The Second Nun's Prologue, ll. 1-119 (The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer)

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Second Nun's Prologue

The Prologe of the Seconde Nonnes Tale.

	The ministre and the norice unto vices,
	Which that men clepe in Englissh ydelnesse,
	That porter of the gate is of delices,
	To eschue, and by hir contrarie hir oppresse -
5	That is to seyn by leveful bisynesse -
	Wel oghten we to doon al oure entente,
	Lest that the feend thurgh ydelnesse us shente.

For he, that with his thousand cordes slye

Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe,

10 Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye,

He kan so lightly cacche hym in his trappe,

Til that a man be hent right by the lappe,

He nys nat war the feend hath hym in honde.

Wel oghte us werche, and ydelnesse withstonde.

15 And though men dradden nevere for to dye,

Yet seen men wel by resoun, doutelees,

That ydelnesse is roten slogardye,

Of which ther nevere comth no good n'encrees;

And syn that slouthe hir holdeth in a lees,

20 Oonly to slepe, and for to ete and drynke,

And to devouren al that othere swynke.

And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse,

That cause is of so greet confusioun,

I have heer doon my feithful bisynesse,

25 After the legende, in translacioun

Right of thy glorious lyf and passioun,

Thou with thy gerland wroght with rose and lilie, -

Thee meene I, mayde and martir, Seint Cecilie.

Invocacio ad Mariam

And thow that flour of virgines art alle,

30 Of whom that Bernard list so wel to write,

To thee at my bigynnyng first I calle,

Thou confort of us wrecches, do me endite

Thy maydens deeth, that wan thurgh hir merite

The eterneel lyf, and of the feend victorie,

35 As man may after reden in hir storie.

Thow Mayde and Mooder, doghter of thy sone,

Thow welle of mercy, synful soules cure,

In whom that God for bountee chees to wone,

Thow humble and heigh, over every creature

40 Thow nobledest so ferforth oure nature,

That no desdeyn the Makere hadde of kynde,

His sone in blood and flessh to clothe and wynde,

Withinne the cloistre blisful of thy sydis

Took mannes shape the eterneel love and pees,

45 That of the tryne compas lord and gyde is,

Whom erthe and see and hevene out of relees

Ay heryen; and thou, Virgine wemmelees,

Baar of thy body - and dweltest mayden pure -

The Creatour of every creature.

50 Assembled is in thee magnificence

With mercy, goodnesse, and with swich pitee

That thou, that art the sonne of excellence,

Nat oonly helpest hem that preyen thee,

But often tyme, of thy benygnytee,

55 Ful frely, er that men thyn help biseche,

Thou goost biforn, and art hir lyves leche.

Now help, thow meeke and blisful faire mayde,

Me, flemed wrecche in this desert of galle;

Thynk on the womman Cananee, that sayde

60 That whelpes eten somme of the crommes alle,

That from hir lordes table been yfalle,

And though that I, unworthy sone of Eve,

By synful, yet accepte my bileve.

And for that feith is deed withouten werkis,

65 So for to werken yif me wit and space,

That I be quit fro thennes that moost derk is.

O thou, that art so fair and ful of grace,

Be myn advocat in that heighe place

Theras withouten ende is songe 'Osanne,'

70 Thow Cristes mooder, doghter deere of Anne!

And of thy light my soule in prison lighte,

That troubled is by the contagioun

Of my body, and also by the wighte

Of erthely lust and fals affeccioun,

75 O havene of refut, O salvacioune

Of hem that been in sorwe and in distresse,

Now help, for to my werk I wol me dresse.

Yet preye I yow that reden that I write,

Foryeve me, that I do no diligence

80 This ilke storie subtilly to endite,

For bothe have I the wordes and sentence

Of hym that at the seintes reverence

The storie wroot, and folwe hir legende.

And pray yow, that ye wole my werk amende.

Interpretacio nominis Cecile quam ponit
Frater Jacobus Januensis in Legenda

85 First wolde I yow the name of seinte Cecilie

Expowne, as men may in hir storie see.

It is to seye in Englissh, `hevenes lilie'

For pure chaastnesse of virginitee,

Or for she whitnesse hadde of honestee

90 And grene of conscience, and of good fame

The soote savour, lilie was hir name.

Or Cecilie is to seye, `the wey to blynde,'

For she ensample was by good techynge;

Or elles, Cecile, as I writen fynde

95 Is joyned by a manere conjoynynge

Of `hevene' and `Lia,' and heere in figurynge

The `hevene' is set for thoght of hoolynesse,

And `Lia' for hir lastynge bisynesse.

Cecile may eek be seyd, in this manere,

100 `Wantynge of blyndnesse,' for hir grete light

Of sapience, and for hire thewes cleere

Or elles, loo, this maydens name bright

Of `hevene' and `leos' comth, for which by right

Men myghte hire wel `the hevene of peple' calle,

105 Ensample of goode and wise werkes alle.

For `leos' `peple' in Englissh is to seye,

And right as men may in the hevene see

The sonne and moone and sterres every weye,

Right so men goostly, in this mayden free,

110 Seyen of feith the magnanymytee,

And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience,

And sondry werkes, brighte of excellence.

And right so as thise philosophres write

That hevene is swift and round and eek brennynge,

115 Right so was faire Cecilie the white

Ful swift and bisy evere in good werkynge,

And round and hool in good perseverynge,

And brennynge evere in charite ful brighte.

Now have I yow declared what she highte.

	For he, that with his thousand cordes slye
	Continuelly us waiteth to biclappe,
10	Whan he may man in ydelnesse espye,
	He kan so lightly cacche hym in his trappe,
	Til that a man be hent right by the lappe,
	He nys nat war the feend hath hym in honde.
	Wel oghte us werche, and ydelnesse withstonde.

15	And though men dradden nevere for to dye,
	Yet seen men wel by resoun, doutelees,
	That ydelnesse is roten slogardye,
	Of which ther nevere comth no good n'encrees;
	And syn that slouthe hir holdeth in a lees,
20	Oonly to slepe, and for to ete and drynke,
	And to devouren al that othere swynke.

	And for to putte us fro swich ydelnesse,
	That cause is of so greet confusioun,
	I have heer doon my feithful bisynesse,
25	After the legende, in translacioun
	Right of thy glorious lyf and passioun,
	Thou with thy gerland wroght with rose and lilie, -
	Thee meene I, mayde and martir, Seint Cecilie.

	And thow that flour of virgines art alle,
30	Of whom that Bernard list so wel to write,
	To thee at my bigynnyng first I calle,
	Thou confort of us wrecches, do me endite
	Thy maydens deeth, that wan thurgh hir merite
	The eterneel lyf, and of the feend victorie,
35	As man may after reden in hir storie.

	Thow Mayde and Mooder, doghter of thy sone,
	Thow welle of mercy, synful soules cure,
	In whom that God for bountee chees to wone,
	Thow humble and heigh, over every creature
40	Thow nobledest so ferforth oure nature,
	That no desdeyn the Makere hadde of kynde,
	His sone in blood and flessh to clothe and wynde,

	Withinne the cloistre blisful of thy sydis
	Took mannes shape the eterneel love and pees,
45	That of the tryne compas lord and gyde is,
	Whom erthe and see and hevene out of relees
	Ay heryen; and thou, Virgine wemmelees,
	Baar of thy body - and dweltest mayden pure -
	The Creatour of every creature.

50	Assembled is in thee magnificence
	With mercy, goodnesse, and with swich pitee
	That thou, that art the sonne of excellence,
	Nat oonly helpest hem that preyen thee,
	But often tyme, of thy benygnytee,
55	Ful frely, er that men thyn help biseche,
	Thou goost biforn, and art hir lyves leche.

	Now help, thow meeke and blisful faire mayde,
	Me, flemed wrecche in this desert of galle;
	Thynk on the womman Cananee, that sayde
60	That whelpes eten somme of the crommes alle,
	That from hir lordes table been yfalle,
	And though that I, unworthy sone of Eve,
	By synful, yet accepte my bileve.

	And for that feith is deed withouten werkis,
65	So for to werken yif me wit and space,
	That I be quit fro thennes that moost derk is.
	O thou, that art so fair and ful of grace,
	Be myn advocat in that heighe place
	Theras withouten ende is songe 'Osanne,'
70	Thow Cristes mooder, doghter deere of Anne!

	And of thy light my soule in prison lighte,
	That troubled is by the contagioun
	Of my body, and also by the wighte
	Of erthely lust and fals affeccioun,
75	O havene of refut, O salvacioune
	Of hem that been in sorwe and in distresse,
	Now help, for to my werk I wol me dresse.

	Yet preye I yow that reden that I write,
	Foryeve me, that I do no diligence
80	This ilke storie subtilly to endite,
	For bothe have I the wordes and sentence
	Of hym that at the seintes reverence
	The storie wroot, and folwe hir legende.
	And pray yow, that ye wole my werk amende.

85	First wolde I yow the name of seinte Cecilie
	Expowne, as men may in hir storie see.
	It is to seye in Englissh, `hevenes lilie'
	For pure chaastnesse of virginitee,
	Or for she whitnesse hadde of honestee
90	And grene of conscience, and of good fame
	The soote savour, lilie was hir name.

	Or Cecilie is to seye, `the wey to blynde,'
	For she ensample was by good techynge;
	Or elles, Cecile, as I writen fynde
95	Is joyned by a manere conjoynynge
	Of `hevene' and `Lia,' and heere in figurynge
	The `hevene' is set for thoght of hoolynesse,
	And `Lia' for hir lastynge bisynesse.

	Cecile may eek be seyd, in this manere,
100	`Wantynge of blyndnesse,' for hir grete light
	Of sapience, and for hire thewes cleere
	Or elles, loo, this maydens name bright
	Of `hevene' and `leos' comth, for which by right
	Men myghte hire wel `the hevene of peple' calle,
105	Ensample of goode and wise werkes alle.

	For `leos' `peple' in Englissh is to seye,
	And right as men may in the hevene see
	The sonne and moone and sterres every weye,
	Right so men goostly, in this mayden free,
110	Seyen of feith the magnanymytee,
	And eek the cleernesse hool of sapience,
	And sondry werkes, brighte of excellence.

	And right so as thise philosophres write
	That hevene is swift and round and eek brennynge,
115	Right so was faire Cecilie the white
	Ful swift and bisy evere in good werkynge,
	And round and hool in good perseverynge,
	And brennynge evere in charite ful brighte.
	Now have I yow declared what she highte.