Appendix

Summary

De amore mundi cancio de coloribus (Třeboň A 4 manuscript, folio 97v).

All the colors in the field that grow

In the earth the world to show

God's glory and his will to know.

I will explicate their meaning in a row:

Wise men praise the color blue,

Never tarnished, always new.

Whate’er it does is always true;

Worthy of kings and princes too.

Good hope means the color white,

That easily sullies, less than bright.

Many blame it but not aright

For turning joy to sadness, day to night.

Over-reaching is the color grey.

True love alone can show the way

And only love has solid weight.

Beware the assassin's hate.

The color red burns for all to see.

True love is equal to the sea.

Whoever courts her, prepare to be

Forever sad and full of grief.

The color green is cheap of price,

Turns virtue quickly into vice.

To watch it may be very nice:

But soon turns virtue into vice.

The color purple is known to all;

She bears her secrets like a pall.

Those who know true love will fall

Into her trap and taste her gall.

The color black sadness breeds,

Fitting for a widow's weeds.

Whoever on grief and mourning feeds

Shows this color in his deeds.

The color yellow, I am bound to say,

Gossips badly night and day.

Many a maid and lady may

Be wounded by its cunning way.

The flower blue I must embrace.

Blessed he who feels her grace.

Her loving look and loving face

Will always be my true solace.