Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes
- Men sholde wedden after hir estat,
For youthe and elde is often at debat. - View Quote Details on Men sholde wedden after hir estat,
For youthe and elde is… - Who so shall telle a tale after a man,
He moste reherse, as neighe as ever he can,
Everich word, if it be in his charge,
All speke he never so rudely and so large;
Or elles he moste tellen his tale untrewe,
Or feinen thinges, or finden wordes newe. - View Quote Details on Who so shall telle a tale after a man,
He moste… - Soun is noght but air ybroken,
And every speche that is spoken,
Loud or privee, foul or fair,
In his substaunce is but air;
For as flaumbe is but lighted smoke,
Right so soun is air ybroke. - View Quote Details on Soun is noght but air ybroken,
And every speche that is… - What is this world? what asketh men to have?
Now with his love, now in his colde grave
Allone, withouten any compaignye. - View Quote Details on What is this world? what asketh men to have?
Now with… - Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder. - View Quote Details on Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder.
- Oon ere it herde, at tothir out it wente. - View Quote Details on Oon ere it herde, at tothir out it wente.
- Forbede us thing, and that desiren we;
Preesse on us faste, and thanne wol we flee.
With daunger oute we al oure chaffare:
Greet prees at market maketh dere ware,
And too greet chepe is holden at litel pris. - View Quote Details on Forbede us thing, and that desiren we;
Preesse on us faste,… - It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake. - View Quote Details on It is nought good a slepyng hound to wake.
- For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,
Ay fleeth the tyme; it nyl no man abyde. - View Quote Details on For thogh we slepe, or wake, or rome, or ryde,
Ay… - The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne.
Th’ assay so hard, so sharp the conquerynge,
The dredful joye, alwey that slit so yerne;
Al this mene I be love. - View Quote Details on The lyf so short, the craft so longe to lerne.
Th’… - But yet that holden this tale a folly,
As of a fox, or of a cock and hen,
Taketh the morality, good men.
For Saint Paul saith that all that written is,
To our doctrine it is y-writ, ywis;
Taketh the fruit, and let the chaff be still. - View Quote Details on But yet that holden this tale a folly,
As of a… - Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swych licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(So priketh hem nature in hir corages);
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages. - View Quote Details on Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March… - Allas! allas! that evere love was synne! - View Quote Details on Allas! allas! that evere love was synne!
- He coude songes make, and wel endite. - View Quote Details on He coude songes make, and wel endite.
- His studie was but litel on the Bible. - View Quote Details on His studie was but litel on the Bible.
- But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,
He taught; but first he folwed it himselve. - View Quote Details on But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve,
He taught; but first… - And for ther is so gret diversite
In Englissh and in writyng of oure tonge,
So prey I God that non myswrite the,
Ne the mysmetre for defaute of tonge;
And red wherso thow be, or elles songe,
That thow be understonde, God I biseche! - View Quote Details on And for ther is so gret diversite
In Englissh and in… - For of fortunes sharp adversitee
The worst kynde of infortune is this,
A man to han ben in prosperitee,
And it remembren, whan it passed is. - View Quote Details on For of fortunes sharp adversitee
The worst kynde of infortune is… - Therfore bihoveth hire a ful long spoon
That shal ete with a feend. - View Quote Details on Therfore bihoveth hire a ful long spoon
That shal ete with… - The smylere with the knyf under the cloke. - View Quote Details on The smylere with the knyf under the cloke.
- A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also. - View Quote Details on A Clerk ther was of Oxenforde also.
- Love is a thyng as any spirit free.
Wommen, of kynde, desiren libertee,
And nat to been constreyned as a thral;
And so doon men, if I sooth seyen shal. - View Quote Details on Love is a thyng as any spirit free.
Wommen, of kynde,… - For which he wex a litel red for shame,
Whan he the peple upon him herde cryen,
That to beholde it was a noble game,
How sobreliche he caste doun his yen.
Criseyda gan al his chere aspyen,
And let so softe it in her herte sinke
That to herself she seyde, “Who yaf me drinke?” - View Quote Details on For which he wex a litel red for shame,
Whan he… - For gold in phisike is a cordial;
Therefore he loved gold in special. - View Quote Details on For gold in phisike is a cordial;
Therefore he loved gold… - He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght. - View Quote Details on He was a verray, parfit gentil knyght.
- For I am shave as neigh as any frere.
But yit I praye unto youre curteisye:
Beeth hevy again, or elles moot I die. - View Quote Details on For I am shave as neigh as any frere.
But yit… - The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men. - View Quote Details on The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men.
- For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty bokes, clothed in black or red,
Of Aristotle, and his philosophie,
Than robes riche, or fidel, or sautrie.
But all be that he was a philosophre,
Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre. - View Quote Details on For him was lever han at his beddes hed
A twenty… - And yet he had a thomb of gold parde. - View Quote Details on And yet he had a thomb of gold parde.
- For May wol have no slogardie a-night.
The seson priketh every gentil herte,
And maketh him out of his slepe to sterte. - View Quote Details on For May wol have no slogardie a-night.
The seson priketh every… - And therfore, at the kynges court, my brother,
Ech man for hymself, ther is noon oother. - View Quote Details on And therfore, at the kynges court, my brother,
Ech man for… - For out of olde feldes, as men seith,
Cometh al this new corn fro yeer to yere;
And out of olde bokes, in good feith,
Cometh al this newe science that men lere. - View Quote Details on For out of olde feldes, as men seith,
Cometh al this… - O yonge fresshe folkes, he or she,
In which that love up-groweth with your age,
Repeyreth hoom fro worldly vanitee,
And of your herte up-casteth the visage
To thilke God that after his image
Yow made, and thynketh al nis but a faire
This world, that passeth sone as floures faire. - View Quote Details on O yonge fresshe folkes, he or she,
In which that love…
About Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400 ) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat (courtier), and diplomat. Chaucer is best known as the author of The Canterbury Tales. He is sometimes credited with being the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language, rather than French or Latin.
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