The Canterbury Tales [317]
which I had not in mind.
And so they came, their horses fresh stirring With bloody soundes of their trumpets loud; There saw I many an *uncouth disguising* *strange manoeuvring* In the array of these knightes proud; And at the last, as evenly as they could, They took their place in middest of the mead, And ev'ry knight turned his horse's head
To his fellow, and lightly laid a spear Into the rest; and so the jousts began On ev'ry part aboute, here and there; Some brake his spear, some threw down horse and man; About the field astray the steedes ran; And, to behold their rule and governance,* *conduct I you ensure, it was a great pleasuance.
And so the joustes last'* an hour and more; *lasted But those that crowned were in laurel green Wonne the prize; their dintes* were so sore, *strokes That there was none against them might sustene: And the jousting was alle left off clean, And from their horse the nine alight' anon, And so did all the remnant ev'ry one.
And forth they went together, twain and twain, That to behold it was a worthy sight, Toward the ladies on the greene plain, That sang and danced as I said now right; The ladies, as soon as they goodly might, They brake off both the song and eke the dance, And went to meet them with full glad semblance.* *air, aspect
And ev'ry lady took, full womanly, By th'hand a knight, and so forth right they yede* *went Unto a fair laurel that stood fast by, With leaves lade the boughs of greate brede;* *breadth And, to my doom,* there never was, indeed, *judgment Man that had seene half so fair a tree; For underneath it there might well have be* *been
A hundred persons, *at their own pleasance,* *in perfect comfort* Shadowed from the heat of Phoebus bright, So that they shoulde have felt no grievance* *annoyance Of rain nor haile that them hurte might. The savour eke rejoice would any wight That had been sick or melancholious, It was so very good and virtuous.* *full of healing virtues
And with great rev'rence they inclined low Unto the tree so sweet and fair of hue;* *appearance And after that, within a *little throw,* *short time* They all began to sing and dance of new, Some song of love, some *plaining of untrue,* *complaint of Environing* the tree that stood upright; unfaithfulness* And ever went a lady and a knight. *going round
And at the last I cast mine eye aside, And was ware of a lusty company That came roaming out of the fielde wide; [And] hand in hand a knight and a lady; The ladies all in surcoats, that richly Purfiled* were with many a riche stone; *trimmed at the borders And ev'ry knight of green ware mantles on,
Embroider'd well, so as the surcoats were; And ev'reach had a chaplet on her head (Which did right well upon the shining hair), Maked of goodly flowers, white and red. The knightes eke, that they in hande led, In suit of them ware chaplets ev'ry one, And them before went minstrels many one,
As harpes, pipes, lutes, and psaltry, All [clad] in green; and, on their heades bare, Of divers flowers, made full craftily All in a suit, goodly chaplets they ware; And so dancing into the mead they fare. In mid the which they found a tuft that was All overspread with flowers in compass* *around, in a circle
Whereunto they inclined ev'ry one, With great reverence, and that full humbly And at the last there then began anon A lady for to sing right womanly, A bargaret, <14> in praising the daisy. For, as me thought, among her notes sweet, She saide: "Si douce est la margarete."<15>
Then alle they answered her in fere* *together So passingly well, and so pleasantly, That it was a [most] blissful noise to hear. But, I n'ot* how, it happen'd suddenly *know not As about noon the sun so fervently
And so they came, their horses fresh stirring With bloody soundes of their trumpets loud; There saw I many an *uncouth disguising* *strange manoeuvring* In the array of these knightes proud; And at the last, as evenly as they could, They took their place in middest of the mead, And ev'ry knight turned his horse's head
To his fellow, and lightly laid a spear Into the rest; and so the jousts began On ev'ry part aboute, here and there; Some brake his spear, some threw down horse and man; About the field astray the steedes ran; And, to behold their rule and governance,* *conduct I you ensure, it was a great pleasuance.
And so the joustes last'* an hour and more; *lasted But those that crowned were in laurel green Wonne the prize; their dintes* were so sore, *strokes That there was none against them might sustene: And the jousting was alle left off clean, And from their horse the nine alight' anon, And so did all the remnant ev'ry one.
And forth they went together, twain and twain, That to behold it was a worthy sight, Toward the ladies on the greene plain, That sang and danced as I said now right; The ladies, as soon as they goodly might, They brake off both the song and eke the dance, And went to meet them with full glad semblance.* *air, aspect
And ev'ry lady took, full womanly, By th'hand a knight, and so forth right they yede* *went Unto a fair laurel that stood fast by, With leaves lade the boughs of greate brede;* *breadth And, to my doom,* there never was, indeed, *judgment Man that had seene half so fair a tree; For underneath it there might well have be* *been
A hundred persons, *at their own pleasance,* *in perfect comfort* Shadowed from the heat of Phoebus bright, So that they shoulde have felt no grievance* *annoyance Of rain nor haile that them hurte might. The savour eke rejoice would any wight That had been sick or melancholious, It was so very good and virtuous.* *full of healing virtues
And with great rev'rence they inclined low Unto the tree so sweet and fair of hue;* *appearance And after that, within a *little throw,* *short time* They all began to sing and dance of new, Some song of love, some *plaining of untrue,* *complaint of Environing* the tree that stood upright; unfaithfulness* And ever went a lady and a knight. *going round
And at the last I cast mine eye aside, And was ware of a lusty company That came roaming out of the fielde wide; [And] hand in hand a knight and a lady; The ladies all in surcoats, that richly Purfiled* were with many a riche stone; *trimmed at the borders And ev'ry knight of green ware mantles on,
Embroider'd well, so as the surcoats were; And ev'reach had a chaplet on her head (Which did right well upon the shining hair), Maked of goodly flowers, white and red. The knightes eke, that they in hande led, In suit of them ware chaplets ev'ry one, And them before went minstrels many one,
As harpes, pipes, lutes, and psaltry, All [clad] in green; and, on their heades bare, Of divers flowers, made full craftily All in a suit, goodly chaplets they ware; And so dancing into the mead they fare. In mid the which they found a tuft that was All overspread with flowers in compass* *around, in a circle
Whereunto they inclined ev'ry one, With great reverence, and that full humbly And at the last there then began anon A lady for to sing right womanly, A bargaret, <14> in praising the daisy. For, as me thought, among her notes sweet, She saide: "Si douce est la margarete."<15>
Then alle they answered her in fere* *together So passingly well, and so pleasantly, That it was a [most] blissful noise to hear. But, I n'ot* how, it happen'd suddenly *know not As about noon the sun so fervently