Reading, knowledge, dreams, and nature: Valentine’s verses on the season.

 

By habit, both for pleasure and for lore,

In books I often read, as I have told.

But why do I speak thus? A time before,

Not long ago, I happened to behold

A certain book written in letters old;

And thereupon, a certain thing to learn,

The long day did its pages swiftly turn.

For out of old fields, as men say,

Comes all this new corn from year to year;

And out of old books, in good faith,

Comes all this new science that men hear….

The day began to fail, and the dark night

That relieves all creatures of their business

Bereft me of my book for lack of light,

And to my bed I began me to address

Filled full of thought and anxious heaviness,

For I yet had the thing that I wished not,

And the thing that I wished I had not got….

The weary hunter sleeping in his bed

To the woods again his mind will go;

The judge he dreams how his pleas are sped;

The carter dreams of drawing carts below;

The rich, of gold; the knight fights with his foe;

The sick person dreams he drinks a tun;

The lover dreams he has his lady won….

When I had come again unto the place

Of which I spoke, that was so sweet and green,

Forth I walked to bring myself solace.

Then was I aware, there sat a queen:

As in brightness the summer sun’s sheen

Outshines the star, right so beyond measure

Was she fairer too than any creature.

And in a clearing on a hill of flowers

Was set this noble goddess, Nature;

Of branches were her halls and her bowers

Wrought according to her art and measure;

Nor was there any fowl she does engender

That was not seen there in her presence,

To hear her judgement, and give audience….

 

Nature, deputy of the almighty Lord,

Who hot, cold, heavy, light, moist and dry

Has knit in balanced measure in accord,

In gentle voice began to speak and sigh,

‘Fowl, heed my judgement now, pray I,

And for your ease, in furthering of your need,

As fast as I can speak, I will you speed.

You know that on Saint Valentine’s day,

By my statute and through my governance,

You come to choose – and then fly your way –

Your mates, as I your desires enhance.

But nonetheless my rightful ordinance

I may not alter, for all the world to win,

That he that is most worthy must begin….

But first were fowl chosen for to sing,

As was ever their custom year on year

To sing out a roundel at their parting

To do Nature honour and bring cheer….

‘Now welcome summer, with your sun soft,

That this winter’s weather does off-shake,

And the long nights’ black away does take!

Saint Valentine, who art full high aloft –

Thus sing the small fowls for your sake –

Now welcome summer, with your sun soft,

That this winter’s weather does off-shake.

Well have they cause to rejoice full oft,

Since each a marriage with its mate does make;

Full joyous may they sing when they wake….

 

Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Parliament of Fowls,” trans. A.S. Kline