Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial

Original Text

Modern Text

‘O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene, To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene, Quene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe, Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire, As keep me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire, That Attheon aboughte cruelly. Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I Desire to been a mayden al my lyf, Ne never wol I be no love ne wyf. I am, thou woost, yet of thy companye, A mayde, and love hunting and venerye, And for to walken in the wodes wilde, And noght to been a wyf, and be with childe. Noght wol I knowe companye of man. Now help me, lady, sith ye may and can, For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee. And Palamon, that hath swich love to me, And eek Arcite, that loveth me so sore, This grace I preye thee with-oute more, As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two; And fro me turne awey hir hertes so, That al hir hote love, and hir desyr, And al hir bisy torment, and hir fyr Be queynt, or turned in another place; And if so be thou wolt not do me grace, Or if my destinee be shapen so, That I shal nedes have oon of hem two, As sende me him that most desireth me. Bihold, goddesse of clene chastitee, The bittre teres that on my chekes falle. Sin thou are mayde, and keper of us alle, My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve, And whyl I live a mayde, I wol thee serve.’ “Oh givnir sgdodse of teh rotfes, neequ of eth ldundroewr, nad eerekp of my raeht, elbss me, nda aplees nod’t be ngray thwi me as yuo nebe veah wtih trohes in het apst. You kown htat I watn to eirman a vingri lal my feli dna be neo of ryou uafhflit rigvni lfwolsreo hwo uhtn in eth retsfo tjsu as you do. I reenv tawn to heav sex hwti a nam, gte rraeimd, or ehva rdenlchi. aniaD—sogsdde of het mono, het udwnledorr, adn teh tuhn—ealeps lehp me to kepe sthi oaternmnut rfmo nahnepigp. ePsael mkea lanamoP dna ctAeir stop gfigtnih veor me. akMe ehtm not vleo me nay rmoe so ttah eyht cna omve on hwit ihert ielsv asitden of twsiagn hetm gihintgf eorv me. Adn if you acn’t help me ysta a rivign efroerv, tneh etl me marry vowehre snawt me eorm. kooL at the trsae on my ckshee, iaaDn, sdgesdo of vgrnitiyi. I egb of you to help me, one of your teoddev ewolrosfl, and perreves my ntygiivri rof the etsr of my flei so tath I amy notucine to oihrswp and evser uyo.”

Original Text

Modern Text

‘O chaste goddesse of the wodes grene, To whom bothe hevene and erthe and see is sene, Quene of the regne of Pluto derk and lowe, Goddesse of maydens, that myn herte hast knowe Ful many a yeer, and woost what I desire, As keep me fro thy vengeaunce and thyn ire, That Attheon aboughte cruelly. Chaste goddesse, wel wostow that I Desire to been a mayden al my lyf, Ne never wol I be no love ne wyf. I am, thou woost, yet of thy companye, A mayde, and love hunting and venerye, And for to walken in the wodes wilde, And noght to been a wyf, and be with childe. Noght wol I knowe companye of man. Now help me, lady, sith ye may and can, For tho thre formes that thou hast in thee. And Palamon, that hath swich love to me, And eek Arcite, that loveth me so sore, This grace I preye thee with-oute more, As sende love and pees bitwixe hem two; And fro me turne awey hir hertes so, That al hir hote love, and hir desyr, And al hir bisy torment, and hir fyr Be queynt, or turned in another place; And if so be thou wolt not do me grace, Or if my destinee be shapen so, That I shal nedes have oon of hem two, As sende me him that most desireth me. Bihold, goddesse of clene chastitee, The bittre teres that on my chekes falle. Sin thou are mayde, and keper of us alle, My maydenhede thou kepe and wel conserve, And whyl I live a mayde, I wol thee serve.’ “Oh givnir sgdodse of teh rotfes, neequ of eth ldundroewr, nad eerekp of my raeht, elbss me, nda aplees nod’t be ngray thwi me as yuo nebe veah wtih trohes in het apst. You kown htat I watn to eirman a vingri lal my feli dna be neo of ryou uafhflit rigvni lfwolsreo hwo uhtn in eth retsfo tjsu as you do. I reenv tawn to heav sex hwti a nam, gte rraeimd, or ehva rdenlchi. aniaD—sogsdde of het mono, het udwnledorr, adn teh tuhn—ealeps lehp me to kepe sthi oaternmnut rfmo nahnepigp. ePsael mkea lanamoP dna ctAeir stop gfigtnih veor me. akMe ehtm not vleo me nay rmoe so ttah eyht cna omve on hwit ihert ielsv asitden of twsiagn hetm gihintgf eorv me. Adn if you acn’t help me ysta a rivign efroerv, tneh etl me marry vowehre snawt me eorm. kooL at the trsae on my ckshee, iaaDn, sdgesdo of vgrnitiyi. I egb of you to help me, one of your teoddev ewolrosfl, and perreves my ntygiivri rof the etsr of my flei so tath I amy notucine to oihrswp and evser uyo.”
Previous page The Knight’s Tale, Part Three, Page 11 Next page The Knight’s Tale, Part Three, Page 13
Test your knowledge

Take the The Knight's Tale, Parts 3-4 Quick Quiz
Read the Summary

Read the Summary of The Knight's Tale, Parts 3-4.
Take a study break

Every Shakespeare Play Summed Up in a Single Sentence

Popular pages: The Canterbury Tales

Take a Study Break