Thomas Wyatt: Fruitless Fruit ("Avysing the bright bemes of these fayer Iyes")

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Fruit of the potato rose (Rosa rugosa), October, on the North Sea island Spiekeroog: photo by Jürgem Nowaldt, 2005

Avysing the bright bemes of these fayer Iyes
...where he is that mine oft moisteth & washeth
...the werid mynde streght from the hert dep[ar]teth
...for to rest in his woroldly p[ar]adise
And fynde the swete bitter vnder this gyse
...what webbe he hath wrought well he p[er]ceveth
...whereby with him self on love he playneth
...that spurreth with fyer and bridlith w[i]th Ise
Thus is it in suche extremitie brought
...in frossen though[t] nowe and nowe it stondeth in flame
...twyst misery and welth twist ernest & game
...But few glad and many dyvers thought
...with sore repentance of his hardines
...of suche a rote cometh ffruyte fruytles



Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542): Avysing the bright bemes of these fayer Iyes: transcription by Ricard Harrier (1975) from British Library Egerton MS 2711, fol. 22

Fruit (hips) of Rosa pimpinellifolia, growing in Newborough Warren, 16 October: photo by Velela, 2006

Mirando 'l sol de' begli occhi sereno,
Ove è chi spesso i miei depinge e bagna,
Dal cor l' anima stanca si scompagna
Per gir nel paradiso suo terreno.
Poi, trovandol di dolce e d' amar' pieno,
Quant' al mondo si tesse opra d' aragna
Vede; onde seco e con Amor si lagna,
Ch' à sí caldi gli spron, sí duro 'l freno.
Per questi estremi duo, contrari e misti,
Or con voglie gelate, or con accese
Stassi cosí fra misera e felice.
Ma pochi lieti, e molti penser tristi;
E 'l piú si pente de l' ardite imprese:
Tal frutto nasce di cotal radice.

Wyatt's source: Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca, 1304-1374): Canzoniere CLXXIII

Rose hip: photo by Elucidate, 2008



Rose hips, Sierra de Valdemeca, Cuenca, Spain, 29 October: photo by Retama, 2007