Haec ubi continuato dolore delatravi, illa vultu placido nihilque meis questibus mota: “Cum te,” inquit, “maestum lacrimantemque vidissem, ilico miserum exsulemque cognovi.
Sed quam id longinquum esset exilium, nisi tua prodidisset oratio, nesciebam.
Sed tu quam procul a patria non quidem pulsus es sed aberrasti; ac si te pulsum existimari mavis, te potius ipse pepulisti.
Nam id quidem de te numquam cuiquam fas fuisset.
Si enim cuius oriundo sis patriae reminiscare, non uti Atheniensium quondam multitudinis imperio regitur, sed εἷς κοίρανός ἐστιν, εἷς βασιλεύς qui frequentia civium non depulsione laetetur; cuius agi frenis atque obtemperare iustitiae summa libertas est.
An ignoras illam tuae civitatis antiquissimam legem, qua sanctum est ei ius exulare non esse quisquis in ea sedem fundare maluerit?
Nam qui vallo eius ac munimine continetur, nullus metus est ne exul esse mereatur.
At quisquis eam inhabitare velle desierit, pariter desinit etiam mereri.
Hȩc ubi delatraui continuato dolore . illa uultu placido . nihilque mota meis questibus . inquit. Sô íh sús kescréiôta in áteháftemo sêre . dô sráh si mít hólt-lichemo ánalútte . únde únzórnegíu mînero chlágo. Cum uidissem te maestum et lacrimantem . ilico cognoui miserum exsulemque . i. a ratione remotum. Sô íh tíh êrest sáh trûregen . únde uuôfenten . sô uuíssa íh tíh sâr uuênegen . únde élelenden.
Sed nesciebam quam id longinquum esset id exilium . nisi tua prodidisset oratio. Íh neuuísse áber . uuîo férro dáz élelende uuâre . úbe mír iz tîn zála neóugti.
Sed tu quidem non pulsus es quam procul a patria . sed aberrasti. Tóh nebíst tu nîeht héimenân uérro uertríben . núbe írrondo ueruuállôt. At si mauis te existimari pulsum . ipse te potius expulisti. Uuíle du díh óuh chéden uertríbenen . táz tâte îo dû dir sêlbo. Tû hábest tíh sélbo uertríben.
Nam id quidem de te numquam cuiquam fas fuisset. Íz nemáhti nîoman ńderro getûon.
Si enim reminiscare . cuius patrie oriundus sis . non regitur imperio multitudinis . uti atheniensium. Uuíle du uuízen . uuánnân du búrtig sîst . târ neuuáltesôt nehéin mánegi nîeht . sô iz íu fûor ze / athenis tô ín lacedemones íro uîenda gesézzet hábetôn triginta dominos. Lís orosium . ér ságet tir iz. Sed éis kirîos éstin . éis basilues. Núbe éin hêrro íst târ . únde éin chúning.Qui lȩtetur frequentia ciuium . non depulsione. Tér sîne búrg-líute gérôr sámenôt . tánne uertrîbe. Cuius agi frenis . i. subici disciplinis . atque obtemperare iustitiȩ . summa libertas est. Tér démo dîenôt . únde úndertân íst . tér íst fóllûn urî.
An ignoras illam antiquissimam legem tuȩ ciuitatis . qua sanctum est . ei non esse ius exulare . quisquis maluerit fundare sedem in ea? Neuuéist tu uuîo iz fúnden íst . án dero búrg êo . dánnân du búrtig píst? so-uuér dâr-ínne uélle zímberôn . táz tér neuuérde ze ûz-tríppen getân.
Nam qui continetur uallo eius ac munimine. Tér dâr-ínne sízzet pezûndêr . únde beuéstenotêr. Nullus metus est . ne mereatur exul esse. Tér nefúrhtet tia íhseli nîeht.
At quisquis desierit uelle inhabitare in eam . pariter desinit etiam mereri. So-uuén áber nîeht nelústert târ/ínne ze bûenne . dér neîlet iz óuh nîeht keurêhtôn.
Puis que je oi dit ces chosez en breant par continuee douleur a guise de chien abaiant, elle o son voult pesible et neant esmeue par mes complaintes dist : « Comme je t’eusse veu triste et pleurant, je connui tantost que tu estoies chetis et exilliéz.
Mais je ne savoie pas combien lointieus fust cist exilz, se ta parole ne le m’eust monstré.
Mais certes tu n’es pas moult loing boutéz hors de ton pais, mais tu as failli. Et se tu veulz mieux cuider que tu en soies hors boutéz, tu meismes t’en as boutéz hors mieux que autres,
car nulz fors que tu ne peust onques avoir ce fait de toi.
Car se tu te remembres de quel pais tu as esté nez, il n’est pas gouvernés par empire ne par commandement de multitude, si comme fu jadis li pais des Atheniensiens, mais un seul en est sires, c’est un dieu qui s’esjoist du hanteiz et de la demourance de ses citeiens, non pas de bouter les hors en exil ; et est souveraine franchise de estre gouverné par les frains de celui et obeir a sa justice.
As tu donques oublié ou ne sces tu pas celle tres ancienne loy de ta cité par la quelle il est jugiés que quiconques voudra mieux ileuc fonder son siege et sa maison que ailleurs, il n’en a pooir de estre exilliéz ?
Car qui ou paliz et ou garnissement de celle cité est contenuz, il n’a nul paour que il deserve a estre exilliéz.
Mais qui laissera le vouloir de habiter dedens, il laisse aussi tost a deservir qu’il n’en puisse estre exilliéz.
Whan I hadde, with a continuel sorwe, sobbed or borken out thise thinges, she with hir chere pesible , and no-thing amoeved with my compleintes, seide thus : ‘Whan I say thee,’ quod she, ‘sorweful and wepinge, I wiste anon that thou were a wrecche and exiled ;
but I wiste never how fer thyne exile was, yif thy tale ne hadde shewed it to me.
But certes, al be thou fer fro thy contree, thou nart nat put out of it ; but thou hast failed of thy weye and gon amis. And yif thou hast lever for to wene that thou be put out of thy contree, than hast thou put out thy-self rather than any other wight hath.
For no wight but thy-self ne mighte never han don that to thee.
For yif thou remembre of what contree thou art born, it nis nat governed by emperours, ne by governement of multitude, as weren the contrees of hem of Athenes ; but oo lord and oo king, and that is god, that is lord of thy contree, whiche that reioyseth him of the dwelling of hise citezenes, and nat for to putte hem in exil ; of the whiche lorde it is a soverayne fredom to be governed by the brydel of him and obeye to his Iustice.
Hastow foryeten thilke right olde lawe of thy citee, in the whiche citee it is ordeined and establisshed, that for what wight that hath lever founden ther-in his sete or his hous than elles-wher, he may nat be exiled by no right from that place ?
For who-so that is contened in-with the palis and the clos of thilke citee, ther nis no drede that he may deserve to ben exiled.
But who-so that leteth the wil for to enhabite there, he forleteth also to deserve to ben citezein of thilke citee.
This when with contynuall wo I had burst out, seing her with mylde countenance nothing mooued with my mones: ‘when thè,” quoth she, “sad & wayling I sawe, straight a wretch & exule, I knew thè.
but, how farre of thy banishment was, but that thou toldste, I knew not.
but thou, how farre from countrey art not expulst, but strayed, yet if thou hadst it rather be thought expulst, thou thy self haste throwne it.
for that for other was neuer lawfull than thè, to doo.
for if thou remember from what countrey thou cammest, not guyded as Athens was, by rule of multitude, but one King & Ruler, that Joyeth more in subiectes nomber than their expulse: with shose raynes to be guyded & Justice obeyde, is greatest libertie.
Art thou ignorant of the auncientest law of thy Citie, which commaundz that no man may be banisht from it, Whoso choosith there to build a seate?
for who so in her trench & surety is conteynde, no feare shall haue, nor exul deserues to be.
but who so leaves to will her habitation, wantes allso deseruith;
Complete text
Book I: THE SORROWS OF BOETHIUS