669: With hym ther rood a gentil pardoner
A gentel pardoner rode with him
670: Of rouncivale, his freend and his compeer,
His friend and companion from rouncivale
671: That streight was comen fro the court of rome.
He came straight from the court of Rome
672: Ful loude he soong com hider, love, to me!
He sang loudly, "Come, hither love, to me!"
673: This somonour bar to hym a stif burdoun;
The summoner then joined with a burdoned round
674: Was nevere trompe of half so greet a soun.
Half so great a sound was never heard
675: This pardoner hadde heer as yelow as wex,
This pardoner had hair as yellow as wax
676: But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;
But it hung as smooth as a strike of flax
677: By ounces henge his lokkes that he hadde,
The locks that he had were hanging in ounces
678: And therwith he his shuldres overspradde;
And they spread over his shoulders
679: But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon.
But it lay thin and stringy, one by one
680: But hood, for jolitee, wered he noon
But he wore no hood
681: For it was trussed up in his walet.
Though it was packed in his wallet
682: Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet;
It seemed to him that he rode in the latest style
683: Dischevelee, save his cappe, he rood al bare.
Dishevelled, he rode bare except for his cap
684: Swiche glarynge eyen hadde he as an hare.
His eyes were as shiny as his hair
685: A vernycle hadde he sowed upon his cappe.
He had a fine veronica sewed upon his cap
686: His walet lay biforn hym in his lappe,
His wallet lay in his lap
687: Bretful of pardoun, comen from rome al hoot.
Stuffed full of pardons from Rome
688: A voys he hadde as smal as hath a goot.
His voice bleated like a goat
689: No berd hadde he, ne nevere sholde have;
He had no beard, and never will
690: As smothe it was as it were late shave.
His face was smooth like he had just shaven
691: I trowe he were a geldyng or a mare.
I think he was a gelding or a mare
692: But of his craft, fro berwyk into ware,
But of his craft, from Berwick into Ware
693: Ne was ther swich another pardoner
There was no such pardoner in any place
694: For in his male he hadde a pilwe-beer,
For in his bag he had a pillowcase
695: Which that he seyde was oure lady veyl:
Which he said was Our True Lady's veil
696: He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seyl
He said he had a piece of the very sail
697: That seint peter hadde, whan that he wente
That Saint Peter had, whnet he went
698: Upon the see, til jhesu crist hym hente.
Upon the sea, until Jesus changed his bent
699: He hadde a croys of latoun ful of stones,
He had a latten cross full of stones
700: And in a glas he hadde pigges bones.
And he had pig bones in a glass
701: But with thise relikes, whan that he fond
But with these relics, he came upon
702: A povre person dwellynge upon lond,
A simple person dwelling upon land,
703: Upon a day he gat hym moore moneye
On this day he made more money
704: Than that the person gat in monthes tweye;
Than a normal person makes in two months
705: And thus, with feyned flaterye and japes,
And thus with flattery and such japes
706: He made the person and the peple his apes.
He made the person and the people his apes.
707: But trewely to tellen atte laste,
But to tell the whole truth at the last
708: He was in chirche a noble ecclesiaste.
He was in church, a noble ecclesiast
709: Wel koude he rede a lessoun or a storie,
He could read well a lesson or story
710: But alderbest he song an offertorie;
But best of all he sang an offeratory
711: For wel he wiste, whan that song was songe,
Then he knew well when that song was sung
712: He moste preche and wel affile his tonge
He may preach with a well polished tongue
713: To wynne silver, as he ful wel koude;
To win silver,k as he right well could;
714: Therefore he song the murierly and loude.
Therefore he sang so merrily and so loud