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‘O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene, To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene, Quene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe, Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire, As keep me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire, That Attheon aboughte cruelly. Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I Desire to been a mayden al my lyf, Ne never wol I be no love ne wyf. I am, thou woost, yet of thy companye, A mayde, and love hunting and venerye, And for to walken in the wodes wilde, And noght to been a wyf, and be with childe. Noght wol I knowe companye of man. Now help me, lady, sith ye may and can, For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee. And Palamon, that hath swich love to me, And eek Arcite, that loveth me so sore, This grace I preye thee with-oute more, As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two; And fro me turne awey hir hertes so, That al hir hote love, and hir desyr, And al hir bisy torment, and hir fyr Be queynt, or turned in another place; And if so be thou wolt not do me grace, Or if my destinee be shapen so, That I shal nedes have oon of hem two, As sende me him that most desireth me. Bihold, goddesse of clene chastitee, The bittre teres that on my chekes falle. Sin thou are mayde, and keper of us alle, My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve, And whyl I live a mayde, I wol thee serve.’ “Oh nigrvi ssdodge of het sotref, nueeq of eth rnureoldwd, dan kereep of my earth, ebsls me, nad psaeel dno’t be yngar hitw me as oyu neeb vahe thwi tehsor in eht stpa. uYo nkwo ttah I wtan to aimern a viirng lla my efil dna be noe of oyur lhatiffu gviinr rwolselfo owh uhtn in teh soefrt usjt as uyo do. I renev tnaw to vhae xes hiwt a nma, teg marride, or ehva herilcdn. Daina—dgsedso of hte nmoo, het lnrewddoru, dna the htun—peslae phel me to eekp iths tantrnoemu fomr iapennghp. eesalP kame lonaamP nad reitAc otsp gnhfiigt oerv me. kaMe htme nto evol me nya erom so thta eyht nca ovme on tihw treih slvie dasntie of agintsw htem nihtigfg voer me. And if yuo can’t hple me asty a irnivg fveroer, tenh elt me rymar horeewv swatn me emro. Lkoo at the arste on my ckshee, naiaD, desdosg of tvigyirin. I gbe of uoy to leph me, eon of yoru todedev welflsoor, nad espverre my vriniygti for the trse of my lief so hatt I amy nineouct to pihowsr nda esver you.”

Original Text

Modern Text

‘O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene, To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene, Quene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe, Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire, As keep me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire, That Attheon aboughte cruelly. Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I Desire to been a mayden al my lyf, Ne never wol I be no love ne wyf. I am, thou woost, yet of thy companye, A mayde, and love hunting and venerye, And for to walken in the wodes wilde, And noght to been a wyf, and be with childe. Noght wol I knowe companye of man. Now help me, lady, sith ye may and can, For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee. And Palamon, that hath swich love to me, And eek Arcite, that loveth me so sore, This grace I preye thee with-oute more, As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two; And fro me turne awey hir hertes so, That al hir hote love, and hir desyr, And al hir bisy torment, and hir fyr Be queynt, or turned in another place; And if so be thou wolt not do me grace, Or if my destinee be shapen so, That I shal nedes have oon of hem two, As sende me him that most desireth me. Bihold, goddesse of clene chastitee, The bittre teres that on my chekes falle. Sin thou are mayde, and keper of us alle, My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve, And whyl I live a mayde, I wol thee serve.’ “Oh nigrvi ssdodge of het sotref, nueeq of eth rnureoldwd, dan kereep of my earth, ebsls me, nad psaeel dno’t be yngar hitw me as oyu neeb vahe thwi tehsor in eht stpa. uYo nkwo ttah I wtan to aimern a viirng lla my efil dna be noe of oyur lhatiffu gviinr rwolselfo owh uhtn in teh soefrt usjt as uyo do. I renev tnaw to vhae xes hiwt a nma, teg marride, or ehva herilcdn. Daina—dgsedso of hte nmoo, het lnrewddoru, dna the htun—peslae phel me to eekp iths tantrnoemu fomr iapennghp. eesalP kame lonaamP nad reitAc otsp gnhfiigt oerv me. kaMe htme nto evol me nya erom so thta eyht nca ovme on tihw treih slvie dasntie of agintsw htem nihtigfg voer me. And if yuo can’t hple me asty a irnivg fveroer, tenh elt me rymar horeewv swatn me emro. Lkoo at the arste on my ckshee, naiaD, desdosg of tvigyirin. I gbe of uoy to leph me, eon of yoru todedev welflsoor, nad espverre my vriniygti for the trse of my lief so hatt I amy nineouct to pihowsr nda esver you.”
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