The Canterbury Tales; The Clerkes Tale (a) Poem Rhyme Scheme

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Geoffrey Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales; The Clerkes Tale (a) Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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Part	A
	-
GROUP E	B
	-
THE CLERKES TALE PROLOGUE	C
	-
Heere folweth the Prologe of the clerkes tale of Oxenford	A
	-
'Sire clerk of Oxenford ' oure Hooste sayde	A
'Ye ryde as coy and stille as dooth a mayde	A
Were newe spoused sittynge at the bord	A
This day ne herde I of youre tonge a word	A
I trowe ye studie about som sophyme	D
	-
But Salomon seith every thyng hath tyme '	-
For Goddes sake as beth of bettre cheere	E
It is no tyme for to studien heere	E
Telle us som myrie tale by youre fey	F
For what man that is entred in a pley	G
	-
He nedes moot unto the pley assente	A
But precheth nat as freres doon in Lente	A
To make us for oure olde synnes wepe	H
Ne that thy tale make us nat to slepe	H
Telle us som murie thyng of aventures	I
	-
Youre termes youre colours and youre figures	I
Keep hem in stoor til so be that ye endite	A
Heigh style as whan that men to kynges write	A
Speketh so pleyn at this tyme we yow preye	J
That we may understonde what ye seye '	-
	-
This worthy clerk benignely answerde	A
'Hooste ' quod he 'I am under youre yerde	A
Ye han of us as now the governance	I
And therfore wol I do yow obeisance	I
As fer as resoun axeth hardily	G
	-
I wol yow telle a tale which that I	K
Lerned at Padwe of a worthy clerk	L
As preved by his wordes and his werk	L
He is now deed and nayled in his cheste	A
I prey to God so yeve his soule reste	A
	-
Fraunceys Petrark the lauriat poete	A
Highte this clerk whos rethorike sweete	A
Enlumyned al Ytaille of poetrie	E
As Lynyan dide of philosophie	F
Or lawe or oother art particuler	E
	-
But deeth that wol nat suffre us dwellen heer	E
But as it were a twynklyng of an eye	K
Hem bothe hath slayn and alle shul we dye	K
But forth to tellen of this worthy man	M
That taughte me this tale as I bigan	N
	-
I seye that first with heigh stile he enditeth	O
Er he the body of his tale writeth	O
A prohemye in the which discryveth he	B
Pemond and of Saluces the contree	E
And speketh of Apennyn the hilles hye	K
	-
That been the boundes of Westlumbardye	K
And of Mount Vesulus in special	G
Where as the Poo out of a welle smal	G
Taketh his firste spryngyng and his sours	I
That estward ay encresseth in his cours	I
	-
To Emeleward to Ferrare and Venyse	I
The which a long thyng were to devyse	I
And trewely as to my juggement	A
Me thynketh it a thyng impertinent	A
Save that he wole convoyen his mateere	E
But this his tale which that ye may heere '	-
	-
Part	A
	-
THE CLERKES TALE	G
	-
Heere bigynneth the tale of the Clerk of Oxenford	A
	-
Ther is at the west syde of Ytaille	G
Doun at the roote of Vesulus the colde	A
A lusty playne habundant of vitaille	G
Where many a tour and toun thou mayst biholde	A
That founded were in tyme of fadres olde	A
And many another delitable sighte	A
And Saluces this noble contree highte	A
	-
A markys whilom lord was of that lond	A
As were hise worthy eldres hym bifore	E
And obeisant and redy to his hond	A
Were alle hise liges bothe lasse and moore	E
Thus in delit he lyveth and hath doon yoore	E
Biloved and drad thurgh favour of Fortune	N
Bothe of hise lordes and of his commune	P
	-
Therwith he was to speke as of lynage	Q
The gentilleste yborn of Lumbardye	K
A fair persone and strong and yong of age	Q
And ful of honour and of curteisye	K
Discreet ynogh his contree for to gye	K
Save that in somme thynges that he was to blame	D
And Walter was this yonge lordes name	D
	-
I blame hym thus that he considereth noght	A
In tyme comynge what hym myghte bityde	A
But in his lust present was al his thoght	A
As for to hauke and hunte on every syde	A
Wel ny alle othere cures leet he slyde	A
And eek he nolde and that was worst of alle	G
Wedde no wyf for noght that may bifalle	G
	-
Oonly that point his peple bar so soore	E
That flokmeele on a day they to hym wente	A
And oon of hem that wisest was of loore	E
Or elles that the lord best wolde assente	A
That he sholde telle hym what his peple mente	A
Or elles koude he shewe wel swich mateere	E
He to the markys seyde as ye shul heere	E
	-
'O noble Markys youre humanitee	A
Asseureth us and yeveth us hardinesse	I
As ofte as tyme is of necessitee	A
That we to yow mowe telle oure hevynesse	I
Accepteth lord now for youre gentillesse	I
That we with pitous herte unto yow pleyne	P
And lat youre eres nat my voys desdeyne	P
	-
Al have I noght to doone in this mateere	E
Moore than another man hath in this place	I
Yet for as muche as ye my lord so deere	E
Han alwey shewed me favour and grace	I
I dar the bettre aske of yow a space	I
Of audience to shewen oure requeste	A
And ye my lord to doon right as yow leste	A
	-
For certes lord so wel us liketh yow	K
And al youre werk and evere han doon that we	B
Ne koude nat us self devysen how	K
We myghte lyven in moore felicitee	A
Save o thyng lord if it youre wille be	B
That for to been a wedded man yow leste	A
Thanne were youre peple in sovereyn hertes reste	A
	-
Boweth youre nekke under that blisful yok	L
Of soveraynetee noght of servyse	I
Which that men clepeth spousaille or wedlock	L
And thenketh lord among youre thoghtes wyse	I
How that oure dayes passe in sondry wyse	I
For thogh we slepe or wake or rome or ryde	A
Ay fleeth the tyme it nyl no man abyde	A
	-
And thogh youre grene youthe floure as yit	A
In crepeth age alwey as stille as stoon	P
And deeth manaceth every age and smyt	A
In ech estaat for ther escapeth noon	P
And al so certein as we knowe echoon	P
That we shul deye as uncerteyn we alle	G
Been of that day whan deeth shal on us falle	G
	-
Accepteth thanne of us the trewe entente	A
That nevere yet refuseden thyn heeste	A
And we wol lord if that ye wole assente	A
Chese yow a wyf in short tyme atte leeste	A
Born of the gentilleste and of the meeste	A
Of al this land so that it oghte seme	D
Honour to God and yow as we kan deeme	D
	-
Delivere us out of al this bisy drede	A
And taak a wyf for hye Goddes sake	L
For if it so bifelle as God forbede	A
That thurgh your deeth your lyne sholde slake	L
And that a straunge successour sholde take	L
Youre heritage o wo were us alyve	F
Wherfore we pray you hastily to wyve '	-
	-
Hir meeke preyere and hir pitous cheere	E
Made the markys herte han pitee	A
'Ye wol ' quod he 'myn owene peple deere	E
To that I nevere erst thoughte streyne me	D
I me rejoysed of my liberte	A
That seelde tyme is founde in mariage	Q
Ther I was free I moot been in servage	Q
	-
But nathelees I se youre trewe entente	A
And truste upon youre wit and have doon at	A
Wherfore of my free wyl I wole assente	A
To wedde me as soone as evere I may	A
But ther as ye han profred me this day	A
To chese me a wyf I yow relesse	I
That choys and prey yow of that profre cesse	I
	-
For God it woot that children ofte been	P
Unlyk hir worthy eldres hem bifore	E
Bountee comth al of God nat of the streen	P
Of which they been engendred and ybore	E
I truste in Goddes bontee and therfore	E
My mariage and myn estaat and reste	A
I hym bitake he may doon as hym leste	A
	-
Lat me allone in chesynge of my wyf	F
That charge upon my bak I wole endure	E
But I yow preye and charge upon youre lyf	F
That what wyf that I take ye me assure	E
To worshipe hir whil that hir lyf may dure	E
In word and werk bothe heere and everywheere	E
As she an emperoures doghter weere	E
	-
And forthermoore this shal ye swere that ye	D
Agayn my choys shul neither grucche ne stryve	F
For sith I shal forgoon my libertee	A
At youre requeste as evere moot I thryve	F
Ther as myn herte is set ther wol I wyve	F
And but ye wole assente in this manere	E
I prey yow speketh namoore of this matere '	-
	-
With hertely wyl they sworen and assenten	P
To al this thyng ther seyde no wight nay	P
Bisekynge hym of grace er that they wenten	P
That he wolde graunten hem a certein day	P
Of his spousaille as soone as evere he may	P
For yet alwey the peple somwhat dredde	P
Lest that this markys no wyf wolde wedde	P
	-
He graunted hem a day swich as hym leste	P
On which he wolde be wedded sikerly	G
And seyde he dide al this at hir requeste	P
And they with humble entente buxomly	G
Knelynge upon hir knees ful reverently	G
Hym thonken alle and thus they han an ende	P
Of hir entente and hoom agayn they wende	P
	-
And heerupon he to hise officeres	I
Comaundeth for the feste to purveye	D
And to hise privee knyghtes and squieres	I
Swich char	E