Geoffrey Chaucer Quotes

The gretteste clerkes been noght wisest men. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Til that the brighte sonne loste his hewe; For th'orisonte hath reft the sonne his lyght; This is as muche to seye as it was nyght! ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Though Plente that is goddesse of rychesses hielde adoun with ful horn, and withdraweth nat hir hand, as many richesses as the see torneth upward sandes whan it is moeved with ravysshynge blastes, or elles as manye rychesses as ther schynen bryghte sterres in hevene on the sterry nyghtes; yit, for al that, mankende nolde nat cese to wepe wrecchide pleyntes. And al be it so that God resceyveth gladly hir preiers, and yyveth hem, as fool-large, moche gold, and apparayleth coveytous folk with noble or cleer honours; yit semeth hem haven igeten nothyng, but alwey hir cruel ravyne, devourynge al that they han geten, scheweth othere gapynges (that is to seyn, gapyn and desiren yit after mo rychesses.) What brydles myghte withholden to any certeyn ende the disordene covetise of men, whan evere the rather that it fletith in large yiftes, the more ay brenneth in hem the thurst of havynge? Certes he that qwakynge and dredful weneth hymselven nedy, he ne lyveth nevermo ryche. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

For tyme ylost may nought recovered be. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

He was as fresh as is the month of May. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And then the wren gan scippen and to daunce. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Trouthe is the hyest thyng that man may kepe. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

If gold rust, what then will iron do?/ For if a priest be foul in whom we trust/ No wonder that a common man should rust ... ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

people have managed to marry without arithmetic ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Ye knowe eek, that in forme of speche is chaunge
With-inne a thousand yeer, and wordes tho
That hadden prys, now wonder nyce and straunge
Us thinketh hem; and yet they spake hem so,
And spedde as wel in love as men now do. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Youth may outrun the old, but not outwit. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Abstinence is approved of God. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

He kept his tippet stuffed with pins for curls, And pocket-knives, to give to pretty girls. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in switch licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his sweete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his half cours yronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye
(So Priketh hem Nature in hir corages),
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially from every shires ende
Of Engelond to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

If a man really loves a woman, of course he wouldn't marry her for the world if he were not quite sure that he was the best person she could possibly marry. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

If love be good, from whence cometh my woe? ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Habit maketh no monk, ne wearing of gilt spurs maketh no knight. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Full wise is he that can himselven knowe. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Of harmes two the lesse is for to cheese. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The bisy larke, messager of day. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Min be the travaille, and thin be the glorie. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Hyt is not al golde that glareth. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And as for me, thogh that I can but lyte, On bakes for to rede I me delyte, And to hem yeve I feyth and ful credence, And in myn herte have hem in reverence So hertely, that ther is game noon, That fro my bokes maketh me to goon, But hit be seldom, on the holyday; Save, certeynly, when that the month of May Is comen, and that I here the foules singe, And that the floures ginnen for to springe, Farwel my book and my devocion. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The man who has no wife is no cuckold. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Patience is a conquering virtue. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The handsome gifts that fate and nature lend us Most often are the very ones that end us. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The life so short, the crafts so long to learn. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

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 ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

By Pluto sent at the request of Saturn. Arcita's horse in terror danced a pattern And leapt aside and foundered as he leapt, And ere he was aware Arcite was swept Out of the saddle and pitched upon his head Onto the ground, and there he lay for dead; His breast was shattered by the saddle-bow. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Be nat wrooth, my lord, though that I pleye. Ful ofte in game a sooth I have herd seye! ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The smylere with the knyf under the cloke. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

There's never a new fashion but it's old. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

He who accepts his poverty unhurt I'd say is rich although he lacked a shirt. But truly poor are they who whine and fret and covet what they cannot hope to get. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Three years went by in happiness and health; He bore himself so well in peace and war That there was no one Theseus valued more. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

I know that my singing doesn't make the moon rise, nor does it make the stars shine. But without my song, the night would seem empty and incomplete. There is more to daybreak than light, just as there is more to nighttime than darkness. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Woe to the cook whose sauce has no sting. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And after winter folweth grene May. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

He is gentle that doeth gentle deeds. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

By God," quod he, "for pleynly, at a word,
Thy drasty rymyng is nat worth a toord! ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And if love is, what thing and which is he? If love be good, from whennes cometh my woo? ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Eke wonder last but nine deies never in toun. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

A love grown old is not the love once new. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

If gold ruste, what shall iren do? ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

In April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all The veins are bathed in liquor of such power As brings about the engendering of the flower. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Mordre wol out, that se we day by day. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

He hath considered shortly, in a clause1763, The trespas 1764 of hem bothe, and eek the cause, 1765 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; ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

doctors & druggists wash each other's hands ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Until we're rotten, we cannot be ripe. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The proverbe saith that many a smale maketh a grate. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

That field hath eyen, and the wood hath ears. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

But of no nombre mencioun made he, Of bigamye, or of octogamye33. Why sholde men thanne speke of it vileinye34? ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

He that loveth God will do diligence to please God by his works, and abandon himself, with all his might, well for to do. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And for to see, and eek for to be seie. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

For out of old fields, as men saith, Cometh all this new corn from year to year; And out of old books, in good faith, Cometh all this new science that men learn. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And as for me, though that I konne but lyte,
On bokes for to rede I me delyte,
And to hem yive I feyth and ful credence,
And in myn herte have hem in reverence
So hertely, that ther is game noon
That fro my bokes maketh me to goon,
But yt be seldom on the holyday,
Save, certeynly, whan that the month of May
Is comen, and that I here the foules synge,
And that the floures gynnen for to sprynge,
Farewel my bok and my devocioun! ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

There's no workman, whatsoever he be, That may both work well and hastily. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

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. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

... murder wol out ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

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. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

people can die of mere imagination ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

But, Lord Crist! whan that it remembreth me Upon my yowthe, and on my jolitee, It tickleth me aboute myn herte roote. Unto this day it dooth myn herte boote That I have had my world as in my tyme. But age, alias! that al wole envenyme, Hath me biraft my beautee and my pith. Lat go, farewel! the devel go therwith! The flour is goon, ther is namoore to telle; The bren, as I best kan, now most I selle. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

One shouldn't be too inquisitive in life Either about God's secrets or one's wife. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Whoso will pray, he must fast and be clean, And fat his soul, and make his body lean. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

A bettre preest, I trowe that nowher noon is. He wayted after no pompe and reverence, 525 Ne maked him a spyced conscience, But Cristes lore, and his apostles twelve, He taughte, and first he folwed it him-selve. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

3440 An hole he fond3440, ful lowe upon a bord, Theras3441 the cat was wont in for to crepe, And at that hole he looked in ful depe3442, And atte laste he hadde of him a sighte. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales was expected to clock in at anywhere between 100 and 120 chapters. Unfortunately, the dude only managed to finish 24 tales before he suffered an insurmountable and permanent state of writer's block commonly known as death. ~ Jacopo Della Quercia

Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Expierience treacherous. Judgement difficult. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

'My lige lady, generally,' quod he, 'Wommen desyren to have sovereyntee As well over hir housbond as hir love.' ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

You are the cause by which I die. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

What makes Geoffrey Chaucer such compelling reading is his creation of a riveting conversation between the ideal and the everyday. ~ John Mark Reynolds

What is better than wisdom? Woman. And what is better than a good woman? Nothing. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

I shall write a book some day about the appropriateness of names. Geoffrey Chaucer has a ribald ring, as is proper and correct, and Alexander Pope was inevitably Alexander Pope. Colley Cibber was a silly little man without much elegance and Shelley was very Percy and very Bysshe. ~ James Joyce

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. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The greatest scholars are not usually the wisest people ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

If gold rusts, what then can iron do? ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And she was fair as is the rose in May. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And gladly wolde he lerne, and gladly teche. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

When that Aprille with his shoures sote.
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertue engendred is the flour. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

That of all the floures in the mede, Thanne love I most these floures white and rede, Suche as men callen daysyes in her toune. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Every honest miller has a golden thumb. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And when a beest is deed, he hath no peyne; But man after his deeth moot wepe and pleyne. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Purity in body and heart
May please some
as for me, I make no boast.
For, as you know, no master of a household
Has all of his utensils made of gold;
Some are wood, and yet they are of use. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

In general, women desire to rule over their husbands and lovers, to be the authority above them. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

That he is gentil that doth gentil dedis. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

His spirit chaunged house and wente ther,
As I cam nevere, I kan nat tellen wher. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

One flesh they are; and one flesh, so I'd guess,
Has but one heart, come grief or happiness. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Women desire six things: They want their husbands to be brave, wise, rich, generous, obedient to wife, and lively in bed. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Everybody wants to go to the Super Bowl. Nobody wants to run laps. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And high above, depicted in a tower,
Sat Conquest, robed in majesty and power,
Under a sword that swung above his head,
Sharp-edged and hanging by a subtle thread. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

No empty handed man can lure a bird ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

And shame it is, if that a priest take keep, To see a shitten shepherd and clean sheep: ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Ther nis no werkman, whatsoevere he be, That may bothe werke wel and hastily. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Fie on possession, But if a man be vertuous withal. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Ne nevere mo ne lakked hire pite;
Tendre-herted, slydynge of corage;
But trewely, I kan nat telle hire age. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Chese now," quod she, "oon of thise thynges tweye:
To han me foul and old til that I deye,
And be to yow a trewe, humble wyf,
And nevere yow displese in al my lyf,
Or elles ye wol han me yong and fair,
And take youre aventure of the repair
That shal be to youre hous by cause of me,
Or in som oother place, may wel be.
Now chese yourselven, wheither that yow liketh. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

With emptie hands men may no haukes lure. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

For there is one thing I can safely say: that those bound by love must obey each other if they are to keep company long. Love will not be constrained by mastery; when mastery comes, the God of love at once beats his wings, and farewell he is gone. Love is a thing as free as any spirit; women naturally desire liberty, and not to be constrained like slaves; and so do men, if I shall tell the truth. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

Loke who that is most vertuous alway, Prive and apert, and most entendeth ay To do the gentil dedes that he can, And take him for the gretest gentilman. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

The cat would eat fish but would not get her feet wet. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer

I gave my whole heart up, for him to hold. ~ Geoffrey Chaucer