(21) THE SUMMONER
625- A somonour was ther with us in that place,
There was a SUMMONER (a constable of the ecclesiastical court whose duty was to summon offenders before archdeacon) with us in that place,
626- That hadde a fyr-reed (fire-red) cherubynnes (cherub’s) face,
Who had a fire-red cherubim’s face,
627- For saucefleem (pimpled face) he was, with eyen narwe (narrow eyes-swollen eyelids)
For it was pimpled and discolored, with swollen eyelids.
628- As hoot he was and lecherous (lustful) as a sparwe,
He was as hot and lecherous as a sparrow,
629- With scalled (scabby) browes blake and piled (patchy/hairless) berd.
With black, scabby brows and a beard with hair fallen out.
630- Of his visage (face) children were aferd (afraid).
Children were afraid of his face.
631- Ther nas quyk-silver, lytarge (lead oxide), ne brymstoon (sulphur),
There was no mercury, lead monoxide, nor sulphur,
632- Boras (borax), ceruce (eruse/white lead), ne oille (oil/cream) of tartre noon;
Borax, white lead, nor any oil of tarter,
633- Ne oynement (ointment) that wolde clense and byte (to burn /destroy),
Nor ointment that would cleanse and burn,
634- That hym myghte helpen of his whelkes (pustules- a spot on the skin containing pus) white,
That could cure him of his white pustules,
635- Nor of the knobbes (boils- painful infected swelling under the skin which is full of thick yellow liquids) sittynge on his chekes.
Nor of the knobs sitting on his cheeks.
636- Wel loved he garleek, oynons, and eek lekes (leek- a vegetable),
He well loved garlic, onions, and also leeks,
637- And for to drynken strong wyn, reed as blood;
And to drink strong wine, red as blood;
638- Thanne wolde he speke and crie as if he were wood (mad).
Then he would speak and cry out as if he were mad.
639- And whan that he wel dronken hadde the wyn,
And when he had drunk deeply of the wine,
640- Thanne wolde he speke no word but Latyn.
Then he would speak no word but Latin.
641- A fewe termes (legal terms) hadde he, two or thre,
He had a few legal terms, two or three,
642- That he had lerned out of som decree –
That he had learned out of some text of ecclesiastical law
643- No wonder is (it) is, he herde it al the day;
That is no wonder, he heard it all the day;
644- And eek ye (you) knowen wel how that a jay (a European bird of crow family)
And also you know well how a jay
645- Kan clepen (call out) “Watte” (Walter) as wel as kan the pope.
Can call out “Walter” as well as the pope can.
646- But whoso koude in oother thyng hym grope (to grope- to try/ examine),
But whoever knew how to examine him in other matters,
647- Thanne hadde he spent (exhausted) al his philosophie; knowledge,understanding
(Would find that) he had used up all his learning;
648- Ay “Questio quid iuris (I ask which law (applies),” wolde he crie.
Always “The question is, what point of the law applies?” he would cry.
649- He was a gentil harlot (rogue) and a kynde;
He was a fine rascal and a kind one;
650- A bettre felawe sholde men noght fynde.
One could not find a better fellow.
651- He wolde suffre (allow) for a quart (1.14 liters in UK) of wyn
For a quart of wine he would allow
652- A good felawe to have his concubyn (mistress)
A good fellow to have his concubine
653- A twelf month, and excuse hym atte fulle (completely);
For twelve months, and excuse him completely;
654- Ful prively (secretly) a finch (girl) eek koude he pulle (seduce).
Secretly he also knew how to pull off a clever trick.
655- And if he foond (found) owher (anywhere) a good felawe,
And if he found anywhere a good fellow,
656- He wolde techen him to have noon (none/no) awe (fear)
He would teach him to have no awe
657- In swich caas of the Ercedekenes curs (Archdeacon’s excommunication),
Of the archdeacon’s curse (of excommunication) in such a case,
658- But if (Unless) a mannes soule were in his purs (purse);
Unless a man’s soul were in his purse;
659- For in his purs he sholde ypunysshed (punished) be.
For in his purse he would be punished.
660- “Purs is the ercedekenes helle,” seyde he.
“Purse is the archdeacon’s hell,” he said.
661- But wel I woot (know) he lyed right in dede (indeed);
But well I know he lied right certainly;
662- Of cursyng (excommunication) oughte ech gilty man him drede (dread),
Each guilty man ought to be afraid of excommunication,
663- For curs wol (will) slee (to slay) right as assoilyng (absolving) savith (saves),
For excommunication will slay just as forgiveness saves,
664- And also war hym (let him beware) of a significavit (order for imprisonment).
And let him also beware of a Significavit (order for imprisonment).
665- In daunger (In his control/power) hadde he at his owene gise (manner/disposal)
In his control he had as he pleased
666- The yonge girles of the diocise (extent of a bishop’s jurisdiction),
The young people of the diocese,
667- And knew hir conseil (secrets), and was al hir reed (advisor).
And knew their secrets, and was the adviser of them all.
668- A gerland (garland- wreath of flowers) hadde he set upon his heed
He had set a garland upon his heed,
669- As greet as it were for an ale-stake (tavern- pub/inn).
As large as if it were for the sign of a tavern
670- A bokeleer (shield) hadde he maad hym of a cake (loaf of bread)
He had made himself a shield of a cake.
(22) THE PARDONER
671- With hym ther rood a gentil pardoner
With him there rode a fine PARDONER (one who has authority from the Pope to sell pardones and indulgences-the state of allowing sb to have or do whatever they want)
672- Of Rouncivalean (area in London involved in the sale of pardons at that time), his freend and his compeer (comrade/companion),
Of Rouncivale, his friend and his companion,
673- That streight was comen (coming) fro the court of Rome.
Who had come straight from the court of Rome.
674- Ful loude he soong (sang), “Com hider (hither- to this place), love, to me!”
Very loud he sang “Come hither, love, to me!”
675- This somonour bar (provided) to hym a stif burdoun (strong bass- low pitched voice);
This Summoner harmonized with him in a strong bass;
676- Was nevere trompe (trumpet) of half so greet a soun (sound).
There was never a trumpet of half so great a sound.
677- This pardoner hadde heer (hair) as yelow as wex (wax),
This Pardoner had hair as yellow as wax,
678- But smothe it heeng (hung) as dooth (does) a strike of flex
But smooth it hung as does a clump of flax (bundle of flax- plant with blue flower grown for its stem for making thread)
679- By ounces (thin strands) henge his lokkes that he hadde,
By small strands hung such locks as he had,
680- And therwith (with these tufts of hair) he his shuldres overspradde (overspread);
And he spread them over his shoulders;
681- But thynne (thinly) it lay, by colpons (strands) oon and oon (one by one).
But thin it lay, by strands one by one.
682- But hood, for jolitee (jollity- the condition of being jolly), wered (wore) he noon,
But to make an attractive appearance, he wore no hood,
683- For it was trussed (packed) up in his walet.
For it was trussed up in his knapsack (bag).
684- Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet (latest fashion);
It seemed to him that he rode in the very latest style;
685- Dischevelee (dishevelles- with hair unkempt), save (except) his cappe, he rood al bare (bareheaded).
With hair unbound, save for his cap, he rode all bareheaded.
686- Swiche glarynge (staring) eyen hadde he as an hare.
He had glaring eyes such as has a hare.
687- A vernycle (vernicle- a cloth bearing an impression of the face of Christ) hadde he sowed (sewn) upon his cappe.
He had sewn a Veronica upon his cap.
688- His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe,
Before him in his lap, (he had) his knapsack,
689- Bretful (brimful) of pardoun (papal indulgence- certificate of pardons), comen from Rome al hoot (all fresh).
Brimful of pardons come all fresh from Rome.
690- A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot (goat).
He had a voice as small as a goat has.
691- No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have;
He had no beard, nor never would have;
692- As smothe it was as it were late (recently) shave.
It (his face) was as smooth as if it were recently shaven.
693- I trowe (believe) he were a geldyng (eunuch- person having female traits) or a mare.
I believe he was a eunuch or a homosexual.
694- But of his craft, fro Berwyk into Ware (means all over the England),
But as to his craft, from Berwick to Ware
695- Ne was ther swich another pardoner
There was no other pardoner like him.
696- For in his male (bag) he hadde a pilwe-beer (pillowcase),
For in his pouch he had a pillow-case,
697- Which that he seyde was Oure Lady veyl (veil- Virgin Mary):
Which he said was Our Lady’s veil;
698- He seyde he hadde a gobet (piece) of the seyl (sail)
He said he had a piece of the sail
699- That Seint Peter hadde, whan that he wente (walked)
That Saint Peter had, when he went
700- Upon the see (sea), til Jhesu Crist hym hente (caught hold of/grasped)
Upon the sea, until Jesus Christ took him. This is a Biblical reference.
701- He hadde a croys (cross) of latoun (brass/alloy) ful of stones,
He had a cross of latten (brass-like alloy) covered with stones,
702- And in a glas he hadde pigges bones.
And in a glass container he had pigs’ bones.
703- But with thise relikes (relics), whan that he fond
But with these relics, when he found
704- A povre person (poor parson) dwellynge upon lond,
A poor parson dwelling in the countryside,
705- Upon a day he gat (got) hym moore moneye
In one day he got himself more money
706- Than that the person gat in monthes tweye (two months);
Than the parson got in two months;
707- And thus, with feyned (feigned/false) flaterye and japevs (tricks),
And thus, with feigned flattery and tricks,
708- He made the person and the peple his apes (dupes/fool).
He made fools of the parson and the people.
709- But trewely to tellen atte laste (after all),
But truly to tell at the last,
710- He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste.
He was in church a noble ecclesiast.
711- Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie (Bible story),
He well knew how to read a lesson or a story,
712- But alderbest (best of all) he song an offertorie (offertory- an offering or collection of money during church service);
But best of all he sang an Offertory;
713- For wel he wiste (knew), whan that song was songe,
For he knew well, when that song was sung,
714- He moste (must) preche and wel affile (sharpen) his tonge
He must preach and well smooth his speech
715- To wynne (earn) silver (money), as he ful wel koude;
To win silver, as he very well knew how;
716- Therefore he song the murierly (more merrily) and loude.
Therefore he sang the more merrily and loud.
