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A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd, In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat, Upon his heed a Flaundrish bever hat; His botes clasped faire and fetisly. His resons he spak ful solempnely, Souninge alway thencrees of his winning. He wolde the see were kept for any thing Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle. Wel coude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle. This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette; Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette, So estatly was he of his governaunce, With his bargaynes, and with his chevisaunce. For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle, But sooth to seyn, I noot how men him calle. There was also a MERCHANT who had a forked beard and wore clothes that looked like a jester’s. This businessman wore a beaver hat from Holland and had expensive-looking boots. He spoke very seriously, making sure that everyone knew how wealthy and successful he was. He was particularly obsessed with making sure that the navy maintained order in the North Sea between England and Holland. He played the markets well and sold a lot of Dutch money in currency exchanges. This guy was pretty smart all right: He carried himself so well that no one suspected he was really heavily in debt. Whatever. He was actually a good guy, and it’s too bad I never learned his name.
A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also, That unto logik hadde longe y-go. As lene was his hors as is a rake, And he nas nat right fat, I undertake; But loked holwe, and ther-to soberly. Ful thredbar was his overest courtepy; For he had geten him yet no benefyce, Ne was so worldly for to have offyce. For him was lever have at his beddes heed Twenty bokes, clad in blak or reed, Of Aristotle and his philosophye, Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrye. But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre; But al that he mighte of his freendes hente, On bokes and on lerninge he it spente, And bisily gan for the soules preye Of hem that yaf him wher-with to scoleye. Of studie took he most cure and most hede. Noght o word spak he more than was nede, And that was seyd in forme and reverence, And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence. Souninge in moral vertu was his speche, And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. There was a

CLERK

This clerk is a poor student of philosophy.

CLERK from Oxford who studied philosophy. His horse was a lean as a rake, and so was he for that matter. He looked hollow and serious. He wore a threadbare cloak because he didn’t make any money. He didn’t have a job because he didn’t want one. He’d rather own twenty philosophy books than have nice clothes or nice things. He used all the money his friends gave him to buy books, and he prayed for the souls of his friends for helping him to pursue his passion. Not surprisingly, he spent most of his time reading. He was polite, but he spoke only when it was necessary and important to do so. His speeches were short and quick but very insightful and often about morality. He was both eager to learn and eager to teach.

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Original Text

Modern Text

A MARCHANT was ther with a forked berd, In mottelee, and hye on horse he sat, Upon his heed a Flaundrish bever hat; His botes clasped faire and fetisly. His resons he spak ful solempnely, Souninge alway thencrees of his winning. He wolde the see were kept for any thing Bitwixe Middelburgh and Orewelle. Wel coude he in eschaunge sheeldes selle. This worthy man ful wel his wit bisette; Ther wiste no wight that he was in dette, So estatly was he of his governaunce, With his bargaynes, and with his chevisaunce. For sothe he was a worthy man with-alle, But sooth to seyn, I noot how men him calle. There was also a MERCHANT who had a forked beard and wore clothes that looked like a jester’s. This businessman wore a beaver hat from Holland and had expensive-looking boots. He spoke very seriously, making sure that everyone knew how wealthy and successful he was. He was particularly obsessed with making sure that the navy maintained order in the North Sea between England and Holland. He played the markets well and sold a lot of Dutch money in currency exchanges. This guy was pretty smart all right: He carried himself so well that no one suspected he was really heavily in debt. Whatever. He was actually a good guy, and it’s too bad I never learned his name.
A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also, That unto logik hadde longe y-go. As lene was his hors as is a rake, And he nas nat right fat, I undertake; But loked holwe, and ther-to soberly. Ful thredbar was his overest courtepy; For he had geten him yet no benefyce, Ne was so worldly for to have offyce. For him was lever have at his beddes heed Twenty bokes, clad in blak or reed, Of Aristotle and his philosophye, Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrye. But al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre; But al that he mighte of his freendes hente, On bokes and on lerninge he it spente, And bisily gan for the soules preye Of hem that yaf him wher-with to scoleye. Of studie took he most cure and most hede. Noght o word spak he more than was nede, And that was seyd in forme and reverence, And short and quik, and ful of hy sentence. Souninge in moral vertu was his speche, And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. There was a

CLERK

This clerk is a poor student of philosophy.

CLERK from Oxford who studied philosophy. His horse was a lean as a rake, and so was he for that matter. He looked hollow and serious. He wore a threadbare cloak because he didn’t make any money. He didn’t have a job because he didn’t want one. He’d rather own twenty philosophy books than have nice clothes or nice things. He used all the money his friends gave him to buy books, and he prayed for the souls of his friends for helping him to pursue his passion. Not surprisingly, he spent most of his time reading. He was polite, but he spoke only when it was necessary and important to do so. His speeches were short and quick but very insightful and often about morality. He was both eager to learn and eager to teach.

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