The Knight's Tale
Folio 37v
51 of 58 folios
¶ Shrighte Emelye / and howleth Palamon
And Theseus / his suster took anon
1955
Swownynge / and baar hir fro the corps away
What helpeth it to tarien forth the day
To tellen how she weepe / bothe eue and morwe
For in swich caas / wommen haue swich sorwe
Whan þt hir housbondes / been from hem ago
1960
That for the moore part they sorwen so
Or ellis fallen / in swich a maladye
That at the laste / certeinly they dye
¶ Infinite / been the sorwes and the teerys
Of olde folk. and folk of tendre yeerys
1965
In al the town / for the deeth of this Theban
For hym ther wepeth bothe child a man
So greet wepyng was ther noon certayn
Whan Ector was broght al fressħ yslayn
To Troye / allas the pitee þt was ther
1970
Cracchynge of chekes / rentyng eek of heer
Why woldestow be deed / thise wōmen crye
And haddest gold ynow / and Emelye
¶ No man / myghte gladen Theseus
Sauyng his olde fader Egeus
1975
That knew / this worldes tansmutacioun
As he hadde seyn it chaungen / bothe vp and down
Ioye after wo / and wo after gladnesse
And shewed hem / ensample and lyknesse
¶ Right as ther deyed neuere man / quod he
1980
That he ne lyued in erthe / in som degree
Right so / ther lyued neuere man he seyde
In al this world / þt som tyme he ne deyde
This world / nys but a thurghfare / ful of wo
And we been pilgrymes / passynge to and fro
1985
Deeth is an ende / of euery worldly soore
And ouer al this / yet seyde he muchel moore
To this effect ful wysly / to enhorte
The peple / that they sholde hem reconforte
¶ Duc Theseus / with al his bisy cure
1990
Caste now / wher that the sepulture
Of goode Arcite / may best ymaked be
And eek moost honurable / in his degree