From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Second Nun's Tale, lines 85-119

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From The Second Nun's Prologue, lines 29-84:
A hymn to Holy Mary

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Second Nun's Prologue
lines 85-119: The meaning of the name 'Cecilia'

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.

85	First would I you the name of Saint Cecilia
	Expound, as men may in her story see.
	It is to say, in English, 'heaven's lily,'
	Symbol of pure and virgin chastity;
	Or, since she had the white of modesty,
90	And green of good conscience, and of good fame
	The savour sweet, so lily was her 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.

Or else Cecilia means 'path for the blind,'

For she example was, by good teaching;

Or else Cecilia, as I written find,

95 Is made, after a manner of joining,

Of 'heaven' and 'Lia'; and, in figuring,

The 'heaven' is put for 'thought of holiness'

And 'Lia' for enduring busyness.

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.

Cecilia may mean, too, in this wise,

100 'Lacking in blindness,' for her shining light

Of sapience, and for good qualities;

Or else, behold! this maiden's name so bright

From 'heaven' and 'leos' comes, for which, by right,

Men well might her the 'heaven of people' call,

105 Example of good and wise works unto all.

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.

Leos is folk in English, so to say,

And just as men may in the heavens see

The sun and moon and stars strewn every way,

Just so men ghostly, in this maiden free,

110 See of her faith the magnanimity,

And the whole glory of her sapience,

And many actions, bright 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.

And just as these philosophers do write

That heaven is round and moving and burning,

115 Just so was fair Cecilia the white

Eager and busy ever in good working,

Large and whole-hearted, steadfast in each thing,

And shining ever in charity full bright;

Now have I told you of her name aright.

Explicit

Next:
From The Second Nun's Tale, lines 120-140:
Cecilia the virgin is married to Valerian