(23) THE HOST
749- Greet chiere (welcome) made oure hoost us everichon (every one),
Our Host made great hospitality to everyone of us,
750- And to the soper (supper) sette he us anon (at once).
And to the supper he set us straightway.
751- He served us with vitaille (victuals/food) at the beste;
He served us with victuals of the best sort;
752- Strong was the wyn, and wel to drynke us leste (it pleased us).
The wine was strong, and it well pleased us to drink.
753- A semely (cultured) man oure hooste was withalle (moreover)
OUR HOST was an impressive man indeed
754- For to been a marchal (master) of ceremonies in an halle.
(Qualified) to be a master of ceremonies in a hall.
755- A large man he was with eyen stepe (bright/prominent eyes)
He was a large man with prominent eyes —
756- A fairer burgeys (citizen) is ther noon in Chepe (Cheapside London business district)
There was no better business man in Cheapside
757- Boold of his speche, and wys, and wel ytaught,
Bold of his speech, and wise, and well mannered,
758- And of manhod hym lakkede (lacked) right naught.
And he lacked nothing at all of the qualities proper to a man.
759- Eek therto he was right a myrie (merry) man;
Also moreover he was a right merry man;
760- And after soper pleyen (to play joke) he bigan,
And after supper he began to be merry,
761- And spak of myrthe (mirth) amonges othere thynges,
And spoke of mirth among other things,
762- Whan that we hadde maad oure rekenynges (paid/settled our bills),
When we had paid our bills,
763- And seyde thus: “Now, lordynges (ladies & gentlemen), trewely,
And said thus: “Now, gentlemen, truly,
764- Ye been to me right welcome, hertely;
You are right heartily welcome to me;
765- For by my trouthe, if that I shal nat lye (lie),
For by my word, if I shall not lie (I must say),
766- I saugh (saw) nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye
I saw not this year so merry a company
767- Atones (at one time) in this herberwe (hotel/inn) as is now.
At one time in this lodging as is (here) now.
768- Fayn wolde I doon yow myrthe, wiste Iif I knew how.
I would gladly make you happy, if I knew how.
769- And of a myrthe I am right now bythoght (I have thought of),
And I have just now thought of an amusement,
770- To doon yow ese (to make you feel at ease/to give you pleasure), and it shal coste noght.
To give you pleasure, and it shall cost nothing.
771- Ye goon (you are going) to Caunterbury — God yow speede (good fortune/ give you success),
“You go to Canterbury — God give you success,
772- The blisful martir quite yow youre meede (reward)!
May the blessed martyr give you your reward!
773- And wel I woot, as ye goon by the weye,
And well I know, as you go by the way,
774- Ye shapen (intend) yow to talen (to tell stories) and to pleye (to gossip & joke);
You intend to tell tales and to amuse yourselves;
775- For trewely, confort ne myrthe is noon
For truly, it is no comfort nor mirth
776- To ride by the weye doumb (silent) as a stoon (stone);
To ride by the way ignorant as a stone;
777- And therfore wol I maken yow disport (pastime/amusement/entertainment)
And therefore I will make a game for you,
778- As I seyde erst, and doon yow som confort.
As I said before, and provide you some pleasure.
779- And if yow liketh alle by oon assent (unanimously)
And if it pleases you all unanimously
780- For to stonden at my juggement,
To be subject to my judgment,
781- And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
And to do as I shall tell you,
782- To-morwe, whan ye riden by the weye,
Tomorrow, when you ride by the way,
783- Now, by my fader soule (I swear by my father’s soul) that is deed (dead),
Now, by the soul of my father who is dead,
784- But ye be myrie, I wol yeve yow myn heed!
Unless you be merry, I will give you my head!
785- Hoold up youre hondes, withouten moore speche.”
Hold up your hands, without more speech.”
786- Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche (seek).
Our decision was not long to seek out.
787- Us thoughte it was noght worth to make it wys (make an issue of it),
It seemed to us it was not worthwhile to deliberate on it,
788- And graunted hym withouten moore avys (consideration/deliberation),
And (we) granted his request without more discussion,
789- And bad him seye his voirdit as hym leste (it pleased him).
And asked him to say his decision as it pleased him.
790- “Lordynges,” quod he, “now herkneth for the beste;
“Gentlemen,” said he, “now listen for the best course of action;
791- But taak it nought, I prey yow, in desdeyn (disdain- contempt).
But, I pray you, do not take it in disdain (scorn it).
792- This is the poynt, to speken short and pleyn (plain),
This is the point, to speak briefly and clearly,
793- That ech of yow, to shorte with oure weye,
That each of you, to make our way seem short by this means,
794- In this viage shal telle tales tweye (two)
Must tell two tales in this journey
795- To Caunterbury-ward, I mene it so,
On the way to Canterbury, that is what I mean,
796- And homward he shal tellen othere two,
And on the homeward trip he shall tell two others,
797- Of aventures that whilom han bifalle.
About adventures that in old times have happened.
798- And which of yow that bereth hym best of alle –
And whoever of you who does best of all —
799- That is to seyn, that telleth in this caas
That is to say, who tells in this case
800- Tales of best sentence and moost solaas (relief/consolation/comfort)
Tales of best moral meaning and most pleasure —
801- Shal have a soper at oure aller (all our cost)
Shall have a supper at the cost of us all
802- Heere in this place, sittynge by this post,
Here in this place, sitting by this post,
803- Whan that we come agayn fro Caunterbury.
When we come back from Canterbury.
804- And for to make yow the moore mury (merry),
And to make you the more merry,
805- I wol myselven (will myself) goodly with yow ryde,
I will myself gladly ride with you,
806- Right at myn owene cost, and be youre gyde;
Entirely at my own cost, and be your guide;
807- And whoso wole my juggement withseye (contradict/oppose)
And whosoever will not accept my judgment
808- Shal paye al that we spenden by the weye.
Shall pay all that we spend by the way.
809- And if ye vouche sauf (grant/allow) that it be so,
And if you grant that it be so,
810- Tel me anon (immediately/at once), withouten wordes mo (more),
Tell me straightway, without more words,
811- And I wol erly shape me (prepare myself) therfore.”
And I will get ready early for this.”
812- This thyng was graunted, and oure othes (oaths) swore
This thing was granted, and our oaths sworn
813- With ful glad herte, and preyden (requested)(we) asked hym also
With very glad hearts, and (we) prayed him also
814- That he wolde vouche sauf (grant), agree for to do so,
That he would consent to do so,
815- And that he wolde been oure governour (presider/manager),
And that he would be our governor,
816- And oure tales juge and reportour (commentator/arbitrator),
And judge and score keeper of our tales,
817- And sette a soper at a certeyn pris,
And set a supper at a certain price,
818- And we wol reuled (will be ruled) been at his devys (direction/discretion)
And we will be ruled as he wishes
819- In heigh and lough (in all respects); and thus by oon(one) assen (unanimously)
In every respect; and thus unanimously
820- We been acorded (agreed) to his juggement.
We are accorded to his judgment.
821- And therupon (upon it) the wyn (wine) was fet (fetched ) anon (immediately);
And thereupon the wine was fetched immediately;
822- We dronken, and to reste wente echon (each one),
We drank, and each one went to rest,
823- Withouten any lenger (longer) taryynge (tarrying- delaying).
Without any longer tarrying.
824- A morwe (In the morning), whan that day bigan to sprynge (rise),
In the morning, when day began to spring,
825- Up roos (rose) oure hoost, and was oure aller (for all of us) cok (rooster)
Our Host arose, and was the rooster of us all (awakened us).
826- And gadrede (gathered) us togidre (together) alle in a flok (flock),
And gathered us together all in a flock,
827- And forth we riden (rode) a litel moore than paas (walking speed/ walk with measured step)
And forth we rode at little more than a walk
828- Unto the wateryng of Seint Thomas (a brook near the Canterbury Road where the pilgrims watered their horse);
Unto the Watering of Saint Thomas;
829- And there oure hoost bigan his hors areste (to stop)
And there our Host stopped his horse
830- And seyde, “Lordynges (ladies & gentleman), herkneth (listen), if yow leste (please/like).
And said, “Gentlemen, listen, if you please.
831- Ye woot (know) yowre foreward (agreement), and I it yow recorde( let me remind you).
You know your agreement, and I remind you of it.
832- If even-song (evening words) and morwe-song (morning song) accorde (to harmonize),
If what you said last night agrees with what you say this morning,
833- Lat se( let us see) now who shal telle the firste tale.
Let’s see now who shall tell the first tale.
834- As evere mote (may) I drynke wyn or ale,
As ever I may drink wine or ale,
835- Whoso be rebel to my juggement
Whosoever may be rebel to my judgment
836- Shal paye for al that by the wey is spent.
Shall pay for all that is spent by the way.
837- Now draweth cut (straws/lots), er (before) that we ferrer (farther) twynne (depart);
Now draw straws, before we depart further (from London);
838- He which that hath the shorteste shal bigynne.
He who has the shortest shall begin.
839- Sire Knyght,” quod (said) he, “my mayster and my lord,
Sir Knight,” said he, “my master and my lord,
840- Now draweth cut, for that is myn accord (judgment).
Now draw a straw, for that is my decision.
841- Cometh neer,” quod (said) he, “My lady Prioresse.
Come nearer,” he said, “my lady Prioress.
842- And ye, Sire Clerk, lat be youre shamefastnesse (modesty),
And you, sir Clerk, let be your modesty,
843- Ne studieth noght (donot dream); ley hond to, every man!”
And study not; lay hand to (draw a straw), every man!”
844- Anon to drawen every wight (person) bigan,
Every person began straightway to draw,
845- And shortly for to tellen as it was,
And shortly to tell as it was,
846- Were it by aventure (chance), or sort (fortune), or cas (destiny)
Were it by chance, or destiny, or luck,
847- The sothe (truth) is this, the cut fil (lot fill) to the knyght,
The truth is this: the draw fell to the Knight,
848- Of which ful blithe (jolly) and glad was every wyght,
For which everyone was very happy and glad,
849- And telle he moste (must) his tale, as was resoun (reasonable),
And he must tell his tale, as was reasonable,
850- By foreward (agreement) and by composicioun (compassion/arrangement),
By our previous promise and by formal agreement,
851- As ye han herd (have heard); what nedeth (needs) wordes mo (more)?
As you have heard; what more words are needed?
852- And whan this goode man saugh (saw) that it was so,
And when this good man saw that it was so,
853- As he that wys was and obedient
Like one who was wise and obedient
854- To kepe his foreward by his free assent,
To keep his agreement by his free assent,
855- He seyde, “Syn (Since) I shal bigynne the game,
He said, “Since I must begin the game,
856- What (indeed), welcome be the cut, ain Goddes name!
What! Welcome be the draw, in God’s name!
857- Now lat us ryde, and herkneth (listen) what I seye.”
Now let us ride, and listen to what I say.”
858- And with that word we ryden forth oure weye,
And with that word we rode forth on our way,
859- And he bigan with right a myrie (merry) cheere (expression)
And he began with a truly merry demeanor
860- His tale anon, and seyde as ye may heere (hear).
To tell his tale straightway, and said as you may hear.
