Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (Selected): An Interlinear Translation
Geoffrey Chaucer, Vincent Foster Hopper
3.79 · 14 ratings · Published: 1390
The most famous and beloved of Chaucer’s stories are presented in interlinear form this intensely readable volume. Alternating each of Chaucer’s original lines with its translation into modern English, this book encourages readers to savor the genius of Chaucer’s original poetry while following each line with an easy-to-understand modern translation of his Southeast Midlands dialect of Middle English. This scholarly yet truly approachable translation of Chaucer’s original poem is the work of Vincent F. Hopper, a longtime professor of English literature at New York University. He opens with the famous Prologue—
Whan that Aprille with his shoures sote
When April with his showers sweet
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
The drought of March has pierced to the root
—and then goes on to present
The Miller’s Tale The Reeve’s Tale The Prioress’s Tale The Nun’s Priest’s Tale The Pardoner’s Tale The Wife of Bath’s Tale The Franklin’s Tale . . . and more.
This fine volume also includes an enlightening introductory essay on Chaucer’s art, with Professor Hopper’s commentary on England as it existed in the fourteenth century. He concludes with a short list of recommended reading on Chaucer’s time and his art.
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