Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (Sprache & Litteratur).

Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (Sprache & Litteratur). Der Schriftsteller Geoffrey Chaucer gehört zu den herausragendsten Dichtern der englischen Literatur. Den Höhepunkt seines Schaffens markiert das Werk The Canterbury Tales, an dem er ab 1378 arbeitete. Die in einer erfundenen Rahmenhandlung erzählten Geschichten sind ein einzigartiges Kompendium literarischer Erzählform jener Zeit. Der ausgewählte Textabschnitt ist Teil des Prologs. Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales (...) But natheles, while I have time and space, Or that I forther in this tale pace, Me thinketh it accordant to reson, To tellen you alle the condition Of eche of hem, so as it semed me, And whiche they weren, and of what degre; And eke in what araie that they were inne: And at a knight than wol I firste beginne. A K N I G H T ther was, and that a worthy man, That fro the time that he firste began To riden out, he loved chevalrie, Trouthe and honour, fredom and curtesie. Ful worthy was he in his lordes werre, And therto hadde he ridden, no man ferre, As wel in Cristendom as in Hethenesse, And ever honoured for his worthinesse. At Alisandre he was whan it was wonne. Ful often time he hadde the bord begonne Aboven alle nations in Pruce. In Lettowe hadde he reysed and in Ruce, No christen man so ofte of his degre. In Gernade at the siege eke hadde he be Of Algesir, and ridden in Belmarie. At Leyes was he, and at Satalie, Whan they were wonne; and in the Grete see At many a noble armee hadde he be. At mortal batailles hadde he ben fiftene, And foughten for our faith at Tramissene In listes thries, and ay slain his fo. This ilke worthy knight hadde ben also Sometime with the lord of Palatie, Agen another hethen in Turkie: And evermore he hadde a sovereine pris. And though that he was worthy he was wise, And of his port as meke as is a mayde. He never yet no vilanie ne sayde In alle his lif, unto no manere wight. He was a veray parfit gentil knight. But for to tellen you of his araie, His hors was good, but he ne was not gaie. Of fustian he wered a gipon, Alle besmotred with his habergeon, For he was late ycome fro his viage, And wente for to don his pilgrimage. Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales. London 1822, S. 164-166. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.