Chaucer's tales have been often "translated" for the benefit of the casual reader but in so doing, the new versions lose the flavor, the rhythm and rhyme of the original verse. Some authors even go so far as to write new rhymes in place of the "old" hoping to keep the story intact but destroying the character of the story in the process. Others abandon the poetry altogether and rewrite it as prose. Herein is a different approach. The first line is as Chaucer wrote it (acknowledging that it is not in the original script and that some spelling has been changed as the story migrated to the current day), following is the best attempt at converting the meaning to that which can easily be grasp.
As one reads the poem, it is suggested that the first line be read. Then, the second line be read. As familiarity is gained with the progression of the story and when the meaning of the first line is clear as Chaucer wrote it, the repeat line can be skipped (ignored, unless there may be a question of word meaning). Best of all is to read the poem out loud and listen to the words as they were no doubt spoken to an audience of non-readers in the 1300's. Be there two of you one should read the first line and the other the second.
Enjoy!
The Prologue of the Nonne Prestes Tale
The Prologue of the Nun's Priest's Tale
(Which followed the Monk's tale by the knight.)
.
"Ho!" quod the knight, "good sir, namore of this,
"Ho!" quote the knight, "good sir, no more of this,
That ye han seyd is right y-nough, y-wis,
That you have said is right and enough, certainly,
And mochel more; for litel hevinesse
And much more, for little heaven it is
Is right y-nough to mochel folk, I gesse.
Is right enough for most folks, I guess
I seye for me, it is a great disese
I say for me, it is a great disease
Wher-as men han ben in greet welthe and ese,
Where men have in great wealth and ease,
To heren of hir sodeyn fal, allas!
To hear of her sudden fall, alas!
And the contrarie is joie and greet solas,
And the contrary is joy and great solace,
As whan a man hath been in povre estaat,
As when a man has been in a poor state,
And clymbeth up, and wexeth fortunat,
And climbed up, and waxed fortunate,
And ther abydeth in prosperitee,
And there abides in prosperity,
Swich thing is gladsom, as it thinketh me
Such thing is delightful, so thinks me
And of swich thing were goodly for to telle."
And of such things it's good to tell."
"Ye," qoud our haste, "by seint Poules belle,
"Yes." quoted our host, "By Saint Paul's bell,
Ye seye right sooth; this monk, he clappeth loude,
Yes say it right." In saying this, The monk clapped his hands loud,
He spak how "fortune covered with a cloude."
He spoke of how "fortune was covered with a cloud."
I noot never what, and als of a "Tragedie."
I never knew what, was a "Tragedy."
Right now ye herde, and parde! No remedie
Now you have heard, and truly! There was no remedy
It is for to biwaille, ne compleyme
It is to reveal, and not show distress
That that is doon, and als it is a peyne,
That it is done, and also to show pain,
As ye han seyd, to here of hevinesse.
As you have said, we hear what heaven is.
Sir mon, na-more of this, so god yow blesse!
Sir man, no more of this. May you, God bless!
Your tale anoyeth al this companye;
Your tale annoyed all this company;
Swich talking is not worth a boterflye;
Such talking is not worth a butterfly;
For there-in is ther no desport ne game.
For therein is there no sport or game.
Wherfor, sir Monk, or dan Piers by your name,
Wherefore, sir Monk, or if Don Piers be your name,
I preye you hertely, telle us somwhat elles,
I pray you heartily tell us something else,
For silerly, nere clinking of you belles,
For surely, as ringing of your bells,
That on your brydel hange on ever syde,
That on your bridle hanging, on ever side,
By heven king, that for us alle dyde,
By Heaven's King, that for us all died,
I shoulde er this han fallen doun for slepe,
I should otherwise have fallen asleep,
Although the slough had never been so deep;
Although the mire had never been so deep; (The previous tale)
Than had your tale al be told in vayn.
Then your tale would have been told all in vain.
For certeinly, as that thise clerkes seyn,
For certainly, as this writer says,
"Where-as a man may have noon audience,
"Whereas, a man may not have an audience,
Nought helpeth it to tellen his sentence."
It does not help to tell his story."
And wel I woot the substance is in me,
And I would well understand,
If any thing shal wel reported be.
If anything will be well told.
Than spak our host, with rude speche and bold,
Then spoke our host, with rude speech and bold,
And seyde un-to the Nonnes Preest anon,
And said unto the Nun's Priest now (immediately),
"Com neer, thou preest, com hider, thou sir John,
Come near priest, come hither sir John,
Tel us swich thing as may our hertes glade,
Tell us such things as make our hearts glad,
Be blythe, though thou ryde up-on a jade,
Be happy, though you ride upon an old worthless broken-down horse.
What though thyn hors be bothe foule and lene,
What if your horse is both sick and poor,
If he wol serve thee, rekke nat a bene;
If he would serve you, care not a bean (don't give a damn)
Look that thyn herte be mery evermo.'
Look that your heart be merry evermore.
�Yis, sir,' quod he, �yis, host, so mote I go,
�Yes sir,' said he, �yes, my host may (that's the way) I go,
But I be mery, y-wis, I wol be blamed:' �
But I am merry certainly (otherwise) I would be damned.'
And right anon his tale he hath attamed.
And immediately his tale he begun,
And thus he seyde un-to us everichoun.
And thus he said to us everyone
This swete preest, this goodly man, sir John.
This sweet priest, this goodly man, sir John.
*****
A poure widwe, somdel stape in age,
A pore widow, somewhat advanced in age,
Was whilom dwellyn in a narwe cotage
Was once living in a narrow cottage
Biside a grove, stondyng in a dale.
Beside a grove, standing in a dale.
This widwe, of which I telle yow my tale,
This widow, of which I tell you my tale,
Syn thilke day that she was last a wyf,
Since this day that she was last a wife,
In pacience ladde a ful symple lyf,
In peace lived a full and simple life
For litel was hir catel and hir rente.
For little was her property and her rent.
By housbondrye of swich as God hir sente
By husbandry of such as God her sent
She foond hir-self and eek hir doghtren two.
She found herself and also her daughters two.
Thre large sowes hadde she and namo,
Three large sows had she and no more
Thre kyn, and eek a sheep that highte Malle.
Three cows and also a sheep that was called Malle.
Ful sooty was hir bour and eek hir halle,
Very sooty (black with smoke) was her bedroom and also her hall
In which she eet ful many a selendre meel.
In which she ate many a slender (meager) meal
Of poynaunt sauce hir neded never a deel.
Of pungent sauce she never need to deal
No deyntee morsel passed thurgh hir throte;
No dainty morsel passed through her throat
Hir diete was acordant to hir cote.
Her diet was according to her cottage (home)
Repleccioun ne made hir never syk;
Replication never made her sick
Attempree diete was al hir phisyk,
A moderate diet (kept her healthy)
And exercise, and hertes suffisaunce.
And exercise, and (her) (circumstance))
The goutte lette hir nothyng for to daunce,
Gout did not prevent her for to dance,
N'apoplexye shente nat hir heed.
And sickness injured not her head
No wyn ne drank she, neither whit ne reed.
No wine did she drink, neither white nor red.
Hir bord was served moost with whit and blak,
Her (table) was set mostly with white and black
Milk and broun breed, in which she foond no lak,
Milk and brown bread, in which she had no lack
Seynd bacoun, and somtyme an ey or tweye,
Broiled bacon, and sometimes an egg or two,
For she was, as it were, a maner deye.
For she was, as it were, a dairy woman
A yeerd she hadde, enclosed al aboute
A yard she had, enclosed all about
With stikkes, and a drye dych withoute,
With sticks, and a dry ditch without,
In which she hadde a cok hight Chauntecleer.
In which she had a cock (rooster) called Chauntecleer
In al the land of crowyng nas his peer.
In all the land of crowing none were his peer
His voys was murier than the murie orgon
His voice was merrier than a merry organ
On messe-dayes that in the chirche gon;
On Mass days that in the church goes
Wel sikerer was his crowyng in his logge
On time was he crowing in his house
Than is a clokke or an abbey orlogge.
Than is a clock in an abbey house
By nature knew he ech ascensioun
By nature he knew each rising (of the sun, moon and stars)
Of equinoxial in thilke toun,
Of the equinox in this (their) town
For whan degrees fiftene were ascended,
For what degrees fifteen were ascended
(for each hour of the clock)
Thanne crew he that it myghte nat ben amended.
Then crowed, that it might not be amended
His comb was redder than the fyn coral
His comb was redder than the fine coral
And batailled as it were a castel wal.
And battlement as it were a Castle wall
(battlement as a mock heroic description)
His byle was blak, and as the jeet it shoon.
His (beak) was black, and as the jet it shone
Lyk asure were his legges and his toon,
Like azure were his legs and his toes
His nayles whiter than the lylye flour,
His nails whiter than the lily flower,
And lyk the burned gold was his colour.
And like burned gold was his color
This gentil cok hadde in his governaunce
This gentile cock had in his governance
Sevene hennes for to doon al his plesaunce,
Seven hens for to do all his pleasure,
Whiche were his sustres and his paramours,
Which were his sisters and his lovers
And wonder lyk to him as of colours,
And were like him as to colors
Of whiche the faireste hewed on hir throte
Of which the fairest had on her throat
Was cleped faire damoysele Pertelote.
Was named fair damsel Pertelote.
Curteys she was, discreet, and debonaire,
Courteous she was, discrete and debonaire,
And compaignable, and bar hirself so faire
And companionable, (she) bore herself so fair
Syn thilke day that she was sevyn nyght oold
Since the day that she was seven nights old
That, trewely she hath the herte in hoold
That, truly she hath his heart in hold
Of Chauntecleer, loken in every lith.
Of Chauntecleer, locked up every limb (bit)
He loved hir so, that wel was hym therwith.
He loved her so, (As much as he did himself)
But swich a joye was it to here hem synge,
But such a joy was it to hear them sing,
Whan that the brighte sonne gan to sprynge,
When the bright sun (begin to rise) began to spring,
In swete acord "My leef is faren in londe."
In sweet accord, "My dear travels in the land."
For thilke tyme, as I have understonde,
For this time, as I have understood,
Beestes and briddes koude speke and synge.
Beast and birds could speak and sing.
And so bifel, that in a dawenynge,
And so befell that in a dawning,
As Chauntecleer among his wyves alle
As Chauntecleer among his wives all
Sat on his perche, that was in the halle,
Sat on his perch, that was in the hall,
And next hym sat this faire Pertelote,
And next to him sat this faire Pertelote,
This Chauntecleer gan gronen in his throte
This Chauntecleer began groaning in his throat
As man that in his dreem is drecched sore.
As man that in his dream is disturbed sure.
And whan that Pertelote thus herde hym rore,
And when that Pertelote thus heard him roar,
She was agast and seyde, "Herte deere,
She was agast and said, "My dear,
What eyleth yow to grone in this manere?
What is with you to groan in this manner?
Ye ben a verray sleper. Fy, for shame!"
You have been very much asleep. For shame!
And he answerde and seyde thus: "Madame,
And he answered and said thus: "Madame,
I pray yow that ye take it nat agrief.
I pray you that you be not in grief (in anguish)
By God, me mette I was in swich meschief
By God, I dreamed I was in such mischief
Right now, that yet myn herte is soore afright.
Right now, that my heart is still much afright
Now God," quod he, "my swevene recche aright,
Now God," said he, "please interpret my dream right,
And keep my body out of foul prisoun!
And keep my body out of bad prison!
(Of course a fowl is what he is)
Me mette how that I romed up and doun
I dreamed how as I roamed up and down
Withinne our yeerd, where as I saugh a beest,
Within our yard, I saw a beast
Was lyk an hound and wolde han maad areest
Was like a hound and would have caught me (or made arrest)
Upon my body and wolde han had me deed.
Upon my body and would have made me dead (killed me)
His colour was bitwixe yelwe and reed,
His color was betwixt yellow and red,
And tipped was his tayl and bothe his erys
And tipped was his tail and both his eyes
With blak, unlik the remenaunt of hir herys,
With black, unlike the rest of his ears,
His snowte smal, with glowyng eyen tweye.
His snout (nose) small, between the glowing eye (s).
Yet of his look for fere almoost I deye;
Yet of his look for fear almost I die
(Seeing him I was afraid and I almost died)
This caused me my gronyng, doutelees."
This caused me to groan, doubtlessly"
"Avoy!" quod she. "Fy on yow, hertelees!
"Now!" she said, "Fie on you, you heartless (coward)!
Allas," quod she, "for, by that God above,
Alas," said she, "for, by that God above,
Now han ye lost myn herte and al my love.
Now I have lost my heart and all my love
I kan nat love a coward, by my feith!
I can not love a coward, by my faith!
For, certes, so what any womman seith,
For, certainly, so what any woman says,
We alle desiren, if it myghte be,
We all desire, if it might be,
To han housbondes hardy, wise, and fre,
To have husbands hardy, wise, and free,
And secree, and no nygard, ne no fool,
And reticence (brave), not stingy and not a fool,
Ne hym that is agast of every tool,
Not him that is frightened of every weapon,
Ne noon avauntour, by that God above.
Not some braggart, by that God above.
How dorste ye seyn, for shame, unto youre love
How ridiculous, you say, for shame, unto your love
That any thyng myghte make yow aferd?
That any thing might make you afraid?
Have ye mo mannes herte, and han a berd?
Have you more man's heart, and have a beard?
"Allas, and konne ye ben agast of swevenys.
Alas, and can you be frightened by dreams.
Nothyng, God woot, but vanytee in swevene is.
Nothing. God knows but is vanity in dream.
Swevenes engendren of replexions,
Dreams engendered of replications.
(Reoccurring dreams)
And ofte of fume and of complexions,
And often of vapors on the brain and of complications
(vapors are the affliction of women)
Whan humours ben to habundant in a wight.
When physical afflictions are too abundant in a way
(humors are one of the physical sicknesses)
"Certes, this dreem which ye han met to-nyght
"Certainly this dream which you have had tonight
Cometh of the grete superfluitee
Comes of a great superstition
Of youre rede colera, pardee,
Of your red colera (sickness), truly,
Which causeth folk to dreden in hir dremes
Which causes folks to dread their dreams
Of arwes, and of fyr with rede lemes,
Of arrows, and fire with red flames
Of rede bestes that they wol hem byte,
Of red beast that they would him bite,
Of contek, and of whelpes grete and lyte;
Of violence, and of dogs great and small.
Right as the humour of malencolie
Right as the sickness of melancholy
Causeth ful many a man in sleep to crie
Causes very many a man in his sleep to cry
For fere of blake beres of boles blake,
for fear of black bears, of bulls black
Or elles blake develes, wol hem take.
Or else black devils, would him take
Of othere humours koude I telle also
Or other sickness could I tell also
That werken many a man in sleep ful wo,
That weaken many a man in sleep full of woe,
But I wol passe as lightly as I kan.
But I pass misery as lightly as I can
Lo Catoun, which that was so wys a man,
Lo Cato, which was so wise a man,
Seyde he nat thus: 'Ne do no fors of fremes'?
Said he thus: "Not to take heed of a dream?"
"Now sire," quod she, "whan we fle fro the bemes,
"Now sire," quote she, "when we flee from the beams,
For Goddes love, as taak som laxatif!.
For God's love, take some laxative!
(Play on the violent passing of gas)
Up peril of my soule and of my lif,
On peril of my soul and of my life,
I counseille yow the beste, I wol nat lye,
I counsel you the best, I would not lie,
That bothe of colere and of malencolye
That both of colera (sickness) and of melancholy
Ye purge yow. And, for ye shal nat tarye,
Purge you. And, you shall not tarry,
Thogh in this toun is noon apothecarye,
Though in this town in no apothecary,
I shal myself to herbes techen yow
I shall myself to teach plants (to take) for you
That shul ben for youre hele and for your prow.
That shall be for your healing and for your help
And in oure yerd tho herbes shal I fynde
And in our yard the plants shall I find
The whiche han of hir propertee by kynde
Which have of the property by nature
To purge yow bynethe and eek above.
To purge you beneath and also above.
(laxative effect on bowels and for a headache as well)
Foryet nat this, for Goddes owen love
Forget not this, God's own love
:
Ye ben ful colerik of complexioun
You have many sickness complications
.
Ware the sonne in his ascensioun
When the sun is rising
Ne fynde yow nat repleet of humours hote,
Find you to not have a repeat of the sickness hot (fever),
And, if it do, I dar wel leye a grote
And if it do, I dear will love (you) a lot
That ye shul have a fevere terciane
That you shall have a fever every third day
.
Or an agu that may be youre bane.
Or an ague (chills and fever) that may be your destruction.
A day or two ye shul have digestyves
A day or two you shall have digestives (upset stomach)
Of wormes er ye take your laxatyves
Of worms if you take your laxatives
(following is a listing of medicinal herbs some still in common use)
Of lauriol, centaure, and fumetere,
Of laurel, centaury, and fumetory
Or elles of ellebor that groweth there,
Or else of ellebor that grows there,
Of katapuce, or of gaitrys beryis,
Of katapuce, or of gaitrys berries,
Of herbe yve growyng in oure yerd, ther merye is
of herbs we have growing in our yard, there they grow happily
.
Pekke hem up right as they growe, and ete hem in.
Pick them right up as they grow, and eat them.
Be mery, housbond, for your fader kyn!
Be thankful, husband, for you are your father's kin!
Dredeth no dreem. I kan sey yow namoore."
Dread dream. I can see you no more."
"Madame," quod he, "graunt mercy of your loore
.
"Madame," quote he," thank mercy for your lore (wisdom)
But nathelees, as touchyng daun Catoun,
But none the less, as speaking of Cato,
That hath of wisdom swich a great renoun,
That had of wisdom such a great renown,
Thogh that he bad no dremes for to drede,
Though that he no bad dreams to dread,
By God, men may in olde bokes rede
By God, men may in old books read
Of many a man moore of auctoritee
Of many a man of more authority
Than ever Catoun was, so mote I thee,
Than ever Cato was, so may I thrive,
That al the revers seyn of his sentence
That all the reverence said of his sentence (writing)
And han wel founden by experience
And is well founded on experience
That dremes ben significaciouns
That dreams have significance
As wel of joye as of tribulaciouns
As well of joys as of tribulations
That folk enduren in this lyf present.
That folks endure in this present life
Ther nedeth make of this noon argument;
There is no need to make this argument,
The verray preeve sheweth it in dede.
The true proof shows it indeed
"Oon of the gretteste auctor that men rede
"One of the greatest authors that men read
Seith thus, that whilom two felawes wente
Says thus, that once two fellows went
On pilgramage in a ful good entente
On a pilgrimage in very good intent
And happed so they coomen in a toun
And it happened that they come to a town
Where as ther was swich congregacioun
Where there was such a congregation
Of peple, and eek so streit of herbergage
Of people, and there was a lack of places to stay
That they ne founde as muche as a cotage
That they could find not so much as a cottage
In which they bothe myghte y-logged be.
In which they both might stay
Wherefore they mosten of necessitee,
Providing the most necessities
On to Chanticleer Chaucer - Part II,
****
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