Translation:Balade to Rosemounde

For other versions of this work, see Balade to Rosemounde.

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Balade to Rosemounde (14th century)
by Geoffrey Chaucer, translated from Middle English by Wikisource

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This edition was translated from the original text by the Wikisource community in 2007 and released into the public domain.

"odgod ol olord" ("oh God, oh, oh Lord") is written along the right margin of the original manuscript.

Geoffrey Chaucer131507Balade to Rosemounde14th centuryWikisource

enm:en:Balade to Rosemounde (1477)

Original Text	Modern English	Original Manuscript
Ma dame ye ben of Al Beaute ſhryne As fer As cercled is the mapamonde For As the cristall glorious ye ſhyne And lyke Ruby ben your chekys rounde Therwyth ye ben ſo mery and ſo iocunde That At A Reuell whan that I ſe you dance It is an oynement vnto my wounde Thoght ye to me ne do no daliance. For thogh I wepe of teres ful A tyne Yet may that wo myn herte nat confounde Your ſemy voys that ye ſo ſmall out twyne Makyth my thoght in ioy And blys habounde So curtayſly I go wyth love bounde That to my ſelf I ſey in my penaunce Suffyſeth me to loue you Rosemounde Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce. Nas never pyk walwed in galauntyne As I in love Am walwed And I wounde For whych ful ofte I of my ſelf devyne That I Am trew Tristam the ſecunde My love may not refreyde nor affounde I brenne Ay in an Amorouſe pleſaunce Do what you lyſt I wyl your thral be founde Thogh ye to me ne do no daliance. tregentil————//————Chaucer	Madame, you are a shrine of all beauty, As far encircling as the map of the world. For you shine as the glorious crystal, And your round cheeks are like Ruby. Therewith you are so merry and so jocund, That at a revel when that I see you dance; It is an ointment unto my wound, Though you, to me, do no dalliance. For though I weep a basin of tears, Yet may that woe not confound my heart. Your seemly voice that you so delicately bring forth, Make my thoughts, in joy and bliss, abound. So courteously I go, with love bound That, to myself, I say in my penance, "Suffer me to love you Rosemounde; Though you, to me, do no dalliance". Never was pike so imbued in galantine^[1] As I in love, am imbued and wounded. For which I very oft, of myself, deign That I am true Tristam the Second. My love may not be cooled nor sunk, I burn in an amourous pleasance. Do what you like, I bid you find your thrall Though you, to me, do no dalliance. very gently————//————Chaucer	original manuscript

Footnotes

↑ "Never was pike so imbued in galantine / As I in love, am imbued and wounded" is an allusion to the 15^th-century habit of drenching the fish in sauce. The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 1, edited by Rev. Walter W. Skea.

This work is a translation and has a separate copyright status to the applicable copyright protections of the original content.

Original:	This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago. Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse
Translation:	This work is in the public domain worldwide because it has been so released by the copyright holder. Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse

[1] "Never was pike so imbued in galantine / As I in love, am imbued and wounded" is an allusion to the 15^th-century habit of drenching the fish in sauce. The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, vol. 1, edited by Rev. Walter W. Skea.

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