情色书屋

THE KNIGHT’S TALE03
书名： 坎特伯雷故事集 作者： （英） 乔叟 本章字数： 2147 更新时间： 2024-06-13 17:43:43

Collars of gold, and torettes* filed round. *ring

An hundred lordes had he in his rout* *retinue

Armed full well, with heartes stern and stout.

With Arcita, in stories as men find

The great Emetrius the king of Ind,

Upon a *steede bay* trapped in steel, *bay horse*

Cover’d with cloth of gold diapred* well, *decorated

Came riding like the god of armes, Mars.

His coat-armour was of *a cloth of Tars*, *a kind of silk*

Couched* with pearls white and round and great *trimmed

His saddle was of burnish’d gold new beat;

A mantelet on his shoulders hanging,

Bretful* of rubies red, as fire sparkling. *brimfu

His crispe hair like ringes was y-run,

And that was yellow, glittering as the sun.

His nose was high, his eyen bright citrine*, *pale yellow

His lips were round, his colour was sanguine,

A fewe fracknes* in his face y-sprent**, *freckles **sprinkled

Betwixte yellow and black somedeal y-ment* *mixed

And as a lion he *his looking cast* *cast about his eyes*

Of five and twenty year his age I cast* *recko

His beard was well begunnen for to spring;

His voice was as a trumpet thundering.

Upon his head he wore of laurel green

A garland fresh and lusty to be seen;

Upon his hand he bare, for his delight,

An eagle tame, as any lily white.

An hundred lordes had he with him there,

All armed, save their heads, in all their gear,

Full richely in alle manner things.

For trust ye well, that earles, dukes, and kings

Were gather’d in this noble company,

For love, and for increase of chivalry.

About this king there ran on every part

Full many a tame lion and leopart.

And in this wise these lordes *all and some* *all and sundry*

Be on the Sunday to the city come

Aboute prime, and in the town alight.

This Theseus, this Duke, this worthy knight

When he had brought them into his city,

And inned* them, ev’reach at his degree, *lodged

He feasteth them, and doth so great labour

To *easen them*, and do them all honour, *make them comfortable*

That yet men weene* that no mannes wit *think

Of none estate could amenden* it. *improve

The minstrelsy, the service at the feast,

The greate giftes to the most and least,

The rich array of Theseus’ palace,

Nor who sate first or last upon the dais.<61

What ladies fairest be, or best dancing

Or which of them can carol best or sing,

Or who most feelingly speaketh of love;

What hawkes sitten on the perch above,

What houndes liggen* on the floor adown, *li

Of all this now make I no mentioun

But of th'effect; that thinketh me the best

Now comes the point, and hearken if you lest.**please

The Sunday night, ere day began to spring,

When Palamon the larke hearde sing,

Although it were not day by houres two,

Yet sang the lark, and Palamon right tho* *then

With holy heart, and with an high courage,

Arose, to wenden* on his pilgrimage *go

Unto the blissful Cithera benign,

I meane Venus, honourable and digne*. *worthy

And in her hour he walketh forth a pace

Unto the listes, where her temple was,

And down he kneeleth, and with humble cheer**demeanour

And hearte sore, he said as ye shall hear.

"Fairest of fair, O lady mine Venus,

Daughter to Jove, and spouse of Vulcanus,

Thou gladder of the mount of Citheron!

For thilke love thou haddest to Adon

Have pity on my bitter teares smart,

And take mine humble prayer to thine heart.

Alas! I have no language to tell

Th'effecte, nor the torment of mine hell;

Mine hearte may mine harmes not betray;

I am so confused, that I cannot say.

But mercy, lady bright, that knowest well

My thought, and seest what harm that I feel.

Consider all this, and *rue upon* my sore, *take pity on*

As wisly* as I shall for evermore *truly

Enforce my might, thy true servant to be,

And holde war alway with chastity:

That make I mine avow*, so ye me help. *vow,promise

I keepe not of armes for to yelp,* *boast

Nor ask I not to-morrow to have victory,

Nor renown in this case, nor vaine glory

Of *prize of armes*, blowing up and down, *praise for valour*

But I would have fully possessioun

Of Emily, and die in her service;

Find thou the manner how, and in what wise.

I *recke not but* it may better be *do not know whether*

To have vict'ry of them, or they of me,

So that I have my lady in mine arms.

For though so be that Mars is god of arms,

Your virtue is so great in heaven above,

That, if you list, I shall well have my love.

Thy temple will I worship evermo',

And on thine altar, where I ride or go,

I will do sacrifice, and fires bete*. *make, kind

And if ye will not so, my lady sweet,

Then pray I you, to-morrow with a spear

That Arcita me through the hearte bear

Then reck I not, when I have lost my life,

Though that Arcita win her to his wife.

This is th' effect and end of my prayere, —

Give me my love, thou blissful lady dear."

When th' orison was done of Palamon,

His sacrifice he did, and that anon

Full piteously, with alle circumstances,

*All tell I not as now* his observances. *although I tell not now*

But at the last the statue of Venus shook,

And made a signe, whereby that he took

That his prayer accepted was that day.

For though the signe shewed a delay,

Yet wist he well that granted was his boon;

And with glad heart he went him home full soon.

The third hour unequal that Palamon

Began to Venus' temple for to gon,

Up rose the sun, and up rose Emily,

And to the temple of Dian gan hie.

Her maidens, that she thither with her lad*, *led

Th' incense, the clothes, and the remnant all

That to the sacrifice belonge shall

The hornes full of mead, as was the guise;

There lacked nought to do her sacrifice

Smoking* the temple full of clothes fair, *draping

This Emily with hearte debonnair* *gentle

Her body wash'd with water of a well.

But how she did her rite I dare not tell;

But* it be any thing in general; *unless

And yet it were a game* to hearen all *pleasure

To him that meaneth well it were no charge:

But it is good a man to *be at large*. *do as he will*

Her bright hair combed was, untressed all.

A coronet of green oak cerriall

Upon her head was set full fair and meet.

Two fires on the altar gan she bete

And did her thinges, as men may behold

In Stace of Thebes , and these bookes old.

When kindled was the fire, with piteous chee

Unto Dian she spake as ye may hear.

"O chaste goddess of the woodes green,

To whom both heav'n and earth and sea is seen,

Queen of the realm of Pluto dark and low,

Goddess of maidens, that mine heart hast know

Full many a year, and wost* what I desire, *knowest

To keep me from the vengeance of thine ire,

That Actaeon aboughte* cruelly: *earned; suffered from

Chaste goddess, well wottest thou that I

Desire to be a maiden all my life,

Nor never will I be no love nor wife.

I am, thou wost*, yet of thy company, *knowest

A maid, and love hunting and venery*, *field sport

And for to walken in the woodes wild,

And not to be a wife, and be with child.

Nought will I know the company of man.

Now help me, lady, since ye may and can,

For those three formes that thou hast in thee.

And Palamon, that hath such love to me,

And eke Arcite, that loveth me so sore,

This grace I pray thee withoute more,

As sende love and peace betwixt them two:

And from me turn away their heartes so,

That all their hote love, and their desire,

And all their busy torment, and their fire

Be queint*, or turn'd into another place. *quenched

And if so be thou wilt do me no grace,

Or if my destiny be shapen so

That I shall needes have one of them two,

So send me him that most desireth me.

Behold, goddess of cleane chastity,

The bitter tears that on my cheekes fall.

Since thou art maid, and keeper of us all,

My maidenhead thou keep and well conserve,

And, while I live, a maid I will thee serve.

The fires burn upon the altar clear

While Emily was thus in her prayere:

But suddenly she saw a sighte quaint*. *strange

For right anon one of the fire's *quein

And quick'd* again, and after that anon *went out and revived*

That other fire was queint, and all agone

And as it queint, it made a whisteling,

As doth a brande wet in its burning.

And at the brandes end outran anon

As it were bloody droppes many one:

For which so sore aghast was Emily,

That she was well-nigh mad, and gan to cry,

For she ne wiste what it signified

But onely for feare thus she cried,

And wept, that it was pity for to hear.

And therewithal Diana gan appear

With bow in hand, right as an hunteress,

And saide; "Daughter, stint* thine heaviness. *cease

Among the goddes high it is affirm'd

And by eternal word writ and confirm'd

Thou shalt be wedded unto one of tho* *those

That have for thee so muche care and woe:

But unto which of them I may not tell.

Farewell, for here I may no longer dwell.

The fires which that on mine altar brenn*, *bur

Shall thee declaren, ere that thou go henne*, *hence

Thine aventure of love, as in this case."

And with that word, the arrows in the case* *quiver

Of the goddess did clatter fast and ring,

And forth she went, and made a vanishing,

For which this Emily astonied was,

And saide; "What amounteth this, alas!

I put me under thy protection,

Diane, and in thy disposition."

And home she went anon the nexte* way. *nearest

This is th' effect, there is no more to say.

The nexte hour of Mars following this

Arcite to the temple walked is

Of fierce Mars, to do his sacrifi

With all the rites of his pagan guise.

With piteous* heart and high devotion *pious

Right thus to Mars he said his orison

"O stronge god, that in the regnes* old *realms

Of Thrace honoured art, and lord y-hold* *held

And hast in every regne, and every land

Of armes all the bridle in thine hand,

And *them fortunest as thee list devise*, *send them fortune

Accept of me my piteous sacrifice. as you please

If so be that my youthe may deserve,

And that my might be worthy for to serve

Thy godhead, that I may be one of thine,

Then pray I thee to *rue upon my pine*, *pity my anguish*

For thilke* pain, and thilke hote fire, *tha

In which thou whilom burned'st for desire

Whenne that thou usedest* the beauty *enjoyed

Of faire young Venus, fresh and free,

And haddest her in armes at thy will:

And though thee ones on a time misfill*, *were unlucky

When Vulcanus had caught thee in his las*, *net

And found thee ligging* by his wife, alas! *lying

For thilke sorrow that was in thine heart,

Have ruth* as well upon my paine's smart. *pity

I am young and unconning*, as thou know'st,*ignorant, simple

And, as I trow*, with love offended most *believe

That e'er was any living creature:

For she, that doth* me all this woe endure, *causes

Ne recketh ne'er whether I sink or fleet* *swi

And well I wot, ere she me mercy hete*, *promise,vouchsafe

I must with strengthe win her in the place:

And well I wot, withoute help or grace

Of thee, ne may my strengthe not avail:

Then help me, lord, to-morr'w in my bataille,

For thilke fire that whilom burned thee

As well as this fire that now burneth me

And do* that I to-morr'w may have victory. *cause

Mine be the travail, all thine be the glory.

Thy sovereign temple will I most honour

Of any place, and alway most labour

In thy pleasance and in thy craftes strong.

And in thy temple I will my banner hong*, *hang

And all the armes of my company,

And evermore, until that day I die,

Eternal fire I will before thee fi

And eke to this my vow I will me bind:

My beard, my hair that hangeth long adown,

That never yet hath felt offension* *indignity

Of razor nor of shears, I will thee give,

And be thy true servant while I live.

Now, lord, have ruth upon my sorrows sore,

Give me the victory, I ask no more."

The prayer stint* of Arcita the strong, *ended

The ringes on the temple door that hong,

And eke the doores, clattered full fast,

Of which Arcita somewhat was aghast.

The fires burn'd upon the altar bright

That it gan all the temple for to light;

A sweete smell anon the ground up gaf*, *gave

And Arcita anon his hand up haf*, *lifted

And more incense into the fire he cast

With other rites more and at the last

The statue of Mars began his hauberk ring;

And with that sound he heard a murmuring

Full low and dim, that saide thus, "Victory."

For which he gave to Mars honour and glory.

And thus with joy, and hope well to fare,

Arcite anon unto his inn doth fare.

As fain* as fowl is of the brighte sun. *glad

And right anon such strife there is begun

For thilke* granting, in the heav'n above, *that

Betwixte Venus the goddess of love,

And Mars the sterne god armipotent,

That Jupiter was busy it to stent*: *stop

Till that the pale Saturnus the cold,

That knew so many of adventures old,

Found in his old experience such an art,

That he full soon hath pleased every part.

As sooth is said, eld* hath great advantage, *age

In eld is bothe wisdom and usage*: *experience

Men may the old out-run, but not out-rede*. *outwit

Saturn anon, to stint the strife and drede,

Albeit that it is against his kind,* *nature

Of all this strife gan a remedy find

"My deare daughter Venus," quoth Saturn,

"My course*, that hath so wide for to turn, *orbit

Hath more power than wot any man.

Mine is the drowning in the sea so wan;

Mine is the prison in the darke cote*, *cell

Mine the strangling and hanging by the throat,

The murmur, and the churlish rebelling,

The groyning*, and the privy poisoning. *discontent

I do vengeance and plein* correction, *full

I dwell in the sign of the lion.

Mine is the ruin of the highe halls,

The falling of the towers and the walls

Upon the miner or the carpenter:

I slew Samson in shaking the pillar:

Mine also be the maladies cold,

The darke treasons, and the castes* old: *plots

My looking is the father of pestilence.

Now weep no more, I shall do diligence

That Palamon, that is thine owen knight,

Shall have his lady, as thou hast him hight*. *promised

Though Mars shall help his knight, yet natheless

Betwixte you there must sometime be peace:

All be ye not of one complexion,

That each day causeth such division,

I am thine ayel*, ready at thy will; *grandfather

Weep now no more, I shall thy lust* fulfil." *pleasur

Now will I stenten* of the gods above, *cease speaking

Of Mars, and of Venus, goddess of love,

And telle you as plainly as I can

The great effect, for which that I began.

Great was the feast in Athens thilke* day; *that

And eke the lusty season of that May

Made every wight to be in such pleasance,

That all that Monday jousten they and dance,

And spenden it in Venus' high service.

But by the cause that they shoulde rise

Early a-morrow for to see that fight

Unto their reste wente they at night.

And on the morrow, when the day gan spring,

Of horse and harness* noise and clattering *armour

There was in the hostelries all about:

And to the palace rode there many a rout* *train, retinue

Of lordes, upon steedes and palfreys.

There mayst thou see devising* of harness *decoration

So uncouth* and so rich, and wrought so weel *unkown, rare

Of goldsmithry, of brouding*, and of steel; *embroidery

The shieldes bright, the testers*, and trappures***helmets

Gold-hewen helmets, hauberks, coat-armures; **trappings

Lordes in parements* on their coursers, *ornamental garb ;

Knightes of retinue, and eke squiers,

Nailing the spears, and helmes buckeling,

Gniding* of shieldes, with lainers** lacing; *polishing

There as need is, they were nothing idle: **lanyards

The foamy steeds upon the golden bridle

Gnawing, and fast the armourers also

With file and hammer pricking to and fro

Yeomen on foot, and knaves* many one *servants

With shorte staves, thick* as they may gon**; *close **walk

Pipes, trumpets, nakeres*, and clariouns, *drums

That in the battle blowe bloody souns;

The palace full of people up and down,

There three, there ten, holding their questioun*, *conversation

Divining* of these Theban knightes two. *conjecturing

Some saiden thus, some said it shall he so;

Some helden with him with the blacke beard,

Some with the bald, some with the thick-hair'd;

Some said he looked grim, and woulde fight

He had a sparth* of twenty pound of weight. *double-headed axe

Thus was the halle full of divining* *conjecturing

Long after that the sunne gan up spring.

The great Theseus that of his sleep is waked

With minstrelsy, and noise that was maked,

Held yet the chamber of his palace rich,

Till that the Theban knightes both y-lich* *alike

Honoured were, and to the palace fet*. *fetched

Duke Theseus is at a window set,

Array'd right as he were a god in throne:

The people presseth thitherward full soon

Him for to see, and do him reverence,

And eke to hearken his hest* and his sentence**. *command **speech

An herald on a scaffold made an O,

Till the noise of the people was y-do*: *done

And when he saw the people of noise all still,

Thus shewed he the mighty Duke's will.

"The lord hath of his high discretion

Considered that it were destruction

To gentle blood, to fighten in the guis

Of mortal battle now in this emprise:

Wherefore to shape* that they shall not die, *arrange,contrive

He will his firste purpose modify

No man therefore, on pain of loss of life,

No manner* shot, nor poleaxe, nor short knife *kind of

Into the lists shall send, or thither bring.

Nor short sword for to stick with point biting

No man shall draw, nor bear it by his side.

And no man shall unto his fellow ride

But one course, with a sharp y-grounden spear:

*Foin if him list on foot, himself to wear. *He who wishes can

And he that is at mischief shall be take*, fence on foot to defend

And not slain, but be brought unto the stake, himself,and he that

That shall be ordained on either side; is in peril shall be taken*

Thither he shall by force, and there abide.

And if *so fall* the chiefetain be take *should happen*

On either side, or elles slay his make*, *equal, match

No longer then the tourneying shall last.

God speede you; go forth and lay on fast.

With long sword and with mace fight your fil

Go now your way; this is the lordes will.

The voice of the people touched the heaven,

So loude cried they with merry steven*: *sound

God save such a lord that is so good,

He willeth no destruction of blood.

Up go the trumpets and the melody,

And to the listes rode the company

*By ordinance*, throughout the city large, *in orderly array*

Hanged with cloth of gold, and not with sarge*. *serge

Full like a lord this noble Duke gan ride,

And these two Thebans upon either side:

And after rode the queen and Emily,

And after them another company

Of one and other, after their degree.

And thus they passed thorough that city

And to the listes came they by time:

It was not of the day yet fully prime*. *between 6 &9 a.m.

When set was Theseus full rich and high,

Hippolyta the queen and Emily,

And other ladies in their degrees about,

Unto the seates presseth all the rout.

And westward, through the gates under Mart,

Arcite, and eke the hundred of his part,

With banner red, is enter'd right anon;

And in the selve* moment Palamon *self-same

Is, under Venus, eastward in the place,

With banner white, and hardy cheer* and face*expression

In all the world, to seeken up and down

So even* without variatioun *equal

There were such companies never tway.

For there was none so wise that coulde say

That any had of other avantage

Of worthiness, nor of estate, nor age,

So even were they chosen for to guess.

And *in two ranges faire they them dress*. *they arranged themselves

When that their names read were every one, in two rows*

That in their number guile* were there none, *fraud

Then were the gates shut, and cried was loud;

"Do now your devoir, younge knights proud

The heralds left their pricking* up and down *spurring their horses

Now ring the trumpet loud and clarioun.

There is no more to say, but east and west

In go the speares sadly* in the rest; *steadily

In go the sharpe spurs into the side.

There see me who can joust, and who can ride.

There shiver shaftes upon shieldes thick;

He feeleth through the hearte-spoon the prick.

Up spring the speares twenty foot on height;

Out go the swordes as the silver bright.

The helmes they to-hewen, and to-shred*; *strike in pieces

Out burst the blood, with sterne streames red.

With mighty maces the bones they to-brest*. *burst

He through the thickest of the throng gan threst*. *thrust

There stumble steedes strong, and down go all.

He rolleth under foot as doth a ball.

He foineth* on his foe with a trunchoun, *forces himself

And he him hurtleth with his horse adown.

He through the body hurt is, and *sith take*,*afterwards captured*

Maugre his head, and brought unto the stake,

As forword* was, right there he must abide. *covenant

Another led is on that other side.

And sometime doth* them Theseus to rest, *caused

Them to refresh, and drinken if them lest*. *pleased

Full oft a day have thilke Thebans two *these

Together met and wrought each other woe:

Unhorsed hath each other of them tway* *twice

There is no tiger in the vale of Galaphay,

When that her whelp is stole, when it is lite* *little

So cruel on the hunter, as Arcite

For jealous heart upon this Palamon:

Nor in Belmarie there is no fell lion,

That hunted is, or for his hunger wood* *mad

Or for his prey desireth so the blood,

As Palamon to slay his foe Arcite.

The jealous strokes upon their helmets bite;

Out runneth blood on both their sides red,

Sometime an end there is of every deed

For ere the sun unto the reste went,

The stronge king Emetrius gan hent* *sieze, assail

This Palamon, as he fought with Arcite,

And made his sword deep in his flesh to bite

And by the force of twenty is he take,

Unyielding, and is drawn unto the stake.

And in the rescue of this Palamon

The stronge king Licurgus is borne down:

And king Emetrius, for all his strength

Is borne out of his saddle a sword's length,

So hit him Palamon ere he were take:

But all for nought; he was brought to the stake:

His hardy hearte might him helpe naught,

He must abide when that he was caught,

By force, and eke by composition*. *the bargain

Who sorroweth now but woful Palamon

That must no more go again to fight

And when that Theseus had seen that sight

Unto the folk that foughte thus each one,

He cried, Ho! no more, for it is done!

I will be true judge, and not party.

Arcite of Thebes shall have Emily,

That by his fortune hath her fairly won."

Anon there is a noise of people gone,

For joy of this, so loud and high withal,

It seemed that the listes shoulde fall.

What can now faire Venus do above?

What saith she now? what doth this queen of love?

But weepeth so, for wanting of her will,

Till that her teares in the listes fill* *fal

She said: "I am ashamed doubteless."

Saturnus saide: "Daughter, hold thy peace.

Mars hath his will, his knight hath all his boon,

And by mine head thou shalt be eased soon."

The trumpeters with the loud minstrelsy,

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