The Canterbury Tales

Forth she flew, the gentle nightingale,
To all the birdes that were in that dale,
And got them all into a place in fere,*                        *together
And besought them that they would hear
Her disease,* and thus began her tale.              *distress, grievance

"Ye witte* well, it is not for to hide,                            *know
How the cuckoo and I fast have chide,*                       *quarrelled
Ever since that it was daylight;
I pray you all that ye do me right
On that foul false unkind bride."*                                 *bird

Then spake one bird for all, by one assent:
"This matter asketh good advisement;
For we be fewe birdes here in fere,
And sooth it is, the cuckoo is not here,
And therefore we will have a parlement.

"And thereat shall the eagle be our lord,
And other peers that been *of record,*        *of established authority*
And the cuckoo shall be *after sent;*                          *summoned
There shall be given the judgment,
Or else we shall finally *make accord.*                  *be reconciled*

"And this shall be, withoute nay,*                        *contradiction
The morrow after Saint Valentine's Day,
Under a maple that is fair and green,
Before the chamber window of the Queen, <7>
At Woodstock upon the green lay."*                                 *lawn

She thanked them, and then her leave took,
And into a hawthorn by that brook,
And there she sat and sang upon that tree,
*"Term of life love hath withhold me;"*             *love hath me in her
So loude, that I with that song awoke.              service all my life*

Explicit.*                                                      *The End


The Author to His Book.

O LEWD book! with thy foul rudeness,
Since thou hast neither beauty nor eloquence,
Who hath thee caus'd or giv'n the hardiness
For to appear in my lady's presence?
I am full sicker* thou know'st her benevolence,                 *certain
Full agreeable to all her abying,*                                *merit
For of all good she is the best living.

Alas! that thou ne haddest worthiness,
To show to her some pleasant sentence,
Since that she hath, thorough her gentleness,
Accepted thee servant to her dign reverence!
O! me repenteth that I n'had science,
And leisure als', t'make thee more flourishing,
For of all good she is the best living.

Beseech her meekly with all lowliness,
Though I be ferre* from her in absence,                             *far
To think on my truth to her and steadfastness,
And to abridge of my sorrows the violence,
Which caused is whereof knoweth your sapience;*                  *wisdom
She like among to notify me her liking,
For of all good she is the best living.

Explicit.


L'Envoy; To the Author's Lady.

Aurore of gladness, day of lustiness,
Lucern* at night with heav'nly influence                           *lamp
Illumin'd, root of beauty and goodness,
Suspires* which I effund** in silence!               *sighs **pour forth
Of grace I beseech, allege* let your writing                    *declare
Now of all good, since ye be best living.

Explicit.


Notes to the Cuckoo and the Nightingale


1. These two lines occur also in The Knight's Tale; they
commence the speech of Theseus on the love follies of Palamon
and Arcite, whom the Duke has just found fighting in the forest.

2. A stronger reading is "all."

3. "Ocy, ocy," is supposed to come from the Latin "occidere,"
to kill; or rather the old French, "occire," "occis," denoting the
doom which the nightingale imprecates or supplicates on all
who do offence to Love.

4. Grede: cry; Italian, "grido."

5."But if he be away therewith, y-wis,
He may full soon of age have his hair":
Unless he be always fortunate in love pursuits, he may full soon
have gray hair, through his anxieties.