Ballad of Certain Bad Customs That Reign Now

Poem by Eustorg De Beaulieu Period 16th century

The times have greatly changed
If each one considers well
And no one knows any longer plainly
How he may disguise himself;
Such misery was never seen;
(God keep us from worse!)
For there is no one who fears to do wrong
Against God or his father and mother
Each one wants to scold each one.

No longer is a man esteemed now
Even had he the sense of Homer
If he is not rich and holding great wealth
Though he be a deceiver and forger.
And it is those whom people revere
Without daring to mock them,
But some poor man of good nature!
Be he noble, cleric, or mercenary,
Each one wants to scold each one.

Many chastise so gently
Their children that at last they make them do
Many fasts without commandment
And drive them from their dwelling,
And one can see clearly
Such a child who should still be nursing,
Who is a swearer, liar, cheat,
Drunkard, proud, fierce, austere;
Each one wants to scold each one.

Prince, our case is worth little
If we will look well,
And it is a pity, our affair
Seeing that, through great infamy,
Each one wants to scold each one.

Eustorg de Beaulieu

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-ballad-of-certain-bad-customs-that-reign-now-eustorg-de-beaulieu/