April....It's Longen Time Again.

(This year, I'd suggest we read it out loud. Try to get the lines to rhyme. I think it gives a wonderful idea of what the language sounded like at the time)
Give it a go cobber.
Here we go then!


When that April with his showers soote…….........showers sweet
The drought of March hath piercèd to the root
And bathèd every vein in such liquer………...........rootlet/ liquid
Of which virtúe engendered is the flower;

When Zephyrus eke with his sweetè breath….....the West Wind / also
Inspirèd hath in every holt and heath…………........grove & field
The tender croppès, and the youngè sun….....….....shoots / Spring sun
Hath in the Ram his halfè course y-run……….........in Aries / has run

And smallè fowlès maken melody……………............small birds
That sleepen all the night with open eye……...........who sleep
(So pricketh them Natúre in their couráges)….......spurs /spirits
Then longen folk to go on pilgrimáges……...........people long
And palmers for to seeken strangè strands.......pilgrims /shores
To fernè hallows couth in sundry lands……..distant shrines known

The first lines of 'The General Prologue to the Canterbury Tales' ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And every year Geoffrey is correct again.
We pilgrims, we longen bad.

Regds
Gerard