The Second Nun's Tale Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

Rhyme Scheme: ABCDEFG HIEJKLL HGHGHMN GOGOOEE EHEHHEE OPEQGQJ GGEEHPQ HHGHHRQ HHHEHHS GGHEGOO HOHOOGG HGTGGHH EGHHHTT HUHUUGG QHGHHEE GHGHHHH HUHUHHT SHSHHHH OVOWHQS HHHHHHU OHOHXHH HHHYHZZ HOHHHH

The minister and norice unto vices nurseA
Which that men call in English idlenessB
The porter at the gate is of delices delightsC
T'eschew and by her contrar' her oppressD
That is to say by lawful business occupation activityE
Well oughte we to do our all intent apply ourselvesF
Lest that the fiend through idleness us hent seizeG
-
For he that with his thousand cordes slyH
Continually us waiteth to beclap entangle bindI
When he may man in idleness espyE
He can so lightly catch him in his trapJ
Till that a man be hent right by the lappe seize hemK
He is not ware the fiend hath him in handL
Well ought we work and idleness withstandL
-
And though men dreaded never for to dieH
Yet see men well by reason doubtelessG
That idleness is root of sluggardyH
Of which there cometh never good increaseG
And see that sloth them holdeth in a leas leash lt gtH
Only to sleep and for to eat and drinkM
And to devouren all that others swink labourN
-
And for to put us from such idlenessG
That cause is of so great confusionO
I have here done my faithful businessG
After the Legend in translationO
Right of thy glorious life and passionO
Thou with thy garland wrought of rose and lilyE
Thee mean I maid and martyr Saint CecilieE
-
And thou thou art the flow'r of virgins allE
Of whom that Bernard list so well to write lt gtH
To thee at my beginning first I callE
Thou comfort of us wretches do me inditeH
Thy maiden's death that won through her meriteH
Th' eternal life and o'er the fiend victoryE
As man may after readen in her storyE
-
Thou maid and mother daughter of thy SonO
Thou well of mercy sinful soules' cureP
In whom that God of bounte chose to won dwellE
Thou humble and high o'er every creatureQ
Thou nobilest so far forth our nature as far as our nature admitsG
That no disdain the Maker had of kind natureQ
His Son in blood and flesh to clothe and wind wrapJ
-
Within the cloister of thy blissful sidesG
Took manne's shape th' eternal love and peaceG
That of the trine compass Lord and guide is the trinityE
Whom earth and sea and heav'n out of release unceasinglyE
Aye hery and thou Virgin wemmeless forever praise immaculateH
Bare of thy body and dweltest maiden pureP
The Creator of every creatureQ
-
Assembled is in thee magnificence lt gtH
With mercy goodness and with such pityH
That thou that art the sun of excellenceG
Not only helpest them that pray to theeH
But oftentime of thy benignityH
Full freely ere that men thine help beseechR
Thou go'st before and art their lives' leech healer saviourQ
-
Now help thou meek and blissful faire maidH
Me flemed wretch in this desert of gall banished outcastH
Think on the woman Cananee that saidH
That whelpes eat some of the crumbes allE
That from their Lorde's table be y fall lt gtH
And though that I unworthy son of Eve lt gtH
Be sinful yet accepte my believe faithS
-
And for that faith is dead withoute werkesG
For to worke give me wit and spaceG
That I be quit from thennes that most derk is freed from the mostH
O thou that art so fair and full of grace dark place HellE
Be thou mine advocate in that high placeG
Where as withouten end is sung OsanneO
Thou Christe's mother daughter dear of AnneO
-
And of thy light my soul in prison lightH
That troubled is by the contagionO
Of my body and also by the weightH
Of earthly lust and false affectionO
O hav'n of refuge O salvationO
Of them that be in sorrow and distressG
Now help for to my work I will me dressG
-
Yet pray I you that reade what I write lt gtH
Forgive me that I do no diligenceG
This ilke story subtilly t' indite sameT
For both have I the wordes and sentenceG
Of him that at the sainte's reverenceG
The story wrote and follow her legendH
And pray you that you will my work amendH
-
First will I you the name of Saint CecilieE
Expound as men may in her story seeG
It is to say in English Heaven's lily lt gtH
For pure chasteness of virginityH
Or for she whiteness had of honesty purityH
And green of conscience and of good fameT
The sweete savour Lilie was her nameT
-
Or Cecilie is to say the way of blind lt gtH
For she example was by good teachingU
Or else Cecilie as I written findH
Is joined by a manner conjoiningU
Of heaven and Lia lt gt and herein figuringU
The heaven is set for thought of holinessG
And Lia for her lasting businessG
-
Cecilie may eke be said in this mannereQ
Wanting of blindness for her greate lightH
Of sapience and for her thewes clear qualitiesG
Or elles lo this maiden's name brightH
Of heaven and Leos lt gt comes for which by rightH
Men might her well the heaven of people callE
Example of good and wise workes allE
-
For Leos people in English is to sayG
And right as men may in the heaven seeH
The sun and moon and starres every wayG
Right so men ghostly in this maiden free spirituallyH
Sawen of faith the magnanimityH
And eke the clearness whole of sapienceH
And sundry workes bright of excellenceH
-
And right so as these philosophers writeH
That heav'n is swift and round and eke burningU
Right so was faire Cecilie the whiteH
Full swift and busy in every good workingU
And round and whole in good persevering lt gtH
And burning ever in charity full brightH
Now have I you declared what she hight why she had her nameT
-
This maiden bright Cecile as her life saithS
Was come of Romans and of noble kindH
And from her cradle foster'd in the faithS
Of Christ and bare his Gospel in her mindH
She never ceased as I written findH
Of her prayere and God to love and dreadH
Beseeching him to keep her maidenheadH
-
And when this maiden should unto a manO
Y wedded be that was full young of ageV
Which that y called was ValerianO
And come was the day of marriageW
She full devout and humble in her corage heartH
Under her robe of gold that sat full fairQ
Had next her flesh y clad her in an hair garment of hair clothS
-
And while the organs made melodyH
To God alone thus in her heart sang sheH
'O Lord my soul and eke my body gie guideH
Unwemmed lest that I confounded be ' unblemishedH
And for his love that died upon the treeH
Every second or third day she fast'H
Aye bidding in her orisons full fast prayingU
-
The night came and to bedde must she gonO
With her husband as it is the mannereH
And privily she said to him anonO
'O sweet and well beloved spouse dearH
There is a counsel an' ye will it hear secret ifX
Which that right fain I would unto you sayH
So that ye swear ye will it not bewray ' betrayH
-
Valerian gan fast unto her swearH
That for no case nor thing that mighte beH
He never should to none bewrayen herH
And then at erst thus to him saide she for the first timeY
'I have an angel which that loveth meH
That with great love whether I wake or sleepZ
Is ready aye my body for to keepZ
-
'And if that he may feelen out of dread without doubtH
That ye me touch or love in villainyO
He right anon will slay you with the deedH
And in your youthe thus ye shoulde dieH
And if that ye in cleane love me gie ' guideH
He will you love as me for your cleannessH
And shew to you his joy and his brightness '-
-
Valerian corrected as God w-

Geoffrey Chaucer



Rate:
(1)



Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme

Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation


Write your comment about The Second Nun's Tale poem by Geoffrey Chaucer


 

Recent Interactions*

This poem was read 16 times,

This poem was added to the favorite list by 0 members,

This poem was voted by 0 members.

(* Interactions only in the last 7 days)

New Poems

Popular Poets