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The single most important precursor for [William Shakespeare] is Geoffrey Chaucer, and it has to do with the creation of character
Harold Bloom (1930–2019)
Yale University
Parallel with the Middle English, this online edition of Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales presents a modernised text.
Similar to the way that the spelling of William Shakespeare is modernised in today’s editions, these are Chaucer’s same words, updated according to the spelling of the Oxford English Dictionary to make them more recognisable to the reader. Glossarial tooltips have been further provided for unfamiliar words.
The word endings “-n” or “-en” (which have to do with plurality or tense) can be chosen to be largely read over or ignored when starting out with reading Chaucer, for example, “weren” can be understood simply as “were;” “tellen” as “tell;” – “and well we weren eased at best;” can be understood as “and well we were eased at best;” – “Whilom, as old stories tellen us,” as “Whilom, as old stories tell us,”
The transcript and glosses follow The Oxford English Dictionary, available at OED.com (with a subscription), and Wiktionary, which is a very good alternative. W. W. Skeat’s Middle English Glossary (A-D) (E-K) (L-R) (S-Z), and Index of Proper Names were also extensively used, and are available online at Wikisource, as were editions of Chaucer by W. W. Skeat, F. N. Robinson, and Larry D. Benson.
The text (mostly) follows the editorial decisions of W. W. Skeat (1835-1912), and was transcribed from his scholarly edition, published in 1899 by Oxford University Press.
GEOFFREY
CHAUCER
THE Canterbury
Tales
TABLE OF CONTENTS
— I —
— II —
— III —
— IV —
— V —
— VI —
— VII —
— VIII —
— IX —
— X —
Emboldened Blue = publicly available
Blue = requires an email address
Grey = not yet available
Ballade
Middle English
Madame, ye ben of al beautè shryne
As fer as cercled is the mappemounde;
For as the cristal glorious ye shyne,
And lyke ruby ben your chekes rounde.
Therwith ye ben so mery and so iocounde,
That at a revel whan that I see you daunce,
It is an oynement unto my wounde,
Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce.
For thogh I wepe of teres ful a tyne,
Yet may that wo myn herte nat confounde;
Your seemly voys that ye so smal out-twyne
Maketh my thoght in Ioye and blis habounde.
So curteisly I go, with lovë bounde,
That to my-self I sey, in my penaunce,
Suffyseth me to love you, Rosemounde,
Thogh ye to me ne do no daliaunce.
Nas never pyk walwed in galauntyne
As I in love am walwed and y-wounde;
For which ful ofte I of my-self divyne
That I am trewe Tristan the secounde.
My love may not refreyd be nor afounde;
I brenne ay in an amorous plesaunce.
Do what you list, I wil your thral be founde,
Thoghe ye to me ne do no daliaunce.
Tregentil—//—Chaucer.
Modern Spelling
Madame, ye been of all beauty shrine
As far as circled is the mappemonde;
For as the crystal glorious ye shine,
And like ruby been your cheeks round.
Therewith ye been so merry and so jocund
That at a revel when that I see you dance,
It is an ointment unto my wound,
Though ye to me ne do no dalliance.
For though I weep of tears full a tine,
Yet may that woe mine heart not confound;
Your seemly voice that ye so small out-twine
Maketh my thought in joy and bliss abound.
So courteously I go, with love bound,
That to myself I say, in my penance,
Sufficeth me to love you, Rosamund,
Though ye to me ne do no dalliance.
Nas never pike wallowed in galantine
As I in love am wallowed and y-wound;
For which full oft I of myself divine
That I am true Tristan the second.
My love may not refreid be nor afound;
I bren aye in an amorous pleasance.
Do what you list, I will your thrall be found,
Though ye to me ne do no dalliance.
Tregentil—//—Chaucer.
Manuscript
