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A TRILOGY
ON LOVE
PART
1
Lo, what it
is to love !
Lerne
ye, that list to prove,
At me I
say,
No ways
that may
The
grownd is greiff remove,
My liff
alwaie,
That doeth
decaye ;
Lo
! what it is to love.
Ffle alwaye from the snare,
Lerne
by me to beware,
Of suche
a trayne,
Which doubles
payne,
And
endles woo and care,
That doth
retayne ;
Which to
refrayne,
Fle
alwaye from the snare.
To love and to be wise,
To
rage with good admyse,
Now thus
now than
Now of
now an
Uncerteyn
as the dyse ;
There is
no man
At ons
that can
To
love and to be wise.
Suche are the dyvers throws,
Suche,
that no man knows
That hath
no profd,
And ons
have losd :
Suche
are the raging woos
:
Soner reprofd
Then well
remofd,
Suche
are the dyvers throws.
Love is a fervent fire
Kendeld
by hote desire,
For a short
pleasure,
Long displeasur
;
Repentaunce
is the hire ;
A poure
tresoure,
Withoute
mesure,
Love
is a fervent fire.
Lo ! what it is to love, etc.
PART II
Leve thus to slander love !
Though
evill, with suche
it prove
Which often
use
Love to
mysuse,
And
loving to reprove ;
Such cannot
chose,
For their
refuse,
But
thus, to slaunder love.
Ffle not so much the snare ;
Love
sildam causeth care
;
But by
deserftes
And crafty
partes,
Som
lese their owne welfar
;
Be true
of hertes,
And for
no smartes
Fle
not so much the snare
To love and not to be wise
Is
but a mad devise ;
Such love
doeth last
As sure
and fast
As
chaunce on the dyse ;
A bitter
tast
Coms at
the last,
To
love and not to be wise.
Such be the plaisaunt daies,
Such
be the honest wayes
;
There is
no man,
That fully
can
Know
it, but he that sayes
Loving
to ban
Were folly
than !
Such
be the pleasaunt daies.
Such is a plaisaunt fire,
Kyndeled
by true desire ;
And though
the payne
Cause men
to playne
Sped
well is oft the hiere.
Then though
some fayne
And lese
the gayne
Love
is a pleasaunt fire.
PART III
Who most doeth slaunder love
The
dede must alwaye prove
;
Trouth
shall excuse
That you
accuse,
For
slaunder and reprove
;
Not by
refuse,
But by
abuse
You
most do slaunder love.
Ye graunt it is a snare !
And
would us not beware !
Lest that
your trayne
Should
be to playne,
Ye
colour all the care !
Lo, how
you fayne,
Pleasur
for payne,
And
graunt it is a snare.
To love and to be wise !
It
were a straunge devise
!
But from
that tast
Ye vow
the fast, --
On
zyns tho run your dise,
Ambs-as
may hast
Your payne
to wast
To
love, and to be wise.
Of all such pleasaunt dayes,
Of
all such pleasaunt playes,
Without
deserft,
You have
your part,
And
all the worould so says
;
Save that
poure hert
That for
more smart
Feleth
yet suche pleasaunt
dayes.
Such fire and suche hete
Did
never make ye swete,
For withoute
payne
You best
obtayne
To
good spede and to grete
Who so
doeth playne,
You best
do fayne
Such
fire and such hete.
Who now doeth slaunder Love, etc.
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A TRILOGY
ON LOVE
PART
1
Lo, what it is to
love!
Learn
ye, that list to prove,
At me I
say,
No ways
that may 4
The
grounded grief remove,
My life
alway
That doth
decay.
Lo!
what it is to love. 8
Flee alway from the snare,
Learn
by me to beware
Of such
a train
Which doubles
pain, 12
And
endless woe and care
That doth
retain;
Which to
refrain
Flee
alway from the snare.
16
To love and to be wise,
To
rage with good advice,
Now thus,
now then,
Now off,
now on, 20
Uncertain
as the dice;
There is
no man
At once
that can
To
love and to be wise. 24
Such are the diverse throes,
Such,
that no man knows
That hath
not proved,
And once
have loved. 28
Such
are the raging woes:
Sooner
reproved
Than well
removed,
Such
are the diverse throes.
32
Love is a fervent fire
Kindled
by hot desire;
For a short
pleasure,
Long displeasure;
36
Repentance
is the hire.
A poor
treasure,
Without
measure.
Love
is a fervent fire. 40
Lo! what it is to love!
PART II
Leave thus to slander love!
Though
evil with such it
prove
Which often
use
Love to
misuse, 4
And
loving to reprove.
Such cannot
chose,
For their
refuse,
But
thus, to slander love.
8
Flee not so much the snare -
Love
seldom causeth care,
But by
deserts
And crafty
parts, 12
Some
leese their own welfare.
Be true
of hearts,
And for
no smarts
Flee
not so much the snare.
16
To love and not to be wise
Is
but a mad device.
Such love
doth last
As sure
and fast 20
As
chance on the dice.
A bitter
taste
Comes at
the last,
To
love and not to be wise.
24
Such be the pleasant days,
Such
be the honest ways.
There is
no man,
That fully
can 28
Know
it, but that he says
Loving
to ban
Were folly
then!
Such
be the pleasant days.
32
Such is a pleasant fire,
Kindled
by true desire.
And though
the pain
Cause men
to plain 36
Speed
well is oft the hire.
Then though
some feign
And leese
the gain,
Love
is a pleasant fire.
40
PART III
Who most doth slander love
The
deed must alway prove.
Truth shall
excuse
That you
accuse, 4
For
slander and reprove;
Not by
refuse,
But by
abuse
You
most do slander love.
8
Ye grant it is a snare
And
would us not beware.
Lest that
your train
Should
be too plain, 12
Ye
colour all the care.
Lo, how
you feign,
Pleasure
for pain,
And
grant it is a snare.
16
To love and to be wise,
It
were a strange device!
But from
that taste
Ye vow
the fast, -- 20
On
zyns though run your dice,
Ambs-ace
may haste
Your pain
to waste,
To
love, and to be wise.
24
Of all such pleasant days,
Of
all such pleasant plays,
Without
desert
You have
your part, 28
And
all the world so says.
Save that
poor heart
That for
more smart
Feeleth
yet such pleasant
days. 32
Such fire and such heat
Did
never make ye sweat,
For without
pain
You best
obtain 36
To
good speed and to great.
Who so
doth plain,
You best
do feign
Such
fire and such heat.
40
Who now doth slander love?
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NOTES
Arguments
for and against love. The final
part of the trilogy is somewhat obscure, but it seems to be spoken by
the
first speaker, he who contemned love and advised against it, rather
than
being a summary of the arguments pro and contra.
PART
I
2.
list to prove = desire to experience.
3.
at me = from me.
5.
grounded = deep-seated.
11.
train = lure, bait; pother, turmoil.
14.
that doth retain = which (i.e. love)
keeps within itself.
17-21.
These lines are governed by what
follows in 22-4. I.e there is no man who can withstand these contraries
listed here raging within him.
26-7
- I.e. no man could know of these
things unless he had experienced them.
37.
hire = reward, paymment.
39.
without measure = unlimited, boundless
(refers to repentance and regret) .
PART
II
1.
Leave thus = cease, desist from.
2-5.
Those who frequently abuse and misuse
love cannot choose but to see it as evil, and to reprove it.
7.
their refuse = having met with refusal
(?).
11-12.
deservedly, and for using deception.
13.
leese = lose.
18.
a mad device = a foolish plan, an idiotic
approach.
26-31.
No man who has tasted the fruits
of love could possibly wish to ban it.
37.
Speed well etc. = the reward is often
success.
PART
III
The
first speaker now responds and attempts
to prove his point, that love is not worth the candle.
1-2.
The fact itself will show who is most
guilty of slandering love.
4.
That you accuse = him, whom you accuse
(i.e. me, the speaker).
5.
For = of. reprove = reproof, criticism.
6-8.
It is not by refusing to love, but
by misreprenting its true nature (abuse) that one most slanders love.
11.
your train = the allurements which
you describe love as having.
14-15.
Look how you pretend that the pain
of love is really a pleasure.
17-18.
The speaker implies that to love
and to be wise is near impossible.
19-20.
You vow that you will not be so
foolish as to love madly, but will refrain from such food. (That = that
other possibility, of loving and being unwise).
21.
zyns = five and six, the highest and
luckiest score at dice.
22.
Ambs-ace = two aces, a low and unlucky
score.
21-22
= Do not trust to your luck, which
is sure to change.
The
final two stanzas are difficult to
interpret, but they seem to suggest that the speaker of Part II has
just
been lucky, and that his day of pain and torment in love will one day
come.
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IR THOMAS WYATT
