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Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, a collection of narratives written between 1387 and 1400, tells of a group of thirty people from all layers of society who pass the time along their pilgrimage to Canterbury by telling stories to one another, their interaction mediated (at times) by the affable host – Chaucer himself. Naxos AudioBooks’ third volume presents the tales of six people, here in an unabridged modern verse translation (by Frank Ernest Hill, (1935)). This is an ideal way to appreciate the genuinely funny and droll talent of England’s early master storyteller. Seven leading British actors bring the medieval world into the twenty-first century, and at least in terms of character, not much seems to have changed!
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Friar's Tale
The Friar's Tale
Here begins the Friar's Tale
So it befell that on a certain day
Now by the truth, my brother dear
In various ways and figures we appear
So on their way they rode forth speedily
The summoner knocketh at the widow's gate
And when the fiend heard how she cursed him so
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Summoner's Tale
The Summoner's Tale
Here the Summoner begins his tale
Nay cried the friar
Dear Sir, with your permission
Lo, Moses fasted forty days and nights
For they, I think, are like Jovinian
And bear this word away now
Wrathful Cambyses loved both drink and revel
Nay, by St Simon, quickly answered he
Ha! Thought the friar
The lady of the house sat listening
My lord, said Jankin
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Lawyer's Tale
The Lawyer's Tale
The Prologue of the Lawyer's Tale
Here the Lawyer begins his tale
This sultan for his privy council sent
The day is come at last for their departing
The mother of the sultan
Part 2
A certain treasure that was with her sent
Into our English ocean thus she came
Satan, our ever-waiting arch-betrayer
Down on her knees she dropped
But who was wroth this wedding rite to see
Sad was the king, having this letter read
Now wept the young and old in all that place
Part 3
How could this feeble woman find the might
Aella, who caused his mother to be slain
Fair when they met did Aella give her greeting
Who can describe the piteous joy they know
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Seaman's Tale
The Seaman's Tale
Here being the Seaman's Tale
Sir John had risen some little time ago
The monk began to stare upon this wife
This monk made answer as I tell you here
And afterwards, Sir John with gravity
On the first Sunday after he was gone
His wife was ready at the gate to greet him
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Prioress's Tale
The Prioress's Tale
The Prologue of the Prioress's Tale
Here begins the Prioress's Tale
This child passed through the Jewish colony
The Christians on the street, that came and went
Therefore I sing, and sing I must indeed
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Manciple's Tale
The Manciple's Tale
Then to the Manciple spoke up our Host
Here begins the Manciple's Tale
But to the end for which I first began
After this wife sent for her paramour
And to the crow he cried again
Thy first of actions, son, and thy chief care
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Physician's Tale
The Physician's Tale
If she was unexcelled in beauty thus
This maid of whom I tell did not require
On this, and he not herem
O mercy, O dear father
The words of the Host to the Physician and the Pardoner
The Friar's Tale