Now I have briefly and honestly portrayed
The appearance, status and number who made
Up our group, and why they then came to be
In Southwark at that charming hostelry,
Known as the Tabard, just next to the Bell;
But now the time has come for me to tell
You what things we did that very first night,
Once we had settled ourselves in all right;
And then I'll tell you about the last bit
Of our journey and what happened on it.
But first I must ask for your forbearance.
Please don't assume that it's my ignorance,
Even though my language is sometimes plain,
When I tell in their way, their words again,
Nor when I speak their words authentically.
I hope that you will readily agree
That who ever tells another man's tale,
Must recount it faithfully without fail,
Every word, as he remembers it,
Though the words may be vulgar and unfit,
Or else what he recites will be untrue,
An invented thing, its language all new.
He must not balk, even for his brother,
He may as well say that word as another.
Christ used plain broad language in the scripture
And nothing in there can earn our stricture;
If you know Greek, in Plato you will read,
The words must be cousin to the deed.
Also I must ask you to forgive me,
If I've muddled up rank to some degree
In this tale, the order in which folk appear,
I'm none too bright I'm afraid, as must be clear.
Our host gave us all a hearty greeting
And very soon he had us all eating
As good a supper as you'll find I think:
The wine was strong and we were glad to drink.
This host was fit to be in overall
Charge of the banquets in some great Duke's hall.
He was a large man with intelligent eyes.
Cheapside's best citizen I would surmise,
Cogent and informed, a most forceful speaker,
As to manhood, he lacked not one good feature.
On top of this he was a genial man,
And after supper he at once began
To joke and chat, partly about amusement,
(When we'd all paid our bills and were content);
"Ladies and gentlemen," he said,"Honestly,
I most warmly welcome this whole company.
To tell you the truth, and there's no lie here,
You're the happiest group I've seen all year
Together at one time eating my food.
So I would like to help this happy mood
To last. I've just thought how it might be done
And it won't cost a penny, no not one.
You're off to Canterbury, God speed you
And may the blessed saint reward you too.
I know very well as you ride along
You will pass the time with story and song,
Because there's no comfort or joy, you'll own,
In riding along as dumb as a stone,
So I've an amusing suggestion to make
As I said at first, for your comfort's sake,
And if all of you by common consent,
Are contented to trust in my judgement,
And to all do exactly as I say,
Tomorrow, as you're riding on your way,
Then, by the soul of my father now dead,
If you're not amused, you can have my head.
I've said enough. Hands up if you agree."
We discussed all this very speedily,
There was no point in arguing it out,
We gave him the benefit of the doubt,
Free to suggest whatever he wanted.
"Now friends, please listen carefully," he said.
"And don't be offended by what I say.
To get to the point without more delay
It's this. To pass the time, that each of you,
Going to Canterbury, shall tell two
Stories on our journey to that town,
And the same travelling back as going down,
Old adventures that you've heard of before,
And whoever we think has earned top score
That's to say, the one who can best tell
A worthwhile tale and make us smile as well,
Shall have a dinner paid for by us all
Sitting here by this post within these walls,
When we return here from Canterbury.
And to make sure your whole trip is merry
I will gladly come along for the ride
All at my own expense, to be your guide;
But I'm ref, and if you want to disagree,
You pay everyone's costs, for the whole journey.
So, if you're happy with this anyhow,
Let's not discuss it, just let me know now
And I'll get on with my preparations."
We all gave our word with no objections,
Glad to do so, and asked him to promise
To stick to all that he'd agreed on this:
On the journey to be our governor
Of our stories the adjudicator,
And to arrange the dinner at a set price.
In everything we would take his advice.
In large and small things, by common consent,
We agreed to abide by his judgement.
At once we sealed our compact with a toast,
Then having drunk, said good night to our host,
And went to our rest with no more delay.
In the morning at the dawn of the day,
Our host got up and roused us like a cock,
And gathered us together in a flock,
And off we went at a fast walking pace,
Until we reached St. Thomas' watering place.
There our host, began to rein his horse in,
And said, "Friends, please, I'd like you all listening.
You know your promise; do you remember it?
What you said last night and say now, do they fit?
Let's see now, who will tell a story first...
As I hope for beer and wine for my thirst,
Whoever argues against my judgement,
We'll make them pay for everything that's spent.
Let's draw lots before we ride any more
The first's the one who draws the shortest straw.
Sir Knight," he said,"I respect no man more.
I'd like you to be the first one to draw.
Come now," he said,"my lady prioress
And you good student, forget your shyness,
Don't deliberate; Come on all of you."
So there and then we eagerly set to.
And so to tell you briefly what transpired,
Whether by fate, or luck, or chance inspired,
It was the knight who drew the shortest straw.
We were delighted that he'd won the draw,
And so must tell his tale; the reason why
Was that very promise we all stood by.
No more; this is stuff you already know.
And when this good man saw that it was so
He honoured the agreement he had made
And keeping his word, readily obeyed,
Saying, "Since I'm the one to start this game,
Then welcome be my fate in God's good name!.
Let's ride while you hear what I've got to say."
So at his word we started on our way.
And he began with enormous good cheer
To tell us his story, as you may hear.
Now have I toold you shortly in a clause,
Th'estaat, th'array, the nombre, and eek the cause
Why that assembled was this compaignye
In Southwerk, at this gentil hostelrye
That highte the Tabard, faste by the Belle.
But now is tyme to yow for to telle
How that we baren us that ilke nyght,
Whan we were in that hostelrie alyght;
And after wol I telle of our viage
And all the remenaunt of oure pilgrimage.
.
But first I pray yow, of youre curteisye,
That ye n'arette it nat my vileynye,
Thogh that I pleynly speke in this mateere,
To telle yow hir wordes and hir cheere,
Ne thogh I speke hir wordes proprely.
For this ye knowen also wel as I,
Whoso shal telle a tale after a man,
He moot reherce as ny as evere he kan
Everich a word, if it be in his charge,
Al speke he never so rudeliche or large,
Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,
Or feyne thyng, or fynde wordes newe.
He may nat spare, al thogh he were his brother;
He moot as wel seye o word as another.
Crist spak hymself ful brode in hooly writ,
And, wel ye woot, no vileynye is it.
Eek Plato seith, whoso kan hym rede,
The wordes moote be cosyn to the dede.
Also I prey yow to foryeve it me,
Al have I nat set folk in hir degree
Heere in this tale, as that they sholde stonde.
My wit is short, ye may wel understonde.
Greet chiere made oure Hoost us everichon,
And to the soper sette he us anon.
He served us with vitaille at the beste;
Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste.
A semely man Oure Hooste was withalle
For to been a marchal in an halle.
A large man he was, with eyen stepe,
A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe,
Boold of his speche, and wys, and well ytaught,
And of manhod hym lakkede right naught.
Eek therto he was right a myrie man,
And after soper pleyen he bigan,
And spak of myrthe amonges othere thynges,
(Whan that we hadde maad our rekenynges);
And seyde thus: "Now lordynges, trewely,
Ye been to me right welcome hertely;
For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye,
I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye
Atones in this herberwe, as is now.
Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste I how.
And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght,
To doon yow ese, and it shal coste noght.
Ye goon to Caunterbury - God yow speede,
The blisful martir quite yow youre meede!
And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,
Ye shapen yow to talen and to pleye,
For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon
To ride by the weye doumb as stoon;
And therfore wol I maken yow disport,
As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.
And if yow liketh alle by oon assent
For to stonden at my juggement,
And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,
Now, by my fader soule that is deed,
But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!
Hoold up youre hond, withouten moore speche."
Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche.
Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys,
And graunted hym, withouten moore avys,
And bad him seye his voirdit, as hym leste.
"Lordynges," quod he, "now herkneth for the beste;
But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn.
This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn,
That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye,
In this viage shal telle tales tweye
To Caunterbury-ward I mene it so,
And homward he shal tellen othere two,
Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.
And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle,
That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas
Tales of best sentence and moost solaas,
Shal have a soper at oure aller cost
Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,
Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.
And for to make yow the moore mury,
I wol myselven goodly with yow ryde
Right at myn owene cost, and be youre gyde;
And who so wole my juggement withseye
Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
And if ye vouche sauf that it be so,
Tel me anon, withouten wordes mo,
And I wol erly shape me therfore."
This thyng was graunted, and oure othes swore
With ful glad herte, and preyden hym also
That he wolde vouche sauf for to do so,
And that he wolde been oure governour,
And of our tales juge and reportour,
And sette a soper at a certeyn pris,
And we wol reuled been at his devys
In heigh and lough; and thus by oon assent
We been acorded to his juggement.
And therupon the wyn was fet anon;
We dronken, and to reste wente echon,
Withouten any lenger taryynge.
Amorwe, whan that day bigan to sprynge,
Up roos oure Hoost, and was oure aller cok,
And gadrede us to gidre alle in a flok,
And forth we riden, a litel moore than paas
Unto the wateryng of Seint Thomas;
And there oure Hoost bigan his hors areste
And seyde, "Lordynges, herkneth if yow leste.
Ye woot youre foreward, and I it yow recorde.
If even-song and morwe-song accorde,
Lat se now who shal telle the firste tale.
As evere mote I drynke wyn or ale,
Whoso be rebel to my juggement
Shal paye for al that by the wey is spent.
Now draweth cut, er that we ferrer twynne,
He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.
Sire Knyght," quod he, "my mayster and my lord,
Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord.
Cometh neer," quod he, "my lady Prioresse,
And ye, Sir Clerk, lat be youre shamefastnesse,
Ne studieth noght; ley hond to, every man."
Anon to drawen every wight bigan,
And shortly for to tellen as it was,
Were it by aventure, or sort, or cas,
The sothe is this, the cut fil to the Knyght,
Of which ful blithe and glad was every wyght.
And telle he moste his tale, as was resoun,
By foreward and by composicioun,-
As ye han herd, what nedeth wordes mo?
And whan this goode man saugh that it was so,
As he that wys was and obedient
To kepe his foreward by his free assent,
He seyde, "Syn I shal bigynne the game,
What, welcome be the cut, a Goddes name!
Now lat us ryde, and herkneth what I seye."
And with that word we ryden forth oure weye,
And he bigan with right a myrie cheere
His tale anon, and seyde as ye may heere.