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 ‘wɔldə ‘klns ænd ‘bitә
That hym myghte helpen of his whelkes white,
ðæt hɪm ‘mɪxt ‘hɛlpen ɔv hɪs ‘wɛlkəz ‘witə
Nor of the knobbes sittynge on his chekes.
nɔr ɔv ðe ‘knɔbes ‘sɪtɪƞg ɔn hɪz ‘ʧɛkəz
Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes,
wɛl ‘lʊvd he ‘gɑrlek, ‘oɪnɔnz ænd ek ‘lkez
And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;
ænd fɔr to ‘drnkən ‘stroƞg ‘wind ‘red æz ‘blɔd
Thanne wolde he speke and crie as he were wood.
Ɵæn ‘wɔl he ‘spɛk ænd ‘kriə æz he wɛr ‘wɔd
And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
ænd wæn ðæt he wl ‘drʊnken hæd ðe ‘win
Thanne wolde he speke no word but Latyn.
ðæn ‘wɔl he ‘spk nɔ ‘wɒrd bʊt læ ‘tin
A fewe termes hadde he, two or thre,
Ә fjuːә ‘trməz ‘hɑd he ‘tuː ɔr ‘Ɵre
That he had lerned out of som decree –
ðæt he hæd ‘lɛrned ut ɔv sɒm d ‘kre
No wonder is, he herde it al the day;
Nɔ ‘wɒnder ɪz, he ‘hrde ɪt ɔl ðə ‘daɪ
And eek ye knowen wel how that a jay
ænd ek jə ‘knɔwen wɛl hu: ðæt ə ‘dʒaɪ
Kan clepen " Watte " as wel as kan the pope.
kæn ‘klpen “ ‘wɑt” æz wl æz ‘kæn ðə ‘pɔpə
But whoso koude in oother thyng hym grope,
bʊt wɔsɒ ‘kude ɪn ɔðer ‘Ɵɪƞg hɪm ‘grɔpə
Thanne hadde he spent al his philosophie;
Ɵæn ‘hɑd he ‘spent ɔl hiz fɪlɔsɔ ‘fiə
Ay " Questio quid iuris " wolde he crie.
aɪ ‘kwstɪə ‘kwɪd ‘ɪurɪs” ‘wɔl he ‘kriə
He was a gentil harlot and a kynde;
He ‘wæz ə ‘dʒntəl ‘hɑrlɔt ænd ə ‘kində.
A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde.
ə ‘betrə fe ‘ləʊ fe ‘lawə ðe ‘men nɒxt ‘fində
He wolde suffre for a quart of wyn
he ‘wɔlde ‘sɔfrə fɒr ə ‘kʊɑrt ɒv ‘winə
A good felawe to have his concubyn
ə ‘gɔd fe ‘lɔʊ tə ‘hæv hɪz kɒnkʊ ‘binə
A twelf month, and excuse hym atte fulle;
ə ‘twelv ‘mɒnƟ ænd eks ‘juz hɪm ætə ‘fulə
Ful prively a fynch eek koude he pulle.
fʊl ‘prɪvɪli ә ‘fɪnʧ ‘kʊd he ‘pulә
And if he foond owher a good felawe,
ænd ɪv he ‘fɔnd ‘ɔvwer ə ‘gɔd fe ‘ləʊə
He wolde techen him to have noon awe
he ‘wɒldə ‘tʧen hɪm tə ‘hæv nɔn ‘æwə
In swich caas of the ercedekenes curs,
ɪn sʊɪʧ ‘kɑz ɒv ðә erʧe ‘dkenes ‘kʊrz
But if a mannes soule were in his purs;
bʊt ɪv ə ‘mɑnz sɔl ‘wer ɪn hɪs ‘pʊrz
For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed be.
‘fɔr ɪn hɪs ‘pʊrz hɪ ʃɒldə ɪ ‘pʊnɪʃɪd be
" Purs is the ercedekenes helle, " seyde he.
‘purz ɪz ðә erʧe ‘dkenes ‘hel ‘saɪd he
But wel I woot he lyed right in dede;
bʊt wel ɪ ‘wɔt he ‘lied ‘rɪgt ɪn ‘ddә
Of cursyng oghte ech gilty man him drede,
ɒv ‘kursɪƞg ɔgt eʧ ‘gɪltɪ ‘mɑn hɪm ‘drdə
For curs wol slee right as assoillyng savith,
fɒr ‘kʊrz wul s ‘l ‘rɪgt æz a ‘sɔɪlɪƞg ‘sɑvɪƟ
And also war hym of a Significavit.
ænd ‘ɔlsə ‘wɑr hɪm ɒv ðә sɪgnɪfɪ ‘kɑvɪ
In daunger hadde he at his owene gise
ɪn ‘daʊndʒer ‘hæd he æt hɪz ‘ɔnə ‘gizə
The yonge girles of the diocise,
ðә ‘jungə ‘girles ɒv ðә dɪə ‘zizə
And knew hir conseil, and was al hir reed.
ænd ‘knju hɪr ‘kɒnsaɪl ænd ‘wæz ɔl hɪr ‘rd
A gerland hadde he set upon his heed,
ə ‘grland ‘hæd he ‘set ǝ ‘pɒn hɪs ‘hd
As greet as it were for an ale-stake.
æz ‘grt æz ɪt ‘wrə fɒr ən ‘ɑlə ‘stɑka
A bokeleer hadde he maad hym of a cake.
ə ‘bʊkler ‘hæd he ‘mad hɪm ɒvə ‘kɑka
With hym ther rood a gentil PARDONER
wɪð hɪm ðer ‘rɔd ә ‘gǝntɪl pɑrdɒ ‘nr
Of Rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,
ɒv ‘runsɪvɑl hɪs ‘frnd ænd hɪs kɒm ‘pr
That streight was comen fro the court of Rome.
ðæt ‘streɪgt ‘wæz ‘kʊmən frɒ ðe ‘kurt of ‘rɔmǝ
Ful loude he soong " Com hider, love, to me! "
fʊl ‘lud he ‘sɔƞg ‘kʊm ‘hidə ‘luvə tɔ me
This Somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun;
ðɪs sʊmʊ ‘nur ‘bɑr tɒ hɪm ə ‘stiv ‘burdun
Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.
wæz ‘nevə ‘trʊmp ɒv ‘hɑlf sɒ ‘grtə ‘sun
This Pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,
ðɪs ‘pɑrdɒnr hæd ‘hrd æz ‘jlɒ æs ‘wks
But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;
bʊt ‘smuð ɪt ‘hiƞg æs ‘dɔƟ ә ‘strɪkə ɒv ‘flks
By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,
bɪ ‘unsɪs ‘heƞg hes ‘lɔkes ðæt he ‘hædә
And therwith he his shuldres overspradde;
ænd ‘ðrwɪƟ hә hes ‘ʃuldres ɒvәr ‘spradә
But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon.
bʊt ‘ðin ɪt ‘lɑɪ bɪ ‘kʊlpʊns ‘ɔn ænd ‘ɔn
But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon,
bʊt ‘hud fɒr jɒlɪ ‘t ‘werә he ‘nɔn.
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,/