From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Monk's Tale, lines 359-486

Previous:
From The Monk's Tale, lines 295-358:
Balthasar

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Monk's Tale
lines 359-486: Cenobia

Cenobia

Cenobia, of Palymerie queene,

360 As writen Persiens of hir noblesse,

So worthy was in armes, and so keene,

That no wight passed hir in hardynesse,

Ne in lynage, ne in oother gentillesse.

Of kynges blood of Perce is she descended.

365 I seye nat that she hadde moost fairnesse,

But of hire shap she myghte nat been amended.

Zenobia, of all Palmyra queen

360 As write old Persians of her nobleness,

So mighty was in warfare, and so keen,

That no man her surpassed in hardiness,

Nor yet in lineage, nor in gentleness.

Of blood of Persia's kings she was descended;

365 I say not she had greatest beauteousness,

But of her figure naught could be amended.

From hir childhede I fynde that she fledde

Office of wommen, and to wode she wente,

And many a wilde hertes blood she shedde

370 With arwes brode, that she to hem sente.

She was so swift that she anon hem hente,

And whan that she was elder, she wolde kille

Leouns, leopardes, and beres al torente,

And in hir armes weelde hem at hir wille.

From childhood on I find that she had fled

Duties of women, and to wildwood went;

And many a wild hart's blood therein she shed

370 With arrows broad that she within them sent.

So swift she was, she ran them down all spent;

And when she was grown older she would kill

Lions and leopards, and bears too she rent,

And in her arms she broke them at her will.

375 She dorste wilde beestes dennes seke,

And rennen in the montaignes al the nyght

And slepen under the bussh, and she koude eke

Wrastlen by verray force and verray myght

With any yong man, were he never so wight;

380 Ther myghte nothyng in hir armes stonde.

She kepte hir maydenhod from every wight,

To no man deigned hir for to be bonde.

375 She even dared the wild beasts' dens to seek,

And ran upon the mountains all the night,

Sleeping beneath a bush; and, nothing weak,

Wrestled by very force and very might

With any man, however brave in fight;

380 For there was nothing in her arms could stand.

She kept her maidenhead from every wight,

And unto no man would she yield her hand.

But atte laste hir freendes han hir maried

To Odenake, a prynce of that contree,

385 Al were it so that she hem longe taried.

And ye shul understonde how that he

Hadde swiche fantasies as hadde she.

But nathelees, whan they were knyt infeere,

They lyved in joye and in felicitee,

390 For ech of hem hadde oother lief and deere;

But at the last her friends did make her marry

Odenathus, a prince of that country,

385 Albeit she long waited and did tarry;

And you must understand that also he

Held to the same queer fancies as had she.

Nevertheless, when wedded, 'twould appear

They lived in joy and all felicity,

390 For each of them held other lief and dear.

Save o thyng, that she wolde nevere assente

By no wey that he sholde by hir lye

But ones, for it was hir pleyn entente

To have a child the world to multiplye;

395 And also soone as that she myghte espye

That she was nat with childe with that dede,

Thanne wolde she suffre hym doon his fantasye

Eft-soone and nat but oones, out of drede.

But to one thing she never would consent,

For any prayers, that he should near her lie

Except one night only, when 'twas her intent

To have a child, since men should multiply;

395 Yet when she learned she'd got no pregnancy

From that night's work together on her bed,

Then would she suffer him again to try,

But only once indeed, and then with dread.

And if she were with childe at thilke cast,

400 Namoore sholde he pleyen thilke game

Til fully fourty dayes weren past;

Thanne wolde she ones suffre hym do the same.

Al were this Odenake wilde or tame,

He gat namoore of hir, for thus she seyde,

405 It was to wyves lecheie and shame

In oother caas, it that men with hem pleyde.

And when she was with child, all at the last,

400 Then no more might he play at that same game

Till fully forty days were gone and past;

Then would she once more suffer him the same

And were Odenathus grown wild or tame,

He got no more of her; for thus she'd say:

405 "In wives it is but lechery and shame

When, oftener, men with their bodies play.

Two sones by this Odenake hadde she,

The whiche she kepte in vertu and lettrure,

But now unto oure tale turne we;

410 I seye, so worshipful a creature,

And wys therwith, and large with mesure,

So penyble in the werre, and curteis eke,

Ne moore labour myghte in werre endure,

Was noon, though al this world men wolde seke.

Two sons by this Odenathus had she,

The which she bred in virtue and learning;

But now again unto our tale turn we.

410 I say, so worshipful a young being,

Wise, and right generous in everything,

Careful in war and courteous as well,

And hardy in the field, and full daring,

Was not in all the world where men do dwell.

415 Hir riche array ne myghte nat be told

As wel in vessel as in hir clothyng;

She was al clad in perree and in gold,

And eek she lafte noght for noon huntyng

To have of sondry tonges ful knowyng,

420 Whan that she leyser hadde; and for to entende

To lerne bookes was al hire likyng,

How she in vertu myghte hir lyf dispende.

415 Her rich array may not be rightly told,

Either of vessels or of fine clothing;

She was clad all in jewels and in gold;

And she did never cease, despite hunting,

To gain of divers tongues a full knowing,

420 Whenever she had time; she did intend

To learn from books, which were to her liking,

How she in virtue might her whole life spend.

And shortly of this proces for to trete,

So doghty was hir housbonde and eek she,

425 That they conquered manye regnes grete

In the orient, with many a faire citee,

Apertenaunt unto the magestee

Of Rome, and with strong hond held hem ful faste,

Ne nevere myghte hir foomen doon hem flee,

430 Ay whil that Odenakes dayes laste.

And briefly of this story now to treat,

So doughty was her husband, as was she,

425 That they two conquered many kingdoms great

Throughout the East, with many a fair city

That did pertain unto the majesty

Of Rome; and with strong hands they held them fast;

Nor might a foe escape by trying to flee

430 The while Odenathus' good days did last.

Hir batailles, whoso list hem for to rede,

Agayn Sapor the kyng and othere mo,

And how that al this proces fil in dede,

Why she conquered, and what title had therto,

435 And after of hir meschief and hire wo,

How that she was biseged and ytake,

Lat hym unto my maister Petrak go,

That writ ynough of this, I undertake.

Her battles all, as whoso wants may read

Against Sapor the king and others too,

And all her story as it fell, indeed,

Why she was victor and had right thereto,

435 And, after, all her misfortune and woe,

How they besieged her and at last did take,

Let him unto my master Petrarch go,

Who wrote the whole of this, I undertake.

Whan Odenake was deed, she myghtily

440 The regnes heeld; and with hir propre hond

Agayn hir foos she faught so cruelly

That ther nas kyng ne prynce in al that lond

That he nas glad, if he that grace fond

That she ne wolde upon his lond werreye.

445 With hir they makded alliance by bond

To been in pees, and let hire ride and pleye.

Now when Odenathus was dead, then she

440 The kingdom held within her own strong hand;

Against her foes she fought so bitterly

There was no king or prince in all that land

But was right glad, if mercy make her bland,

That she turned not against him her array;

445 With her they made alliance, bond and band,

To keep the peace and let her ride and play.

The Emperour of Rome, Claudius

Ne hym bifore, the Romayn Galien,

Ne dorste nevere been so corageus,

450 Ne noon Ermyn, ne noon Egipcien,

Ne Surrien, ne noon arabyen,

With-inne the feeldes that dorste with hir fighte,

Lest that she wolde hem with hir handes slen,

Or with hir meignee putten hem to flighte.

The emperor of Rome, on Claudius

His predecessor, Galien too, that man,

Had never courage to oppose her thus;

450 Nor was Egyptian nor Armenian,

Nor Syrian, nor yet Arabian

That dared against her in the field to fight,

For fear that at her hands they might be slain,

Or by her army put to sudden flight.

455 In kynges habit wente hir sones two

As heires of hir fadres regnes alle,

And Hermanno, and Thymalao

Hir names were, as Persiens hem calle.

But ay Fortune hath in hir hony galle;

460 This myghty queene may no while endure.

Fortune out of hir regne made hir falle

To wrecchednesse and to mysaventure.

455 In kingly habit went her sons also,

As being heirs to their sire's kingdoms all,

Athenodorus and Thymalao

Their names were, or the Persians did so them call.

But Fortune's honey is aye mixed with gall;

460 This mighty queen could no great while endure.

And Fortune from her high throne made her fall

To wretchedness and into ways obscure.

Aurelian, whan that the governaunce

Of Rome cam into hise handes tweye,

465 He shoope upon this queene to doon vengeaunce,

And with hise legions he took his weye

Toward Cenobie, and shortly for to seye,

He made hir flee and atte last hir hente,

And fettred hir, and eek hir children tweye,

470 And wan the land, and hoom to Rome he wente.

Aurelian, when Roman governance

Came to his two strong hands, made no delay,

465 But swore that on this queen he'd wreak vengeance,

And so with mighty legions took his way

Against Zenobia; let me briefly say

He made her flee; and at the last he sent

And fettered her and her two sons one day,

470 And won the land, and home to Rome he went.

Amonges othere thynges that he wan,

Hir chaar, that was with gold wroght and perree,

This grete Romayn, this Aurelian,

Hath with hym lad for that men sholde it see.

475 Biforen his triumphe walketh shee,

With gilte cheynes on hir nekke hangynge;

Coroned was she, after hir degree,

And ful of perree charged hir clothynge.

Among the other booty Asian

Her chariot was, of gold and jewellery,

And this great Roman, this Aurelian,

He carried it away for men to see.

475 Before his car in triumph then walked she

With golden chains upon her neck hanging;

Crowned was she, too, to show her high degree,

And full of priceless gems was her clothing.

Allas, Fortune! she that whilom was

480 Dredful to kynges and to emperoures,

Now gaureth al the peple on hir, allas!

And she that helmed was in starke shoures

And wan by force townes stronge and toures

Shal on hir heed now were a vitremyte,

485 And she that bar the ceptre ful of floures

Shal bere a distaf, hir costes for to quyte.

Alas, Fortune! She that but lately was

480 The scourge of kings and emperors and powers,

Now may the rabble gape at her, alas!

And she that, armed, rode where grim battle lowers

And took by force great cities and strong towers,

Must wear a cap now while her two eyes weep;

485 And she that bore the sceptre of carved flowers

May bear a distaff and thus earn her keep.

Next:
From The Monk's Tale, lines 487-502:
De Petro Rege Ispannie