Welcome to GeoffreyChaucer.co.uk, an online edition of The Complete Works of Geoffrey Chaucer in its original Middle English, with a transcript of The Canterbury Tales that adapts each word into the spelling of the Oxford English Dictionary and includes a tooltip glossary for unfamiliar words and phrases, as demonstrated below in Chaucer’s Ballade.
The site is in development; the General Prologue, Knight’s Tale, Introduction to the Man of Law’s Tale, Shipman’s Tale, and Merchant’s Tale have been made publicly available, if you wish to read further, details of how will be made available soon.
“The… first founder and embellisher of ornate eloquence in our English”
GEOFFREY
CHAUCER
THE COMPLETE WORKS
Original
MIDDLE ENGLISH
And
MODERN-SPELLING
Canterbury Tales
With
Glossarial Tooltips
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Romaunt of the Rose
The Minor Poems
An A. B. C.
The Complaint unto Pity
The Book of the Duchess
The Complaint of Mars
The Parliament of Fowls
A Complaint unto his Lady
Anelida and Arcite
Chaucer’s Words unto Adam
The Former Age
Fortune
Merciless Beauty
Ballade to Rosemounde
Truth
Gentilesse
Lack of Steadfastness
Lenvoy de Chaucer a Scogan
Lenvoy de Chaucer a Bukton
The Complaint of Venus
The Complaint of Chaucer to his Empty Purse
Proverbs
Against Women Unconstant
An Amorous Complaint
A Ballade of Complaint
Womanly Noblesse
Boethius de Consolatione Philosophie
Book I
Book II
Book III
Book IV
Book V
Troilus and Criseyde
Book I
Book II
Book III
Book IV
Book V
The House of Fame
Book I
Book II
Book III
The Legend of Good Women
The Legend of Good Women: The Prologue
I. The Legend of Cleopatra
II. The Legend of Thisbe
III. The Legend of Dido
IV. The Legend of Hypsipyle and Medea
V. The Legend of Lucretia
VI. The Legend of Ariadne
VII. The Legend of Philomela
VIII. The Legend of Phyllis
IX. The Legend of Hypermnestra
A Treatise on the Astrolabe
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
Introduction to the Man of Law’s Tale
The Man of Law’s Prologue
The Man of Law’s Tale
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
The Physician’s Epilogue
The Pardoner’s Prologue
The Pardoner’s Tale
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
The Clerk’s Prologue
The Clerk’s Tale
The Merchant’s Prologue
The Merchant’s Tale
The Merchant’s Epilogue
The Squire’s Tale
The Squire’s Epilogue
The Franklin’s Prologue
The Franklin’s Tale
The Second Nun’s Prologue
The Second Nun’s Tale
The Canon’s Yeoman’s Prologue
The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale
The Manciple’s Tale
The Parson’s Prologue
The Parson’s Tale
Chaucer’s Retraction
Ballade to Rosemounde
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, Rosemounde,
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.
