| This wrecched worldes transmutacioun, |
| As wele or wo, now povre and now honour, |
| Withouten ordre or wys discrecioun |
| Governed is by Fortunes errour. |
| 5 | But natheles, the lak of hir favour |
| Ne may nat don me singen though I dye, |
| Jay tout perdu mon temps et mon labour; |
| For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye. |
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| Yit is me left the light of my resoun |
| 10 | To knowen frend fro fo in thy mirour. |
| So muchel hath yit thy whirling up and doun |
| Ytaught me for to knowen in an hour. |
| But trewely, no force of thy reddour |
| To him that over himself hath the maystrye. |
| 15 | My suffisaunce shal be my socour, |
| For fynally Fortune, I thee defye. |
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| O Socrates, thou stidfast champioun, |
| She never mighte be thy tormentour; |
| Thou never dreddest hir oppressioun, |
| 20 | Ne in hir chere founde thou no savour. |
| Thou knewe wel the deceit of hir colour, |
| And that hir moste worshipe is to lye. |
| I knowe hir eek a fals dissimulour, |
| For fynally, Fortune, I thee defye! |
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| 25 | No man is wrecched but himself it wene, |
| And he that hath himself hath suffisaunce. |
| Why seystow thanne I am to thee so kene, |
| That hast thyself out of my governaunce? |
| Sey thus: "Graunt mercy of thyn haboundaunce |
| 30 | That thou hast lent or this." Why wolt thou stryve? |
| What wostow yit how I thee wol avaunce? |
| And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve. |
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| I have thee taught divisioun bitwene |
| Frend of effect and frend of countenaunce; |
| 35 | Thee nedeth nat the galle of noon hyene, |
| That cureth eyen derked for penaunce; |
| Now seestow cleer that were in ignoraunce. |
| Yit halt thyn ancre and yit thou mayst arryve |
| Ther bountee berth the keye of my substaunce, |
| 40 | And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve. |
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| How many have I refused to sustene |
| Sin I thee fostred have in thy plesaunce. |
| Woltow than make a statut on thy quene |
| That I shal been ay at thyn ordinaunce? |
| 45 | Thou born art in my regne of variaunce, |
| Aboute the wheel with other most thou dryve. |
| My lore is bet than wikke is thy grevaunce, |
| And eek thou hast thy beste frend alyve. |
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| Thy lore I dampne; it is adversitee. |
| 50 | My frend maystow nat reven, blind goddesse; |
| That I thy frendes knowe, I thanke it thee. |
| Tak hem agayn, lat hem go lye on presse. |
| The negardye in keping hir richesse |
| Prenostik is thou wolt hir tour assayle; |
| 55 | Wikke appetyt comth ay before syknesse. |
| In general, this reule may nat fayle. |
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| Thou pinchest at my mutabilitee |
| For I thee lente a drope of my richesse, |
| And now me lyketh to withdrawe me. |
| 60 | Why sholdestow my realtee oppresse? |
| The see may ebbe and flowen more or lesse; |
| The welkne hath might to shyne, reyne, or hayle; |
| Right so mot I kythen my brotelnesse. |
| In general, this reule may nat fayle. |
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| 65 | Lo, th' execucion of the majestee |
| That al purveyeth of his rightwysnesse, |
| That same thing "Fortune" clepen ye, |
| Ye blinde bestes ful of lewednesse. |
| The hevene hath propretee of sikernesse, |
| 70 | This world hath ever resteles travayle; |
| Thy laste day is ende of myn intresse. |
| In general, this reule may nat fayle. |
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| Princes, I prey you of your gentilesse |
| Lat nat this man on me thus crye and pleyne, |
| 75 | And I shal quyte you your bisinesse |
| At my requeste, as three of you or tweyne, |
| And but you list releve him of his peyne, |
| Preyeth his beste frend of his noblesse |
| That to som beter estat he may atteyne. |