Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

14th century English poet and author (1343–1400)

Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400) was an English author, poet, philosopher, bureaucrat (courtier), and diplomat. Chaucer is most famous as the author of The Canterbury Tales. He is sometimes credited with being the first author to demonstrate the artistic legitimacy of the vernacular English language, rather than French or Latin.

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Alternative Names: Chaucer • Q5683

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"We’re like two dogs in battle on their own;
They fought all day but neither got the bone,
There came a kite above them, nothing loth,
And while they fought he took it from them both."

From Chaucer's "The Knight's Tale"

Ful wys is he that kan himselve knowe.

That wel by reson men hit calle may The 'dayesye' or elles the 'ye of day,' The emperice and flour of floures alle.

For naturally a beast desires to flee From any enemy that he may see, Though never yet he's clapped on such his eye.

By God, if women had written stories,
As clerks had within here oratories,
They would have written of men more wickedness
Than all the mark of Adam may redress.

Yow loveres axe I now this questioun, Who hath the worse, Arcite or Palamoun? 490 That oon may seen his lady day by day, But in prison he moot dwelle alway. That other wher him list may ryde or go, But seen his lady shal he never-mo. Now demeth as yow liste, ye that can, 495 For I wol telle forth as I bigan. Explicit prima Pars. Sequitur pars secunda.

The life so brief, the art so long in the learning, the attempt so hard, the conquest so sharp, the fearful joy that ever slips away so quickly - by all this I mean love, which so sorely astounds my feeling with its wondrous operation, that when I think upon it I scarce know whether I wake or sleep.

"For thus men seyth, "That on thenketh the beere,
But al another thenketh his ledere.

Against this horrible Sin of Sloth, and the branches of the same, there is a virtue called fortitude or strength. This is a love by which a man despises noxious things. This virtue is so mighty and so vigorous that it dares to withstand and wisely keep itself from perils that are wicked, and to wrestle successfully against the assaults of the Devil. For this virtue enhances and strengthens the soul, just as Sloth lessens it and makes it grow feeble. This fortitude will endure, by patient stoicism, the travails that may befall.

One shouldn’t be too inquisitive in life
Either about God’s secrets or one’s wife.
You’ll find God’s plenty all you could desire;
Of the remainder, better not enquire.

He hath considered shortly, in a clause
The trespas of hem bothe, and eek the cause,
And althogh that his ire hir gilt accused,
Yet in his resoun he hem bothe excused,
As thus: he thoghte wel that every man
Wol helpe himself in love if that he kan,
And eek delivere himself out of prisoun;

Lo, what a powerful thing is emotion! Men may die of imagination, so profoundly can a notion afflict the mind.

Ye sey right sooth; this Monk he clappeth lowde.
He spak how Fortune covered with a clowde
I noot nevere what; and als of a tragedie
Right now ye herde, and pardee, no remedie
It is for to biwaille ne compleyne
That that is doon, and als it is a peyne,
As ye han seyd, to heere of hevynesse.
Sire Monk, namoore of this, so God yow blesse!
Youre tale anoyeth al this compaignye.
Swich talkyng is nat worth a boterflye,

The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne.

Till we be roten, kan we not be rypen?