The canterburry tales

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The Canterbury Tales by GEOFFREY CHAUCER

A READER-FRIENDLY EDITION

Put into modern spelling by MICHAEL MURPHY

GENERAL PROLOGUE

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GENERAL PROLOGUE
The opening is a long, elaborate sentence about the effects of Spring on the vegetable and animal world, and on people. The style of the rest of the Prologue and Tales is much simpler than this opening. A close paraphrase of the opening sentence is offered at the bottom of this page.1

When that April with his showers soote
The drought of March hath pierc•d to the root
And bath•d every vein in such liquor
Of which virtúe engendered is the flower;2
When Zephyrus eke with his sweet• breath
Inspir•d hath in every holt and heath
The tender cropp•s, and the young• sun
Hath in the Ram his half• course y-run,3
And small• fowl•s maken melody
That sleepen all the night with open eye
(So pricketh them Natúre in their couráges),
Then longen folk to go on pilgrimáges,
And palmers for to seeken strang• strands
To fern• hallows couth in sundry lands,4
And specially from every shir•'s end
Of Eng•land to Canterbury they wend
The holy blissful martyr for to seek,
That them hath holpen when that they were sick.

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10

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its showers sweet rootlet / liquid
West Wind also grove & field young shoots / Spring sun in Aries / has run little birds
Who sleep spurs / spirits people long pilgrims / shores distant shrines known county's go
St. Thomas Becket
Who has helped them

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When April with its sweet showers has pierced the drought of March to the root and bathed every rootlet in the liquid by which the flower is engendered; when the west wind also, with its sweet breath, has brought forth young shoots in every grove and field; when the early sun of spring has run half his course in the sign of Aries, and when small birds make melody, birds that sleep all night with eyes open, (as Nature inspires them to) --THEN people have a strong desire to go on pilgrimages, and