Geoffrey Chaucer

“ Incipit liber primus. 1God turne us every dreem to gode! 2For hit is wonder, be the rode, 3To my wit, what causeth swevens 4Either on morwes, or on evens; 5And why the effect folweth of somme, 6And of somme hit shal never come; 7Why that is an avisioun, 8And this a revelacioun, 9Why this a dreem, why that a sweven, 10And nat to every man liche even ”

“ The Dream 111Of Decembre the tenthe day, 112Whan hit was night, to slepe I lay 113Right ther as I was wont to done, 114And fil on slepe wonder sone, 115As he that wery was for-go 116On pilgrimage myles two 117To the corseynt Leonard, 118To make lythe of that was hard. 119 But as I sleep, me mette I was 120Within a temple y-mad of glas; 121In whiche ther were mo images 122Of gold, stondinge in sondry stages, 123And mo riche tabernacles, 124And with perre mo pinacles, 125And mo curious portreytures, 126And queynte maner of figures 127Of olde werke, then I saw ever. ”

“ And so forth bar he me 1019A whyl, and than he gan to crye, 1020That never herde I thing so hye, 1021'Now up the heed; for al is wel; 1022Seynt Iulyan, lo, bon hostel! 1023See here the Hous of Fame, lo! 1024Maistow not heren that I do?' 1025'What?' quod I. 'The grete soun,' 1026Quod he, 'that rumbleth up and doun 1027In Fames Hous, full of tydinges, 1028Bothe of fair speche and chydinges, 1029And of fals and soth compouned. 1030Herke wel; hit is not rouned. 1031Herestow not the grete swogh?' 1032'Yis, pardee,' quod I, 'wel y-nogh.' 1033'And what soun is it lyk?' quod he. ”

“ Thus north and southe 2076Went every word fro mouth to mouthe, 2077And that encresing ever-mo, 2078As fyr is wont to quikke and go 2079From a sparke spronge amis, 2080Til al a citee brent up is. 2081 And whan that was ful y-spronge, 2082And woxen more on every tonge 2083Than ever hit was, hit wente anoon 2084Up to a windowe, out to goon; 2085Or, but hit mighte out ther pace, 2086Hit gan out crepe at som crevace, 2087And fleigh forth faste for the nones. 2088 And somtyme saugh I tho, at ones, 2089A lesing and a sad soth-sawe, 2090That gonne of aventure drawe 2091Out at a windowe for to pace ”