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Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

1340–1400 England

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400) was an English poet, author, and civil servant. Chaucer is most famous as the author of The Canterbury Tales.

England
Philosophers
Poets
Translators

Also known as: Chaucer, Chaucer, Geoffrey

Random Geoffrey Chaucer quote

78 quotes

This Nicholas anon leet flee a fart,
As greet as it had been a thonder-dent.

And if that olde bokes were a-weye,
Y-loren were of remembraunce the keye.

But love a womman that she woot it nought,
And she wol quyte it that thow shalt nat fele;
Unknowe, unkist, and lost, that is unsought.

The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne,
Th' assay so hard, so sharp the conquering,
The dredful joy, that alwey slit so yerne,
Al this mene I by love.

Flee fro the prees, and dwelle with sothfastnesse,
Suffyce unto thy good, though hit be smal;
For hord hath hate, and climbing tikelnesse,
Prees hath envye, and wele blent overal.

Go, litel boke! go litel myn tregedie!

Sin I fro Love escaped am so fat,
I never thenk to ben in his prison lene;
Sin I am free, I counte him not a bene.

The bacoun was nat fet for hem, I trowe,
That som men han in Essex at Dunmowe.

Of all the floures in the mede,
Than love I most these floures whyte and rede,
Swiche that men callen daysies in our toun.

Madame, ye ben of al beautè shryne
As fer as cercled is the mappemounde;
For as the cristal glorious ye shyne,
And lyke ruby ben your chekes rounde.

And she was fair as is the rose in May.

Mordre wol out, that see we day by day.

And for to se, and eek for to be seye.

Yet in oure asshen olde is fyr yreke.

He is gentil that doth gentil dedis.

He koude songes make and wel endite.

For oute of olde feldys, as men sey,
Comyth al this newe corn
from yere to yere;
And out of olde bokis, in good fey,
Comyth al this newe science that men lere.

For I am shave as nye as any frere.
But yit I pray un-to youre curtesye:
Beth hevy ageyn, or elles mot I die.

‘Myn housbond is so ful of Ialousye,
That but ye wayte wel and been privee,
I woot right wel I nam but deed,’ quod she.

Thanne is it wysdom, as thynketh me,
To maken vertu of necessité,
And take it weel, that we may not eschu,
And namely that that to us alle is due.

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Geoffrey Chaucer (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.