Continue reading with a SparkNotes PLUS trial

Original Text

Modern Text

Ther saugh I first the derke imagining Of felonye, and al the compassing; The cruel ire, reed as any glede; The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede; The smyler with the knyf under the cloke; The shepne brenning with the blake smoke; The treson of the mordring in the bedde; The open werre, with woundes al bi-bledde; Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace; Al ful of chirking was that sory place. The sleere of him-self yet saugh I ther, His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer; The nayl y-driven in the shode a-night; The colde deeth, with mouth gaping up-right. Amiddes of the temple sat meschaunce, With disconfort and sory contenaunce. Yet saugh I woodnesse laughing in his rage; Armed compleint, out-hees, and fiers outrage. The careyne in the bush, with throte y-corve: A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm y-storve; The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft; The toun destroyed, ther was no-thing laft. Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres; The hunte strangled with the wilde beres: The sowe freten the child right in the cradel; The cook y-scalded, for al his longe ladel. Noght was foryeten by the infortune of Marte; The carter over-riden with his carte, Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun. Ther were also, of Martes divisioun, The barbour, and the bocher, and the smith That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his stith. And al above, depeynted in a tour, Saw I conquest sittinge in greet honour, With the sharpe swerde over his heed Hanginge by a sotil twynes threed. Depeynted was the slaughtre of Iulius, Of grete Nero, and of Antonius; Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn, Yet was hir deeth depeynted ther-biforn, By manasinge of Mars, right by figure; So was it shewed in that portreiture As is depeynted in the sterres above, Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love. Suffyceth oon ensample in stories olde, I may not rekne hem alle, thogh I wolde. As iwht hte ngsanpiit ngnorohi uVsen, uoy luodc ese lla eth oetnomsi otseicsada htiw arw eefonrispid in het ipnatsnig in hte mptlee of aMrs. rehTe aws rceTrehya tgtipnol nad imhsceng, renAg lggnwio dre, nda dDera as llwe. eTher asw teh inismlg rhtcaaerc ohlidgn a efnik htnaeuernd sih aecp, a ranb irbungn hiwt clbka ksemo, murder, odbldheso, pngaig uwsnod, yimres, ylbdoo veksin, adn ilepd desboi. uoY dluco tsmoal hare teh chasl of teles nad eht sercams of tbltea. erTeh saw a ngianpti of a mna hwo’d dlelki simhefl, ish ahde ngliy in a pool of hsi now dbolo. Deaht meihfsl lktdsae heotnar anm owh had an rnoi ktsae ipokgn rguhhto his hade. eOtrh rfuegis rpnieesrgten sirenipdoef smoentio reew arbney oto. usMionrfet, fro expaelm, sta in teh eldmid of teh pmteel gnkooil onrorfl, iwlhe snIyaint hlaedgu ltcarysyhlie. Sdnesas dna eatguOr ewer etehr oto, dna Cqeotuns ats ihhg up in a twoer koilnooverg eht eenrti escen ebolw. ouY doclu ese a ddea ybdo lgyin in hte hubsse whit tsi rttaho ctu, nad a thnoudsa daed bdeios lla dplie up, aedd mrfo rwa rahret atnh odl eag or veen eessida. reTeh rwee pdpkserani adn rinnbug csitei adn aniligs hsips, enrshut dergo to eahdt by ethri now eypr, sgpi grnggio hesevmselt on ittell biesba yingl in hrite csbir. aMrs’s etrvsans eewr teerh oot, dcnigilun het betldieflat eonusgr, hte erhbtuc, dan hte tlmsbihakc how kseam aepowns rfo raw. You dluco see het sncese of het erdursm of lsJuui saeCra nad eht Rnoma oerrepsm Nroe nda lcaralaCa, ohw’d lal eenb dureedrm. ngtoihN asw eflt uto. llA the hosrrro of war reew etreh to see in the inngtaspi isndie the eemltp of Msar.

Original Text

Modern Text

Ther saugh I first the derke imagining Of felonye, and al the compassing; The cruel ire, reed as any glede; The pykepurs, and eek the pale drede; The smyler with the knyf under the cloke; The shepne brenning with the blake smoke; The treson of the mordring in the bedde; The open werre, with woundes al bi-bledde; Contek, with blody knyf and sharp manace; Al ful of chirking was that sory place. The sleere of him-self yet saugh I ther, His herte-blood hath bathed al his heer; The nayl y-driven in the shode a-night; The colde deeth, with mouth gaping up-right. Amiddes of the temple sat meschaunce, With disconfort and sory contenaunce. Yet saugh I woodnesse laughing in his rage; Armed compleint, out-hees, and fiers outrage. The careyne in the bush, with throte y-corve: A thousand slayn, and nat of qualm y-storve; The tiraunt, with the prey by force y-raft; The toun destroyed, ther was no-thing laft. Yet saugh I brent the shippes hoppesteres; The hunte strangled with the wilde beres: The sowe freten the child right in the cradel; The cook y-scalded, for al his longe ladel. Noght was foryeten by the infortune of Marte; The carter over-riden with his carte, Under the wheel ful lowe he lay adoun. Ther were also, of Martes divisioun, The barbour, and the bocher, and the smith That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his stith. And al above, depeynted in a tour, Saw I conquest sittinge in greet honour, With the sharpe swerde over his heed Hanginge by a sotil twynes threed. Depeynted was the slaughtre of Iulius, Of grete Nero, and of Antonius; Al be that thilke tyme they were unborn, Yet was hir deeth depeynted ther-biforn, By manasinge of Mars, right by figure; So was it shewed in that portreiture As is depeynted in the sterres above, Who shal be slayn or elles deed for love. Suffyceth oon ensample in stories olde, I may not rekne hem alle, thogh I wolde. As iwht hte ngsanpiit ngnorohi uVsen, uoy luodc ese lla eth oetnomsi otseicsada htiw arw eefonrispid in het ipnatsnig in hte mptlee of aMrs. rehTe aws rceTrehya tgtipnol nad imhsceng, renAg lggnwio dre, nda dDera as llwe. eTher asw teh inismlg rhtcaaerc ohlidgn a efnik htnaeuernd sih aecp, a ranb irbungn hiwt clbka ksemo, murder, odbldheso, pngaig uwsnod, yimres, ylbdoo veksin, adn ilepd desboi. uoY dluco tsmoal hare teh chasl of teles nad eht sercams of tbltea. erTeh saw a ngianpti of a mna hwo’d dlelki simhefl, ish ahde ngliy in a pool of hsi now dbolo. Deaht meihfsl lktdsae heotnar anm owh had an rnoi ktsae ipokgn rguhhto his hade. eOtrh rfuegis rpnieesrgten sirenipdoef smoentio reew arbney oto. usMionrfet, fro expaelm, sta in teh eldmid of teh pmteel gnkooil onrorfl, iwlhe snIyaint hlaedgu ltcarysyhlie. Sdnesas dna eatguOr ewer etehr oto, dna Cqeotuns ats ihhg up in a twoer koilnooverg eht eenrti escen ebolw. ouY doclu ese a ddea ybdo lgyin in hte hubsse whit tsi rttaho ctu, nad a thnoudsa daed bdeios lla dplie up, aedd mrfo rwa rahret atnh odl eag or veen eessida. reTeh rwee pdpkserani adn rinnbug csitei adn aniligs hsips, enrshut dergo to eahdt by ethri now eypr, sgpi grnggio hesevmselt on ittell biesba yingl in hrite csbir. aMrs’s etrvsans eewr teerh oot, dcnigilun het betldieflat eonusgr, hte erhbtuc, dan hte tlmsbihakc how kseam aepowns rfo raw. You dluco see het sncese of het erdursm of lsJuui saeCra nad eht Rnoma oerrepsm Nroe nda lcaralaCa, ohw’d lal eenb dureedrm. ngtoihN asw eflt uto. llA the hosrrro of war reew etreh to see in the inngtaspi isndie the eemltp of Msar.
Previous page The Knight’s Tale, Part Three, Page 3 Next page The Knight’s Tale, Part Three, Page 5
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