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The Canterbury Tales

Page 161

by Geoffrey Chaucer


  973 About her condition in life, were she to die for it

  982 never the moore not at all

  985 siketh sighs soore deeply

  986 lete leave

  987 governaunce control

  991 penaunce penance

  992 ordinaunce control

  994 werkes deeds

  997 herbergeours harbingers, king’s officers who arrange for lodgings

  998 as was usage as was customary

  999 agains to meet

  1002–3 Greet cheere dooth… To entertains lavishly

  1004 Everich each

  1010 lad brought

  1012 Be as be may however that may be

  1013 heste bidding

  1014 metes space course of the meal

  1017 anon immediately

  1021 of woot know of in a stounde in a short while

  1027 hir hadde levere she would prefer

  1029 prikke condition

  1034 aught by any means

  1035 sighte sighed

  1036 spedde him hastened that he mighte as best he could

  1037 fantome illusion

  1038 deme believe skilful rational

  1045 wonder chaunce wondrous occurrence

  1047 after for

  1048 hir liste noght to daunce she did not feel like dancing

  1049 When she knew the reason for that message

  1050 Unnethe hardly

  1051 grette greeted

  1052 weep wept routhe pity

  1056 shet closed up

  1057 unkindenesse unnatural behaviour, cruelty

  1060 halwes saints

  1061 So wysly as surely

  1064 Ellis the feend me fecche otherwise may the devil take me

  1066 cesse grow calm

  1067 pleine lament

  1069 relesse discharge

  1070 until tomorwe all day and all night long

  1072 wist known

  1078 seyn seen

  1080 pine suffering

  1083 vouchesauf grant

  1088 nice foolish

  1089 soverein supreme

  1091 Sente (that he) sent (n.) deme believe

  1093 gentilly courteously

  1095 bisily intently

  1097 in lodging

  1099 To the full extent of his ability

  1100 gan him dresse got ready

  1104 lighte doun dismounted him to feete at his feet

  1106 ful clene completely

  1108 whilom formerly

  1109 It am I it is I

  1110 dampned condemned

  1117 lette delay

  1119 mete dinner lete leave

  1121 sithen afterwards

  1122 cristenly in a Christian manner

  1126 gestes chronicles

  1128 say saw

  1130 the righte way by the direct route

  1132 heete promise

  1133 abide stay still

  1134 as like

  1135 o one

  1136 conscience feelings

  1137 talent passion som kinnes affray some kind of disturbance

  1139 sentence saying

  1142 taketh… his rente takes his toll

  1143 evene just

  1144 hente (= hentede) took

  1145 hevinesse sorrow

  1151 aventure vicissitudes

  1155 herieth praises sithe times

  1157 asonder wende part

  1158 departeth separates

  1165 thrifty excellent

  1166 prest priest

  1167 forward yore former agreement

  1168 lore knowledge

  1169 Kan muche good know what you are about

  1171 eileth is the matter with

  1175 digne noble

  1176 predicacioun piece of preaching

  1180 glosen interpret (n.)

  1181 leven believe

  1183 springen scatter cokkel tares, weed growing in corn (n.)

  1184 warne notify

  1185 joly body fine person

  1186 I shall sound so lively a note

  1189 phislyas see n. queinte esoteric

  1190 mawe gullet

  1 auctoritee written authority

  5 is eterne on live has eternal life

  8 hir degree their social station

  10 onis once

  16 repreeve reproof

  18 ilke same

  21 axe ask

  25 diffinicioun definition

  26 divine speculate glosen interpret

  27 woot know expres explicitly

  31 lete leave

  33 octogamye marrying eight times

  34 speke of it vileinye speak ill of it

  36 trowe am sure that

  37 leveful legitimate

  39 Which what a for in spite of

  41 as to my wit in my opinion

  42 murye fit merry bout, session

  43 so wel was him on live so happy was his life 44a ypiked picked 44b here nether purs their balls, testicles 44d practik practice 44e parfit perfect sekirly certainly 44f scoleying studying

  45 whan that evere whenever

  46 chaast chaste

  50 a Goddes half in God’s name liketh me it pleases me

  52 brinne burn

  53 Why do I care if people speak ill

  54 shrewed wicked

  56 as fer as evere I kan to the best of my knowledge

  61 expres explicit

  63 drede doubt

  64 maidenhede virginity

  66 oon single

  70 with the dede in doing so

  71 ysowe sown

  72 wherof from what

  73 Poul St Paul

  74 yaf gave heeste command

  75 dart spear used as prize in a race

  76 Cacche whoso may let him obtain it who can

  77 take of understood (as being) about wight person

  78 list yeve is pleased to grant

  79 maide virgin

  82 Al nis but it is all no more than

  84 Of indulgence as a concession

  85 make spouse

  86 excepcioun of objection on the grounds of

  87 Al were it good although it would be a good thing

  90 ensample metaphor

  91 This al and som this is the long and the short of it

  92 freletee frailty

  93 clepe call but if that unless

  96 preferre takes precedence over

  97 goost spirit

  98 boost boast

  101 tree wood

  102 clepeth calls sondry wise different ways

  103 propre peculiar (to the individual)

  104 shifte to determine

  107 welle source

  110 foore footsteps

  113 the flour of al min age my prime of life

  115 conclusioun purpose

  116 membres… of generacioun genitals

  117 And fashioned by so perfectly wise a Maker

  119 Let anyone who wants to, spin an argument, and say on all sides

  120 purgacioun discharge

  122 femele female

  125 So that provided that wrothe angry

  126 beth are

  127 office function (of urination)

  128 engendrure procreation ther in circumstances when

  130 yelde pay

  132 sely instrument blessed tool

  135 holde obliged

  136 harneis equipment

  138 take… no cure have no concern

  139 shapen created

  142 nil (= ne wil) will not

  143 pured refined

  144 hoten be called

  148 precius fastidious, hard to please

  149 wifhode the married state

  150 frely generously

  151 daungerous niggardly

  153 him list it pleases him

  154 lette delay, hang back

  155 thral slave

  156 withal besides

  162 sentence saying everydel in every respect

  163 Up stirte up leap
t

  165 prechour preacher

  167 bye pay for deere dearly

  168 hadde I levere I would rather to-yeere this year

  170 of another tonne from another barrel

  171 shal savoure which will taste

  174 expert experienced

  176 chese choose

  177 abroche tap

  178 to neigh too near

  180 nil be war by will not take warning from

  186 spareth hold back

  187 praktike practices

  188 like please

  190 after my fantasye according to my whim

  191 As taketh nat agrief of do not be upset by

  195 tho those

  198 With difficulty could they fulfil the obligation

  200 of by

  202 swinke labour

  203 fey faith tolde of it no stoor set no store by it

  204 yeven given

  206 doon hem reverence show them respect

  208 ne tolde no deintee of set no store by

  209 A wise woman will continually exert herself

  210 hir for herself

  213 What why taken kepe be concerned

  214 But unless

  215 a-werke to work

  217 fet fetched

  220 fawe eager

  221 feire fair

  222 feire kindly

  223 chidde hem spitously scolded them mercilessly

  224 bar me behaved proprely characteristically

  226 bere hem wrong on honde make false assertions against them

  229 by with respect to

  230 But if it be except hem misavise are misguided

  231 kan hir good knows what is to her advantage

  232 Will maintain that the chough is mad (n.)

  234 Of hir assent with her connivance

  235 kainard dotard array way of behaving

  236 gay finely dressed

  237 overal ther wherever

  238 thrifty cloth decent clothes

  241 What rowne ye why do you whisper

  242 japes tricks

  243 gossib intimate friend

  244 chidest as nag like

  247 with ivel preef bad luck to you

  248 meschief calamity

  249 costage expense

  250 heigh parage high birth

  251 tormentrye torment

  252 malencolye spleen

  254 holour lecher

  256 ech a every

  260 daliaunce flirtation

  261 smale slender

  262 by thy tale by your account

  265 foul ugly

  268 hir to chepe to do business with her

  270 make mate

  271 welde control

  272 his thankes willingly helde own, keep

  273 lorel rogue

  275 entendeth unto strives after

  276 thonder-dint thunderbolt levene lightning

  277 welked withered to-broke broken

  278 dropping leaking

  283 fast tied down (by marriage)

  284 shrewe rascal

  286 stoundes times

  287 Bacines basins lavours bowls er before

  288 housbondrye household goods

  289 array finery

  290 But people do not try out wives

  294 But if if not

  295 poure… upon gaze intently at

  296 clepe call

  299 norice nurse

  300 chamberere chambermaid bour room

  301 allies kinsfolk

  302 lies lees, dregs or lies (punning?)

  304 crispe curly

  305 squiereth escorts

  307 wil him nat do not want him thogh even if

  308 with sorwe bad luck to you

  311 wenestow make do you expect to make

  313 wood furious

  315 maugree thine eyen in spite of yourself

  316 What nedeth thee why do you need to of me about me

  317 woldest loke would like to lock chiste strongbox

  319 leve believe talis tales

  321 taketh kepe or charge is concerned about

  322 at oure large at liberty

  324 astrologen astronomer

  327 rekketh nat does not care in honde in his control

  329 If you have enough, why do you need to care

  332 queinte right inogh your fill of sex

  333 werne refuse to allow

  336 pleine thee complain

  340 with sorwe curse it enforce thee wind yourself up

  342 habit clothing

  343 apparaille yow dress yourself

  344 tressed heer plaited hair perree jewellery

  345 As such as

  346 After in accordance with rubriche direction

  349 senge singe

  350 in house

  351 slik sleek

  353 be dawed has dawned

  354 a-caterwawed caterwauling

  355 shrewe rascal

  356 borel coarse cloth

  357 what helpeth thee what good does it do you

  359 warde-corps bodyguard

  360 but me lest unless it pleases me

  361 Still I could get the better of him, as I live

  364 ferthe fourth

  365 Jesu shorte may Jesus shorten

  370 Without a poor wife being one of them

  373 wilde fir Greek fire (inflammable material used in warfare)

  374 brenneth burns

  375 brent burned

  376 shende destroy

  378 bonde bound

  380 I vigorously accused my old husbands

  385 pine suffering

  386 whine whinny

  387 pleine complain in the gilt in the wrong

  388 hadde been spilt would have been ruined

  389 grint (= grindeth) grinds

  390 werre strife ystint ended

  391 ful blive very quickly

  392 agilte were guilty hir live in their lives

  394 for sik for illness unnethe hardly

  396 Wende believed chiertee affection

  398 dighte had it off with

  399 colour pretext

  400 wit cunning

  401 yeve given

  402 kindely by nature

  403 o one avaunte me boast

  404 Atte ende in the end the bet in ech degree the better in every way

  405 sleighte cunning

  406 As such as grucching grumbling

  407 abedde in bed

  411 Until he had bought me off

  412 suffre allow do his nicetee to have his fun

  415 lure call back to the hand (n.)

  416 winning profit

  420 thogh even if seten sat

  421 bord table

  422 quitte hem paid them back

  424 testament will

  425 I do not owe them a word that has not been repaid

  426 wit cleverness

  429 wood furious

  430 faille of his conclusioun fall short of his goal

  431 Goode lief my dear taak keep take note

  433 ba kiss

  435 swete spiced conscience see n.

  437 Suffreth practise endurance

  438 but ye do if you do not

  442 suffrable long-suffering

  443 grucche grumble

  444 for because queinte fanny (vagina)

  445 del bit

  446 By St Peter, damn you if you don’t enjoy it

  447 bele chose thingummy (vagina)

  450 I sey yow sooth I am telling you the truth

  451 hadde we on honde we were occupied with

  453 revelour reveller

  454 paramour mistress

  455 ragerye high spirits

  456 joly lively pie magpie

  461 birafte his wif deprived his wife of

  463 daunted me fro frightened me away from

  465 also siker as surely

  466 likerous gluttonous likerous lecherous

  467 vinolent bibulous defence resistance

&nb
sp; 469 it remembreth me I remember

  471 min herte-roote the bottom of my heart

  472 boote good

  474 envenime poison

  475 me biraft taken away from me pith vigour

  478 bren bran

  479 fonde try

  481 hadde… despit resented

  483 quit paid back

  484 croce stick

  486 made folk swich cheere acted in such a friendly way to people

  487 grece grease

  492 see n.

  493 no wight no one

  494 soore painfully

  496 ygrave buried roode-beem beam supporting a cross (n.)

  497 toumbe tomb curious elaborate

  499 subtilly skilfully

  500 It is only a waste to give him an expensive tomb

  501 Lat him far wel bless him

  502 cheste coffin

  505 shrewe wicked

  506 by rewe in a row

  507 ending day dying day

  509 glose cajole

  511 bet beaten

  512 anon immediately

  513 trowe believe

  514 daungerous niggardly

  516 queinte fantasye strange fantasy

  517 Waite what whatever lightly easily

  518 Therafter for that

  520 Preesse on urge

  521 We display our wares reluctantly (n.)

  522 prees crowd deere ware expensive goods

  523 greet cheep inexpensive at litel pris of little value

  528 wente at hom to bord lodged at home

  531 privetee secrets

  532 Bet better so mote I thee as I may prosper

  533 biwreyed revealed conseil secrets

  543 ones once

  545 gay finely dressed

  551 leiser for to pleye opportunity to amuse myself

  552 seye seen

  553 By pleasure-loving people. How did I know where my good luck

  554 shapen destined

  555 visitacions visits

  556 vigilies watches kept in church on the evening before a religious festival (n.)

  558 pleyes of miracles miracle-plays

  559 wered upon wore gites gowns

  560 mites insects

  561 Upon my peril may I be damned otherwise frete (= fretede) gnawed nevere a del not at all

  562 wostow do you know for because

  565 daliaunce flirtation

 

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