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Incipit Prologus.    Whan brighte Phebus passed was the Ram Myd of Aprille and into Bole cam, And Satourn old with his frosty face In Virgyne taken had his place, Malencolik and slowgh of mocioun, And was also in th'oposicioun Of Lucina the mone moyst and pale, That many shour fro hevene made avale; Whan Aurora was in the morowe red, And Jubiter in the Crabbes hed Hath take his paleys and his mansioun; The lusty tyme and joly fressh sesoun Whan that Flora the noble myghty quene The soyl hath clad in newe tendre grene, With her floures craftyly ymeynt, Braunch and bough with red and whit depeynt, Fletinge the bawme on hillis and on valys; The tyme in soth whan Canterbury talys Complet and told at many sondry stage Of estatis in the pilgrimage, Everich man lik to his degré, Some of desport, some of moralité, Some of knyghthode, love, and gentillesse, And some also of parfit holynesse, And some also in soth of ribaudye To make laughter in the companye (Ech admitted, for non wold other greve) Lich as the Cook, the Millere, and the Reve Aquytte hemsilf, shortly to conclude, Boystously in her teermes rude, Whan thei hadde wel dronken of the bolle, And ek also with his pylled nolle The Pardowner beerdlees al his chyn, Glasy-eyed and face of cherubyn, Tellyng a tale to angre with the frere, As opynly the storie kan yow lere Word for word with every circumstaunce, Echon ywrite and put in remembraunce By hym that was, yif I shal not feyne, Floure of poetes thorghout al Breteyne, Which sothly hadde most of excellence In rethorike and in eloquence (Rede his making who list the trouthe fynde) Which never shal appallen in my mynde But alwey fressh ben in my memoyré, To whom be gove pris, honure, and gloyré Of wel seyinge first in oure language, Chief registrer of this pilgrimage, Al that was tolde forgeting noght at al, Feyned talis nor thing historial, With many proverbe divers and unkouth, Be rehersaile of his sugrid mouth, Of eche thyng keping in substaunce The sentence hool withoute variance, Voyding the chaf sothly for to seyn, Enlumynyng the trewe piked greyn Be crafty writinge of his sawes swete, Fro the tyme that thei deden mete First the pylgrimes sothly everichon, At the Tabbard assembled on be on, And fro Suthwerk shortly forto seye To Canterbury ridyng on her weie, Tellynge a tale as I reherce can, Lich as the hoste assigned every man, None so hardy his biddyng disobeye. And this whil that the pilgrymes leye At Canterbury wel logged on and all, I not in soth what I may it call - Hap or fortune in conclusioun - That me byfil to entren into toun The holy seynt pleynly to visite After siknesse, my vowes to aquyte, In a cope of blak and not of grene, On a palfrey slender, long, and lene, With rusty brydel mad nat for the sale, My man toforn with a voide male, Which of fortune took myn inne anon Wher the pylgrymes were logged everichon, The same tyme her governour, the Host, Stonding in halle ful of wynde and bost, Lich to a man wonder sterne and fers, Which spak to me and seide anon, "Daun Pers, Daun Domynyk, Dan Godfrey, or Clement, Ye be welcom newly into Kent, Thogh youre bridel have neither boos ne belle, Besechinge you that ye wil me telle First youre name and of what contré Withoute mor shortely that ye be, That loke so pale al devoyde of blood, Upon youre hede a wonder thredbar hood, Wel araied for to ride late."    I answerde my name was Lydgate, "Monk of Bery, nygh fyfty yere of age, Come to this toune to do my pilgrimage, As I have hight. I ha therof no shame." "Daun John," quod he, "wel broke ye youre name. Thogh ye be soul, beth right glad and light, Preiyng you soupe with us tonyght, And ye shal han mad at youre devis A gret puddyng or a rounde hagys, A franchemole, a tansey, or a froyse; To ben a monk, sclender is youre koyse; Ye han be seke, I dar myn hede assure, Or late fed in a feynt pasture. Lift up youre hed, be glad, tak no sorowe! And ye shal hom ride with us tomorowe, I seye, whan ye rested han your fille. Aftere soper slepe wil do non ille. Wrappe wel youre hede with clothes rounde aboute. Strong notty ale wol mak you to route. Tak a pylow that ye lye not lowe; Yif nede be, spare not to blowe! To holde wynde, be myn opynyoun, Wil engendre collik passioun And make men to greven on her roppys, Whan thei han filled her mawes and her croppys. But toward nyght ete some fenel rede, Annys, comyn, or coriandre sede. And lik as I power have and myght, I charge yow rise not at mydnyght, Thogh it so be the moone shyne cler. I wol mysilf be youre orloger Tomorow erly, whan I se my tyme, For we wol forth parcel afore pryme; A company, pardé, shal do you good. What? Look up, monk! For by kokkis blood, Thow shalt be mery who so that sey nay. For tomorowe, anoon as it is day And that it gynne in the est to dawe, Thow shalt be bound to a newe lawe Att goyng oute of Canterbury toune And leyn aside thy professioun. Thow shalt not chese nor thisilf withdrawe, Yif eny myrth be founden in thy mawe, Lyk the custom of this compenye, For non so proude that dar me denye, Knyght nor knave, chanon, prest ne nonne, To telle a tale pleynly as thei konne, Whan I assigne and se tyme opportune. And for that we our purpoos wil contune, We wil homward the same custome use, And thow shalt not platly thee excuse. Be now wel war - stody wel tonyght! But for al this, be of herte light! Thy wit shal be the sharper and the bet." And we anon were to soper set, And served wel unto oure plesaunce, And sone after be good governaunce Unto bed goth every maner wight. And towarde morowe anon as it was light, Every pilgryme bothe bet and wors, As bad oure hoste toke anon his hors, Whan the sonne roos in the est ful clyere, Fully in purpoos to come to dynere Unto Osspryng and breke ther our faste. And whan we weren from Canterbury paste Noght the space of a bowe draught, Our hoost in hast hath my bridel rauht And to me seide as it were in game, "Come forth, daun John, be your Cristene name, And lat us make some manere myrth or play. Shet youre portoos a twenty develway! It is no disport so to patere and seie. It wol make youre lippes wonder dreye. Tel some tale, and make therof a jape. For be my rouncy, thow shalt not eskape. But preche not of non holynesse. Gynne some tale of myrth or of gladnesse, And nodde not with thyn hevy bekke. Telle us some thyng that draweth to effecte Only of joye. Make no lenger lette." And whan I saugh it wolde be no bette, I obeyde unto his biddynge, So as the lawe me bonde in al thinge; And as I coude with a pale cheere, My tale I gan anon as ye shal here. Explicit Prologus. Incipit Pars Prima.

the sun; Aries; (see note) In the middle; Taurus (see note) Virgo slow Diana; moon; (see note) shower; fall Dawn; morning Jupiter; Cancer's head palace (the goddess of flowers) artfully; combined painted The balm flowing indeed; tales various distances traveled; (see note) social classes Every; according to; social rank entertainment; (see note) nobility perfect truly of ribaldry permitted; no one; insult (see note) Behave Rudely; their speech bowl too; bald head; (see note) beardless; (see note) cherubic face; (see note) friar; (see note) teach Every one written who; if; dissemble; (see note) rhetoric poetry; wishes; (see note); (t-note) fade (t-note) given renown; (t-note) recorder Fictional; historical curious By narration; sugared (see note) essentially; (see note) complete meaning Removing; husk truly (see note) Revealing; selected kernel By artful; stories did; (t-note) truly every one; (see note) Tabard Inn; one by one Southwerk their way recount Just as daring; (see note) lodged one; (t-note) I do not know truly Chance; finally happened sickness; fulfill [monk's] cloak; (see note) riding horse unfit for court (see note) servant; before me; empty purse Who; arranged my lodging forthwith every one their; (see note) boast Like; very; (see note) Who; immediately; (see note) boss (ornamental stud); (see note) Who; lacking very threadbare; (see note) outfitted (see note) Bury St. Edmunds; nearly; (see note) promised; have do credit to; (see note) alone dine have; wish haggis meat or vegetable pie (see note); omelet; pancake slender; carcass ill; guarantee recently; sparse; (see note) (t-note) nutty; snore; (t-note) so that If; do not hesitate to fart (see note); (t-note) innards stomachs; throats; (see note) red fennel anise, cumin clock; (see note) set out a little before 6 a.m. by God God's blood; (see note) as soon as; (see note) when; east; dawn lay have a free choice If; stomach canon fully; know how appoint continue plainly yourself attentive; (see note) better immediately person as soon better directed; soon passed bowshot haste; seized amusement Close; breviary recite the Paternoster; (t-note) dry; (see note) joke; (see note); (t-note) horse (see note) (see note) nose produces delay countenance began; directly; hear (t-note)