Foreword from the Canterbury Tales

This is an Anglish of the opening lines of The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, first written in Middle English. by Wordwork. See the wender's leaf for more on the wordings.

English Spelling
1 When with its sweet showers

2 The drought of has  to

3 And bathed every in such

4 which  the  is  so

5 When eke its sweet

6 Has every holt and

7 The crops, and the young sun

8 In the Ram has half its run,

9 And small fowls with arise,

10 sleep all night with open eyes

11 (So has pricked 'em in  hearts' worth),

12 Then folk longingly go on a-

13 And for to seech  strands

14 To farn hallows, couth in sundry lands

15 And from every shires end

16 Of England to Canterbury wend,

17 The holy blissful for to seech

18 Who 'em had helped when.

Anglish Spelling
1 Hƿen ƿiþ its sƿeet scures

2 Þe drougt of has  to

3 And baþed efery in suc

4 hƿic  þe  is  so

5 Hƿen eke its sƿeet

6 Has efery holt and

7 Þe crops, and þe yung sun

8 In þe Ram has half its run,

9 And small fules ƿiþ arise,

10 sleep all nigt ƿiþ open eyes

11 (So has pricked 'em in  hearts' ƿorþ),

12 Þen folk longingly go on a-

13 And for to seec  strands

14 To farn halloƿs, cuþ in sundry lands

15 And from efery scires end

16 Of England to Canterbury ƿend,

17 Þe holy blissful for to seec

18 Hƿo 'em had helped hƿen.