A KNYGHT ther was, and that a worthy man,
There was a KNIGHT, a distinguished man,
That fro the tyme that he first bigan
who, from the time he first began
To riden out, he loved chivalrie
to ride on expeditions, loved chivalry
Trouthe and honour, fredom and curteisie.
loyalty and honour, generosity and refinement.
Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre,
He had acted nobly in his lord’s war
And therto hadde he riden, no man ferre,
and therefore he had ridden there, no man further than he,
As wel in christendom as in hethenesse,
In both Christian and heathen places.
And evere honoured for his worthynesse;
He was honoured everywhere for his worthiness
At Alisaundre he was whan it was wonne.
He was at Alexandria when it was captured.
Ful ofte tyme he hadde the bord bigonne
All the time he sat in the place of honour
Aboven alle nacions in Pruce
surpassing all nations in Prussia
In Lettow hadde he reysed and in Ruce
He had travelled in Lithuania and Russia
No Christen man so ofte of his degree.
which no Christian man of his rank had done so often.
In Gernade at the seege eek hadde he be
He had been in Granada when
Of Algezir, and riden in Belmarye
Algeciras sank under assault, and raiding Benamarin
At Lyeys was he and at Satalye,
He was in Anatolia and in Attalia
Whan they were wonne, and in the Grete See
when they fell, and along the Mediterranean coast
At many a noble armee hadde he be
he had been with many a noble army
At mortal batailles hadde he been fiftene
he had been in fifteen mortal battles
And foughten for oure feith at Tramyssene
and fought for our faith in Tramissene
In lystes thries, and ay slayn his foo.
Three times in the lists, and always killed his enemy
This ilke worthy knyght hadde been also
This same distinguished knight had also been
Somtyme with the lord of Palatye
once with the lord of Palate
Agayn another hethen in Turkye;
against another heathen in Turkey
And everemoore he hadde a sovereyn prys.
and everywhere he was considered of sovereign value.
And though that he were worthy, he was wys,
and though distinguished, he was wise
And of his port as meeke as is a mayde.
and in his behaviour as modest as a maid.
He nevere yet no vileynye ne sayde
He had never yet said an offensive thing
In al his lyf unto no maner wight.
in all his life to anyone
He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.
he was a true, perfectly gentle knight.
But for to tellen yow of his array,
But to tell you about his equipment
His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.
his horses were good, but he was not finely dressed.
Of fustian he wered a gypon
He wore a tunic made of coarse cloth
Al bismotered with his habergeon,
with his sleeveless soldier’s coat full of stains
For he was late ycome from his viage,
for he had just come back from his journey,
And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.
and went on his pilgrimage.