<< She ladde a lusty lyf in May, She hadde no thought, by night ne day, Of no-thing, but it were oonly To graythe hit wel and uncouthly. Whan that this dore hadde opened me 585 This mayden, semely for to see, I thanked hir as I best mighte, And axede hir how that she highte, And what she was, I axede eke. And she to me was nought unmeke, 590 Ne of hir answer daungerous, But faire answerde, and seide thus:-- Lo, sir, my name is YDELNESSE; So clepe men me, more and lesse. Ful mighty and ful riche am I, 595 And that of oon thing, namely; For I entende to no-thing But to my Ioye, and my pleying, And for to kembe and tresse me. Aqueynted am I, and privee 600 With Mirthe, lord of this gardyn, That fro the lande of Alexandryn Made the trees be hider fet, That in this gardin been y-set.
>> Moult avoit bon tems et bon May, Qu'el n'avoït soussi ne esmay De nule riens, fors solement De soi atorner noblement. Quant ainsinc m'ot l'uis deffermé La pucele au cors acesmé, Je l'en merciai doucement, Et si li demandai comment 580 Ele avoit non, et qui ele iere. Ele ne fu pas envers moi fiere, Ne de respondre desdaigneuse: Je me fais apeler Oiseuse,' Dist-ele, 'à tous mes congnoissans; Si sui riche fame et poissans. S'ai d'une chose moult bon tens, Car à nule riens je ne pens Qu'à moi joer et solacier, Et mon chief pignier et trecier: 590 Quant sui pignée et atornée, Adonc est fete ma jornée. Privée sui moult et acointe De Déduit le mignot, le cointe; C'est cil cui est cest biax jardins, Qui de la terre as Sarradins Fist çà ces arbres aporter, Qu'il fist par ce vergier planter.
<< And whan the trees were woxen on highte, 605 This wal, that slant here in thy sighte, Dide Mirthe enclosen al aboute; And these images, al withoute, He dide hem bothe entaile and peynte, That neither ben Iolyf ne queynte, 610 But they ben ful of sorowe and wo, As thou hast seen a whyle ago. 'And ofte tyme, him to solace, Sir Mirthe cometh into this place, And eek with him cometh his meynee, 615 That liven in lust and Iolitee. And now is Mirthe therin, to here The briddes, how they singen clere, The mavis and the nightingale, And other Ioly briddes smale. 620 And thus he walketh to solace Him and his folk; for swetter place To pleyen in he may not finde, Although he soughte oon in-til Inde. The alther-fairest folk to see 625 That in this world may founde be Hath Mirthe with him in his route, That folowen him alwayes aboute.'