by Paul Keegan
88 luyther wicked;
90 defyen digest;
91 yeve me leve given me permission
1 shoures soote sweet showers;
2 droghte dryness; perced pierced;
3 veyne vein (of sap); swich licour such liquid;
4 flour flower;
5 eek also;
6 holt grove;
11 ‘so much does Nature prick them in their hearts’;
12 longen folk to goon people long to go;
13 palmeres pilgrims; straunge strondes foreign shores;
14 ferne halwes distant shrines; kowthe known;
16 wende make their way;
17 seke seek;
18 hem hath holpen helped them; seeke sick
2 symple unaffected; coy shy;
3 ooth oath; but only;
4 cleped called;
7 fetisly gracefully;
8 after the scole of in the manner of;
9 unknowe unknown;
10 at mete at table; with alle indeed;
13 koude knew how to;
15 ‘she took great delight in courtly manners’;
17 coppe cup;
19 raughte reached;
20 sikerly certainly; desport deportment;
21 port bearing;
22 peyned hire took pains;
23 estatlich dignified;
24 digne worthy;
26 pitous compassionate;
27 saugh saw;
30 flessh meat; wastel-breed fine white bread;
32 smoot hit; yerde stick;
34 pynched was was pleated;
35 tretys well-formed;
36 therto moreover;
37 sikerly certainly;
38 brood broad; trowe believe;
40 fetys elegant;
42 peire of bedes rosary; gauded decorated;
43 sheene beautiful;
44 write engraved;
45 Amor vincit omnia Love conquers all
1 eek also;
3 rede red;
4 brede breadth;
5 estres interior apartments;
6 highte is called;
7 thilke that;
8 ther as where; sovereyn finest;
11 knarry gnarled; bareyne barren;
12 stubbes stumps;
13 rumbel rumbling; swough sound of wind;
14 bresten burst;
15 under close to; bente grassy slope;
16 armypotente powerful in arms;
17 burned burnished;
18 streit narrow;
19 rage rush of wind; veze blast;
20 rese shake;
25 yclenched bound; overthwart crosswise; endelong lengthwise;
27 pyler pillar; sustene support;
28 tonne-greet round as a great barrel;
29 ymaginyng plotting;
30 compassyng scheming;
31 Ire Anger; gleede glowing coal;
32 pykepurs pick-purse; Drede Fear;
34 shepne stable;
35 mordrynge murder;
36 werre war; bibledde covered with blood;
37 Contek Strife; manace menace;
38 chirkyng groaning;
39 sleere of hymself suicide;
41 shode forehead; anyght by night;
43 Meschaunce Misfortune;
45 Woodnesse Madness;
46 Compleint Grievance; Outhees Outcry; Outrage Violence;
47 careyne corpse; busk woods; ycorve cut;
48 and not of qualm ystorve and not killed by the plague;
49 pray prey; yraft taken away;
51 brent burnt; hoppesteres dancing (in the storm);
52 hunte hunter; strangled with killed by;
53 freten devour;
54 ladel ladle;
55 foryeten forgotten; infortune of Marte evil influence of Mars;
59 bocher butcher;
60 styth anvil;
61 depeynted painted;
64 twynes threed thread of twine
1 quod said;
2 cours orbit;
3 woot knows;
4 drenchyng drowning; wan dark;
5 cote cell;
7 murmure grumbling; cherles peasants’;
8 groynynge grumbling; pryvee secret;
9 correccioun punishment;
10 the leoun Leo;
13 mynour miner;
14 slow slew;
16 castes plots
4 narwe closely;
6 been lik likely to be; cokewold cuckold;
8 simylitude equal;
10 elde old age;
14 wezele weasel; gent delicate; smal slender;
15 ceynt belt;
16 barmclooth apron; morne morning;
17 lendes loins; goore flounce;
18 broyden embroidered;
19 coler collar;
21 tapes ribbons; voluper cap;
22 suyte colour;
23 filet headband;
24 sikerly truly; likerous flirtatious;
25 ypulled plucked;
26 sloo sloe;
27 blisful delightful;
28 pere-jonette early pear;
29 wether sheep;
31 latoun brass;
33 thenche imagine;
34 popelote little doll;
36 Tour the Mint (Tower of London); noble gold coin;
37 yerne lively;
38 swalwe swallow; berne barn;
41 bragot country drink; meeth mead;
42 hey hay;
43 wynsynge skittish;
46 boos of a bokeler raised centre of a shield;
48 prymerole primrose; piggesnye ‘pig’s eye’ (flower);
49 leggen lay;
50 yeman yeoman
1 revelour profligate;
3 ragerye wantonness;
4 stibourn stubborn; pye magpie;
8 cherl villain;
9 birafte took away from;
13 al so siker as as sure as;
14 likerous gluttonous;
15 vinolent drunken;
17 it remembreth me I remember;
19 herte root the bottom of my heart;
20 boote good;
22 envenyme poison;
23 biraft taken away;
26 bren bran;
27 fonde try;
32 croce cross;
35 grece grease;
38 hope suppose;
40 wrong pinched;
42 twiste tormented;
43 deyde died;
44 ygrave buried; roode beem rood beam (in church);
45 curyus elaborate;
48 wast waste; preciously expensively;
50 cheste coffin
1 riotoures debauchers;
2 erst er before; prime first hour of the day;
5 cors corpse;
7 go bet go quickly;
10 it nedeth never-a-deel there is no need;
14 fordronke very drunk;
15 men clepeth is called;
19 this pestilence during this plague;
24 dame mother;
27 henne from here;
28 hyne farm worker; page serving boy;
30 avysed forewarned;
42 plight pledged;
49 torente tore to pieces;
50 hente seize;
53 povre poor;
55 God yow see may God look after you;
57 carl fellow;
58 forwrapped wrapped up;
62 Ynde India;
65 han have;
68 kaityf wretch;
69 moodres mother’s;
74 cheste strongbox;
76 heyre clowt haircloth;
78 welked withered;
87 abyde remain alive;
91 hasardour gambler;
96 abye pay for;
98 oon of his assent in league with him;
105 ook oak;
106 boghte agayn redeemed;
110 floryns gold coins
1 jugged doomed;
2 schended battered; schyp ship; schowved shoved;
3 walterande rolling; Wyrde Fate; schaped decreed;
4 abyme bottom of the sea; bot boat; flotte floated;
5 war aware; wyye man;
6 swenged hym to swepe swung round to swoop; swolw gullet;
7 folk sailors; haldande holding; tyd hentes seized quickly;
8 tult tumbled;
9 swayves glides;
10 rydelande strondes swirling currents;
11 malskred dazed;
12 dreyed suffered;
13 nade had not;
14 Warded guarded; warlowes the devil’s;
15 lede man; leve believe;
16 ‘that any living creature might survive so long inside him’;
17 sokored succoured;
18 wanles of wele without hope of happiness;
21 cace misfortune; kark hardship; lymped happened to;
22 bot boat; blober seething water; lached seized;
23 thrwe rushed; hit its; thret resistance;
24 mote speck of dust; munster-dor cathedral door; chawles jaws;
25 giles gills; glaym and glette slime and filth;
26 Relande tumbling; by a rop along a gut; rode road;
27 hourlande tumbling;
28 blunt came to a stop; blok cavern;
29 festnes the fete gains a foothold; fathmes gropes;
31 saym grease; sorwe filth;
32 bour bower;
33 lurkkes lies low; laytes looks; le shelter;
35 recoverer remedy; ramel muck;
37 lenged stood still; lede Lord;
39 thagh though;
40 Devoyde withdraw; rauthe mercy;
41 gaule scum;
42 gowdes things; graythely truly;
44 preve the lyghtly prove yourself easily;
45 hitte to a hyrne hit upon a nook;
46 fest close;
47 saf for merk one except only for the darkness;
48 bulk hold; byfore previously;
49 best beast; on lyve alive;
50 thenkande thinking; Dryghtyn the Lord;
51 mesure moderation;
52 care misery; sele happiness;
53 walteres rolls;
54 ronk of his wylle rank pride;
56 ‘small though it was compared with him, to make him feel queasy’;
57 the segge the man; sykerly constantly;
58 the bygge the great flood
1 renk knight; ryalme of Logres (Arthur’s kingdom);
2 on Godes halve for God’s sake; thagh though;
3 ledeles without company; lenges remains;
4 fare entertainment;
5 fere companion; fole horse; frythes woods;
6 gome man; by gate on the road; to carp to speak to;
7 neghed approached;
9 forlondes headlands;
10 Holy Hede Holyhead; eft again; bonk reached the shore;
11 Wyrale Wirral;
11–12 ‘few lived there whom either God or good-hearted men loved’;
13 frayned asked; ferde journeyed; frekes men;
14 carp talk;
16 nikked him with nay said no to him; seye saw; segge man; hewes colour;
19 gates roads;
20 bonk hillside; unbene unpleasant;
21 chere… chaunge looked this way and that;
24 floten travelled; fremedly as a stranger;
25 uch each; warthe ford; auther or; wye knight;
25 bot ferly hit were ‘or else it was a wonder’;
27 felle fierce;
29 to tor too difficult; dole part;
30 Sumwhyle sometimes; wormes dragons; als also;
31 wodwos trolls; woned lived; knarres crags;
33 etaynes giants, ogres; anelede pursued;
34 doghty doughty; drye resolute; Dryghtyn the Lord God;
35 dreped killed;
36 werre fighting; wrathed afflicted;
38 fres froze; fale pale;
39 slete sleet; yrnes armour;
40 innogh enough;
41 borne burn, stream;
43 plytes hardships;
44 cayres rides;
45 all one all alone;
46 tyde time;
47 mone complaint;
48 ‘that she would direct him where to ride’;
49 wysse guide; wone dwelling-place;
51 ferly truly;
52 holtwodes woods;
54 harled all samen tangled together;
55 rayled arranged;
58 gome knight; Gryngolet (his horse); glydes rides;
59 misy bog; mon all him one a man all alone;
60–2 ‘anxious about his plight, lest he should not succeed in attending the service of that Lord who on that very night was born of a maiden to end our strife’;
63 sykyng sighing;
65 herber lodge;
66 matynes matins;
67 prestly promptly;
70 mysdede sins;
71 sayned blessed; sythes sere several times
1 Tobroken shattered; statutz edicts;
2 creat created; dure endure;
3 goddis sevene the seven planets;
4 Mowe may;
7 errour confusion;
8 shape decreed;
9 sercle circle;
11 spere sphere;
16 rekelnesse rashness;
17 forbode forbidden;
18 for because;
21 erst previously;
22 ‘you also contemptuously called on Cupid as your witness’;
23 thilke that same;
26 ywroken revenged;
27 of oure figure shaped like us;
29 unhap misfortune;
30 wreche vengeance;
31 hem them; hoor grey;
32 so lykly so well qualified; spede succeed;
33 mede reward;
35 olde Grisel the old horse; lyst likes;
36 m’excuse declare myself innocent;
37 rym rhyme;
40 in prees in public;
43 stremes hed the head of the Thames [Windsor castle];
45 th’ende the mouth of the Thames [Greenwich];
46 forgete forgotten;
47 Tullius Cicero;
48 mynne remember;
49 eft again; dyffye defy
1 whilom once; on one;
4 entaile sculpture; cowthe could (do);
5 as tho then;
7 travaile trouble;
10 feture feature;
12 lyves living;
13 yvor ivory;
23 preide prayed;
24 ayeinward in answer;
27 ate mete at dinner;
31 nome taken;
34 forwept exhausted with weeping; forwakid deprived of sleep;
37 rouneth whispers;
41 wiste knew;
48 underfonge accepted;
50 ferde fared
1 tho then;
3 oghne own;
4 wende believed herself;
15 mette dreamed;
18 ferde fared;
25 o word one word;
29 fold family;
34 swounede swooned;
40 clepede called;
46 liht light; 53 yhen eyes
1 inned gathered in;
2 Mihelmesse Michaelmas;
6 died dyed;
7 myn herte roote depths of my heart;
11 wel begoon well provided;
12 forgoon lose;
13 thriste thrust;
15 weyve waive, avoid;
16 howe however;
22 sy saw; sithin since;
26 Hilded poured;
29 seiden said; as as if; steer young ox;
30 and so and for this reason;
31 heed head; to hie too high; beer carried;
32 bukkissh capricious;
33 thridde third;
33–5 ‘and is fit for the company of those who give unreasonable advice’;
35 sadnesse seriousness;
36 pas way of walking;
37 stirt
e started; roo roe deer;
38 noon abood, noon areest no resting, no stopping;
42 yen eyes; halke corner (of a room);
44 caste pondered;
47 amys amiss; hens hie go hence;
48 prees crowd; amys me gye conduct myself badly;
52 leke leek;
53–4 ‘for which reason I kept quiet as if I had lost the key to my tongue, and took myself off’;
55 woo-bistaad woebegone;
58 peinte simulate;
59 for that because;
60 qwook trembled;
61 though as if;
62 ynow enough; swoot sweat;
65 wise manner; wrought acted;
66 streite hurried;
67 ‘to see how my demeanour looked to me’;
70 ‘have improved it to the best of my ability’;
71 saute leap;
76 if I it forthe use if I go on using it; reprevable reprehensible;
77 conseitis notions;
81 plite plight;
85 Sithen since;
89 ayen in reply;
90 deme judge;
91 fallen in relapsed;
93 thoughtful hete painful thoughts;
95 pavyment pavement; a-daies daily; bete beat;
96 swete sweat;
97 wondringe anxiety;
100 prees throng;
102 lees lie
1 Noyous Hevynes grievous sadness;
4 whithir y was away where I was going;
5 convey guide;
6 al be me loth although it is hateful to me;
7 ‘So that all people may fittingly call me’;
8 forlost completely lost;
9 ayen in reply; of hir humblesse in her graciousness;
10 if so I wist, ma fay if I knew, indeed;
12 shape bring about; ese cure;
13 here-tofore formerly;
14 not know not; wroth sad;
15 aray state;
18 what nedith to yow say what need is there to tell you;
19 rudesse harshness;
20 tane taken; ay ever, always;
22 passyng great;
23 to till; did hir day caused her to die;
26 al fer myswent for fear of going astray; grapsyng wey groping my way;
27 axe ask; to cloth to cover me
1 cosse kiss; atonys at once;
2 maystres mistress;
5 avert pay attention;
6 parseyve perceive;
10 gery capricious;
11 dresse get ready;
12 covert covered
1 myn my;
2 besynes pains;
3 seche such;
6 quippe keep;
9 hertles without a heart;
11 dowel play;