From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Prioress's Tale, lines 1-35

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Prioress's Tale
lines 1-35: A hymn to Mary and Jesus

	"O lord oure lord, thy name how merveillous
	Is in this large world ysprad," quod she
	"For noght oonly thy laude precious
	Parfourned is by men of dignitee,
5	But by the mouth of children thy bountee
	Parfourned is, for on the brest soukynge
	Somtyme shewen they thyn heriynge.

	O Lord, Our Lord, your name how marvelous
	Is spread through all this mighty world," said she;
	"For not alone your praise so glorious
	Is given by men of worth and dignity,
5	But from the mouths of children thy bounty
	Is hymned, yea, even sucklings at the breast
	Do sometimes thy laudation manifest.

Wherfore in laude, as I best kan or may,

Of thee, and of the whyte lylye flour

10 Which that the bar, and is a mayde alway,

To telle a storie I wol do my labour;

Nat that I may encressen hir honour,

For she hirself is honour, and the roote

Of bountee, next hir sone, and soules boote.

"Wherefore in praise, as best I can or may,

Of you and of that pure white Lily-flower

10 Who bore you, and is yet a maid alway,

I tell a tale as best is in my power,

Not that I may increase her heavenly dower,

For she herself is honour and the one

From whom spring wealth and goodness, next her son.

15 O mooder Mayde! O mayde Mooder free!

O bussh unbrent, brennynge in Moyses sighte,

That ravysedest doun fro the Deitee

Thurgh thyn humblesse, the Goost that in th'alighte,

Of whos vertu, whan he thyn herte lighte,

20 Conceyved was the Fadres sapience,

Help me to telle it in thy reverence.

15 O Mother-Maid! O Maiden-Mother free!

O bush unburnt, burning in Moses' sight,

Who ravished so the Soul of Deity,

With thy meekness, the Spirit of the Light,

That his virtue, which was thy soul's delight,

20 Conceived in thee the father's wise essence,

Help me to speak now with all reverence!

Lady, thy bountee, thy magnificence,

Thy vertu, and thy grete humylitee,

Ther may no tonge expresse in no science,

25 For somtyme, lady, er men praye to thee,

Thou goost biforn of thy benyngnytee

And getest us the lyght, thurgh thy preyere,

To gyden us unto thy Sone so deere.

Lady, thy goodness and thy generous grace.

Thy virtue and thy great humility -

No tongue may say, no pen may fully trace;

25 For sometimes, lady, before men pray to thee.

Thou goest before, of thy benignity,

And givest us the true light, by thy prayer,

To guide us all unto your son so dear.

My konnyng is so wayk, O blisful Queene,

30 For to declare thy grete worthynesse,

That I ne may the weighte nat susteene,

But as a child of twelf monthe oold, or lesse,

That kan unnethes any word expresse,

Right so fare I; and therfore I yow preye,

35 Gydeth my song that I shal of yow seye."

I cannot bear the burden, blessed Queen,

30 Of fitly praising all thy worthiness,

My wisdom and my knowledge are too mean;

But as a child of twelve months old, or less,

That scarcely any word can well express,

So fare I now, and therefore do I pray,

35 Guide thou that song of you which I shall say!'

Next:
From The Prioress's Tale, lines 36-49:
A Jewish quarter and a Christian school