760 yow be so leef it is so desirable to yo
762 fey faith
764 nothing not at all
765 ook oak-tree
766 boghte again redeemed
768 everich each
771 Wel ny very nearly an eighte busshels the quantity of eight bushels
775 sette hem sat hoord hoard
777 taak kepe pay attention to
778 wit understanding bourde joke
781 lightly easily
782 wende would have thought
783 grace piece of good luck
787 were would be
789 stronge out-and-out
790 doon us honge have us hanged
792 wisely cunningly
793 cut short straw
796 swithe quickly
797 prively secretly
798 subtilly cunningly
801 By common agreement wherever seems best to us
802 fest fist
804 fil fell
810 woost know
812 departed divided
813 shape it bring it about
815 Would I not have done you a good turn
816 noot do not know
819 be conseil be a secret shrewe villain
823 biwreye betray
824 tweye two
826 set seated
828 rive stab
829 strogelest struggle
833 lustes desires
838 He often turns over in his mind
842 trone throne
844 feend devil
847 For-why because
848 leve permission
849 outrely wholly entente intention
852 pothecarye pharmacist, druggist
853 preyed asked
854 quelle kill
855 hawe yard
856 capouns chickens yslawe killed
857 fain gladly wreke him take vengeance
858 destroyed were ruining
860 also as
862 confiture concoction
863 montaunce quantity corn of whete grain of wheat
864 forlete lose
865 sterve die
866 a paas at walking-pace
868 yhent taken
869 sith afterwards
874 shoop him planned swinke labour
878 repaireth returns
879 sermone speak
880 cast plotted
882 that oon one of them
884 berye bury
885 par cas by chance
886 ther where
888 storven died
889–90 see n.
893 homicides murderers
897 luxurye lechery
898 with vileinye shamefully
899 of usage from habit
901 wroghte created
902 boghte redeemed
903 unkinde ungrateful
904 trespas wrong-doing
905 ware yow fro guard against
906 warice save
907 So that provided that nobles gold coins (g.) sterlinges silver pennies
908 spones spoons
910 of youre wolle some of your wool
913 assoille absolve
914 clene innocent cler pure
916 leche healer
920 male bag
925 anon at once
927 wende go
929 alwey newe and newe again and again
931 everich each one
932 mowe may suffisant competent
934 For aventures in case of accidents
935 Paraventure perhaps
936 atwo in two
937 which a seuretee what a safeguard
941 rede advise
942 envoluped steeped
945 grote groat (g.)
946 have I may I have
947 so the’ch as I prosper
948 breech breeches
950 fundement arse, anus depeint stained
951 fond found
952 coilons testicles, balls
953 seintuarye reliquary
954 Lat kutte hem of have them cut off
955 shrined enshrined hogges toord pig’s turd
957 wrooth angry
958 pleye joke
961 lough laughed
963 murye of cheere in a cheerful mood
968 riden rode
1 whilom in former times
4 compaignable sociable revelous fond of amusement
5 dispence expense
6 cheere attentive behaviour reverence respect
8 contenaunces gestures
9 shadwe shadow
11 sely poor algate always
12 arraye adorn
13 worship credit
14 jolily gaily
15 noght may cannot paraventure perhaps
16 Or else is not willing to bear such expense
19 lene lend
21 alday always repair crowd of visitors
22 largesse generosity
24 gestes guests
26 a thritty winter about thirty years
27 evere in oon constantly
29 goode man master of the house
30 hir… knoweliche their acquaintance
35 o one
36 cosinage kinship
38 fowel bird of day at daybreak (n.)
39 plesaunce pleasure
42 dure last
43 Free generous manly of dispence liberal in expenditure
45 To give pleasure and to spend a lot of money
46 leeste page lowliest servant
47 after according to
48 sith afterwards meinee household
49 honeste decent, suitable
51 fain glad
54 Shoop him was preparing array effects
55 fare go
56 ware merchandise
59 pleye amuse himself
61 in alle wise at all costs
62 devise tell
63 as him list as he pleases
65 officer see n.
66 hir graunges their monastic farms (n.) bernes barns
70 jubbe jar malvesye Malmsey wine
71 vernage white Italian wine
72 volatil wild-fowl ay always usage custom
73 lete leave
76 And seriously takes stock of his business affairs
77 countour-hous counting-house
79 thilke that same
81 encressed were was worth more
83 counting-bord table used for keeping accounts (n.)
86 nolde did not want lette hinder
88 sit (= sitteth) sits prime 9 a.m. (g.)
91 thinges devotions
93 ther where softe peacefully
94 salueth greets
95 maide girl
96 Whom she can control and rule as she pleases
97 under the yerde in tutelage
99 eileth ails rathe early
102 Except for an old enfeebled creature
103 dare cower
104 forme form, lair of a hare
105 Were who was forstraught with tormented by
107 oure goode man the master of the house
108 laboured kept you busy
110 lough laughed
111 wex became
114 it stant nat so such is not the case
116 reawme realm
117 lust pleasure pley game (in sexual sense)
121 wende go
123 care sorrow
127 Fordo destroy
128 meschief affliction
130 anoy trouble
131 portehors breviary (n.)
132 for lief ne loth for fear nor favour (lit. for friend nor foe)
133 conseil secret biwreye betray
135–40 see n.
137 for to gon even were I to go
139 cosinage kinship
140 affiance trust
141 herupon on this point
142 what hem liste what they pleased
143 a space time
147 al be h
e although he is
151 clepe call
154 sikerly assuredly
155 professioun monastic vows
159 Ful lief were me I should very much like
160 abide hold off
163 sit nat does not befit
164 privetee private affairs
166 shilde forbid for his grace by His grace
172 greveth vexes nigardye meanness
173 woot know
176 Hardy brave therto free also generous
177 buxom obedient abedde in bed
179 arraye clothe
180 A on
181 frankes francs (n.)
182 were me levere I would rather
185 I nere but lost I would be ruined
188 faille yow my thankes be lacking in gratitude to you
191 what plesaunce whatever pleasure
192 right as yow list devise just as it pleases you to direct
193 but I do if I do not
195 gentil noble
197 routhe compassion
199 fare gone
200 care distress
206 chilindre portable sun-dial (n.)
209 jolif frisky pie magpie
210 hem hie hurry
213 countour counting-house
216 caste calculate
217 thinges business affairs
218 have part on take
219 Goddes sonde what God has sent
222 elenge miserable
223 go we let us go
224 devine guess
225 curious bisinesse complicated business
226 chapmen merchants
228 thrive prosper
229 age old age
230–31 We may well look cheerful and put up a good front, and take life as it comes
232 estat (financial) condition in privetee secret
233–4 pleye A pilgrimage see n.
234 goon out of the weye retire from the public eye
236 queinte strange t’avise me to reflect
237 mote must
238 hap chance chapmanhede trade
241 biseke beseech
242 buxom submissive
243 good property curious careful
244 honestly properly
246 thrifty respectable
247 array household fittings vitaille provisions
248 faille run out of
249 shette shut
250 lette delay
253 hem spedde hastened
259 spede prosper gide guide
261 Governeth yow… of regulate
262 Atemprely moderately
263 strange fare formal behaviour
264 shilde protect care misfortune
268 wol devise wish to prescribe
270 preye ask
271 wike week
272 beye buy
273 store stock
275 faille… of fail to keep
276 a mile-way by twenty minutes (the time taken to walk a mile)
280 Graunt merci of thank you for cheere hospitality
281 gentilly courteously
283 sikerly certainly
284 yow leste pleases you
285 chaffare merchandise
286 spare hold back
288 plow plough
289 creaunce obtain credit name (good) reputation
290 But it is no joke to be without gold
291 Repay it when it is within your means (to do so)
292 After my might according to my ability
293 fette fetched
294 took gave
295 lone loan
296 Saving except
297 rome stroll about
300 To Flaundres-ward towards Flanders
302 faste energetically
303 nede business
304 dees dice
306 let (= ledeth) leads
309 crowne tonsure yshave shaved
310 knave servant
311 Nor anyone else who was not very glad
314 acorded agreed
316 bolt-upright flat on her back
317 parfourned put into effect
318 mirthe pleasure
320 bad the meinee ‘fare wel’ said goodbye to the household
324 where him list wherever he pleased
326 gan for to repaire returned
327 maketh feste and cheere relaxes, enjoys himself
329 make a chevissaunce raise a loan
330 reconissaunce recognizance (n.)
331 sheeld Flemish écus (n.)
334 A certein a certain quantity of ladde carried
336 chiertee love
337 pleye amuse himself
339 wite learn
340 chaffare trade
341 ifeere together
342 him maketh feste and murye cheere makes much of him
343 ful specially in detail
344 graciously successfully
345 al hool all of
346 Except that he absolutely had to
347 as for his beste in his best interests
350 in heele safe and sound
352 Of… misse lack
353 For because
356 took gave oure dame the lady of the house
358 woot knows
360 dwelle stay
361 wol out of intends to leave
365 war prudent
366 Creanced borrowed money
367 redy in hir hond in ready money
368 gat of hem obtained from them
369 papinjay parrot
370 array state
371 viage deal
372 costage expenditure
374 usage custom
375 mirthe pleasure bisette spent
376 cleerly completely
378 al newe all over again
379 maketh it… tough makes a performance of it
381 wantownely sexily, provocatively again in return pleyde fooled around
383 wroth angry
384 althogh it be me looth though I am reluctant to be so
386 manere straungenesse kind of estrangement
390 heeld him ivele apaied was not very pleased
400 afered frightened
402 deffye scorn
403 I don’t care a bit about his tokens
405 ivel thedam bad luck
406 wende thought
408 prow benefit
409 cosinage kinship bele cheere hospitality
411 disjoint difficulty
413 slakker tardier, slower to pay
415 faille fall short
416 taille tally (n.)
419 nat on wast not on extravagances
422 As be nat wrooth do not be cross
423 You shall have my fine person as security
426 maketh bettre cheere cheer up
428 And that it would only be foolish to scold
431 large extravagant
432 bet better good wealth yeve… in charge order
434 Tailling inough plenty of tallying (with a pun on ‘tailing’ and perhaps ‘tale-ing’)
435 corpus dominus God’s body (n.)
438 a thousand last quade yeer a wagon load of misery (lit. a thousand cartloads of bad years)
439 jape trick
440 I.e. the monk made a monkey out of the man
442 in house
443 passe over move on seke aboute find out
444 route company
446 as it hadde been as if he were maide girl
448 So that provided that greve displease
449 demen judge
450 wolde were willing
451 vouchesauf agree
454 ysprad spread
455 laude praise
456 Parfourned celebrated
457 bountee worth
458 soukinge sucking
459 heryinge praise
462 the thee a maide alway still a virgin
466 boote salvation
468 unbrent unburned brenninge burning
469 ravisedest ravished deitee deity
470 Goost (Holy) Ghost in th’alighte descended into you
471 Of whos vertu by whose power lighte illuminated
472 Sapience Wisdom (n.)
473 in thy reverence in honour of you
476 science branch of learning
479 getest obtain for
481 konning ability waik weak blisful blessed
485 unnethes with difficulty
487 Gideth guide of yow about you
489 Jewerye ghetto, Jewish quarter
490 Sustened maintained
491 lucre of vileinye shameful profit
492 compaignye followers
493 wende walk
495 scole school
497 an heep many
499 Swich manere doctrine such kind of teaching
503 clergeoun schoolboy
504 was his wone was accustomed (to go)
505 say saw
506 hadde he in usage he was accustomed
512 sely innocent soone lere learn quickly
513 ay always
514 stant (= standeth) stands
515 For because to Crist dide reverence honoured Christ
517 primer Book of Hours, used as an elementary reading book (n.)
519 antiphoner see n.
520 ner and ner nearer and nearer
522 vers line koude knew
523 was to seye meant
525 gan he preye he asked
528 construe explain
529 knowes knees
532 of about free gracious
536 I am learning to sing the liturgy; I know very little Latin grammar (n.)
539 do my diligence do my utmost
540 konne learn is went has passed
541 shent punished
544 homward on the way home
546 song sang
549 To scoleward to school
550 He was completely devoted to Christ’s mother
551 Juerye Jewish quarter
553 murily sweetly
557 stinte of cease from
558 foo enemy Sathanas Satan, the devil
560 swal swelled Hebraik Hebraic
561 honest creditable
562 as him lest as it pleases him
563 In youre despit in contempt of you sentence subject
565 thennesforth thenceforth
566 chace drive
567 homicide murderer
569 gan forby for to pace passed by
570 hente seized faste tightly