I did not break the Rose

From high emprize a glory sweet and excellent
Within me Love to light hath brought;
I sigh for heart's delight, whene'er I call to mind
How, for love's sweet distress, Love did to me present,
Even as my heart had fondly sought,
A gentle lady, whom I vaunt o'er all her kind;
Yet is she safe from being wronged by me, I swear.
She gave me bitter woe along with pleasure fair:
This evermore I needs must bear.
Who takes it ill, I little care!

'Twas my heart bade me get to know my lady dear,
(Blest am I, blest for evermore!)
My whole desire, my bliss complete, mine eyes' delight.
When through mine eyes she came and reached my heart in here,
More eagerly than e'er before,
Aye, and too long, I wooed that charming lady bright
My heart and soul I gave to her in service true,—
To her, from whom my joys all took their rise and grew.
She hath made me, my whole life through,
Glad, yet I suffer for it too.

Even as a rosebud, which from out its sheath slips forth,
Because it craves the fresh, sweet dew,
She offered me her mouth all sugar-sweet and red.
No bliss that ever mortal won is aught of worth
Compared to that, from her I drew
Such aid and solace; ah, that hour unequalled!
Never could mortal man conceive or fully say
What living bliss her grace brought to the light of day.
Pleasure with pain was chased away,—
The pleasure sad, the pain was gay.

With wantonness Love cannot charge me, surely not!
Although I held in close embrace
Her lovely form, fresh, tender, dear and sweet.
To wrong her modesty my will ne'er strove a jot,
Save that my lady in her grace
Came to my heart and entered in with love complete.
This will of mine brought both my heart and eyes distress;
Wroth was my body, that I shunned that sweet caress.
'Twas perfect love that did repress
The deed, and her pure worthiness.

Now praise to him, who tends his lady even so
As I that dainty fruit and rare!
I did not break the rose and yet I had the power.
She held my heart and holds it still, where'er I go.
When I recall her, sweet and fair,
Joys come upon me then in such a plenteous shower
That, for my dear delight, I cannot speak and tell
That perfect bliss, that dawn of day desirable.
No mortal's lot could e'er excel
Mine, when my lady used me well!