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Home  »  The Oxford Book of English Verse  »  11. Balade

Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900.

Geoffrey Chaucer. 1340?–1400

11. Balade

HYD, Absolon, thy gilte tresses clere; 
Ester, ley thou thy meknesse al a-doun; 
Hyd, Jonathas, al thy frendly manere; 
Penalopee, and Marcia Catoun, 
Mak of your wyfhod no comparisoun;         5
Hyde ye your beautes, Isoude and Eleyne; 
My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne. 
 
Thy faire body, lat hit nat appere, 
Lavyne; and thou, Lucresse of Rome toun, 
And Polixene, that boghten love so dere,  10
And Cleopatre, with al thy passioun, 
Hyde ye your trouthe of love and your renoun; 
And thou, Tisbe, that hast of love swich peyne; 
My lady cometh, that al this may disteyne. 
 
Herro, Dido, Laudomia, alle y-fere,  15
And Phyllis, hanging for thy Demophoun, 
And Canace, espyed by thy chere, 
Ysiphile, betraysed with Jasoun, 
Maketh of your trouthe neyther boost ne soun; 
Nor Ypermistre or Adriane, ye tweyne;  20
My lady cometh, that al this may distevne. 
 
GLOSS:  disteyne] bedim.  y-fere] together.