Open Prologue Of The Canterbury Tales Modern EnglishHere begins the Book of the Tales of Canterbury When April with his showers sweet with fruit The drought of March has pierced unto the root And bath

will tell you of the characters and their ways, As they appeared to me on that fateful day. Each had a tale to tell, and each a mind Of their own, with manners of every kind. There was a knight, a noble man of war, Who fought in many battles near and far. A squire, his son, a lover and a fighter, With curly locks and eyes that shone much brighter Than any star in the clear night sky. A yeoman, too, with bow and arrow nigh, A cook, a skipper, and a doctor, too, A prioress, with grace and manners new, A monk, a friar, and a pardoner, And many more, each with a different manner. And so, my friends, I leave you for a while, To tell of tales that will make you laugh and smile, Of love, of death, of chivalry and sin, And all that lies between, within. So gather round, and listen to my song, Of the Canterbury Tales, that will last forever long