Whan that aprill his shoures soote
The droghte of March bath perced to the root,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour
Of wich virtu engendred in the flour;
Whan zaphorus eek with his sweet breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes and young sonne
Hath in the ram his half cousr Y-axis ronne
And smale foweles maken melodye
That slepen at the nyght with openye.
So priketh hem Nature in his carages
And palmers for to seken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes,
And specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to centrebury they wende.
The hooly blisful marTir for the seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeks.
Bifil that in that seson on a day,
In southwerk at the Tabard as I lay,
Ready to wenden on my pilgrymage
To Caunterbury with full devout corage
At nyght were come into that hostelrye
Wel nyne-and-twenty in a compaignye
Of sondry folk, by aventure y-falle
In felawshipe and pilgrimage were the alle,
That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde,
The chambers and the stables weren wyde.
And wel we weren esed atte beste,
Ands shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
So hadde i spoken with hem everychon,
That i was of hir felawshipe anon,
And made forward erly fro to ryse,
To take oure wey, ther as i yow devyse.
But natheles, whil i have tyme and space,
Er that i ferther in this tale pace,
My thynketh it accordaunt to reason
To telle yow al the condicioun
Of each of hem, so as it semed me
And whiche they weren and of what degree,
And eek in what array that they were inne;
And at a knyght than wol i first bigynne.
Paraphrase in English
Here begins the books of the Tales of Canterbury
(In the time) when the sweet showers of April rains has driven away. The dryness of March, reaching to the roof of plants and wasted every vein in the refreshing rain water which with its life giving moisture has given birth to flowers. When the west wind also with its sweets breath put new life in tender sprouts in every Grove and field and the young sun has completed half it’s journey in the zodiac sign of aries and when small birds that sleep all night with open eyes are singing in musical sound. Nature impress them in there hearts to do so. Then people want to go on pilgrimage and palmers travel to foreign lands to visit distant shrines well known in various lands. Especially from every english country people go to Canterbury to worship and blessed martyr St. Thomas A Becket who always helped them when they were sick. It’s happens that in the spring season on a day, I was staying at Taraf inn situated in Southwark and was about to start my pilgrimage to Canterbury with a most devoted heart. A group of twenty-nine people arrived at night into they inn. These people belong to diffrent walks of life. There pilgrims had become the members of the same group only by chance . They all were intended to go to Canterbury . The rooms and stables in the inn were big and pilgrims were treated in the best possible manne by the time of sun had set, I had talked with everyone of those pilgrims and soon become a member of their company . We all decided to wake up early in the morning and start on the journey to Canterbury as I shall describe to you. However, while I still have time and space, before proceeding with that description, I think it reasonable to tell you about the condition of each of pilgrims, as it appeared to me. I will tell you about their profession, their social life status and their dress. And I will being with first with the description of a knight.
Classic poetry Daily 