From Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales", The Tale of Sir Thopas, lines 22-57

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From The Prologue of Sir Thopas, lines 1-21:
The Host asks Chaucer to tell the next tale

From The Canterbury Tales:
The Tale of Sir Thopas
lines 22-57: About a knight called Sir Thopas

Heere bigynneth Chaucers Tale of Thopas.

The First Fit

	Listeth, lordes, in good entent,
	And I wol telle verrayment
	Of myrthe and of solas,
25	Al of a knyght was fair and gent
	In bataille and in tourneyment,
	His name was Sire Thopas.

	Listen, lords, with good intent,
	I truly will a tale present
	Of mirth and of solace;
25	All of a knight was fair and gent
	In battle and in tournament.
	His name was Sir Thopas.

       Yborn he was in fer contree,

In Flaundres, al biyonde the see,

30        At Poperyng in the place;

His fader was a man ful free,

And lord he was of that contree,

       As it was Goddes grace.

       Born he was in a far country,

In Flanders, all beyond the sea,

30        And Poperinghe the place;

His father was a man full free,

And lord he was of that countree,

       As chanced to be God's grace.

       Sir Thopas wax a doghty swayn,

35 Whit was his face as payndemayn,

       Hise lippes rede as rose;

His rode is lyk scarlet in grayn,

And I yow telle, in good certayn,

       He hadde a semely nose.

       Sir Thopas was a doughty swain,

35 White was his brow as paindemaine,

       His lips red as a rose;

His cheeks were like poppies in grain,

And I tell you, and will maintain,

       He had a comely nose.

40        His heer, his berd, was lyk saffroun,

That to his girdel raughte adoun;

       Hise shoon of Cordewane.

Of Brugges were his hosen broun,

His robe was of syklatoun

45        That coste many a jane.

40        His hair and beard were like saffron

And to his girdle reached adown,

       His shoes were of cordwain;

From Bruges were come his long hose brown,

His rich robe was of ciclatoun-

45        And cost full many a jane.

       He koude hunte at wilde deer,

And ride an haukyng for river,

       With grey goshauk on honde,

Therto he was a good archeer,

50 Of wrastlyng was ther noon his peer,

       Ther any ram shal stonde.

       Well could he hunt the dim wild deer

And ride a-hawking by river,

       With grey goshawk on hand;

Therewith he was a good archer,

50 At wrestling was there none his peer

       Where any ram did stand.

       Ful many a mayde, bright in bour,

They moorne for hym paramour,

       Whan hem were bet to slepe;

55 But he was chaast and no lechour,

And sweete as is the brembul flour

       That bereth the rede hepe.

       Many many virgins, bright in bower,

Did long for him for paramour

       When they were best asleep;

55 But chaste he was, no lecher sure,

And sweet as is the bramble-flower

       That bears a rich red hepe.

Next:
From The Tale of Sir Thopas, lines 58-106:
Sir Thopas wishes to marry an elf-queen