Chaucer: Truth

Truth (circa late 14 C)

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Flee fro the prees and dwelle with sothfastnesse;

Suffyce unto thy thing, though it be smal,

For hord hath hate, and climbing tikelnesse,

Prees hath envye, and wele blent overal.

Savour no more than thee bihove shal,

Reule wel thyself that other folk canst rede,

And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede. Tempest thee noght al croked to redresse

In trust of hir that turneth as a bal;

Gret reste stant in litel besinesse.

Be war therfore to sporne ayeyns an al,

Stryve not, as doth the crokke with the wal.

Daunte thyself, that dauntest otheres dede,

And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede. That thee is sent, receyve in buxumnesse;

The wrastling for this world axeth a fal.

Her is non hoom, her nis but wildernesse:

Forth, pilgrim, forth! Forth, beste, out of thy stal!

Know thy contree, look up, thank God of al;

Hold the heye wey and lat thy gost thee lede,

And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede.

Therfore, thou Vache, leve thyn old wrecchednesse;

Unto the world leve now to be a thral.

Crye him mercy, that of his hy goodnesse

Made thee of noght, and in especial

Draw unto him, and pray in general

For thee, and eek for other, hevenlich mede;

And trouthe thee shal delivere, it is no drede.

(...) “Truth” is also sometimes called the “Balade de Bon Conseyl” (Ballad of Good Counsel). It is Chaucer’s most popular lyric. No specific date, occasion, or source can be assigned to it, but we can place it somewhere in the 1380s-90s. In his ballad, Chaucer explores what truth is spiritually, ethically, and metaphysically. The narrator of the poem states that we should not seek out the rewards of fortune in this life, because our true home is in heaven; on earth we are only pilgrims journeying towards a higher love. We are sent here to do good, live a simple life not beyond our means, and keep God at the center of our existence. This poem is based on John 8:32, which states: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”.

“Truth” is written as four stanzas with seven lines each. I have omitted the final stanza, an envoy to Chaucer’s contemporary, Sir Philip la Vache, which occurs in only one of the extant two dozen manuscripts containing the poem and which may not have been written by Chaucer. The meter is iambic pentameter (with some variations, including an alexandrine—iambic hexameter—in the refrain or final line of each stanza). The rhyme scheme is ABABBCC—a seven-line stanza invented by Chaucer called rime royal, inspired by Dante’s ottava rima. - Marc Guidry, Praying with the Poets, April 13, 2014

A translation: A Clerk of Oxford (2012)

Eleanor Parker

Flee the crowd, and dwell with truth; let what you have be sufficient for you, though it be small, for greed breeds hate and ambition instability. The crowd is envious, and prosperity blinds more than anything else. Enjoy no more than is proper for you; govern yourself, if you would govern others, and truth shall set you free, there is no doubt.

Do not distress yourself in righting every wrong, or trusting to Fortune who turns like a spinning ball. Much joy resides in little trouble. Beware therefore of kicking against a spike; do not strive like a pot against a wall. Control yourself, if you would control others' actions; and truth shall set you free, there is no doubt.

Whatever is sent to you, receive it obediently; wrestling for the world is just asking for a fall. Here there is no home, here is nothing but a wilderness; forth, pilgrim, forth! forth, beast, out of your stall! Know your own country, look up! thank God for everything. Keep to the highway, and let your soul lead you; and truth shall set you free, there is no doubt.

Therefore, Vache, leave your former misery; cease to be a slave to the world. Beg him for mercy who for his great goodness made you out of nothing, and most of all draw towards him, and pray for heavenly reward both for yourself and for others. And truth shall set you free, there is no doubt.