Interlude A

Now imagine you could have been there
Just over six hundred years ago
To witness Geoffrey Chaucer
Reciting his version of that exact same story
For the court, in Middle English
Here’s how it would have sounded back then:

In Flaundres whilom was a compaignye
Of yonge folk that haunteden folye
As riot, hasard, stewes, and tavernes
Whereas with harpes, lutes, and giternes
They daunce and pleyen at dees bothe day and night
And ete also and drinke over hir might
Thurgh which they doon the devel sacrifise
Withinne that develes temple in cursed wise