The Monk

A MONK ther was, a fair for the maistrie,
An outridere, that lovede venerie,
A manly man, to been an abbot able.
Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in stable,
And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel heere
170 Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere
And eek as loude, as dooth the chapel belle.
Ther as this lord was keper of the celle,
The reule of Seint Maure, or of Seint Beneit,
By cause that it was old and somdel streit
175 This ilke Monk leet olde thynges pace,
And heeld after the newe world the space.
He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,
That seith that hunters beth nat hooly men,
Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,
180 Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees,-
This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre
But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre;
And I seyde his opinioun was good.
What sholde he studie, and make hymselven wood,
185 Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
Or swynken with his handes and laboure,
As Austyn bit? How shal the world be served?
Lat Austyn have his swynk to him reserved!
Therfore he was a prikasour aright:
190 Grehoundes he hadde, as swift as fowel in flight;
Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare
Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond
With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
195 And, for to festne his hood under his chyn,
He hadde of gold ywroght a curious pyn;
A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
And eek his face, as it hadde been enoynt.
200 He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt,
Hise eyen stepe, and rollynge in his heed,
That stemed as a forneys of a leed;
His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat.
Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat;
205 He was nat pale as a forpyned goost.
A fat swan loved he best of any roost.
His palfrey was as broun as is a berye,

Paraphrase in English

There was a monk. He was superior to other. Inspecting farms and estates of the monastry were his passions. He was very fond of hunting. He was an impressive man, quite fit for being the head of his monastery. He had many hourses of good beard in his stable. When he rode people could hear the tingling sound in a whisting wind as clearly and also as loudly as they could hear the sound of bells rung in the chapel, of which he was the keeper. The considered the rules of St. Maurice and St. Benedict as outdated and strict and so he ignored them. He adopted the ways of the new world. He give no importance to such text which say that hunters are not pious people. He even did not care at all for the text that compare the monk out of his cell in a monastry to the fish that is out of water, In this options such text were worthless. And I accept that his opinion was correct. Why should he study books in cloister and make his body as stiff as wood. Or why should he toil his hand as in ordered by St. Augustine? Who will take care of the world? Let St. Augustine keep his hard work reserved for himself. Therefore, he preferred to be a true huntsman. He had many hunting dogs which were as swift as birds in flight. All his pleasure was in house riding and hunting of male rabbits. He was not ready to give up his hobby at any cost. I saw that the sleeves of his coat were ornamented at the edge with fine grey fur, which was the finest in the country. I’m order to fasten his hood under under his chin he had a beautiful pin made of gold. There was a complicated knot at the larger end. His head was bals and it shone like a glass. His face was shining as if it had been well oiled. He was fat and I’m good position. His eye were shining and never seemed to settle in there sockets. His eyes were as bright as the fire of furnace of lead. His boots were made of soft leather. His house was in good condition. He was certainly a good clergyman, he was not pale like a tormented ghost. He liked eating a fat roasted swan. His riding horse was as brown as in a berry.