Chanson médiévale, Angleterre.

(Texte partiel.)

1.
Worldes bliss ne last no throwe.
It wit and wend awey anon;
The langer that ic it iknowe,
The lass(e) ic finde pris theron.

For all it is imeind mid care,
Mid sorewen and mid evel fare;
And at the laste, povre and bare
It let mon, when it ginnet gon.
All the blisse this here and there
Bilouketh at ende weep and mon.

4.
Mon, why seestu love and herte
On worldes blisse that nout ne last?
Why tholestu that thee so ofte smerte
For love that's so unstedefast?

Thu lickest huny of thorn, iwis,
That seest thy love on worldes bliss,
For full of bitternes it is.
Ful sore thu mikt ben ofgast,
That here despendes eykte amiss,
Werthurgh ben into helle icast.

7.
Shal no good been unforgulde,
Ne non evel ne worth unboukt;
Whanne thu list, mon, under molde,
Thu shalt haven as thu hast wrokt.

Bithenk thee well, forthy, ic rede,
And clanse thee of each misdede,
That he thee helpe at thine nede
That so dure hath thee iboukt,
And to hevene blisse lede
That evere last and failet nout.

Traduction en anglais moderne:

1.
Worldly bliss lasts not a moment;
it wanes and goes away anon.
The longer that I know it,
the less I find value thereon;
for all it is mingled with care,
with sorrows and with evil fare,
and at the last poor and bare
it leaves man, when it begins to be gone.
All the bliss that is here and there
encompasses at end weeps and moans.

4.
Man, why do you set love and heart
on worldly bliss that doesn’t last?
Why do you endure that you often smart
for love that is so unsteadfast?
You lick honey from a thorn indeed,
who set your love on worldly bliss
for full of bitterness it is.
Sorely you might be terrified,
who spend here wealth amiss,
whereby to be into hell cast.

7.
No good will be there unrequited,
nor any evil will be unrepaid;
when you lie, man, under the mould
you shall have as you have wrought.
Bethink you well therefore, I urge,
and cleanse yourself of your misdeed,
that he may help you at your need,
he that so dearly has bought us,
and to heaven’s bliss lead
that ever lasts and fails not.