Chaucer Texts
eChaucer ¤ Chaucer in the Twenty-First Century
| The Complaint of Chaucer to His Purse | |
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| To yow, my purse, and to noon other wight |
| Complayne I, for ye be my lady dere. |
| I am so sory, now that ye been lyght; |
| For certes but yf ye make me hevy chere, |
| 5 | Me were as leef be layd upon my bere; |
| For which unto your mercy thus I crye, |
| Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye. |
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| Now voucheth sauf this day or hyt be nyght |
| That I of yow the blisful soun may here |
| 10 | Or see your colour lyk the sonne bryght |
| That of yelownesse hadde never pere. |
| Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere. |
| Quene of comfort and of good companye, |
| Beth hevy ageyn, or elles moot I dye. |
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| 15 | Now purse that ben to me my lyves lyght |
| And saveour as doun in this world here, |
| Out of this toune helpe me thurgh your myght, |
| Syn that ye wole nat ben my tresorere; |
| For I am shave as nye as any frere. |
| 20 | But yet I pray unto your curtesye, |
| Beth hevy agen, or elles moot I dye. |
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| O conquerour of Brutes Albyon, |
| Which that by lyne and free eleccion |
| Been verray kyng, this song to yow I sende, |
| 25 | And ye, that mowen alle oure harmes amende, |
| Have mynde upon my supplicacion. |