From Geoffrey Chaucer's "Troilus and Criseyde", Book V, lines 925-1008

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From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 771-924:
Diomedes advises Criseyde to forget Troy and the Trojans

Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 - 1400):
Troilus and Criseyde
Book V, lines 925-1008: Criseyde does not affirm or deny Diomedes' intended love for her

925	And with that word he gan to waxen reed,
	And in his speche a litel wight he quook,
	And caste a-syde a litel wight his heed,
	And stinte a whyle; and afterward awook,
	And sobreliche on hir he threw his look,
930	And seyde, `I am, al be it yow no joye,
	As gentil man as any wight in Troye.

`For if my fader Tydeus,' he seyde,

`Y-lived hadde, I hadde been, er this,

Of Calidoine and Arge a king, Criseyde!

935 And so hope I that I shal yet, ywis.

But he was slayn, allas! The more harm is,

Unhappily at Thebes al to rathe,

Polymites and many a man to scathe.

`But herte myn, syn that I am your man,

940 And been the ferste of whom I seche grace,

To serven you as hertely as I can,

And ever shal, whyl I to live have space,

So, er that I departe out of this place,

Ye wol me graunte, that I may to-morwe,

945 At bettre leyser, telle yow my sorwe.'

What shold I telle his wordes that he seyde?

He spak ynogh, for o day at the meste;

It preveth wel, he spak so that Criseyde

Graunted, on the morwe, at his requeste,

950 For to speken with him at the leste,

So that he nolde speke of swich matere;

And thus to him she seyde, as ye may here:

As she that hadde hir herte on Troilus

So faste, that ther may it noon arace;

955 And straungely she spak, and seyde thus;

`O Diomede, I love that ilke place

Ther I was born; and Joves, for his grace,

Delivere it sone of al that doth it care!

God, for thy might, so leve it wel to fare!

960 `That Grekes wolde hir wrathe on Troye wreke,

If that they mighte, I knowe it wel, ywis.

But it shal not bifallen as ye speke;

And God toforn, and ferther over this,

I woot my fader wys and redy is;

965 And that he me hath bought, as ye me tolde,

So dere, I am the more unto him holde.

`That Grekes been of heigh condicioun,

I woot eek wel; but certein, men shal finde

As worthy folk withinne Troye toun,

970 As konnyng, and as parfit and as kinde,

As been bitwixen Orcades and Inde.

And that ye koude wel your lady serve,

I trowe eek wel, hir thank for to deserve.

`But as to speke of love, ywis,' she seyde,

975 `I hadde a lord, to whom I wedded was,

The whos myn herte al was, til that he deyde;

And other love, as helpe me now Pallas,

Ther in myn herte nis, ne nevere was.

And that ye been of noble and heigh kinrede,

980 I have wel herd it tellen, out of drede.

`And that doth me to han so gret a wonder,

That ye wol scornen any womman so.

Eek, God woot, love and I be fer a-sonder!

I am disposed bet, so mote I go,

985 Unto my deeth, to pleyne and maken wo.

What I shal after doon, I can not seye;

But trewely, as yet me list not pleye.

`Myn herte is now in tribulacioun,

And ye in armes bisy, day by day.

990 Hereafter, whan ye wonnen han the toun,

Paraunter, thanne so it happen may,

That whan I see that I never er say,

Than wole I werke that I never wroughte!

This word to yow ynough suffysen oughte.

995 `To-morwe eek wol I speken with yow fayn,

So that ye touchen nought of this matere.

And whan yow list, ye may come here ayeyn;

And, er ye gon, thus muche I seye yow here;

As help me Pallas with hir heres clere,

1000 If that I sholde of any Greek han routhe,

It sholde be yourselven, by my trouthe!

`I sey not therfore that I wol yow love,

Ne I sey not nay, but in conclusioun,

I mene wel, by God that sit above:' --

1005 And ther-with-al she caste hir eyen doun,

And gan to syke, and seyde, `O Troye toun,

Yet bidde I God, in quiete and in reste

I may yow seen, or do myn herte breste.'

Next:
From Troilus and Criseyde, Book V, lines 1009-1099:
Criseyde falls for Diomedes

	`For if my fader Tydeus,' he seyde,
	`Y-lived hadde, I hadde been, er this,
	Of Calidoine and Arge a king, Criseyde!
935	And so hope I that I shal yet, ywis.
	But he was slayn, allas! The more harm is,
	Unhappily at Thebes al to rathe,
	Polymites and many a man to scathe.

	`But herte myn, syn that I am your man,
940	And been the ferste of whom I seche grace,
	To serven you as hertely as I can,
	And ever shal, whyl I to live have space,
	So, er that I departe out of this place,
	Ye wol me graunte, that I may to-morwe,
945	At bettre leyser, telle yow my sorwe.'

	What shold I telle his wordes that he seyde?
	He spak ynogh, for o day at the meste;
	It preveth wel, he spak so that Criseyde
	Graunted, on the morwe, at his requeste,
950	For to speken with him at the leste,
	So that he nolde speke of swich matere;
	And thus to him she seyde, as ye may here:

	As she that hadde hir herte on Troilus
	So faste, that ther may it noon arace;
955	And straungely she spak, and seyde thus;
	`O Diomede, I love that ilke place
	Ther I was born; and Joves, for his grace,
	Delivere it sone of al that doth it care!
	God, for thy might, so leve it wel to fare!

960	`That Grekes wolde hir wrathe on Troye wreke,
	If that they mighte, I knowe it wel, ywis.
	But it shal not bifallen as ye speke;
	And God toforn, and ferther over this,
	I woot my fader wys and redy is;
965	And that he me hath bought, as ye me tolde,
	So dere, I am the more unto him holde.

	`That Grekes been of heigh condicioun,
	I woot eek wel; but certein, men shal finde
	As worthy folk withinne Troye toun,
970	As konnyng, and as parfit and as kinde,
	As been bitwixen Orcades and Inde.
	And that ye koude wel your lady serve,
	I trowe eek wel, hir thank for to deserve.

	`But as to speke of love, ywis,' she seyde,
975	`I hadde a lord, to whom I wedded was,
	The whos myn herte al was, til that he deyde;
	And other love, as helpe me now Pallas,
	Ther in myn herte nis, ne nevere was.
	And that ye been of noble and heigh kinrede,
980	I have wel herd it tellen, out of drede.

	`And that doth me to han so gret a wonder,
	That ye wol scornen any womman so.
	Eek, God woot, love and I be fer a-sonder!
	I am disposed bet, so mote I go,
985	Unto my deeth, to pleyne and maken wo.
	What I shal after doon, I can not seye;
	But trewely, as yet me list not pleye.

	`Myn herte is now in tribulacioun,
	And ye in armes bisy, day by day.
990	Hereafter, whan ye wonnen han the toun,
	Paraunter, thanne so it happen may,
	That whan I see that I never er say,
	Than wole I werke that I never wroughte!
	This word to yow ynough suffysen oughte.

995	`To-morwe eek wol I speken with yow fayn,
	So that ye touchen nought of this matere.
	And whan yow list, ye may come here ayeyn;
	And, er ye gon, thus muche I seye yow here;
	As help me Pallas with hir heres clere,
1000	If that I sholde of any Greek han routhe,
	It sholde be yourselven, by my trouthe!

	`I sey not therfore that I wol yow love,
	Ne I sey not nay, but in conclusioun,
	I mene wel, by God that sit above:' --
1005	And ther-with-al she caste hir eyen doun,
	And gan to syke, and seyde, `O Troye toun,
	Yet bidde I God, in quiete and in reste
	I may yow seen, or do myn herte breste.'