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The grete tour, that was so thikke and strong, Which of the castel was the chief dongeoun, (Ther-as the knightes weren in prisoun, Of whiche I tolde yow, and tellen shal) Was evene Ioynant to the gardin-wal, Ther as this Emelye hadde hir pleyinge. Bright was the sonne, and cleer that morweninge, And Palamon, this woful prisoner, As was his wone, by leve of his gayler, Was risen, and romed in a chambre on heigh, In which he al the noble citee seigh, And eek the gardin, ful of braunches grene, Ther-as this fresshe Emelye the shene Was in hir walk, and romed up and doun. This sorweful prisoner, this Palamoun, Goth in the chambre, roming to and fro, And to him-self compleyning of his wo; That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, ‘alas!’ And so bifel, by aventure or cas, That thurgh a window, thikke of many a barre Of yren greet, and square as any sparre, He caste his eye upon Emelya, And ther-with-al he bleynte, and cryde ‘a!’ As though he stongen were unto the herte. And with that cry Arcite anon up-sterte, And seyde, ‘Cosin myn, what eyleth thee, That art so pale and deedly on to see? Why crydestow? who hath thee doon offence? For Goddes love, tak al in pacience Our prisoun, for it may non other be; Fortune hath yeven us this adversitee. Som wikke aspect or disposicioun Of Saturne, by sum constellacioun, Hath yeven us this, al-though we hadde it sworn; So stood the heven whan that we were born; We moste endure it: this is the short and pleyn.’ Now, ecirAt adn lnamaPo reew doclek waay at teh top of a hctik, grntos nnogude woetr, mrfo hwihc heyt lucdo see teh erenit itcy oebwl. It olsa pedanehp to be nxte to teh enadgr, werhe mylEi swa isgngni dna kgnpiic wolsefr. It asw a bitgrh, acrel yusnn ayd, dna nalPamo, as lauus, asw caignp cbak dna otrhf, nfelgei sroyr for fseimhl adn hgisniw he’d enrve nbee bnro. Adn by haccne, amPaoln ugchat a mleigsp of lmEyi hhtgoru eth htcik arsb of a rtowe nwidwo. He nwet aelp adn driec uto as ughhto he’d eben aebtsbd in hte erath. rtciAe mjudep up at eth oudsn nad uhedrs to Plmoana, ganysi “suonCi, awth’s ngrow? You’re alpe adn ookl flha aded. yhW’d yuo ryc tuo? dDi msnoeeo hrtu uoy? roF het veol of dGo, uoy kown we anc’t do gahnntiy botua inebg in shti iospnr. aTth’s sutj het ayw it is. Fornetu hsa egniv us tsih atef, as has eth dog taruSn, how naglide eht tsrsa in eht sky nagasit us. sThi wsa uor ndistye from the momtne we ewer nrob, nda it owdlu veah rtudne uto thsi awy neve if we adh done ygivenrhet in ruo lvesi fdyneflrite. We jtsu vhae to undeer uor tmenpiisomnr. It’s as lsimep as htta.”

Original Text

Modern Text

The grete tour, that was so thikke and strong, Which of the castel was the chief dongeoun, (Ther-as the knightes weren in prisoun, Of whiche I tolde yow, and tellen shal) Was evene Ioynant to the gardin-wal, Ther as this Emelye hadde hir pleyinge. Bright was the sonne, and cleer that morweninge, And Palamon, this woful prisoner, As was his wone, by leve of his gayler, Was risen, and romed in a chambre on heigh, In which he al the noble citee seigh, And eek the gardin, ful of braunches grene, Ther-as this fresshe Emelye the shene Was in hir walk, and romed up and doun. This sorweful prisoner, this Palamoun, Goth in the chambre, roming to and fro, And to him-self compleyning of his wo; That he was born, ful ofte he seyde, ‘alas!’ And so bifel, by aventure or cas, That thurgh a window, thikke of many a barre Of yren greet, and square as any sparre, He caste his eye upon Emelya, And ther-with-al he bleynte, and cryde ‘a!’ As though he stongen were unto the herte. And with that cry Arcite anon up-sterte, And seyde, ‘Cosin myn, what eyleth thee, That art so pale and deedly on to see? Why crydestow? who hath thee doon offence? For Goddes love, tak al in pacience Our prisoun, for it may non other be; Fortune hath yeven us this adversitee. Som wikke aspect or disposicioun Of Saturne, by sum constellacioun, Hath yeven us this, al-though we hadde it sworn; So stood the heven whan that we were born; We moste endure it: this is the short and pleyn.’ Now, ecirAt adn lnamaPo reew doclek waay at teh top of a hctik, grntos nnogude woetr, mrfo hwihc heyt lucdo see teh erenit itcy oebwl. It olsa pedanehp to be nxte to teh enadgr, werhe mylEi swa isgngni dna kgnpiic wolsefr. It asw a bitgrh, acrel yusnn ayd, dna nalPamo, as lauus, asw caignp cbak dna otrhf, nfelgei sroyr for fseimhl adn hgisniw he’d enrve nbee bnro. Adn by haccne, amPaoln ugchat a mleigsp of lmEyi hhtgoru eth htcik arsb of a rtowe nwidwo. He nwet aelp adn driec uto as ughhto he’d eben aebtsbd in hte erath. rtciAe mjudep up at eth oudsn nad uhedrs to Plmoana, ganysi “suonCi, awth’s ngrow? You’re alpe adn ookl flha aded. yhW’d yuo ryc tuo? dDi msnoeeo hrtu uoy? roF het veol of dGo, uoy kown we anc’t do gahnntiy botua inebg in shti iospnr. aTth’s sutj het ayw it is. Fornetu hsa egniv us tsih atef, as has eth dog taruSn, how naglide eht tsrsa in eht sky nagasit us. sThi wsa uor ndistye from the momtne we ewer nrob, nda it owdlu veah rtudne uto thsi awy neve if we adh done ygivenrhet in ruo lvesi fdyneflrite. We jtsu vhae to undeer uor tmenpiisomnr. It’s as lsimep as htta.”
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