The Monk's Portrait

165: A monk ther was, a fair for the maistrie,
There was a monk, with no other peer,
166: An outridere, that lovede venerie,
He was an overseer, that loved hunting,
167: A manly man, to been an abbot able.
A manly man, he was an able abbot.
168: Ful many a deyntee hors hadde he in
stable,
For many an hour he kept a hunting stable,
169: And whan he rood, men myghte his brydel heere
And when he rode, his men could here his bridel,
170: Gynglen in a whistlynge wynd als cleere
Jingling in the wind clearly
171: And eek as loude as dooth the chapel belle.
and it was loud as the chapel bell.
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172: Ther as this lord was kepere of the celle,
There he was lord and keeper of the cell,
173: The reule of seint maure or of seint beneit,
Where the rules of St. Mary or of St. Benedict are followed,
174: By cause that it was old and somdel streit
By cause it was old and sometimes strict
175: This ilke monk leet olde thynges pace,
This monk let old things pass,
176: And heeld after the newe world the space.
And lived life in a new time.
177: He yaf nat of that text a pulled hen,
He would trade that text for a stolen hen,
178: That seith that hunters ben nat hooly men,
That states that hunters be not holy men,
179: Ne that a monk, whan he is recchelees,
That a monk, when he is reckless,
180: Is likned til a fissh that is waterlees, --
Is compared to a fish out of water;
181: This is to seyn, a monk out of his cloystre.
This is to say, a monk out of his cloister.
182: But thilke text heeld he nat worth an oystre;
But his text he decided was not worth an oyster;
183: And I seyde his opinion was good.
And I said his opinion was good.
184: What sholde he studie and make hymselven wood,
Why should he study to make him go mad,
185: Upon a book in cloystre alwey to poure,
Over a book, which he pours over in his cloister,
186: Or swynken with his handes, and laboure,
Or toil with his hands through labor,
187: As austyn bit? how shal the world be served?
Would Augustine command? How shall the world be served?
188: Lat austyn have his swynk to hym reserved!
Let Augustine have his work to hin reserved!
189: Therfore he was a prikasour aright:
Therefore he hunted as was his right:
190: Grehoundes he hadde as swift as fowel in flight;
He had greyounds as swift as birds in flight;
191: Of prikyng and of huntyng for the hare
He practiced the hunting of the hare
192: Was al his lust, for no cost wolde he spare.
It was his lust, for no cost he would spare it.
193: I seigh his sleves purfiled at the hond
I say his sleeves were pure at the hand
194: With grys, and that the fyneste of a lond;
With grey, that was the finest of the land;
195: And, for to festne his hood under his chyn,
And, his hood under his chin was fastened,
196: He hadde of gold ywroght a ful curious pyn;
He had a curious pin full of gold;
197: A love-knotte in the gretter ende ther was.
A love-knot at the front there was.
198: His heed was balled, that shoon as any glas,
His head was bald, that shone like glass,
199: And eek his face, as he hadde been enoynt.
And his face looked as if he had been annoitted.
200: He was a lord ful fat and in good poynt;
He was a full fat lord and in good point;
201: His eyen stepe, and rollynge in his heed,
His eyes steep, and rolled in his head,
202: That stemed as a forneys of a leed;
That steamed like a furnace of lead;
203: His bootes souple, his hors in greet estaat.
His boots supple, his horse in great shape.
204: Now certeinly he was a fair prelaat;
Now certainly he was prelate to a dream;
205: He was nat pale as a forpyned goost.
He was not pale like a ghost.
206: A fat swan loved he best of any roost.
He loved a fat swan more than any other roast.
207: His palfrey was as broun as is a berye.
His palfrey was brown as a berry was ripe.