When priestes failen in their saws,
And lordes turne Godde's laws
Against the right;
And lechery is holden as privy solace,
And robbery as free purchase,
Beware then of ill!
Then shall the Land of Albion
Turne to confusion,
As sometime it befell.
Ora pro Anglia Sancta Maria, quod Thomas Cantuaria.
Sweet Jesus, heaven's King,
Fair and best of all thing,
You bring us out of this mourning,
To come to thee at our ending!
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Comments
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In reading Chaucer one finds that the concerns and realities of the 14th century are very similar to today... Odd how few things have changed... Besides reading Chaucer for the beauty of his form... he is well worth reading for his deep and profound insight. I might add one final note, it's worth slogging your way through his middle English verse, translators often miss certain little double meanings Chaucer sneaks in. As now, back then some things could only be hinted at or convoluted with a series of double negatives... When you come across a passage that you seemingly misread to say something profound, saterical or sarcastic, likely you have found the real meaning. I've found many such treats in Chaucer's work often glossed over entirely by the modern english translation.
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This warning Chaucer fortells, is so true of even today.
He gives a very intelligent warning to all that would read this piece.
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