Term
When that Aprill, with his shoures soote
The droughte of March hath perced to the roote |
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Definition
When in April the sweet showers fall
That pierce March's drought to the root and all |
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Term
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
of which vertu engendered is the flour |
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Definition
And bathed every vein in strong liquor
to generate therein and sire the flower |
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Term
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth |
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Definition
When Zephyr also has with his sweet breath
Filled again, in every holt and heath |
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Term
The tendre crops, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the ram his half cours yronne |
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Definition
The tender shoots and leaves and the young son
His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run |
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Term
And smale foweles maken melodye
That slepen al the nyght with open eye- |
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Definition
And many little birds make melody
that sleep through all the night with open eye |
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Term
So priketh hem Nature in hir corages
thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages |
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Definition
So Nature pricks them on to ramp and rage
Then folk do long to go on pilgrimage |
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Term
And plameres for to seken straunge strondes
to ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes |
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Definition
And palmers to go seeking out strange strands
to distant shrines well known in distant lands |
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Term
And specially from every shires ende
of Engelond, to Canterbury they wende |
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Definition
And specially from every shire's end
of england they to canterbury went |
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Term
the hooly blisful martir for to seke
that hem hath holpen, whan that they were seeke |
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Definition
the holy blessed martyr there to seek
who helped them when they lay so ill and weak |
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Term
Bifil that in that seson, on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay |
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Definition
It happened that, in that season, on a day
In Southwark, at the Tabard, as I lay |
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Term
Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
To Cantwrbury with ful devout corage |
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Definition
Ready to go on pilgrimage and start
To Canterbury, full devout at heart |
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Term
At nyght was come into that hostelrye
wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye |
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Definition
There came at nightfall to that hostelry
some nine and twenty in a company |
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Term
of sondry folk, by adventure yfalle
in fellawshippe, and pilgrimes were they al |
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Definition
of sundry persons who had chanced to fall
in fellowship, and pilgrims were they all |
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Term
The toward Canterbury wolden ryde.
The chambres and stables weren wyde. |
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Definition
That toward Canterbury town would ride.
The rooms and stables spacious were and wide |
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Term
And well we weren esed atte beste;
And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste |
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Definition
And well we there were eased, and of the best
And briefly, when the sun had gone to rest |
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Term
So hadde I spoken with hem everichon
that i was of hir felawshipe anon |
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Definition
So had I spoken with the, every one,
that i was of their fellowship anon |
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Term
And made forward erly for to rise
to take our way, ther as I yow devise |
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Definition
And made agreement that we'd early rise
to take the road, as I will to you apprise |
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Term
But natheless, will I have tyme and space
er that I further in this tale pace |
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Definition
But nonetheless whilst I have time and space
before yet further in this tale I pace |
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Term
Er that I ferther in this tale pace
Me thynketh it acourdant to resoun |
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Definition
Before yet further in this tale I pace
It seems to me in accord with reason |
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Term
To telle yow al the condicoun
of each of hem so as it semed me |
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Definition
to describe to you the state of every one
of each of them, as it appeared to me |
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Term
and whiche they weren, and of what degree,
and eek in what array that they were inne;
and at a knyght than wol I first bigynne |
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Definition
And who they were, and what was their degree,
And even what clothes they were dressed in;
And with a knight thus will I first begin |
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