Classic Poem

How shall I report
All the goodly sort
Of her features clear,
That hath none earthly peer?
Her favour of her face,
Ennewed with all grace,
Comfort, pleasure, and solace,
Mine heart doth so embrace,
And so hath ravished me,
Her to behold and see,
That, in wordes plain,
I cannot me refrain
To look on her again.
Alas, what should I feign?
It were a pleasant pain
With her aye to remain.
Her eyen gray and steep
Causeth mine heart to leap.
With her browes bent,
She may well represent
Fair Lucres, as I ween,
Or else fair Polexene,
Or else Caliope,
Or else Penolope;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina
O gloriosa femina,
Memor esto verbi tui servo tuo!
Servus tuus sum ego.
The Indy sapphire blue
Her veines doth ennew,
The orient pearl so clear
The whiteness of her leer;
The lusty ruby ruds
Resemble the rose-buds;
Her lipes soft and merry
Embloomed like the cherry,
It were an heavenly bliss
Her sugared mouth to kiss.
Her beauty to augment,
Dame Nature hath her lent
A wart upon her cheek,
Who so list to seek,
In her visage a scar,
That seemeth from afar
Like to the radiant star,
All with favour fret,
So properly it is set.
She is the violet,
The daisy delectable,
The columbine commendable,
The jelofer amiable;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina
O gloriosa femina,
Bonitatem fecisti cum servo tuo, domina,
Et ex praecordiis sonant praeconia.
And when I perceived
Her wart, and conceived,
It cannot be denayed
But it was well conveyed,
And set so womanly,
And nothing wantonly,
But right conveniently,
And full congruently,
As Nature could devise,
In most goodly wise.
Who so list behold,
It maketh lovers bold
To her to sue for grace,
Her favour to purchase.
The scar upon her chin,
Enhached on her fair skin,
Whiter than the swan,
It would make any man
To forget deadly sin,
Her favour to win;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina
O gloriosa femina,
Defecit in salutare tuum anima mea.
Quid petis filio, mater dulcissuma? ba ba,
Soft, and make no din,
For now I will begin
To have in remembrance
Her goodly dalliance
And her goodly pastance.
So sad and so demure,
Behaving her so sure,
With wordes of pleasure
She would make to the lure,
And any man convert
To give her his whole heart.
She made me sore amazed,
Upon her when I gazed,
Me thought mine heart was crazed,
My eyen were so dazed;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina,
O gloriosa femina,
Quomodo dilexi legem tuam, domina!
Recedant vetera, nova sint omnia.
And to amend her tale,
When she list to avale,
And with her fingers small
And handes soft as silk,
Whiter than the milk,
That are so quickly veined,
Wherewith my hand she strained,
Lord, how I was pained!
Unneth I me refrained,
How she me had reclaimed
And me to her retained,
Embracing therewithal
Her goodly middle small
With sides long and straight.
To tell you what conceit
I had then in a trice,
The matter were too nice,
And yet there was no vice,
Nor yet no villainy,
But only fantasy;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina
O gloriosa femina,
Iniquos odio habui.
Non calumnientur me superbi.
But whereto should I note
How often did I tote
Upon her pretty foot?
It raised mine heart root
To see her tread the ground
With heeles short and round.
She is plainly express
Egeria, the goddess,
And like to her image
Importuned with courage,
A lovers' pilgrimage.
There is no beast savage,
Nor no tiger so wood,
But she would change his mood,
Such relucent grace
Is formed in her face;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina
O gloriosa femina,
Mirabilia testimonia tua!
Sicut novellae plantationes in juventute sua.
So goodly as she dresses,
So properly she presses
The bright golden tresses
Of her hair so fine,
Like Phebus' beames shine.
Whereto should I disclose
The gartering of her hose?
It is for to suppose
How that she can wear
Gorgeously her gear,
Her fresh habiliments,
With other implements
To serve for all intents,
Like Dame Flora, queen
Of lusty summer green;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina
O gloriosa femina,
Clamavi in toto corde, exaudi me!
Misericordia tua magna est super me.
Her kirtle so goodly laced,
And under that is braced
Such pleasures that I may
Neither write nor say;
Yet, though I write not with ink,
No man can let me think,
For thought hath liberty,
Thought is frank and free;
To think a merry thought,
It cost me little nor nought.
Would God mine homely style
Were polished with the file
Of Cicero's eloquence,
To praise her excellence;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina,
O gloriosa femina,
Principes persecuti sunt me gratis.
Omnibus consideratis,
Paradisus voluptatis
Haec virgo est dulcissima.
My pen it is unable,
My hand it is unstable,
My reason rude and dull,
To praise her at the full,
Goodly mistress Jane,
Sober, demure Diane.
Jane this mistress hight,
The lodestar of delight,
Dame Venus of all pleasure,
The well of worldly treasure.
She doth exceed and pass
In prudence dame Pallas;
For this most goodly flower,
This blossom of fresh colour,
So Jupiter me succour,
She flourisheth new and new
In beauty and virtue.
Hac claritate gemina
O gloriosa femina!
Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine!
With this psalm, Domine probasti me,
Shall I sail over the sea,
With Tibi, Domine, commendamus,
On pilgrimage to saint James,
For shrimpes and for pranes,
And for stalking cranes,
And where my pen hath offended,
I pray you it may be amended
By discreet consideration
Of your wise reformation.
I have not offended, I trust,
If it be sadly discussed.
It were no gentle guise
This treatise to despise,
Because I have written and said
Honour of this fair maid.
Wherefore should I be blamed,
That I Jane have named,
And famously proclaimed?
She is worthy to be enrolled
With letters of gold.
Car elle vault.