from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales - modernising
Whilom, as songs of elders do tell us,
There was a duke that's been hight Theseus;
Of Athenes he was lord and governour,
And he's been of his time such a conquerour,
that greater there was no-one under the sun.
Full many the rich countries he had won,
What with his wisdom and his chivalry;
He conquered all the realm of Femeny,
That whilom was yclept Scithia,
And he has wedded the queen Ypolita,
And brought her home with him in his country,
With much of glory and great solemnity,
And eke he's grabbed her young sister Emely.
And thus hath been with victory and melody
Let me this noble duke to Athenes ride,
And all his host, in armes him besides.
of course, if it were not too long to hear,
I would've told you fully these manner
How way was won the reign of Femeny
By Theseus, and by his noblest chivalry,
And of the great battlement occasions
Bitwixt Atheneans and Amazones,
And how was assieged Ypolita
The faire hardy queen of Scithia,
And of the feasts that was at her wedding,
And of the tempest at her home-coming;
But all the things I must as now forbear,
I have, God wot, far more large a field to stare,
And the oxen have been weak in this my plough,
The remnant of the tale is also long enow.
I will not let eke no-one of this route,
Let every fellow tell his tale about,
And lemme see now who shall the supper win;-
And where have I left , I will again begin.
to be continued...