The Canterbury Tales
The Prologue
Section 1 (Fragment I, Group A)
Here bygynneth the book of the tales of Caunterbury.
Whan that Aueryll with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote
And bathed euery veyne in swich lycour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour,
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth 5
Inspired hath in euery holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the ram his half-cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye
(That slepen al the nyght with open iye) 10
So priketh hem nature in hir corages,
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrymages
And palmeres for to seeken straunge strondes
To ferne halwes kouthe in sondry londes,
And specially from euery shyres ende 15
Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende
The holy blisful martir for to seke
That hem hath holpen whan that they weere seeke. . . .
