{古英语}The Canterbury Tales

                     The General Prologue

Whan that April with hise showres sote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
And bathed euery veyne in swich licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephyrus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in euery holt and heeth
The tendre croppes,and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale foweles maken melod ye
That slepen al the nyght with open ye,
So priketh hem nature in hir corages:
Thanne longen folk to goon 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 they wende,
The hooly blisful martirfor to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.