From The Legend of Good Women (Translation)
VII. The Legend of Philomela
Incipit Legenda Philomene.
Deus dator formarum.*
You giver of its forms to matter, who has created the beautiful world, and eternally bore it in your mind before you did begin your work, why did you make to the shame of man--or even if it were not your doing to create such a thing for that end--why did you allow Tereus to be born, who was so false and deceitful in love that when people mention his name, all things from this world up to the highest heaven are corrupted? So grisly was his act that, as for me, when I read his foul story, my eyes grew foul and sore. Even now the venom of so long ago lasts and infects any who will behold the story of Tereus of whom I tell. 2243
He was lord of Thrace, and kin to the cruel god Mars, who stands with bloody spear. And with blissful cheer he had wedded King Pandion's fair sweet daughter, who was named Procne, the flower of her country (though Juno cared not to be at the festival, nor Hymen, who is the god of marriage; but ready at the feast, in truth, were the three furies with their deadly torch; the owl, prophet of woe and misfortune, all night fluttered among the roof-beams). The revels, with much singing and dancing, lasted a fortnight or a little less. 2256
But to pass soon over this history, for I am weary to tell of him, five years he and his wife lived together, until one day she began to yearn so sorely to see her sister, whom she had not seen for a long while, that for her desire she did not know what to say. But she begged her husband for God's love that she might once go to see her sister and return directly; or else, if she could not go to her sister, Procne asked him to send after her. And this was continually her petition day by day, with all wifely meekness in word and expression. 2269
This Tereus had his ships made ready, and fared forth himself to Greece to his father-in-law, and prayed him to grant that Philomela, his wife's sister, might just this one time have a sight of Procne, his wife, for a month or two. "And she shall directly return to you; I myself will both come and go with her, and I will guard her as my heart's life." 2278
This aged Pandion, this king, began to weep for tenderness of feeling when he thought to give his daughter permission to go; in this entire world he loved nothing as much. But at last she got permission, for with salty tears she sought from her father the gift to see her sister, whom she longed after so; and she embraced him with her two arms. And she was so young and beautiful as well that when Tereus beheld her beauty, and that she had no peer in attire, and that she was yet twice as rich in goodness, he so set his fiery heart upon her that he wished have her, howsoever it should happen. And with his wiles he kneeled and prayed until at last Pandion spoke thus: "Now, son," he said, "so dear to me, I commit to you my young daughter here, who bears the key of all my heart. Greet well my daughter and your spouse, and give her leave to follow her pleasure sometime, that she may see me once before I die." 2301
And in truth he made splendid entertainment for him and for his people, great and small, who had come with him; and gave him costly gifts, and conveyed him through the chief street of Athens, and escorted him to the sea, and returned home; Pandion suspected no evil. 2307
The oars speedily pulled the vessel on, and at last it arrived in Thrace. And up into a forest he led her and secretly hastened into a dark cave, and there, whether she wished to remain there or not, he ordered her to remain. At this her heart shuddered, and she said, "Where is my sister, brother Tereus?" 2315
And at that she wept tenderly, and trembled with fear, pale and piteous just like the lamb that is bitten by the wolf; or like the dove stricken by the eagle, that escapes from his claws, yet is dazed and afraid lest it be seized again, even so she sat. But it could not be otherwise, this was all: by force this betrayer did his deed, all in spite of her. Lo! Here was a manly deed, and a righteous one! She cried, "Sister!'" with a loud voice, and "Father dear!" and "God in heaven, help me!" All of these did not avail her. And this false thief did this lady still more harm, out of fear lest she should cry out his shame and openly disgrace him, and he cut off her tongue with his sword; and in a castle he put her secretly in prison for evermore and kept her in possession, so that she could never escape him. 2338
Ah, hapless Philomela, woeful is your heart! May God avenge you and grant you your prayer! Now it is time I made a brief end. 2341
This Tereus came to his wife and took her in his arms and wept piteously and shook his head, and swore to her he found her sister was no more. At this, the luckless Procne was so woeful that her sorrowful heart nearly broke in two. And thus I leave Procne in her tears, and will tell mor about her sister. 2349
This woeful lady had learned in her youth to make embroidery, and in her frame weave tapestry, as women have long been accustomed to do. And, to tell it briefly, she had her fill of food and drink, and clothing at her desire, and could also read and compose a thing well enough, but truly she could not write with a pen; but she knew how to weave letters back and forth, so that by the time the year was all gone, she had woven on a large woolen cloth how she had been brought in a ship from Athens, and taken into a cave; and well she wove all that Tereus had done and composed the story on the top, how she had been treated because she loved her sister. And then she gave a ring to a page, and by signs asked him to go to the queen and take to her that tapestry, and by signs she swore many oaths to him that she would give him whatever she could obtain. 2370
This page directly went to the queen and gave it her, and told her everything about it. And when Procne beheld this thing, for sorrow and frenzy as well she spoke no word, but pretended to go on a pilgrimage to the temple of Bacchus. And in a little while she found her mute sister sitting weeping all by herself in the castle. Alas, for the woe, lament, and moan that Procne voiced over her dumb sister! Each took the other in her arms; and thus I leave them in their sorrow. 2382
The rest of the story it matters not to tell,* for this is the sum of it, that she who never merited the wickedness of this cruel man, nor caused him any harm that she knew of, was treated this way. May you beware of man, if you wish. For albeit he wishes not for shame to act as Tereus did, lest he lose his fair reputation, or treat you as a villain or murderer, yet you shall find him true for only a short time. This I say, even if he ere now my own brother--unless it should happen that he can find no new love.* 2393
Explicit Legenda Philomene.*
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51 Incipit Legenda Philomene. Deus dator formarum. Here begins the Legend of Philomela. God is the giver of forms. The latter is a quote from Plato.
52 Rest of the story. Actually the rest of the story includes the meal of the flesh of Tereus' son Itys that the two sisters serve to Procne. Upon the revelation that this is what he is eating, he attacks them in his rage and the three of them are transformed into birds (Philomela into the Nightingale, Procne into the swallow, and Tereus in the hoopoe).
53 Unless it happens that he can find no new love. In other words, "he will treat you badly, except in the rare occasion that he can not find a new love, for whom he will soon leave you."
54 Explicit Legenda Philomene. Here ends the Legend of Philomela.
Translated and Edited by Gerard NeCastro
© Copyright, 2007, All Rights Reserved
Citation. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Legend of Good Women. NeCastro, Gerard, ed. and trans. eChaucer: https://www.echaucer.com. [Site Visit Date.]
