(13) THE DOCTOR OF MEDICINE
413- With us ther was a doctour of phisik (physician);
With us there was a DOCTOR OF MEDICINE
414- In al this world ne was the noon hym lik (like),
In all this world there was no one like him,
415- To speke of phisik (medicine) and of surgerye
To speak of medicine and of surgery,
416- For he was grounded (instructed) in astronomye.
For he was instructed in astronomy.
417- He kept (attended his patient) a ful greet deel
He took care of his patient very many times
418- In houres (By the astronomical hours) by his magyk natureel (natural magic known through horoscope/astrology).
In (astronomically suitable) hours by (use of) his natural science.
419- Wel koude he fortunen (to calculate/determine) the ascendant (correct astrological moments/rising sign)
He well knew how to calculate the planetary position
420- Of his ymages (astrological images- charms, talisman, amulets) for his pacient.
Of his astronomical talismans for his patient.
421- He knew the cause of everich (every) maladye (illness),
He knew the cause of every malady,
422- Were it of hoot, or coold, or moyste, or drye,
Were it of hot, or cold, or moist, or dry elements,
423- And where they engendred (originated), and of what humour
And where they were engendered, and by what bodily fluid.
424- He was a verray (true), parfit (perfect), praktisour (medical practitioner):
He was a truly, perfect practitioner:
425- The cause yknowe (known), and of his harm the roote (source/cause of illness),
The cause known, and the source of his (patient’s) harm,
426- Anon he yaf (gave) the sike (sick) man his boote (remedy).
Straightway he gave the sick man his remedy.
427- Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries (pharmacists/druggist)
He had his apothecaries all ready
428- To sende hym drogges (drugs) and his letuaries (electuaries-a medicated paste prepared with honey or other sweet medicinal syrups)
To send him drugs and his electuaries
429- For ech of hem (each of them) made oother for to wynne (profit)
For each of them made the other to profit —
430- Hir frendshipe nas nat (was not) newe to bigynne (begin).
Their friendship was not recently begun.
431- Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,
He well knew the old Aesculapius,
432- And Deyscorides, and eek Rufus,
And Dioscorides, and also Rufus,
433- Olde Ypocras, Haly, and Galyen,
Old Hippocrates, Haly, and Galen,
434- Serapion, Razis, and Avycen,
Serapion, Rhazes, and Avicenna,
435- Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn,
Constantinus Africanus Averroes, John the Damascan, and Constantine,
436- Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.
Bernard, and Gaddesden, and Gilbertus.
437- Of his diete mesurable (measured/moderate) was he,
He was moderate in his diet,
438- For it was of no superfluitee (superfluity/excess),
For it was of no excess,
439- But of greet norissing (nourishment) and digestible.
But greatly nourishing and digestible.
440- His studie was but litel on the Bible.
His study was but little on the Bible.
441- In sangwyn (sanguin-blood red) and in pers (blue) he clad was al,
He was clad all in red and in blue,
442- Lyned with taffata (thin glossy silk fabric) and with sendal (silk);
Lined with taffeta and with silk.
443- And yet he was but esy of dispence (careful about spending)
And yet he was moderate in spending;
444- He kepte that he wan (won/earned) in pestilence (during the plague).
He kept what he earned in (times of) plague.
445- For gold in phisik (medicine) is a cordial (heart stimulant-medicinal drink for the heart)
Since in medicine gold is a restorative for the heart,
446- Therefore he lovede gold in special.
Therefore he loved gold in particular.
(14) THE WIFE OF BATH
447- A good wif was ther of biside (beside-living in some parish nearby) Bathe (a city situated in England),
There was a good WIFE OF beside BATH,
448- But she was somdel (somewhat) deef (deaf), and that was scathe (matter of regret/a pity).
But she was somewhat deaf, and that was a pity.
449- Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich (such) an haunt (practice/skill),
She had such a skill in cloth-making
450- She passed (surpassed) hem of Ypres (a textile industry in Belgium) and of Gaunt (Ghent-another textile industry in Belgium).
She surpassed them of Ypres and of Ghent.
451- In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
In all the parish there was no wife
452- That to the offrynge (offering at church/altar) bifore hire sholde goon (go);
Who should go to the Offering before her;
453- And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth (wrathful/angry) was she,
And if there did, certainly she was so angry
454- That she was out of alle charitee (courtesy).
That she was out of all charity (love for her neighbor).
455- Hir coverchiefs (head scarves) ful fyne weren of ground (texture);
Her kerchiefs were very fine in texture;
456- I dorste(dare) swere (swear) they weyeden (weighed) ten pound
I dare swear they weighed ten pound
457- That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
That on a Sunday were upon her head.
458- Hir hosen (hose-stocking) weren of fyn scarlet reed (red),
Her stockings were of fine scarlet red,
459- Ful streite (tightly) yteyd (tied), and shoes ful moyste(supple-soft and able to bend without cracking) and newe.
Very closely laced, and shoes very supple and new.
460- Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe (hue/colour).
Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue.
461- She was a worthy womman al hir lyve (all her life):
She was a worthy woman all her life:
462- Housbondes (husbands) at chirche dore (door) she hadde fyve,
She had (married) five husbands at the church door,
463- Withouten (Not including) oother compaignye (non marital love affairs) in youthe, —
Not counting other company in youth —
464- But therof (of it) nedeth (need) nat (not) to speke as nowthe (at present).
But there is no need to speak of that right now.
465- And thries (thrice) hadde she been at Jerusalem;
And she had been three times at Jerusalem;
466- hadde passed many a straunge (foreign) strem (stream/river);
She had passed many a foreign sea;
467- At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne (Boulogne) ,
She had been at Rome, and at Boulogne,
468- In Galice (Galicia-nw Spain) at Seint-Jame, and at Coloigne (Cologne).
In Galicia at Saint-James (of Compostella), and at Cologne.
469- She koude (knew) muchel (much) of wandrynge (wandering) by the weye (by road/sea).
She knew much about wandering by the way.
470- Gat-tothed (Gap-toothed) was she, soothly (truly) for to seye (say).
She had teeth widely set apart, truly to say.
471- Upon an amblere (horse) with an easy gait esily she sat,
She sat easily upon a pacing horse,
472- Ywympled (Wearing a wimple-veil) wel, and on hir heed an hat
Wearing a large wimple, and on her head a hat
473- As brood (broad) as is a bokeler (buckler-small round shield), or a targe (light flat shield);
As broad as a buckler or a shield;
474- A foot-mantel (overskirt) aboute hir hipes large,
An overskirt about her large hips,
475- And on hir feet a paire of spores (spurs- sharp pointed object that riders wear on the heels of their boots to encourage their horses) sharpe.
And on her feet a pair of sharp spurs.
476- In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe (talk/chat).
In fellowship she well knew how to laugh and chatter.
477- Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce as it happened,
She knew, as it happened, about remedies for love
478- For she koude knew of that art the game of love the olde daunce (moves/ steps).
For she knew the old dance (tricks of the trade) of that art.
(15) THE PARSON
479- A good man was ther of religioun,
A good man was there of religion,
480- And was a povre (poor) persoun (parson-the priest of a parsih who is licensed to preach) of a toun,
And (he) was a poor PARSON OF A TOWN,
481- But riche he was of hooly thoght and werk (work).
But he was rich in holy thought and work.
482- He was also a lerned man, a clerk,
He was also a learned man, a scholar,
483- That Cristes (christ’s) gospel trewely (truly) wolde preche;
Who would preach Christ’s gospel truly;
484- His parisshens (parishioners) devoutly wolde he teche.
He would devoutly teach his parishioners.
485- Benygne (benign-gracious/kindly) he was, and wonder (wonderfully) diligent,
He was gracious, and wonderfully diligent,
486- And in adversitee (adversity-misfortune) ful (very) pacient (patient/calm),
And very patient in adversity,
487- And swich (such) he was ypreved (proven) ofte sithe (softentimes)
And such he was proven many times.
488- Ful looth (loath/unwilling) were hym to cursen (to curse/excommunicate) for his tithes (the tenth of produce of the land and stock taken originally as a tax for church purpose),
He was very reluctant to excommunicate for (nonpayment of) his tithes,
489- But rather wolde he yeven (give), out of doute (without a doubt),
But rather would he give, there is no doubt,
490- Unto his povre (poor) parisshens aboute
Unto his poor parishioners about
491- Of his offryng and eek (also) of his substaunce (belongings/means of subsistence).
Some of his offering (received at mass) and also some of his income.
492- He koude in litel thyng have suffisaunce (sufficiency).
He knew how to have sufficiency in few possessions.
493- Wyd (Wide) was his parisshe, and houses fer asonder (distant/apart),
His parish was wide, and houses far apart,
494- But he ne (not) lefte (omitted) nat (not), for reyn ne thonder (thunder),
But he did not omit, for rain nor thunder,
495- In siknesse nor in meschief (trouble) to visite
In sickness or in trouble to visit
496- The ferreste in his parisshe, muche and lite (great and small/rich and poor),
Those living farthest away in his parish, high-ranking and low,
497- Upon his feet, and in his hand a staf (stick).
Going by foot, and in his hand a staff.
498- This noble ensample (example) to his sheep he yaf (gave),
He gave this noble example to his sheep,
499- That first he wroghte (worked/ practiced), and afterward he taughte.
That first he wrought, and afterward he taught.
500- Out of the gospel he tho (those) wordes caughte,
He took those words out of the gospel,
501- And this figure (figure of speech) he added eek (also) therto (to it),
And this metaphor he added also to that,
502- That if gold ruste, what shal iren do?
That if gold rust, what must iron do?
503- For if a preest be foul, on whom we truste,
For if a priest, on whom we trust, should be foul
504- No wonder is a lewed (ignorant/unlearned) man to ruste;
It is no wonder for a layman to go bad;
505- And shame it is, if a prest take keep (give heed to),
And it is a shame, if a priest is concerned:
506- A shiten (dirty/befouled) shepherde and a clene sheep.
A shit-stained shepherd and a clean sheep.
507- Wel oghte (ought) a preest ensample for to yive (give),
Well ought a priest to give an example,
508- By his clennesse, how that his sheep sholde lyve (live).
By his purity, how his sheep should live.
509- He sette nat his benefice (ecclesiastical position/fixed income) to hyre (hire)
He did not rent out his benefice (ecclesiastical living). Parson did not hire the services of any subordinate to preach in his absence..
510- And leet (left) his sheep encombred (encumber- to make it difficult) in the myre (mire-mud)
And leave his sheep encumbered in the mire
511- And ran to Londoun unto Seinte Poules (St. Paul’s cathedral)
And run to London unto Saint Paul’s
512- To seken hym a chaunterie (chantry-a small church or part of a church paid for by sb so that priest could say prayers for them there after their death) for soules,
To seek an appointment as a chantry priest (praying for a patron)
513- Or with a bretherhed (brotherhood) to been withholde (supported financially);
Or to be hired (as a chaplain) by a guild;
514- But dwelte (stayed) at hoom, and kepte wel his folde (enclosure for protecting domestic animals in his parishioners),
But dwelt at home, and kept well his sheep fold (parish),
515- So that the wolf ne made it nat myscarie (go wrong);
So that the wolf did not make it go wrong;
516- He was a shepherde and noght a mercenarie (mercenary-person too storngl influenced by the desire of monetary gain).
He was a shepherd and not a hireling(a person who can do anything for money).
517- And though he hooly were and vertuous,
And though he was holy and virtuous,
518- He was to synful men nat despitous (spitefull/comtemptuous),
He was not scornful to sinful men,
519- Ne of his speche daungerous (domineering) ne digne (dignified/pompous),
Nor domineering nor haughty in his speech,
520- But in his techyng discreet (judious) and benygne (benign/kind).
But in his teaching courteous and kind.
521- To drawen (to lead) folk to hevene by fairnesse,
To draw folk to heaven by gentleness,
522- By good ensample, this was his bisynesse (business).
By good example, this was his business.
523- But it were any persone obstinat,
Unless it were an obstinate person,
524- What so (Whatsoever) he were, of heigh or lough (low) estat (status),
Whoever he was, of high or low rank,
525- Hym wolde he snybben (to snub-rebuke) sharply for the nonys (on the occasion)
He would rebuke him sharply at that time.
526- A bettre preest I trowe (believe) that nowher noon ys (is).
I believe that nowhere is there a better priest.
527- He waited (expected) after no pompe and reverence,
He expected no pomp and ceremony,
528- Ne maked him a spiced (corrupt/overfastidious) conscience,
Nor made himself an overly fastidious conscience,
529- But Cristes (Christ) loore (teaching) and his apostles twelve (Christ first 12 chosen followers)
But Christ’s teaching and His twelve apostles
530- He taughte, but first he folwed it hymselve.
He taught but first he followed it himself.
