Prof. Fakhar Alam

Dept. of English

Govt. College Civil Lines Multan

Prof. Fakhar Alam

Dept. of English

Govt. College Civil Lines Multan

Prof. Fakhar Alam

Dept. of English

Govt. College Civil Lines Multan

Prof. Fakhar Alam

Dept. of English

Govt. College Civil Lines Multan

Prof. Fakhar Alam's portal for college students!

    Paper 1        Poetry


    Glosses for quiz #4 on the General Prologue

    (Lines I.669-858)

    Compare your translations with the glossed text:

    676 But smothe it heeng as dooth a strike of flex;
             strike: clump, hank flex: flax

    679 But thynne it lay, by colpons oon and oon.
             colpons: strands oon and oon: one by one

    682 Hym thoughte he rood al of the newe jet;
             Hym thoughte: it seemed to him newe jet: latest fashion

    687 Bretful of pardoun comen from Rome al hoot.
             Bretful: brimful pardoun: papal indulgences

    696 He seyde he hadde a gobet of the seyl
             gobet of the seyl: piece of the sail

    704 Than that the person gat in monthes tweye;
             tweye: two

    710 But alderbest he song an offertorie;
             alderbest: best of all offertorie: Offertory

    721 How that we baren us that ilke nyght,
             baren us: behaved ilke: same

    730 For this ye knowen al so wel as I:
             al so: as

    735 Or ellis he moot telle his tale untrewe,
             moot: must untrewe: inaccurately

    741 Eek Plato seith, whoso kan hym rede,
             kan hym rede: knows how to interpret him

    749 He served us with vitaille at the beste;
             vitaille: victuals, provisions at the beste: of the best sort

    754 A fairer burgeys was ther noon in Chepe --
             burgeys: citizen of a city (tradesman)

    764 I saugh nat this yeer so myrie a compaignye
             saugh: saw

    769 "Ye goon to Caunterbury -- God yow speede,
             yow speede: give you success

    779 And for to werken as I shal yow seye,
             werken: do

    786 And graunted hym withouten moore avys,
             avys: discussion

    792 In this viage shal telle tales tweye
             shal: must

    798 Tales of best sentence and moost solaas --
           sentence: meaning, significance solaas: pleasure

    799 Shal have a soper at oure aller cost
             at oure aller cost: at the cost of all of us

    807 And if ye vouche sauf that it be so,
             vouche sauf: grant, agree

    823 Up roos oure Hoost, and was oure aller cok,
             oure aller cok: rooster of us all (awakened us all)

    830 If even-song and morwe-song accorde,
             That is, if you still agree this morning with what you said last night

    840 And ye, sire Clerk, lat be youre shamefastnesse,
             lat be: leave off shamefastnesse: modesty

    853 He seyde, "Syn I shal bigynne the game,
             Syn: since shal: must

    857 And he bigan with right a myrie cheere
             cheere: expression

    Four points for each correct answer: if you scored less than 76 you should restudy this part ( lines 669-858 of the General Prologue). If you scored 80 or more, congratulations.

    To test your general knowledge of the sort of information on Chaucer's art and times click here.

    Return to Lesson 7.

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