1r

Whan that Aprile with his shouris sote
The drought of March hath percid to the Rote
And bathid every veyn in [fuls] licoure
Of which vertue engendrid is the floure
Whan zephirus eke with his sewete brethe
Inspirid hath in every holt and hethe
The tendir croppis and the yong sunne
Hath in the Ramme his half cours y [ rune [OR] runne ]
And smale foules maken melodie
That slepen all night with open iye
So prikith hem nature in her courages
Than longen folk to go on pilgremages
And palmers to sechen straunge strondes
To [ fne ] halows couth in sundrie londes
And speciali from every Shiris ende
Of Englonde to Caunturbury they wende
The holi blissful martire forto seke
That hem hath holpen whan thei were seke
Befill that in that seson upon a day
In Suthwerk at the Tabard as I lay
Redi to wende on my pilgremage
To Caunturbury with devout courage
At night were come into that hostrye
Wele nyne and twenti in a cumpany
Of sundrie folc bi aventure y falle
In felashipe and pilgremes were thei all
That toward Caunturbury wolden [ri ]de
The Chambirs and the stables wer wide
And wel we weren eas[ ] [...] the best
And shortli whan th[...]ne was to rest
So had I spoken with [ ] evereychone
That I was of [...] felashipe anone
And made for[ ]rd erli forto rise
To take oure [...] as I did devise
But nathel [...] while that I have time & space
Or that I further in this tale pace
Me think [...] it accordaunt unto reson
To tell [...] you alle the condicion