Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licóur,
Of which vertú engendred is the flour
Paraphrase:
When April’s sweet showers have pierced the dryness of March down to the roots and nourished every vein of plants with moisture, bringing forth flowers… (This sets the scene of springtime renewal — symbolic of pilgrimage and spiritual rebirth.)
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke...
Paraphrase:
Then people desire to go on pilgrimages, and travelers set out to distant shores, to visit holy shrines known in many lands. Especially, from all over England, they go to Canterbury to seek the holy blessed martyr (Thomas Becket) who has helped them in times of illness or trouble.
A Knyght ther was, and that a worthy man,
That fro the tyme that he first bigan
To riden out, he loved chivalrie,
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
Paraphrase:
There was a Knight, a truly worthy man, who from the moment he first began to ride forth in arms loved the ideals of chivalry: truth, honor, freedom, and courtesy.
With lokkes crulle as they were leyd in presse.
Of twenty yeer of age he was, I gesse.
Of his stature he was of evene lengthe,
And wonderly delyvere, and of greet strengthe.
Paraphrase:
The Squire had curly hair as if it had been pressed; he was about twenty years old, of average height, very agile, and strong.
And Frenssh she spak ful faire and fetisly,
After the scole of Stratford atte Bowe,
For Frenssh of Parys was to hire unknowe.
Paraphrase:
The Prioress spoke French elegantly and carefully, though it was the French taught at Stratford-at-Bow (an English convent), for she did not know the Parisian French.
A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable...
Paraphrase:
The Monk was a manly man, well-suited to be an abbot, and he had many fine horses in his stable. (This shows his wealth and worldly taste, contrary to the expected monastic poverty.)
He was the beste beggere in his hous;
For though a widwe hadde noght a sho,
So plesaunt was his “In principio,”
Yet wolde he have a ferthyng, er he wente.
The Friar was the best beggar in his order; for even if a widow had not a shoe, he would still find a way to get a farthing from her before he left, so persuasive was his preaching.
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