Fortune Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: ABABBCBC ABABBCBC ABABBCBC D AEAEEDED AEAEEDED AEAEEDED A FEGEEHEH D FEGEEHEH FEGEEHEH A EAEAAEA| This wrecched worldes transmutacioun | A |
| As wele or wo now povre and now honour | B |
| Withouten ordre or wys discrecioun | A |
| Governed is by Fortunes errour | B |
| But natheles the lak of hir favour | B |
| Ne may nat don me singen though I dye | C |
| Jay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour | B |
| For fynally Fortune I thee defye | C |
| - | |
| Yit is me left the light of my resoun | A |
| To knowen frend fro fo in thy mirour | B |
| So muchel hath yit thy whirling up and doun | A |
| Ytaught me for to knowen in an hour | B |
| But trewely no force of thy reddour | B |
| To him that over himself hath the maystrye | C |
| My suffisaunce shal be my socour | B |
| For fynally Fortune I thee defye | C |
| - | |
| O Socrates thou stidfast champioun | A |
| She never mighte be thy tormentour | B |
| Thou never dreddest hir oppressioun | A |
| Ne in hir chere founde thou no savour | B |
| Thou knewe wel the deceit of hir colour | B |
| And that hir moste worshipe is to lye | C |
| I knowe hir eek a fals dissimulour | B |
| For fynally Fortune I thee defye | C |
| - | |
| La respounse de Fortune au Pleintif | D |
| - | |
| No man is wrecched but himself it wene | A |
| And he that hath himself hath suffisaunce | E |
| Why seystow thanne I am to thee so kene | A |
| That hast thyself out of my governaunce | E |
| Sey thus 'Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce | E |
| That thou hast lent or this ' Why wolt thou stryve | D |
| What wostow yit how I thee wol avaunce | E |
| And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve | D |
| - | |
| I have thee taught divisioun bitwene | A |
| Frend of effect and frend of countenaunce | E |
| Thee nedeth nat the galle of noon hyene | A |
| That cureth eyen derked for penaunce | E |
| Now seestow cleer that were in ignoraunce | E |
| Yit halt thyn ancre and yit thou mayst arryve | D |
| Ther bountee berth the keye of my substaunce | E |
| And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve | D |
| - | |
| How many have I refused to sustene | A |
| Sin I thee fostred have in thy plesaunce | E |
| Woltow than make a statut on thy quene | A |
| That I shal been ay at thyn ordinaunce | E |
| Thou born art in my regne of variaunce | E |
| Aboute the wheel with other most thou dryve | D |
| My lore is bet than wikke is thy grevaunce | E |
| And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve | D |
| - | |
| La respounse du Pleintif countre Fortune | A |
| - | |
| Thy lore I dampne it is adversitee | F |
| My frend maystow nat reven blind goddesse | E |
| That I thy frendes knowe I thanke it thee | G |
| Tak hem agayn lat hem go lye on presse | E |
| The negardye in keping hir richesse | E |
| Prenostik is thou wolt hir tour assayle | H |
| Wikke appetyt comth ay before syknesse | E |
| In general this reule may nat fayle | H |
| - | |
| La respounse de Fortune countre le Pleintif | D |
| - | |
| Thou pinchest at my mutabilitee | F |
| For I thee lente a drope of my richesse | E |
| And now me lyketh to withdrawe me Riv p | G |
| Why sholdestow my realtee oppresse | E |
| The see may ebbe and flowen more or lesse | E |
| The welkne hath might to shyne reyne or hayle | H |
| Right so mot I kythen my brotelnesse | E |
| In general this reule may nat fayle | H |
| - | |
| Lo th'execucion of the majestee | F |
| That al purveyeth of his rightwysnesse | E |
| That same thing 'Fortune'' clepen ye | G |
| Ye blinde bestes ful of lewdednesse | E |
| The hevene hath propretee of sikernesse | E |
| This world hath ever resteles travayle | H |
| Thy laste day is ende of myn intresse | E |
| In general this reule may nat fayle | H |
| - | |
| Lenvoy de Fortune | A |
| - | |
| Princes I prey you of your gentilesse | E |
| Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne | A |
| And I shal quyte you your bisinesse | E |
| At my requeste as three of you or tweyne | A |
| And but you list releve him of his peyne | A |
| Preyeth his beste frend of his noblesse | E |
| That to som beter estat he may atteyne | A |
Geoffrey Chaucer
(1)
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