From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Knight's Tale, lines 805-837

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Knight's Tale
lines 805-837: Duke Theseus goes hunting

805	The destinee, ministre general,
	That executeth in the world overal
	The purveiaunce that God hath seyn biforn,
	So strong it is, that though the world had sworn
	The contrarie of a thyng, by ye or nay,
810	Yet somtyme it shal fallen on a day
	That falleth nat eft withinne a thousand yeere.
	For certeinly, oure appetites heere,
	Be it of werre, or pees, or hate, or love,
	Al is this reuled by the sighte above.
815	This mene I now by myghty Theseus,
	That for to hunten is so desirus
	And namely at the grete hert in May,
	That in his bed ther daweth hym no day
	That he nys clad, and redy for to ryde
820	With hunte and horn, and houndes hym bisyde
	For in his huntyng hath he swich delit
	That it is al his joye and appetit
	To been hymself the grete hertes bane-
	For after Mars he serveth now Dyane.

805	Great destiny, minister-general,
	That executes in this world, and for all,
	The needs that God foresaw before we were born,
	So strong it is that, though the world had sworn
	The contrary of a thing, by yea or nay,
810	Yet sometime it shall fall upon a day,
	Though not again within a thousand years.
	For certainly our wishes and our fears,
	Whether of war or peace, or hate or love,
	All are ruled by that foresight above.
815	This show I now by mighty Theseus,
	Who to go hunting is so desirous,
	And specially of the hart of ten, in May,
	That, in his bed, there dawns for him no day
	That he's not clothed and soon prepared to ride
820	With hound and horn and huntsman at his side.
	For in his hunting has he such delight,
	That it is all his joy and appetite
	To be himself the great hart's deadly bane:
	For after Mars, he serves Diana's reign.

825	Cleer was the day, as I have toold er this,
	And Theseus, with alle joye and blis,
	With his Ypolita, the faire quene,
	And Emelye, clothed al in grene,
	On huntyng be they riden roially,
830	And to the grove, that stood ful faste by,
	In which ther was an hert, as men hym tolde,
	Duc Theseus the streighte wey hath holde,
	And to the launde he rideth hym ful right,
	For thider was the hert wont have his flight,
835	And over a brook, and so forth in his weye.
	This duc wol han a cours at hym, or tweye,
	With houndes swiche as that hym list comaunde.

825	Clear was the day, as I have told before this,
	When Theseus, compact of joy and bliss,
	With his Hippolyta, the lovely queen,
	And fair Emilia, clothed all in green,
	A-hunting they went riding royally.
830	And to the grove of trees that grew hard by,
	In which there was a hart, as men had told,
	Duke Theseus the shortest way did hold.
	And to the glade he rode on, straight and right,
	For there the hart was wont to go in flight,
835	And over a brook, and so forth on his way.
	This duke would have a course at him today,
	With such hounds as it pleased him to command.