- Oryginalna wersja w języku średnioangielskim:
- Whan þat Aprill with his shoures sote
- Þe droghte of Marche haþ perced to the rote,
- And baðed euery veyne in swich licour,
- Of which vertu engendred is þe flour;
- Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeþ
- Inspired haþ in euery holt and heeþ
- Þe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
- Haþ in the Ram his halfe course yronne,
- And smale fowles maken melodye,
- That slepen al the niȝt with open ye—
- So prikeþ hem Nature in hir corages—
- Þan longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
- And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
- To ferne halwes, couthe in sondry londes;
- And specially, from euery shires ende
- Of Engelond to Caunterbury þey wende,
- The holy blissful martir for to seke,
- Þat hem haþ holpen, whan þat þey were seke.
|
- Tłumaczenie na język nowoangielski:
- When that April with his showers sweet
- The drought of March has pierced to the root
- And bathed every vein in such liqueur
- Of which virtue engendered is the flower,
- When Zephyrus also with his sweet breath
- Inspired has in every holt and heath
- The tender crops, and the young sun
- Has in the Ram his half course run,
- And small fowls make melody
- That sleep all the night with open eye,
- So pricks them nature in their hearts,
- Then long folk to go on pilgrimages,
- And palmers for to seek strange strands
- To far shrines known in sundry lands,
- And specially from every shires’ end
- Of England to Canterbury they wend
- The holy blessed martyr for to seek
- That them has helped when that they were sick.
|
