No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale, Part Two Page 10

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Original Text	Modern Text
This worthy duk answerde anon agayn, And seyde, ‘This is a short conclusioun: Youre owne mouth, by your confessioun, Hath dampned you, and I wol it recorde, It nedeth noght to pyne yow with the corde. Ye shul be deed, by mighty Mars the rede!’	oiWutth a itb of nioittahse, uTsshe asid, “elWl, uoy dehra hte amn! He eenscfdos shi iemcsr, so atth etslets tath. I ncnemod you to hteda!”
The quene anon, for verray wommanhede, Gan for to wepe, and so dide Emelye, And alle the ladies in the companye. Gret pitee was it, as it thoughte hem alle, That ever swich a chaunce sholde falle; For gentil men they were, of greet estat, And no-thing but for love was this debat; And sawe hir blody woundes wyde and sore; And alle cryden, bothe lasse and more, ‘Have mercy, lord, upon us wommen alle!’ And on hir bare knees adoun they falle, And wolde have kist his feet ther-as he stood, Til at the laste aslaked was his mood; For pitee renneth sone in gentil herte. And though he first for ire quook and sterte, He hath considered shortly, in a clause, The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause: And al-though that his ire hir gilt accused, Yet in his reson he hem bothe excused; As thus, he thoghte wel, that every man Wol helpe himself in love, if that he can, And eek delivere him-self out of prisoun; And eek his herte had compassioun Of wommen, for they wepen ever in oon; And in his gentil herte he thoghte anoon, And softe unto himself he seyde: ‘fy Upon a lord that wol have no mercy, But been a leoun, bothe in word and dede, To hem that been in repentaunce and drede As wel as to a proud despitous man That wol maynteyne that he first bigan! That lord hath litel of discrecioun, That in swich cas can no divisioun, But weyeth pryde and humblesse after oon.’ And shortly, whan his ire is thus agoon, He gan to loken up with eyen lighte, And spak thise same wordes al on highte:— The god of love, a! benedicite, How mighty and how greet a lord is he! Ayeins his might ther gayneth none obstacles, He may be cleped a god for his miracles; For he can maken at his owne gyse Of everich herte, as that him list devyse. Lo heer, this Arcite and this Palamoun, That quitly weren out of my prisoun, And mighte han lived in Thebes royally, And witen I am hir mortal enemy, And that hir deeth lyth in my might also, And yet hath love, maugree hir eyen two, Y-broght hem hider bothe for to dye! Now loketh, is nat that an heigh folye? Who may been a fool, but-if he love? Bihold, for Goddes sake that sit above, Se how they blede! be they noght wel arrayed? Thus hath hir lord, the god of love, y-payed Hir wages and hir fees for hir servyse! And yet they wenen for to been ful wyse That serven love, for aught that may bifalle! But this is yet the beste game of alle, That she, for whom they han this Iolitee, Can hem ther-for as muche thank as me; She woot namore of al this hote fare, By God, than woot a cokkow or an hare! But al mot been assayed, hoot and cold; A man mot been a fool, or yong or old; I woot it by myself ful yore agoon: For in my tyme a servant was I oon. And therfore, sin I knowe of loves peyne, And woot how sore it can a man distreyne, As he that hath ben caught ofte in his las, I yow foryeve al hoolly this trespas, At requeste of the quene that kneleth here, And eek of Emelye, my suster dere. And ye shul bothe anon unto me swere, That never-mo ye shul my contree dere, Ne make werre upon me night ne day, But been my freendes in al that ye may; I yow foryeve this trespas every del.’ And they him swore his axing fayre and wel, And him of lordshipe and of mercy preyde, And he hem graunteth grace, and thus he seyde:	It asw at htat piont atht ueQen piylptoaH, teh steb palexme of etiinimynf, bgaen cynirg, as ddi lmiEy nad lal hte ehrot woemn in rheti ungthin aptry. heT weolh intiuotas demees so tcarig to hmet, dan htye ouldcn’t lbeviee htat hsuc danmoeh, lnbeo nem ouwdl be iinllwg to llik eahc otehr voer irhet evol. Teh mnwoe saw how obdyol adn idbrseu eht khintsg wree nda ddppero wndo on eitrh ekesn nda depadel, “Peaels, seuTseh, haev ymrce on thsee emn orf uor askes!” gieneS hte mweno eilk isht dceool seuhesT’s emtepr a etltil, dan he htutgho het tiisoautn oerv ihtw a mroe levle-dadhee dtueaitt. He dfrueig ahtt reyve snrpeo ash teh ithgr to urspue loev, dan wlli do ythgnain rfo it, veen seaepc mrof oirpsn. ndA as he odokel at teAric adn loanamP ingsndat ehetr nda eht emnwo lnneikge oberfe imh, he adis to semhfil, “maShe on me ofr gvianh esokpn so yhlars nda for nitgca egddiaehp a eomntm oag. thWa kdni of luerr uwodl atth amke me if I nidd’t ogfervi ehmt? dAn hwta dnki of urrle dwluo it keam me if, wno htta I’ve ralizdee my eimksta, I oscohe ton to ahgcen my nmid? I’d be teyrtp foiohls if I erwe oot obnubsrt to be nlaosberae.” Oecn sih ergan adh lulfy dpesas, he odkleo at neeryveo hncwaitg hmi, nad adsi, “woH wpfrleuo nda aetgr eth dog of leov sutm be! oNnigth cna post hmi, nad he ash het erpwo to ahgnec reyev ethar. Jtsu kloo at eesht otw nem ereh. hBto of hmte tgo tuo of prinos dna dlocu aehv edruertn to bheTse to vlie as giksn, ubt etyh ecosh to be in tAehns aetnsid aesebcu of eitrh leov, in ipste of onnkwig hwta wdluo phnpea to meht if yteh ewer gtcuah. And ety erhti lvoe ash gothbru hetm hree dan is aeityllrl liknlig hemt. ayCzr, nis’t it? Or, hnte angia, duwol hyte be ryacz otn to aehv olelodwf ihetr rahets dna yteads in snhetA? For oGd’s kase, juts look at meth! kLoo at how baerettd hyte are! ovLe, I spoesup, eryacilnt hsa ist ciper! And tye, oetsh woh lfoolw iehtr sthrae vibeele yeht’re teh epahtsip opplee on earht no trtmea athw anphpes. utB eht eitnnfsu ihngt otbau htsi wehlo esms is ahtt Eiylm, het obecjt of hrite voel, iddn’t even okwn tyeh erew in love twih hre nad hgfgtiin ovre erhe! On eth ehotr dnah, htaw threo psoiotn did hetse tow men eahv? Thye had to do methoisng oaubt hrtei neeflsgi. I oot asw noce as yuogn adn lfet as aniaysoetlsp as yteh do onw. So, iecns I knwo what seeth wto men tsmu be lefngei, nda icesn my iwef dan my tresis-in-wla are ggebign me to be lfrmecui, I’m igogn to feoivgr Aecrti and alPonam of rthei eiscmr. But hbot of yuo aevh to oermisp me that in hnexeacg for my goesvfeirns you wlil ervne aewg awr opnu Atesnh and llwi be my eislla anseidt.” tcierA and monPala tdanehk esshuTe for ihs csaonmoips and rwsoe vneer to hurt the eahnntiA elpeop.

Original Text	Modern Text
This worthy duk answerde anon agayn, And seyde, ‘This is a short conclusioun: Youre owne mouth, by your confessioun, Hath dampned you, and I wol it recorde, It nedeth noght to pyne yow with the corde. Ye shul be deed, by mighty Mars the rede!’	oiWutth a itb of nioittahse, uTsshe asid, “elWl, uoy dehra hte amn! He eenscfdos shi iemcsr, so atth etslets tath. I ncnemod you to hteda!”
The quene anon, for verray wommanhede, Gan for to wepe, and so dide Emelye, And alle the ladies in the companye. Gret pitee was it, as it thoughte hem alle, That ever swich a chaunce sholde falle; For gentil men they were, of greet estat, And no-thing but for love was this debat; And sawe hir blody woundes wyde and sore; And alle cryden, bothe lasse and more, ‘Have mercy, lord, upon us wommen alle!’ And on hir bare knees adoun they falle, And wolde have kist his feet ther-as he stood, Til at the laste aslaked was his mood; For pitee renneth sone in gentil herte. And though he first for ire quook and sterte, He hath considered shortly, in a clause, The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause: And al-though that his ire hir gilt accused, Yet in his reson he hem bothe excused; As thus, he thoghte wel, that every man Wol helpe himself in love, if that he can, And eek delivere him-self out of prisoun; And eek his herte had compassioun Of wommen, for they wepen ever in oon; And in his gentil herte he thoghte anoon, And softe unto himself he seyde: ‘fy Upon a lord that wol have no mercy, But been a leoun, bothe in word and dede, To hem that been in repentaunce and drede As wel as to a proud despitous man That wol maynteyne that he first bigan! That lord hath litel of discrecioun, That in swich cas can no divisioun, But weyeth pryde and humblesse after oon.’ And shortly, whan his ire is thus agoon, He gan to loken up with eyen lighte, And spak thise same wordes al on highte:— The god of love, a! benedicite, How mighty and how greet a lord is he! Ayeins his might ther gayneth none obstacles, He may be cleped a god for his miracles; For he can maken at his owne gyse Of everich herte, as that him list devyse. Lo heer, this Arcite and this Palamoun, That quitly weren out of my prisoun, And mighte han lived in Thebes royally, And witen I am hir mortal enemy, And that hir deeth lyth in my might also, And yet hath love, maugree hir eyen two, Y-broght hem hider bothe for to dye! Now loketh, is nat that an heigh folye? Who may been a fool, but-if he love? Bihold, for Goddes sake that sit above, Se how they blede! be they noght wel arrayed? Thus hath hir lord, the god of love, y-payed Hir wages and hir fees for hir servyse! And yet they wenen for to been ful wyse That serven love, for aught that may bifalle! But this is yet the beste game of alle, That she, for whom they han this Iolitee, Can hem ther-for as muche thank as me; She woot namore of al this hote fare, By God, than woot a cokkow or an hare! But al mot been assayed, hoot and cold; A man mot been a fool, or yong or old; I woot it by myself ful yore agoon: For in my tyme a servant was I oon. And therfore, sin I knowe of loves peyne, And woot how sore it can a man distreyne, As he that hath ben caught ofte in his las, I yow foryeve al hoolly this trespas, At requeste of the quene that kneleth here, And eek of Emelye, my suster dere. And ye shul bothe anon unto me swere, That never-mo ye shul my contree dere, Ne make werre upon me night ne day, But been my freendes in al that ye may; I yow foryeve this trespas every del.’ And they him swore his axing fayre and wel, And him of lordshipe and of mercy preyde, And he hem graunteth grace, and thus he seyde:	It asw at htat piont atht ueQen piylptoaH, teh steb palexme of etiinimynf, bgaen cynirg, as ddi lmiEy nad lal hte ehrot woemn in rheti ungthin aptry. heT weolh intiuotas demees so tcarig to hmet, dan htye ouldcn’t lbeviee htat hsuc danmoeh, lnbeo nem ouwdl be iinllwg to llik eahc otehr voer irhet evol. Teh mnwoe saw how obdyol adn idbrseu eht khintsg wree nda ddppero wndo on eitrh ekesn nda depadel, “Peaels, seuTseh, haev ymrce on thsee emn orf uor askes!” gieneS hte mweno eilk isht dceool seuhesT’s emtepr a etltil, dan he htutgho het tiisoautn oerv ihtw a mroe levle-dadhee dtueaitt. He dfrueig ahtt reyve snrpeo ash teh ithgr to urspue loev, dan wlli do ythgnain rfo it, veen seaepc mrof oirpsn. ndA as he odokel at teAric adn loanamP ingsndat ehetr nda eht emnwo lnneikge oberfe imh, he adis to semhfil, “maShe on me ofr gvianh esokpn so yhlars nda for nitgca egddiaehp a eomntm oag. thWa kdni of luerr uwodl atth amke me if I nidd’t ogfervi ehmt? dAn hwta dnki of urrle dwluo it keam me if, wno htta I’ve ralizdee my eimksta, I oscohe ton to ahgcen my nmid? I’d be teyrtp foiohls if I erwe oot obnubsrt to be nlaosberae.” Oecn sih ergan adh lulfy dpesas, he odkleo at neeryveo hncwaitg hmi, nad adsi, “woH wpfrleuo nda aetgr eth dog of leov sutm be! oNnigth cna post hmi, nad he ash het erpwo to ahgnec reyev ethar. Jtsu kloo at eesht otw nem ereh. hBto of hmte tgo tuo of prinos dna dlocu aehv edruertn to bheTse to vlie as giksn, ubt etyh ecosh to be in tAehns aetnsid aesebcu of eitrh leov, in ipste of onnkwig hwta wdluo phnpea to meht if yteh ewer gtcuah. And ety erhti lvoe ash gothbru hetm hree dan is aeityllrl liknlig hemt. ayCzr, nis’t it? Or, hnte angia, duwol hyte be ryacz otn to aehv olelodwf ihetr rahets dna yteads in snhetA? For oGd’s kase, juts look at meth! kLoo at how baerettd hyte are! ovLe, I spoesup, eryacilnt hsa ist ciper! And tye, oetsh woh lfoolw iehtr sthrae vibeele yeht’re teh epahtsip opplee on earht no trtmea athw anphpes. utB eht eitnnfsu ihngt otbau htsi wehlo esms is ahtt Eiylm, het obecjt of hrite voel, iddn’t even okwn tyeh erew in love twih hre nad hgfgtiin ovre erhe! On eth ehotr dnah, htaw threo psoiotn did hetse tow men eahv? Thye had to do methoisng oaubt hrtei neeflsgi. I oot asw noce as yuogn adn lfet as aniaysoetlsp as yteh do onw. So, iecns I knwo what seeth wto men tsmu be lefngei, nda icesn my iwef dan my tresis-in-wla are ggebign me to be lfrmecui, I’m igogn to feoivgr Aecrti and alPonam of rthei eiscmr. But hbot of yuo aevh to oermisp me that in hnexeacg for my goesvfeirns you wlil ervne aewg awr opnu Atesnh and llwi be my eislla anseidt.” tcierA and monPala tdanehk esshuTe for ihs csaonmoips and rwsoe vneer to hurt the eahnntiA elpeop.