Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue 02, Introduction To Cast Of Characters - (A Minimalist Translation) Poem by Forrest Hainline

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales: General Prologue 02, Introduction To Cast Of Characters - (A Minimalist Translation)

Befell that in that season on a day,
In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
Ready to go on my pilgrimage
To Canterbury with full devout corage,
At night was come into that hostelry
Well nine and twenty in a company
Of sundry folk, by adventure to fall
In fellowship, and pilgrims were they all,
That toward Canterbury would ride.
The chambers and the stables were wide,
And well we were eased at best.
And shortly, when the sun was to rest,
So had I spoken with them everyone,
That I was of their fellowship anon,
And made forward early for to rise,
To take our way there as I you devise.

But nonetheless, while I have time and space,
Ere that I further in this tale pace,
Me thinks it according to reason,
To tell you all the condition
Of each of them, so as it seemed me,
And which they were, and of what degree,
And eek in what array that they were in;
And at a knight then will I first begin.

© 2008,2019,2020
Forrest Hainline