Saturday, February 11, 2006

“steer” meaning “rudder” in Chaucer

...among the Middle English tidbits noticed in Chaucer’s “Complaint to His Purse”—a poem he wrote to the king to oh-so-subtly suggest that the king was behind on his payments to Chaucer. Upon receiving this poem, the king paid up.

The ME text with this gloss:

To yow, my purse, and to noon other wight
To you, my purse, and to none other wight[person],

Complayne I, for ye be my lady dere!
Complain I, for ye be my lady dear!

I am so sory, now that ye been lyght;
I am sorry now that ye be so light,

For certes, but ye make me hevy chere,
For certes ye now make me heavy cheer;

Me were as leef be layd upon my bere;
Me were as lief be laid upon my bier.

For which unto your mercy thus I crye:
For which unto your mercy thus I cry,

Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I dye!
Be heavy again, or elles must I die!

Now voucheth sauf this day, or yt be nyght,
Now vouchesafe this day, ere it be night,

That I of yow the blisful soun may here,
That I of you the blissful sound may hear,

Or see your colour lyk the sonne bryght,
Or see your colour like the sunne bright,

That of yelownesse hadde never pere.
That of yellowness hadde peer.

Ye be my lyf, ye be myn hertes stere,
Ye be my life! Ye be my hearte’s steer! [rudder]

Quene of comfort and of good companye:
Queen of comfort and of good company!

Beth hevy ageyn, or elles moote I dye!
Be heavy again, or elles must I die!

Now purse, that ben to me my lyves lyght
Now, purse! that art to me my life’s light

And saveour, as doun in this world here,
And savour, as down in this worlde here,

Out of this toune helpe me thurgh your myght,
Out of this towne help me through your might,

Syn that ye wole nat ben my tresorere;
Since that you will not be my treasurere;

For I am shave as nye as any frere.
For I am shave as nigh as any frere.

<1>

But yet I pray unto your curtesye:
But now I pray unto your courtesy,

Beth hevy agen, or elles moote I dye!
Be heavy again, or elles must I die!

Lenvoy de Chaucer
Chaucer’s Envoy to the King.

O conquerour of Brutes Albyon,
O conqueror of Brute’s Albion,

<2>

Which that by lyne and free eleccion
Which by lineage and free election

Been verray kyng, this song to yow I sende;
Be very king, this song to you I send;

And ye, that mowen alle oure harmes amende,
And ye which may all mine harm amend,

Have mynde upon my supplicacion!
Have mind upon my supplication!

—
from gloss page:

Notes to The Complaint of Chaucer to his Purse

1. “I am shave as nigh as any frere” i.e. “I am as bare of coin as
a friar’s tonsure of hair.”

2. Brute, or Brutus, was the legendary first king of Britain.

Posted by Nathan Bierma on 02/11 at 02:47 PM
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