CANTERBURY TALES' PROLOGUE

1. Original text:

GP 631 Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte,

GP 632 That hym myghte helpen of his whelkes white,

GP 633 Nor of the knobbes sittynge on his chekes.

GP 634 Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,

GP 635 And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;

GP 636 Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood.

GP 637 And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,

GP 638 Thanne wolde he speke no word but Latyn.

GP 639 A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,

GP 640 That he had lerned out of som decree --

GP 641 No wonder is, he herde it al the day;

GP 642 And eek ye knowen wel how that a jay

GP 643 Kan clepen " Watte " as wel as kan the pope.

GP 644 But whoso koude in oother thyng hym grope,

GP 645 Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophie;

GP 646 Ay " Questio quid iuris " wolde he crie.

GP 647 He was a gentil harlot and a kynde;

GP 648 A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde.

GP 649 He wolde suffre for a quart of wyn

GP 650 A good felawe to have his concubyn

GP 651 A twelf month, and excuse hym atte fulle;

GP 652 Ful prively a fynch eek koude he pulle.

GP 653 And if he foond owher a good felawe,

GP 654 He wolde techen him to have noon awe

GP 655 In swich caas of the ercedekenes curs,

GP 656 But if a mannes soule were in his purs;

GP 657 For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed be.

GP 658 " Purs is the ercedekenes helle, " seyde he.

GP 659 But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;

GP 660 Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man him drede,

GP 661 For curs wol slee right as assoillyng savith,

GP 662 And also war hym of a Significavit.

GP 663 In daunger hadde he at his owene gise

GP 664 The yonge girles of the diocise,

GP 665 And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed.

GP 666 A gerland hadde he set upon his heed,

GP 667 As greet as it were for an ale-stake.

GP 668 A bokeleer hadde he maad hym of a cake.

GP 669 With hym ther rood a gentil PARDONER

GP 670 Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,

GP 671 That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.

GP 672 Ful loude he soong " Com hider, love, to me! " 

GP 673 This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun;

GP 674 Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.

GP 675 This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,

GP 676 But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;

GP 677 By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,

GP 678 And therwith he his shuldres overspradde;

GP 679 But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon.

GP 680 But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,

2. Translation:

Nor ointment, that could cleanse and bite,

That might help him of his white pimples),

Nor of the boils sitting on his cheeks.

He loved well garlic, onions and also leeks,

And drinking strong wine red as blood.

Then he would talk and cry as if he was crazy.

And when he had well drunk the wine,

Then he would speak no word but Latin

A few terms he had two or three

That he had learned out of some decree;

No wonder, he had been hearing them all the day,

And you also know well how even a jay

Can call “Walter” as well as the Pope can

But, who could challenge him in other thing?

Then he had spent all his philosophy;

Always “Questio quid juris” he would cry.

He was a gentle and kind rascal;

One could not find a better fellow.

He would allow for a quart of wine

A good fellow to have his concubine

For twelve months, and forgive him completely;

Secretly, he could also seduce a woman,

And if he found anywhere a good fellow,

He would teach him to have no awe
Of the archdeacon’s curse in such a case,

But if a man's soul were in his purse;

For his purse he would be punished.

"Purse is the archdeacon's hell," said he.

But I know well he lied right indeed;

Each guilty man ought to be afraid of cursing,

Because a curse will slay as absolution saves,

And also beware of a Significavit.

He had in his control as he pleased

The young people of the diocese,

And knew their secrets, and advised all of them.

He had set upon his head a garland

As great as if it were for a stake

He had made himself a buckler of a cake

With him there rode a noble PARDONER

Of Rouncivale, his friend and his companion

That had come straight from the court of Rome

Loudly he sang: “Come hither, love, to me!”

This Summoner sang him a strong bass

Never had a trumpet sounded half so strong

This Pardoner had the hair as yellow as wax

But it hung smoothly as does a bunch of flax

By strands hang the locks that he had

And therewith he overspread his shoulders

But it laid separately, in strips, one by one

But he wore hood at noon for happiness.

3. Transcription:

Ne oynement that wolde clense and byte

n ‘oɪnement ðat ‘wɔldə ‘klns ænd ‘bitә

That hym myghte helpen of his whelkes white,

ðæt hɪm ‘mɪxt ‘hɛlpen ɔv hɪs ‘wɛlkəz ‘witə

Nor of the knobbes sittynge on his chekes.

nɔr ɔv ðe ‘knɔbes ‘sɪtɪƞg ɔn hɪz ‘ʧɛkəz

Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,

wɛl ‘lʊvd he ‘gɑrlek, ‘oɪnɔnz ænd ek ‘lkez

And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;

ænd fɔr to ‘drnkən ‘stroƞg ‘wind ‘red æz ‘blɔd

Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood.

Ɵæn ‘wɔl he ‘spɛk ænd ‘kriə æz he wɛr ‘wɔd

And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,

ænd wæn ðæt he wl ‘drʊnken hæd ðe ‘win

Thanne wolde he speke no word but Latyn.

ðæn ‘wɔl he ‘spk nɔ ‘wɒrd bʊt læ ‘tin

A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,

Ә fjuːә ‘trməz ‘hɑd he ‘tuː ɔr ‘Ɵre

That he had lerned out of som decree –

ðæt he hæd ‘lɛrned ut ɔv sɒm d ‘kre

No wonder is, he herde it al the day;

Nɔ ‘wɒnder ɪz, he ‘hrde ɪt ɔl ðə ‘daɪ

And eek ye knowen wel how that a jay

ænd ek jə ‘knɔwen wɛl hu: ðæt ə ‘dʒaɪ

Kan clepen " Watte " as wel as kan the pope.

kæn ‘klpen “ ‘wɑt” æz wl æz ‘kæn ðə ‘pɔpə

But whoso koude in oother thyng hym grope,

bʊt wɔsɒ ‘kude ɪn ɔðer ‘Ɵɪƞg hɪm ‘grɔpə

Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophie;

Ɵæn ‘hɑd he ‘spent ɔl hiz fɪlɔsɔ ‘fiə

Ay " Questio quid iuris " wolde he crie.

aɪ ‘kwstɪə ‘kwɪd ‘ɪurɪs” ‘wɔl he ‘kriə

He was a gentil harlot and a kynde;

He ‘wæz ə ‘dʒntəl ‘hɑrlɔt ænd ə ‘kində.

A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde.

ə ‘betrə fe ‘ləʊ fe ‘lawə ðe ‘men nɒxt ‘fində

He wolde suffre for a quart of wyn

he ‘wɔlde ‘sɔfrə fɒr ə ‘kʊɑrt ɒv ‘winə

A good felawe to have his concubyn

ə ‘gɔd fe ‘lɔʊ tə ‘hæv hɪz kɒnkʊ ‘binə

A twelf month, and excuse hym atte fulle;

ə ‘twelv ‘mɒnƟ ænd eks ‘juz hɪm ætə ‘fulə

Ful prively a fynch eek koude he pulle.

fʊl ‘prɪvɪli ә ‘fɪnʧ ‘kʊd he ‘pulә

And if he foond owher a good felawe,

ænd ɪv he ‘fɔnd ‘ɔvwer ə ‘gɔd fe ‘ləʊə

He wolde techen him to have noon awe

he ‘wɒldə ‘tʧen hɪm tə ‘hæv nɔn ‘æwə

In swich caas of the ercedekenes curs,

ɪn sʊɪʧ ‘kɑz ɒv ðә erʧe ‘dkenes ‘kʊrz

But if a mannes soule were in his purs;

bʊt ɪv ə ‘mɑnz sɔl ‘wer ɪn hɪs ‘pʊrz

For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed be.

‘fɔr ɪn hɪs ‘pʊrz hɪ ʃɒldə ɪ ‘pʊnɪʃɪd be

" Purs is the ercedekenes helle, " seyde he.

‘purz ɪz ðә erʧe ‘dkenes ‘hel ‘saɪd he

But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;

bʊt wel ɪ ‘wɔt he ‘lied ‘rɪgt ɪn ‘ddә

Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man him drede,

ɒv ‘kursɪƞg ɔgt eʧ ‘gɪltɪ ‘mɑn hɪm ‘drdə

For curs wol slee right as assoillyng savith,

fɒr ‘kʊrz wul s ‘l ‘rɪgt æz a ‘sɔɪlɪƞg ‘sɑvɪƟ

And also war hym of a Significavit.

ænd ‘ɔlsə ‘wɑr hɪm ɒv ðә sɪgnɪfɪ ‘kɑvɪ

In daunger hadde he at his owene gise

ɪn ‘daʊndʒer ‘hæd he æt hɪz ‘ɔnə ‘gizə

The yonge girles of the diocise,

ðә ‘jungə ‘girles ɒv ðә dɪə ‘zizə

And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed.

ænd ‘knju hɪr ‘kɒnsaɪl ænd ‘wæz ɔl hɪr ‘rd

A gerland hadde he set upon his heed,

ə ‘grland ‘hæd he ‘set ǝ ‘pɒn hɪs ‘hd

As greet as it were for an ale-stake.

æz ‘grt æz ɪt ‘wrə fɒr ən ‘ɑlə ‘stɑka

A bokeleer hadde he maad hym of a cake.

ə ‘bʊkler ‘hæd he ‘mad hɪm ɒvə ‘kɑka

With hym ther rood a gentil PARDONER

wɪð hɪm ðer ‘rɔd ә ‘gǝntɪl pɑrdɒ ‘nr

Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,

ɒv ‘runsɪvɑl hɪs ‘frnd ænd hɪs kɒm ‘pr

That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.

ðæt ‘streɪgt ‘wæz ‘kʊmən frɒ ðe ‘kurt of ‘rɔmǝ

Ful loude he soong " Com hider, love, to me! "

fʊl ‘lud he ‘sɔƞg ‘kʊm ‘hidə ‘luvə tɔ me

This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun;

ðɪs sʊmʊ ‘nur ‘bɑr tɒ hɪm ə ‘stiv ‘burdun

Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.

wæz ‘nevə ‘trʊmp ɒv ‘hɑlf sɒ ‘grtə ‘sun

This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,

ðɪs ‘pɑrdɒnr hæd ‘hrd æz ‘jlɒ æs ‘wks

But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;

bʊt ‘smuð ɪt ‘hiƞg æs ‘dɔƟ ә ‘strɪkə ɒv ‘flks

By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,

bɪ ‘unsɪs ‘heƞg hes ‘lɔkes ðæt he ‘hædә

And therwith he his shuldres overspradde;

ænd ‘ðrwɪƟ hә hes ‘ʃuldres ɒvәr ‘spradә

But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon.

bʊt ‘ðin ɪt ‘lɑɪ bɪ ‘kʊlpʊns ‘ɔn ænd ‘ɔn

But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,

bʊt ‘hud fɒr jɒlɪ ‘t ‘werә he ‘nɔn.

4. Metrics:

Ne OY/neMENT / that WOL/de CLENSe/ and BYTe,/

That HYM/ myghte HEL/pen OF/ his WHEL/kes WHITe,/

Nor OF/ the KNO/bbes SI/ttinge ON/ his CHE/kes.

Wel LOVED/ he GAR/leek, OY/nons, AND/ eek LE/kes,

And FOR/ to DRYN/ken STRONG/ wyn, REED/as BLOOD;/

Thanne WOLDE/he SPEKE/and CRIe/as HE/were WOOD./

And WHAN/ that HE/ wel DRON/ken HADDe/ the WYNN,/

Thanne WOLDE/ he SPE/ke NO/ word BUT/ LaTYN./

A FE/we TER/mes HADDE/ he, TWO/ or THRE,/

That HE/ had LER/ned OUT/ of  SOM/ deCREE --/

No WON/der IS,/ he HERDe/ it AL/ the DAY;/

And EEK/ ye KNO/wen WEL/ how THAT/ a JAY/

Kan CLE/pen " WATTE "/as WEL/ as KAN/ the POPe./

But WHO/ so KOUDe/ in OO/ther THING/ hym GROPe,/

Thanne HADDE/ he SPENT/ al HIS/ phiLO/ soPHIe;/

Ay " QUES/tio QUID/ iuRIS/ " wolDE/ he CRIe./

He WAS/ a GEN/til HAR/lot AND/ a KYNDe;/

A  BE/ttre FE/lawe SHOL/de MEN/ noght FYNDe/.

He WOL/de SU/ffre FOR/ a QUART/ of WYN/

A GOOD/ feLAWE/ to HAVE/ his CON/cuBYN/

A TWELF/ month, AND/ exCUSE/ hym AT/te FULe;/

Ful PRI/veLY/ a FYNCH/ eek KOUDe/ he PULLe/.

And IF/ he FOOND/ oWHER/ a GOOD/ feLAWE,/

He WOL/de TE/chen HIM/ to HAVE/ noon AWe/

In SWICH/ caas OF/ the ER/ceDE/keNES/ curs, 

But IF/ a MANNES/ soule WERE/ in HIS/ purs;

For IN/ his PURS/ he SHOLDe/ yPU/nySSeD/ be

" Purs IS/ the ER/ceDE/keNES/ helle, " SEYDe/ he. 

But WEL/ I WOOT/ he LY/ed RIGHT/ in DEDe;/

Of CUR/syng OGHTe/ ech GIL/ty MAN/ him DREDe,/

For CURS/ wol SLEE/ right AS/ assoiLLYNG/ saVITH/,

And AL/so WAR/ hym OF/ a sigNI/fiCA/vit. 

In DAUN/ger HADDE/ he AT/ his OWE/ne GISe/

The YON/ge GIR/les OF/ the DIO/ciSE/,

And KNEW/ hir CON/seil, AND/ was AL/ hir REED/.

A GER/land HADDe/ he SET/ uPON/ his HEED,/

As GREET/ as IT/ were FOR/ an ALe/-stake.

A BOKE/leer HADDe/ he MAAD/ hym OF/ a CAKE./

With HYM/ ther ROOD/ a GEN/til PAR/doNER/

Of ROUN/ciVALE/, his FREEND/ and HIS/ comPEER/,

That STREIGHT/ was CO/men FRO/ the COURT /of ROMe./

Ful LOUDe/ he SOONG/ “ com HI/der, LOVe/, to ME! "/

This SO/muNOUR/ bar to/ hym a STIF/ burDOUN;/

Was NE/vere TROMPe/ of HALF/ so GREET/ a SOUN./

This PAR/doNER/ hadde HEER/ as YE/low AS/ wex,

But SMOTHE/ it HEENG/ as DOOTH/ a STRIKE/ of FLEX;/

By OUN/ces HENGe/ his LO/kkes THAT/ he HADDe,/

And THER/with HE/ his SHUL/dres O/verSPRADDe;/

But THYNNe/ it LAY,/ by COL/pons OON/ and OON./

But HOOD,/ for JO/liTEE/, wered HE/ noon,/