THE Canterbury Tales

Original

Middle English

and

MODERN-SPELLING TRANSCRIPT

with

Glossarial Tooltips

Geoffrey Chaucer’s full Middle English text, side-by-side with a transcript that adapts each word into the spelling of the Oxford English Dictionary, includes glossarial tooltips for unfamiliar words and phrases, and links to Wikipedia throughout the General Prologue and some of the more popular tales, as illustrated below in Chaucer’s ballade.

The site is in development; the General Prologue, Knight’s Tale, Shipman’s Tale and Merchant’s Tale have been made publicly accessible, if you wish to read further, access to the complete Canterbury Tales is available here.

— I —

The General Prologue
The Knight’s Tale
The Miller’s Prologue
The Miller’s Tale
The Reeve’s Prologue
The Reeve’s Tale
The Cook’s Prologue
The Cook’s Tale

— II —

Introduction to the Man of Law’s Tale
The Man of Law’s Prologue
The Man of Law’s Tale

— III —

The Shipman’s Prologue

The Shipman’s Tale
The Shipman’s Epilogue
The Prioress’s Prologue
The Prioress’s Tale
The Prologue to Sir Thopas
Sir Thopas
The Prologue to Melibeus
Melibeus
The Monk’s Prologue
The Monk’s Tale
The Nun’s Priest’s Prologue
The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
The Nun’s Priest’s Epilogue

— IV —

The Physician’s Tale

The Physician’s Epilogue
The Pardoner’s Prologue
The Pardoner’s Tale

— V —

The Wife of Bath’s Prologue
The Wife of Bath’s Tale
The Friar’s Prologue
The Friar’s Tale
The Summoner’s Prologue
The Summoner’s Tale

— VI —

The Clerk’s Prologue
The Clerk’s Tale

— VII —

The Merchant’s Prologue
The Merchant’s Tale
The Merchant’s Epilogue

— VIII —

— IX —

— X —

The Manciple’s Tale
The Parson’s Prologue
The Parson’s Tale
Chaucer’s Retraction

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

THE Canterbury Tales

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Ballade