Teach Yourself to Read Chaucer’s Middle English
• http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/less-0.htm The General Prologue, Lines 1-18, ready by Tom Hanks
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. http://academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/GP_Hanks.html
The Wife of Bath
A good WIF was ther OF biside BATHE,
But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.
Of clooth-making she hadde swich a haunt,
She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt. 450
In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
That to the offringe before hire sholde goon;
And if ther dide, certeyn so wroth was she,
That she was out of all charitee.
Hir coverchiefs ful fine weren of ground;
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moiste and newe.
Boold was hir face, and fair and reed of hewe. 460
She was a worthy woman al hir live;
Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde five,
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, -
But thereof nedeith nat to speke as nowthe.
And thries hade she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Seinte-Jame, and at Coloigne.
She koude muchel of wandringe by the weye.
Gat-toothed was she, soothely for to seye. 470
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
Ywimpled wel, and on hir heed a hat
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
In felawshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
For she koude of that art the olde daunce.
• http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/teachslf/less-0.htm The General Prologue, Lines 1-18, ready by Tom Hanks
(requires Real Player)
. http://academics.vmi.edu/english/audio/GP_Hanks.html
The Wife of Bath
A good WIF was ther OF biside BATHE,
But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.
Of clooth-making she hadde swich a haunt,
She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt. 450
In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
That to the offringe before hire sholde goon;
And if ther dide, certeyn so wroth was she,
That she was out of all charitee.
Hir coverchiefs ful fine weren of ground;
I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound
That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moiste and newe.
Boold was hir face, and fair and reed of hewe. 460
She was a worthy woman al hir live;
Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde five,
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe, -
But thereof nedeith nat to speke as nowthe.
And thries hade she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Seinte-Jame, and at Coloigne.
She koude muchel of wandringe by the weye.
Gat-toothed was she, soothely for to seye. 470
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
Ywimpled wel, and on hir heed a hat
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;
A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
In felawshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
For she koude of that art the olde daunce.