The Knight

• 

A KNIGHT there was and that a worthy man,

That fro the tyne that he first bigan

To riden out, he loved chivalrie,

Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie,

Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,

And thereto hadde he riden, no man ferre,

As wel in cristendom as in hethenesse,

And ever honoured for his worthynesse.

At alisaundre he was whan it was wonne;

Ful ofter tyme he hadde he the bord bigonne

Aboven alle nacions in purce;

In lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce, –

No cristen man so ofte of this degree,

In Garnade at the seege eek hadde he be,

Of algezir, and ridden in Belmarye

At lyeys was he, and at satalye,

Whan theyvwere wonne; and in the grete See

At many a noble armee hadde he be.

at mortal battailles hadded he been fifteen,

And foughten for oure feith at Tramysseme,

In lystes thires, and ay slayn his foo.

This ilke worthy knyght hadded been also

somtyme with the lord of Palatye

Agaynbanother hethen in Turkye,

And evermoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.

And though that he was worthy he was wym,

And of his pirt as meeke as is a mayde

He never yetno vileynye ne sayde,

In al his lyf, unto no maner wight.

He was a yerray parfit, gentil knyght.

But for to tellen yow of his array,

His horse was goode, but he ne was nat gey;

Of fustian he wered a gypon

al bismotered with his habergeon

for he was late y-come from his viage,

And wente for to doon his pilgrimage.

Paraphrase in English:

There was a knight among them, and he was a very worthy man. From the very brining of his career he love chivalry, truth, honour, generosity and courtesy. He had fought bravely in the service of king . He had ridden into bettles more than any other man in Christen and non-christen countries and he had always been honoured for his worth. He was at Alexandira when he was captured. Often, at feasts , he had sat at the head of table above men of all nations in Prussia. He fought in Lithuania and Grenada at the seize of Algeria and fought in Bemmarion. He was also in Armenia and Attalia when the were captured he had been with many noble expeditions on the great sea. He had fought in 15 deadly battles, and he had also fought for the christian faith in Algeria and africa. He had involved himself in single combats three times and always killed his enemy. This same brave knight is also once been with the ruler of Palatia to fight against another heathen in Turkey and since then he always gained supreme fame. Although the knight was brave and wise, in his behaviour he was as gentle as is a young girl. In all his life he had never spoken any abusive against any person. He was truly a perfect gentle knight . Now I will tell you about his dress and equipment. His horse was fine but was not wearing whowy garments. He was wearing a waist coat made of coarse and rough fabric. His coat of mail was solided as he had just returned from his travels and had started at once on his pilgrimage.