The Perilous Fountain with the Charter of Love

Dressed in purple and in friezes
And in much mystical plumage,
Who, having learned their songs,
Attuned them to their music.
This likely refers back to the birds described on the previous page, suggesting they are either metaphorical figures or part of an elaborate, symbolic courtly display.

¶ The gracious song that I heard
Placed a sweet memory in my heart;
Remaining in my seat, I leaned back
To support my head a little.
Soon I saw coming toward me
A youth of such nobility,
original: "iouuencel." A term for a young man, often of noble birth, who has not yet reached full adulthood or knighthood.
Who seemed, by his bearing,
To have a bounty of goodness in his heart.

¶ But when I saw him closer,
I marveled greatly at his beauty;
His body was perfectly proportioned,
original: "faict par deuiz." Literally "made by design," suggesting he was crafted with ideal mathematical or artistic precision, much like the fountain mentioned previously.
His color lively and quite rosy;
original: "vermeille." A healthy, reddish complexion was considered a mark of beauty and vitality in the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
His face was unlike any other,
His eyes were green and without flaw;
original: "yeulx vers." In medieval literature, "green" or "vair" eyes (often a bright hazel, gray, or sea-green) were considered a sign of exceptional beauty and a lively spirit.
In short, let whoever will believe me:
In him there was only perfection.

¶ In many different ways consisted
All his garments and his manner;
I do not know what this signified,
For I did not understand the matter at all.
His tongue was sound and whole;
He knew how to speak many languages.
The youth's ability to speak many languages and his mysterious, symbolic clothing suggest he may be an allegory for Eloquence, Mercury (the messenger god), or a personification of Human Knowledge.