This posts counts both as this site’s disclaimer regarding content, and as theft #2 of the new year. No one has put so well the way I feel about people’s reactions to what I put on my websites as Chaucer did in the prologue to “The Miller’s Tale”; so, to kick off this reborn blog, here it is in both Chaucer’s english and in a more modern interpretation:
And therfore every gentil wight I preye,
For Goddes love, demeth nat that I seye
Of yvel entente, but that I moot reherce
Hir tales alle, be they bettre or werse,
Or elles falsen som of my mateere.
And therfore who-so list it nat yheere,
Turne over the leef, and chese another tale;
For he shal fynde ynowe, grete and smale,
Of storial thyng that toucheth gentillesse,
And eek moralitee, and hoolynesse.
Blameth nat me if that ye chese amys;
The Millere is a cherl, ye knowe wel this,
So was the Reve, and othere manye mo,
And harlotrie they tolden bothe two.
Avyseth yow, and put me out of blame,
And eek men shal nat maken ernest of game.(And therefore, every gentle soul, I pray
That for God’s love you’ll hold not what I say
Evilly meant, but that I must rehearse,
All of their tales, the better and the worse,
Or else prove false to some of my design.
Therefore, who likes not this, let him, in fine,
Turn over page and choose another tale:
For he shall find enough, both great and small,
Of stories touching on gentility,
And holiness, and on morality;
And blame not me if you do choose amiss.
The miller was a churl, you well know this;
So was the reeve, and many another more,
And ribaldry they told from plenteous store.
Be then advised, and hold me free from blame;
Men should not be too serious at a game.)
In other words, chances are some things I say might offend a few, and if you cannot see my true intent, or understand that I meant no harm by my choice of words, etc., you had best find something else to read.
hee! nice. whose translation is it? yours?
Naw… I tried, but both time and wit failed me. It is an unatributed translation that I can only trace back as far as Virginia Tech. Not bad, though.