London in verse - Kris

Question of the week: Do you have a favourite London poem or nursery rhyme?

"Okay, you wanted rhyme, you get rhyme... The Canterbury Tales

The name is deceptive - the Canterbury tales do not take place in Canterbury, but on the road between Southwark and Canterbury. The frame story is that of pilgrims travelling to Thomas Becket's shrine, and the stories they tell to keep themselves entertained along the way. Chaucer's poem is a wonderful read, either in the original Middle English (for the rhyme) or in a good translation (for the stories).

There are a number of references to London throughout the poem, but it starts as soon as line 19. Here's a bit to get you started. (GP stands for General Prologue, the numbers are line numbers.)

GP 19 Bifil that in that seson on a day,
GP 20 In Southwerk at the Tabard as I lay
GP 21 Redy to wenden on my pilgrymage
GP 22 To Caunterbury with ful devout corage,
GP 23 At nyght was come into that hostelrye
GP 24 Wel nyne and twenty in a compaignye
GP 25 Of sondry folk, by aventure yfalle
GP 26 In felaweshipe, and pilgrimes were they alle,
GP 27 That toward Caunterbury wolden ryde.
GP 28 The chambres and the stables weren wyde,
GP 29 And wel we weren esed atte beste.
GP 30 And shortly, whan the sonne was to reste,
GP 31 So hadde I spoken with hem everichon
GP 32 That I was of hir felaweshipe anon,
GP 33 And made forward erly for to ryse,
GP 34 To take oure wey ther as I yow devyse.

One day in that season, as I was waiting at the Tabard Inn at Southwark, about to make my pilgrimage with devout heart to Canterbury, it happened that there came at night to that inn a company of twenty-nine various people, who by chance had joined together in fellowship. All were pilgrims, riding to Canterbury. The chambers and the stables were spacious, and we were lodged well. But in brief, when the sun had gone to rest, I had spoken with every one of them and was soon a part of their company, and agreed to rise early to take our way to where I have told you.

Sorry about the middle English. Both the text and the translation are courtesy of E Chaucer"
- Kris

* Lydgate and Pilgrims to Canterbury. Troy Book; Siege of Thebes, John Lydgate) Eng. 15th century. MS Royal 18D II f148r. British Library Photo by jimforest, used under Creative Commons, with thanks.