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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.’ 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.’

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.’ 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.’
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