The Knight's Tale
Folio 37r
50 of 58 folios
Allas the deeth / allas myn Emelye
Allas / departyng of oure compaignye
1915
Allas myn hertes queene / allas my wif
Myn hertes lady / ender of my lyf
What is this world / what axeth men to haue
Now with his loue / now in his colde graue
¶ I haue heer / with my cosyn Palamon
1920
Had stryf and rancour / many a day gon
For loue of yow / and for my Ialousye
And Iuppiter / so wys my soule gye
To speken / of a seruaunt proprely
With circumstaunces alle / trewely
1925
That is to seyn / trouthe / honour / knyghthede
Wisdom / humblesse / estaat / and heigh kynrede
Fredom / and al / that longeth to that art
So Iuppiter / haue of my soule part
As in this world / right now ne knowe I non
1930
So worthy to been loued / as Palamon
That serueth yow / and wol doon al his lyf
And if þt euere / ye shal been a wyf
Foryet nat Palamon / the gentil man
And with that word / his speche faille gan
1935
For from his feet vp to his brest was come
The coold of deeth / þt hadde hym ouercome
And yet moore ouer / for in his armes two
The vital strengthe / is lost and al ago
Oonly the Intellect with oute moore
1940
That dwelled in his herte / syk and soore
Gan faillen / whan the herte felte deeth
Dusked hise eyen two / and fayled breeth
But on his lady / yet caste he his eye
His laste word / was mercy Emelye
1945
His spirit chaunged hous / and wente ther
As I cam neuere / I kan nat tellen wher
Therfore I stynte / I nam no dyuynystre
Of soules / fynde I nat in this Registre
Ne me ne lyst / thilke opynyons to telle
1950
Of hem / thogh þt they writen wher they dwelle
Arcite is coold / ther Mars his soule gye
Now wol I speken / forth of Emelye