Now I see well that one must live in servitude

Poem by Jean-Antoine De Baïf Collection Loves of FrancinePeriod 16th century

Now I see well that one must live in servitude,
Farewell my liberty:
In the bonds of love’s rope
I remain bound.
I have knowledge
Of the power
Of a mistress,
Whom Love directs.
Oh how much a beauty can do over us!

I have seen the time when people said to me: Beware,
Love will punish you;
You laugh at him, you laugh, but however much he delays
He will laugh at you.
I said to them:
Before I be
By the arrow
That he hurls at hearts
Struck in the heart, the world will end.

But what have I done with my proud arrogance?
Where is that brave heart?
I know too late my foolish presumption,
Love, in your rigor.
I confess it,
A mistress
Beautiful and well-born
You have given me:
I am conquered, and you are the conqueror.

And what effort have I forgotten to make,
To break your prison?
And what remedy for my great contrary evil
To have healing?
But every pain
Has been vain to me.
There is no more time
For anyone to rescue me:
The poison has gained too much within me.

I well wanted myself to constrain myself
To hate Francine.
(Pardon Francine: and my evil is no less,
And I want to obey you)
Wherever I saw her,
From virtue vice
I wanted to make
To distract myself from it;
But it is in vain that I want to flee love.

Even thinking (oh execrable thought!)
To alleviate my torment,
I well dared by a defamatory verse
To want to outrage her.
But my martyrdom
Made me recant.
“” The true complaint
“” More than the feigned
“” Can of love the pain relieve.

You young people, whom Love already threatens,
Flee this false archer,
Flee his bow, run from place to place,
Do not let yourself be touched.
“” Since the arrow
“” Has made its breach,
“” It is great folly
“” If one thinks
“” After the shot to approach the shooter.

Happy he whom from another’s harm
“” Has made well advised:
If I could have early been wise
Before he had aimed,
More sound I would have been,
From him I would not have
Perhaps
What I endure:
I would not languish thus martyred!

Although my evil causes me a great martyrdom
In cruel rigor,
Happy truly to have it I can say
For so great worth.
I receive glory
From his victory:
“” Honor surmounts
“” The feeble shame
“” If one is vanquished by a brave victor.

Since my evil is so great that it refuses
The hope of healing,
I will do well, if gently I abuse
The effect of its poison.
“” Habituation
“” Gives relief,
“” When one supports
“” With strong virtue
“” What cannot be mended by reason.

Jean-Antoine de Baïf

Translation generated by Poésies 123 with assistance from the deepseek-chat artificial-intelligence model.

Text published on Poésies 123: https://www.poesies123.com/en/poem-now-i-see-well-that-one-must-live-in-servitude-jean-antoine-de-baif/