair, Jove first didst stir
Those high effects to try and to achieve
Through which all things that are, occur;
And often yet, when mortals’ deeds him grieve,
Thou dost him soothe that we may not incur
Deservéd woe, but joy instead receive;
Thou in a thousand forms hadst thy behest
When of him thou didst make now this or that request
77
“Thou, fiery Mars to thy sweet pleasant will
Dost render humble, and dispel his ire;
Base thought thou dost despise, and him dost fill,
Who sighs for thee, with lofty pride and fire;
And, through thy sovereignty, thou grantest still
Who merits them the fruits of his desire;
Gentle and courteous thou makest all
Who gladly let thy fire and flame upon them fall.
78
“Thou keepest, goddess fair, in unity
The lots of men, their realms and provinces
Through all the world; all friendships spring from thee,
And all their fruits, in sooth, and essences;
Thou only knowst the secret quality
Of everything that now created is;
And so thou dost perform that men admire
E’en though they cannot look on thy most potent fire.
79
“Thou settest laws for the wide universe,
Through which it can its being firm maintain;
And to thy son no wight can be adverse,
For all who lean on him themselves sustain;
And I, who with my prate was late perverse
And tow’rd him rude, do now confess it plain —
I am, as it befits, enamoured now
As ne’er I could express by any word or vow.
80
“For this if any man me reprehend,
It irks me naught; he knows not what he says;
Valiantly Hercules will me defend,
For he himself could not escape Love’s ways,
And, in his wisdom, still doth them commend;
And whoe’er hides him not neath shame’s black rays,
That man will not hold me in great disdain
For Love — which Hercules e’en found was noble gain.
81
“’Tis thence I love and, mid thy benefits,
I follow that that pleasures me the more,
In which all great delight and joyaunce sits
(When rightly my heart craves love’s goodly store).
Yea, that love pleases most and most befits
Which in sweet beauty goes all things before!
In such high love! Criseis pursue,
Collected Works of Giovanni Boccaccio Page 409
