"The Canterbury Tales" by Geoffrey Chaucer, Chaucer's Tale of Sir Topaz

Sir Topaz grew a doughty swain,
With face like bread of whitest grain.

His lips were red as rose,
And his complexion like a stain
Of scarlet red, and I maintain
He had a seemly nose.

Full many a maiden bright in bower
Lay longing for him hour by hour
Who should have been asleep;
But he was chaste and fled the power
Of lechery, chaste as bramble-flower

He spurred his way through forest fair
Where many a monster has its lair

Green ginger plants and liquorice pale
And cloves their sweetness offered,
With nutmegs too, to put in ale
No matter whether fresh or stale
Or else to be kept coffered.

Sir Topaz, so it came to pass,
Wearied of spurring o’er the grass;
So very fierce his courage
That down he lay as bold as brass
And eased his steed by a morass
Where there was splendid forage.

Sir Topaz, so it came to pass,
Wearied of spurring o’er the grass;
So very fierce his courage
That down he lay as bold as brass
And eased his steed by a morass
Where there was splendid forage.

No woman, not a child,
Until a mighty Giant came
On him, Sir Elephant by name,
A perilous man indeed

Be off! By Termagent, I’ll maim
You and your sturdy steed
With mace
Unless you go.

Be off! By Termagent, I’ll maim
You and your sturdy steed
With mace
Unless you go.

The Queen of Faerie
With harp and pipe and music airy
Has dwelling in this place.

Sir Topaz swiftly left the place
And got away by God’s good grace
And by his noble bearing.

My lords, still hearken to my tale
That’s merrier than the nightingale

He ordered all his merry throng
To cheer him up with sport and song

‘Come forth,’ he said, ‘my minstrels all,
You story tellers in my hall,
And tell me while I arm
Romances such as may befall
To Prince and Pope and Cardinal
And of a lover’s charm.’

They covered next his ivory flank
With cloth spun of the finest hank,
With breeches and a shirt,
And over that (in case it fail)
A tunic, then a coat of mail

And over that contrived to jerk
A hauberk (finest Jewish work
And strong in every plate)
And over that his coat of arms,
White as a lily-flower’s charms

His shield was of a golden red
Emblazoned with a porker’s head

Of cypress was the spear he bore,
Not made for peace, but boding war

His palfrey was of dapple-grey
It wandered in an ambling way
And softly trotted round
About.

Now hold your tongues for charity,
My noble knights and ladies free,
And listen to my spell,
To battle and to chivalry

Men tell romances such as this
About Sir Horn, Sir Hypotis,
Sir Bevis and Sir Guy,
Sir Libeus and Sir Pleyndamour,
But our Sir Topaz will endure
Above the lesser fry.

And as he was a valiant knight
He sought no house at evening light
But laid him down on earth

And tied his palfrey to a willow;
It grazed to keep its girth.

And tied his palfrey to a willow;
It grazed to keep its girth.