Alexis stanzas 21-29

21.

a. Now I will return to the father and to the mother

b. And to the spouse who was left alone.

c. When they learned that he had fled,

d. There was a great sadness that they thence displayed

e. And great lamentation throughout the entire country.

22.

a. The father said this: “Dear son, how have I lost you?”

b. The mother responded: “Wretched as I am, what has happened?”

c. The spouse said this: “Sin has taken him from me.

d. O! Dear beloved, for so little I had you!

e. Now I am so sad as I will never more able to be.”

23.

a. Then the father took some of his best servants,

b. Throughout many lands he had them search for his child;

c. As far as Sis two thence arrived quickly,

d. There they found lord Alexis sitting,

e. But they neither recognized his face nor his appearance.

24.

a. The child changed his delicate flesh.

b. Nor did his father’s two servants recognize him,

c. To him himself they gave alms:

 d. He accepted it like the other brothers.

e. They didn’t recognize him, they turned invariably back.

i. They went at once

25.

a. They didn’t recognize him nor did they identify him:

b. Alexis thanked thence the God of heaven

c. For the servants of whom he is a mendicant;

i. “recipient of viands”

d. Nor am I able to say to you how happy he was for this:

e. He was their lord, now he is their beggar.

26.

a. The men returned to the city Rome,

b. They announced to the father that they couldn’t find him:

c. He was thus sad, one mustn’t question him;

i. One mustn’t question that fact

d. The good mother thence began to lament that fact

e. And repeatedly to weep over her dear son:

i. wail

27.

a. “My son Alexis, why did your mother bear you?

b. You have fled from me, I am left despairing,

i. grieving

c. I neither know the place nor do I know the country

 d. Where I might go to seek you, I am thus completely lost:

e. I will never be happy, dear son, nor will your father be.”

28.

a. She went in the chamber full of sorrow,

b. And she despaired at it because there remained no one there

i. She so disornamented it that nothing remained there

c. There remained no drape there nor any ornament:

d. To such sadness she turned her mind,

e. That from that day she never behaved happily.

29.

a. “Chamber,” she said, “you will never be adorned,

b. Never will happiness be found within you.”

c. So she was destroyed as if an army had pillaged her,

i. She so destroyed it as if an army had pillaged it

d. She had sacs and torn rags hang there,

e. Her great honor turned to great despair.

i. OR she turned her great honor ton great despair