乔叟《坎特伯雷故事集 序》(中世纪英语)

乔叟《坎特伯雷故事集

序一》（中世纪英语）

(2010-03-06 15:25:43)

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The Canterbury Tales : Prologue

Here bygynneth the Book

1: Whan that aprill with his shoures soote

2: The droghte of march hath perced to the roote,

3: And bathed every veyne in swich licour

4: Of which vertu engendred is the flour;

5: Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breeth

6: Inspired hath in every holt and heeth

7: Tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne

8: Hath in the ram his halve cours yronne,

9: And smale foweles maken melodye,

10: That slepen al the nyght with open ye

11: (so priketh hem nature in hir corages);

12: Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,

13: And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,

14: To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;

15: And specially from every shires ende

16: Of engelond to caunterbury they wende,

17: The hooly blisful martir for to seke,

18: That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

19: Bifil that in that seson on a day,

20: In southwerk at the tabard as I lay

21: Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage

22: To caunterbury with ful devout corage,

23: At nyght was come into that hostelrye

24: Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye,

25: Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle

26: In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,

27: That toward caunterbury wolden ryde.

28: The chambres and the stables weren wyde,

29: And wel we weren esed atte beste.

30: And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,

31: So hadde I spoken with hem everichon

32: That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,

33: And made forward erly for to ryse,

34: To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse.

35: But nathelees, whil I have tyme and space,

36: Er that I ferther in this tale pace,

37: Me thynketh it acordaunt to resoun

38: To telle yow al the condicioun

39: Of ech of hem, so as it semed me,

40: And whiche they weren, and of what degree,

41: And eek in what array that they were inne;

42: And at a knyght than wol I first bigynne.

The Knight's Portrait

43: A knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,

44: That fro the tyme that he first bigan

45: To riden out, he loved chivalrie,

46: Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.

47: Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,

48: And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,

49: As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,

50: And evere honoured for his worthynesse.

51: At alisaundre he was whan it was wonne.

52: Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne

53: Aboven alle nacions in pruce;

54: In lettow hadde he reysed and in ruce,

55: No cristen man so ofte of his degree.

56: In gernade at the seege eek hadde he be

57: Of algezir, and riden in belmarye.

58: At lyeys was he and at satalye,

59: Whan they were wonne; and in the grete see

60: At many a noble armee hadde he be.

61: At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene,

62: And foughten for oure feith at tramyssene

63: In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.

64: This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also

65: Somtyme with the lord of palatye

66: Agayn another hethen in turkye.

67: And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys;

68: And though that he were worthy, he was wys,

69: And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.

70: He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde

71: In al his lyf unto no maner wight.

72: He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.

73: But, for to tellen yow of his array,

74: His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.

75: Of fustian he wered a gypon

76: Al bismotered with his habergeon,

77: For he was late ycome from his viage,

78: And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.

The Squire's Portrait

79: With hym ther was his sone, a yong squier,

80: A lovyere and a lusty bacheler,

81: With lokkes crulle as they were leyd in presse.

82: Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.

83: Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,

84: And wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.

85: And he hadde been somtyme in chyvachie

86: In flaundres, in artoys, and pycardie,

87: And born hym weel, as of so litel space,

88: In hope to stonden in his lady grace.

89: Embrouded was he, as it were a meede

90: Al ful of fresshe floures, whyte and reede.

91: Syngynge he was, or floytynge, al the day;

92: He was as fressh as is the month of may.

93: Short was his gowne, with sleves longe and wyde.

94: Wel koude he sitte on hors and faire ryde.

95: He koude songes make and wel endite,

96: Juste and eek daunce, and weel purtreye and write.

97: So hoote he lovede that by nyghtertale.

98: He sleep namoore than dooth a nyghtyngale.

99: Curteis he was, lowely, and servysable,

100: And carf biforn his fader at the table.

The Yeoman's Portrait

101: A yeman hadde he and servantz namo

102: At that tyme, for hym liste ride so,

103: And he was clad in cote and hood of grene.

104: A sheef of pecok arwes, bright and kene,

105: Under his belt he bar ful thriftily,

106: (wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly:

107: His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe)

108: And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.

109: A not heed hadde he, with a broun visage.

110: Of wodecraft wel koude he al the usage.

111: Upon his arm he baar a gay bracer,

112: And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,

113: And on that oother syde a gay daggere

114: Harneised wel and sharp as point of spere;

115: A cristopher on his brest of silver sheene.

116: An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene;

117: A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.

The Prioress' Portrait

118: Ther was also a nonne, a prioresse,

119: That of hir smylyng was ful symple and coy;

120: Hire gretteste ooth was but by seinte loy;

121: And she was cleped madame eglentyne.

122: Ful weel she soong the service dyvyne,

123: Entuned in hir nose ful semely,

124: And frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,

125: After the scole of stratford atte bowe,

126: For frenssh of parys was to hire unknowe.

127: At mete wel ytaught was she with alle:

128: She leet no morsel from hir lippes falle,

129: Ne wette hir fyngres in hir sauce depe;

130: Wel koude she carie a morsel and wel kepe

131: That no drope ne fille upon hire brest.

132: In curteisie was set ful muchel hir lest.

133: Hir over-lippe wyped she so clene

134: That in hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene

135: Of grece, whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.

136: Ful semely after hir mete she raughte.

137: And sikerly she was of greet desport,

138: And ful plesaunt, and amyable of port,

139: And peyned hire to countrefete cheere

140: Of court, and to been estatlich of manere,

141: And to ben holden digne of reverence.

142: But, for to speken of hire conscience,

143: She was so charitable and so pitous

144: She wolde wepe, if that she saugh a mous

145: Kaught in a trappe, if it were deed or bledde.

146: Of smale houndes hadde she that she fedde

147: With rosted flessh, or milk and wastel-breed.

148: But soore wepte she if oon of hem were deed,

149: Or if men smoot it with a yerde smerte;

150: And al was conscience and tendre herte.

151: Ful semyly hir wympul pynched was,

152: Hir nose tretys, hir eyen greye as glas,

153: Hir mouth ful smal, and therto softe and reed;

154: But sikerly she hadde a fair forheed;

155: It was almoost a spanne brood, I trowe;

156: For, hardily, she was nat undergrowe.

157: Ful fetys was hir cloke, as I was war.

158: Of smal coral aboute hire arm she bar

159: A peire of bedes, gauded al with grene,

160: And theron heng a brooch of gold ful sheene,

161: On which ther was first write a crowned a,

162: And after amor vincit omnia.

The Second Nun's Portrait

163: Another nonne with hire hadde she,

THE THREE PRIESTS

164: That was hir chapeleyne, and preestes thre.

The Monk's Portrait

165: A monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,

166: An outridere, that lovede venerie,

167: A manly man, to been an abbot able.

168: Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable,

169: And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel heere

170: Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere

171: And eek as loude as dooth the chapel belle.

172: Ther as this lord was kepere of the celle,

173: The reule of seint maure or of seint beneit,

174: By cause that it was old and somdel streit

175: This ilke monk leet olde thynges pace,

176: And heeld after the newe world the space.

177: He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,

178: That seith that hunters ben nat hooly men,

179: Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,

180: Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees, --

181: This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre.

182: But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre;

183: And I seyde his opinion was good.

184: What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood,

185: Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,

186: Or swynken with his handes, and laboure,

187: As austyn bit? how shal the world be served?

188: Lat austyn have his swynk to hym reserved!

189: Therfore he was a prikasour aright:

190: Grehoundes he hadde as swift as fowel in flight;

191: Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare

192: Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.

193: I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond

194: With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;

195: And, for to festne his hood under his chyn,

196: He hadde of gold ywroght a ful curious pyn;

197: A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.

198: His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,

199: And eek his face, as he hadde been enoynt.

200: He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;

201: His eyen stepe, and rollynge in his heed,

202: That stemed as a forneys of a leed;

203: His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat.

204: Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat;

205: He was nat pale as a forpyned goost.

206: A fat swan loved he best of any roost.

207: His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.

The Friar's Portrait

208: A frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,

209: A lymytour, a ful solempne man.

210: In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan

211: So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.

212: He hadde maad ful many a mariage

213: Of yonge wommen at his owene cost.

214: Unto his ordre he was a noble post.

215: Ful wel biloved and famulier was he

216: With frankeleyns over al in his contree,

217: And eek with worthy wommen of the toun;

218: For he hadde power of confessioun,

219: As seyde hymself, moore than a curat,

220: For of his ordre he was licenciat.

221: Ful swetely herde he confessioun,

222: And plesaunt was his absolucioun:

223: He was an esy man to yeve penaunce,

224: Ther as he wiste to have a good pitaunce.

225: For unto a povre ordre for to yive

226: Is signe that a man is wel yshryve;

227: For if he yaf, he dorste make avaunt,

228: He wiste that a man was repentaunt;

229: For many a man so hard is of his herte,

230: He may nat wepe, althogh hym soore smerte.

231: Therfore in stede of wepynge and preyeres

232: Men moote yeve silver to the povre freres.

233: His typet was ay farsed ful of knyves

234: And pynnes, for to yeven faire wyves.

235: And certeinly he hadde a murye note:

236: Wel koude he synge and pleyen on a rote;

237: Of yeddynges he baar outrely the pris.

238: His nekke whit was as the flour- de-lys;

239: Therto he strong was as a champioun.

240: He knew the tavernes wel in every toun

241: And everich hostiler and tappestere

242: Bet than a lazar or a beggestere;

243: For unto swich a worthy man as he

244: Acorded nat, as by his facultee,

245: To have with sike lazars aqueyntaunce.

246: It is nat honest, it may nat avaunce,

247: For to deelen with no swich poraille,

248: But al with riche and selleres of vitaille.

249: And over al, ther as profit sholde arise,

250: Curteis he was and lowely of servyse.

251: Ther nas no man nowher so vertuous.

252: He was the beste beggere in his hous;

252.1: (and yaf a certeyne ferme for the graunt;

252.2: Noon of his bretheren cam ther in his haunt;)

253: For thogh a wydwe hadde noght a sho,

254: So plesaunt was his in principio,

255: Yet wolde he have a ferthyng, er he wente.

256: His purchas was wel bettre than his rente.

257: And rage he koude, as it were right a whelp.

258: In love-dayes ther koude he muchel help,

259: For ther he was nat lyk a cloysterer

260: With a thredbare cope, as is a povre scoler,

261: But he was lyk a maister or a pope.

262: Of double worstede was his semycope,

263: That rounded as a belle out of the presse.

264: Somwhat he lipsed, for his wantownesse,

265: To make his englissh sweete upon his tonge;

266: And in his harpyng, whan that he hadde songe,

267: His eyen twynkled in his heed aryght,

268: As doon the sterres in the frosty nyght.

269: This worthy lymytour was cleped huberd.

The Merchant's Portrait

270: A marchant was ther with a forked berd,

271: In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat;

272: Upon his heed a flaundryssh bever hat,

273: His bootes clasped faire and fetisly.

274: His resons he spak ful solempnely,

275: Sownynge alwey th' encrees of his wynnyng.

276: He wolde the see were kept for any thyng

277: Bitwixe middelburgh and orewelle.

278: Wel koude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle.

279: This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette:

280: Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette,

281: So estatly was he of his governaunce

282: With his bargaynes and with his chevyssaunce.

283: For sothe he was a worthy man with alle,

284: But, sooth to seyn, I noot how men hym calle.

The Clerk's Portrait

285: A clerk ther was of oxenford also,

286: That unto logyk hadde longe ygo.

287: As leene was his hors as is a rake,

288: And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,

289: But looked holwe, and therto sobrely.

290: Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy;

291: For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,

292: Ne was so worldly for to have office.

293: For hym was levere have at his beddes heed

294: Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,

295: Of aristotle and his philosophie,

296: Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie.

297: But al be that he was a philosophre,

298: Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;

299: But al that he myghte of his freendes hente,

300: On bookes and on lernynge he it spente,

301: And bisily gan for the soules preye

302: Of hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.

303: Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede,

304: Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,

305: And that was seyd in forme and reverence,

306: And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence;

307: Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,

308: And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.

The The Man of Law's Portrait

309: A sergeant of the lawe, war and wys,

310: That often hadde been at the parvys,

311: Ther was also, ful riche of excellence.

312: Discreet he was and of greet reverence --

313: He semed swich, his wordes weren so wise.

314: Justice he was ful often in assise,

315: By patente and by pleyn commissioun.

316: For his science and for his heigh renoun,

317: Of fees and robes hadde he many oon.

318: So greet a purchasour was nowher noon:

319: Al was fee symple to hym in effect;

320: His purchasyng myghte nat been infect.

321: Nowher so bisy a man as he ther nas,

322: And yet he semed bisier than he was.

323: In termes hadde he caas and doomes alle

324: That from the tyme of kyng william were falle.

325: Therto he koude endite, and make a thyng,

326: Ther koude no wight pynche at his writyng;

327: And every statut koude he pleyn by rote.

328: He rood but hoomly in a medlee cote.

329: Girt with a ceint of silk, with barres smale;

330: Of his array telle I no lenger tale.

The Franklin's Portrait

331: A frankeleyn was in his compaignye.

332: Whit was his berd as is the dayesye;

333: Of his complexioun he was sangwyn.

334: Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in wyn;

335: To lyven in delit was evere his wone,

336: For he was epicurus owene sone,

337: That heeld opinioun that pleyn delit

338: Was verray felicitee parfit.

339: An housholdere, and that a greet, was he;

340: Seint julian he was in his contree.

341: His breed, his ale, was alweys after oon;

342: A bettre envyned man was nowher noon.

343: Withoute bake mete was nevere his hous

344: Of fissh and flessh, and that so plentevous,

345: It snewed in his hous of mete and drynke,

346: Of alle deyntees that men koude thynke.

347: After the sondry sesons of the yeer,

348: So chaunged he his mete and his soper.

349: Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in muwe,

350: And many a breem and many a luce in stuwe.

351: Wo was his cook but if his sauce were

352: Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his geere.

353: His table dormant in his halle alway

354: Stood redy covered al the longe day.

355: At sessiouns ther was he lord and sire;

356: Ful ofte tyme he was knyght of the shire.

357: An anlaas and a gipser al of silk

358: Heeng at his girdel, whit as morne milk.

359: A shirreve hadde he been, and a contour.

360: Was nowher swich a worthy vavasour.

The Guildsmen's Portrait

361: An haberdasshere and a carpenter,

362: A webbe, a dyere, and a tapycer, --

363: And they were clothed alle in o lyveree

364: Of a solempne and a greet fraternitee.

365: Ful fressh and newe hir geere apiked was;

366: Hir knyves were chaped noght with bras

367: But al with silver; wroght ful clene and weel

368: Hire girdles and hir pouches everydeel.

369: Wel semed ech of hem a fair burgeys

370: To sitten in a yeldehalle on a deys.

371: Everich, for the wisdom that he kan,

372: Was shaply for to been an alderman.

373: For catel hadde they ynogh and rente,

374: And eek hir wyves wolde it wel assente;

375: And elles certeyn were they to blame.

376: It is ful fair to been ycleped madame,

377: And goon to vigilies al bifore,

378: And have a mantel roialliche ybore.

The Cook's Portrait

379: A cook they hadde with hem for the nones

380: To boille the chiknes with the marybones,

381: And poudre-marchant tart and galyngale.

382: Wel koude he knowe a draughte of londoun ale.

383: He koude rooste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,

384: Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye.

385: But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,

386: That on his shyne a mormal hadde he.

387: For blankmanger, that made he with the beste

The Shipman's Portrait

388: A shipman was ther, wonynge fer by weste;

389: For aught I woot, he was of dertemouthe.

390: He rood upon a rounce, as he kouthe,

391: In a gowne of faldyng to the knee.

392: A daggere hangynge on a laas hadde he

393: Aboute his nekke, under his arm adoun.

394: The hoote somer hadde maad his hewe al broun;

395: And certeinly he was a good felawe.

396: Ful many a draughte of wyn had he ydrawe

397: Fro burdeux-ward, whil that the chapmen sleep.

398: Of nyce conscience took he no keep.

399: If that he faught, and hadde the hyer hond,

400: By water he sente hem hoom to every lond.

401: But of his craft to rekene wel his tydes,

402: His stremes, and his daungers hym bisides,

403: His herberwe, and his moone, his lodemenage,

404: Ther nas noon swich from hulle to cartage.

405: Hardy he was and wys to undertake;

406: With many a tempest hadde his berd been shake.

407: He knew alle the havenes, as they were,

408: Fro gootlond to the cape of fynystere,

409: And every cryke in britaigne and in spayne.

410: His barge ycleped was the maudelayne.

The Physician's Portrait

411: With us ther was a doctour of phisik;

412: In al this world ne was the noon hym lik,

413: To speke of phisik and of surgerye

414: For he was grounded in astronomye.

415: He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel

416: In houres by his magyk natureel.

417: Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent

418: Of his ymages for his pacient.

419: He knew the cause of everich maladye,

420: Were it of hoot, or coold, or moyste, or drye,

421: And where they engendred, and of what humour.

422: He was a verray, parfit praktisour:

423: The cause yknowe, and of his harm the roote,

424: Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.

425: Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries

426: To sende hym drogges and his letuaries,

427: For ech of hem made oother for to wynne --

428: Hir frendshipe nas nat newe to bigynne.

429: Wel knew he the olde esculapius,

430: And deyscorides, and eek rufus,

431: Olde ypocras, haly, and galyen,

432: Serapion, razis, and avycen,

433: Averrois, damascien, and constantyn,

434: Bernard, and gatesden, and gilbertyn.

435: Of his diete mesurable was he,

436: For it was of no superfluitee,

437: But of greet norissyng and digestible.

438: His studie was but litel on the bible.

439: In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,

440: Lyned with taffata and with sendal;

441: And yet he was but esy of dispence;

442: He kepte that he wan in pestilence.

443: For gold in phisik is a cordial,

444: Therefore he lovede gold in special.

The Wife of Bath's Portrait

445: A good wif was ther of biside bathe,

446: But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.

447: Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt,

448: She passed hem of ypres and of gaunt.

449: In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon

450: That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;

451: And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she,

452: That she was out of alle charitee.

453: Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;

454: I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound

455: That on a sonday weren upon hir heed.

456: Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,

457: Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.

458: Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.

459: She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:

460: Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,

461: Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, --

462: But therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.

463: And thries hadde she been at jerusalem;

464: She hadde passed many a straunge strem;

465: At rome she hadde been, and at boloigne,

466: In galice at seint-jame, and at coloigne.

467: She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.

468: Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.

469: Upon an amblere esily she sat,

470: Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat

471: As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;

472: A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,

473: And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.

474: In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.

475: Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,

476: For she koude of that art the olde daunce.

The Parson's Portrait

477: A good man was ther of religioun,

478: And was a povre persoun of a toun,

479: But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk.

480: He was also a lerned man, a clerk,

481: That cristes gospel trewely wolde preche;

482: His parisshens devoutly wolde he teche.

483: Benygne he was, and wonder diligent,

484: And in adversitee ful pacient,

485: And swich he was ypreved ofte sithes.

486: Ful looth were hym to cursen for his tithes,

487: But rather wolde he yeven, out of doute,

488: Unto his povre parisshens aboute

489: Of his offryng and eek of his substaunce.

490: He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce.

491: Wyd was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder,

492: But he ne lefte nat, for reyn ne thonder,

493: In siknesse nor in meschief to visite

494: The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite,

495: Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf.

496: This noble ensample to his sheep he yaf,

497: That first he wroghte, and afterward he taughte.

498: Out of the gospel he tho wordes caughte,

499: And this figure he added eek therto,

500: That if gold ruste, what shal iren do?

501: For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,

502: No wonder is a lewed man to ruste;

503: And shame it is, if a prest take keep,

504: A shiten shepherde and a clene sheep.

505: Wel oghte a preest ensample for to yive,

506: By his clennesse, how that his sheep sholde lyve.

507: He sette nat his benefice to hyre

508: And leet his sheep encombred in the myre

509: And ran to londoun unto seinte poules

510: To seken hym a chaunterie for soules,

511: Or with a bretherhed to been withholde;

512: But dwelte at hoom, and kepte wel his folde,

513: So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie;