Chaucer's Translation of Boethius's "De Consolatione Philosophiae" · Boethius
TUNC EGO UERA INQ{UA}M.
I telle þe welle þat she lyueþ looþ of hir life. {and} kepiþ to þee oonly hir goost. {and} is al maat {and} ouer-comen by wepyng {and} sorwe for desire of þe ¶ In þe whiche þing only I mot graunten þat þi welefulnesse is amenused. ¶ What shal I seyn eke of þi two sones conseillours of whiche as of children of hir age þer shineþ þe lyknesse of þe witte of hir fadir {and} of hir eldefadir. and siþen þe souereyn cure of alle mortel folke is to sauen hir owe{n} lyues. ¶ O how weleful art þou þouȝ þou knowe þi goodes. ¶ But ȝitte ben þer þinges dwelly{n}g to þe wardes þat no man douteþ þat þei ne ben more derworþe to þe þen þine owen lijf. ¶ And forþi drie þi teres for ȝitte nys nat eueriche fortune al hateful to þe warde. ne ou{er} greet tempest haþ nat ȝit fallen vpon þe. whan þat þin ancres cliue fast[e] þat neiþer wole suffre þe comfort of þis tyme p{re}sent. ne þe hope of tyme comynge to passen ne to falle{n}. ¶ And I p{re}ie q{uod} I þat fast[e] mot[en] þei holden. ¶ For whiles þat þei halden. how so eu{er}e þat þinges ben. I shal wel fleten furþe and eschapen. ¶ But þou mayst wel seen how greet[e] apparailes {and} aray þat me lakkeþ þat ben passed awey fro me. ¶ I haue su{m}what auau{n}ced {and} forþered þe q{uod} she. if þat þou anoie nat or forþenke nat of al þi fortune.
As who seiþ. ¶ I haue somwhat comforted þe so þat þou tempest nat þe þus wiþ al þi fortune. syn þou hast ȝit þi best[e] þinges. ¶ But I may nat suffre þin delices. þat pleinst so wepyng. {and} anguissous for þat oþer lakkeþ somwhat to þi welefulnesse. ¶ For what man is so sad or of so p{er}fit welefulnesse. þat he ne stryueþ or pleyneþ on some half aȝeine þe qualitee of his estat. ¶ For whi ful anguissous þing is þe condiciou{n} of mans goodes. ¶ For eyþer it comeþ al to gidre to a wyȝt. or ellys it lasteþ not p{er}petuely. ¶ For som man haþ grete rycchesse. but he is asshamed of hys vngentil lynage. {and} som man is renomed of noblesse of kynrede. but he is enclosed in so grete angre for nede of þinges. þat hym were leuer þat he were vnknowe. and som ma{n} habundeþ boþe i{n} rychesse {and} noblesse. but ȝit he bywaileþ hys chast[e] lijf. for he haþ no wijf. ¶ and som man is wel {and} selily maried but he haþ no children. {and} norissheþ his ricchesse to þe heires of straunge folk. ¶ And som man is gladded wiþ children. but he wepiþ ful sory for þe trespas of his son or of his douȝtir. ¶ and for þis þer accordeþ no wyȝt lyȝtly to þe condic{i}ou{n} of his fortune. for alwey to euery man þere is i{n} mest somwhat þat vnassaieþ he ne wot not or ellys he drediþ þat he haþ assaied. ¶ {And} adde þis also þat euery weleful man haþ a wel delicat felyng. ¶ So þat but yif alle þinges fallen at hys owen wille for he inpacient or is nat vsed to han none aduersitee. an-oone he is þrowe adoũne for euery lytel þing. ¶ And ful lytel þinges ben þo þat wiþdrawen þe so{m}me or þe p{er}fecc{i}ou{n} of blisfulnesse fro hem þat ben most fortunat. ¶ How many men trowest þou wolde demen hem self to ben almost in heuene yif þei myȝten atteyne to þe leest[e] p{ar}tie of þe remenaunt of þi fortune. ¶ Þis same place þat þou clepist exil is contre to hem þat enhabiten here. {and} forþi. Noþing wrecched. but whan þou wenest it ¶ As who seiþ. þouȝ þi self ne no wyȝt ellys nys no wrecche but whan he weneþ hym self a wrecche by reputac{i}ou{n} of his corage.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.