Bonus Episode: Chaucer’s Purse and the Great Vowel Shift

Welcome to the History of English Podcast, a podcast about the history of the English language.

This is a bonus episode to mark the unofficial transition from Middle English to Modern English.

In this bonus episode, we'll examine one of the last poems composed by Geoffrey Chaucer.

The reason why we're jumping jumping back in time about a century is because I wanted to illustrate the effects of the Great Vowel Shift on the pronunciation of English.

So I chose this particular poem to illustrate the changes brought about by the Great Vowel Shift.

I'm going to present the poem to you in its original Middle English, and then I'm going to give you a version in early modern English to reflect the first stages of the Great Vowel Shift.

and then I'm going to read a modern version to show the effects of the final vowel changes that took place in the the 1700s and 1800s.

This way you can hear how the English language has evolved over the past six centuries or so.

But before we begin, let me remind you that the website for the podcast is historyofenglishpodcast.com, and you can sign up to support the podcast and get bonus episodes and transcripts at patreon.com slash historyofenglish.

Now before we jump into this episode, I just want to note that this will be the only episode I'm releasing on the regular podcast feed in December, so we'll pick back up with the next regular episode in January.

That will be episode 144, and it will begin our transition into the modern English period.

But before we make that transition, I received a lot of feedback about the prior three episodes covering the Great Vowel Shift.

And several listeners requested that I illustrate how those sound changes impacted English by reading a passage in Middle English, Early Modern English, and Contemporary Modern English.

In other words, read the passage with the original Middle English vowels, and then read it again with the Early Modern English vowels to reflect the initial stages of the Great Vowel Shift, and then read it again with the current vowels to reflect the later vowel shifts that I discussed.

I actually thought that was a great idea, so that's why I've decided to put together this bonus episode.

The tricky tricky part was coming up with a passage that I could use to illustrate those changes.

It needed to be relatively short, and it needed to feature many of the specific sounds that I've discussed.

It also needed to have a relatively modern vocabulary so I wouldn't have to translate the older passage and substitute modern words for the older words as the timeframe moved forward.

It also needed to be a somewhat standard piece of Middle English in order to capture the state of the language in the 1300s before the great vowel shift got underway.

Ultimately, I chose a short poem by Geoffrey Chaucer.

It's one of the last pieces of literature composed by Chaucer before his death, and many scholars think it is the very last poem that he ever wrote.

Since Chaucer is so closely associated with the Middle English period, it seemed like an appropriate choice, and since this may have been his final poem, I thought it was a fitting way to conclude the Middle English period.

Now Now, the poem doesn't have a specific title, but it's generally known as The Complaint of Chaucer to His Purse.

It is literally a poem addressed to his empty purse because he was essentially broke at the time.

It was Chaucer's version of a common type of poetry in the Middle Ages called a complaint.

A complaint was a poem about some type of personal misfortune.

It was often about unrequited love, or more specifically, about an an unfaithful lover.

But in Chaucer's version, the fickle lover is his empty purse, and he addresses the poem to the purse in the same way that other poets would have addressed their poetry to their mistress or lover.

So it's a bit of a satire, and Chaucer uses several puns where he compares his purse to a mistress.

Now I should probably give you a little bit of background to put this poem into context and to explain what was happening when Chaucer wrote it.

As you might recall from the earlier episodes about Chaucer, he was a government servant for much of his adult life, and through that employment he had acquired certain annuities or long-term payments as a reward for his loyal service to the crown.

The king for much of that period was Richard II,

but Richard was deposed in 1399 by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke, who then became Henry IV.

Henry was the first Lancastrian king.

Well, during that transitional period from Richard II to Henry IV, many of those payments that had been given out by Richard were suspended.

And Chaucer was not exactly a man of wealth.

When his annuity payments were suspended, he quickly ran out of money.

There's a concluding stanza to the poem called An Envoy that is addressed to the new king Henry.

And it's possible that Chaucer intentionally wrote this poem as a personal request to Henry.

Chaucer would have known Henry from childhood.

Remember that Henry was the son of John of Gaunt, and Gaunt was Chaucer's brother-in-law.

Gaunt and Chaucer were married to sisters, and one of Chaucer's very first poems called The Book of the Duchess was written for Gaunt about the death of his first wife Blanche, who was actually Henry's mother.

So Chaucer may have known that Henry would enjoy this type of satirical poem written to his empty purse.

And whatever the purpose of the poem was, Henry did soon renew the annuity payment to Chaucer.

In fact, Henry's annuity to Chaucer was larger than the one Richard had granted, so Chaucer's financial problems were alleviated.

But unfortunately, he died a few months later, and that's why this poem is considered to be one of his final poems, and perhaps the last poem he ever composed.

The poem itself is relatively short.

It only has 26 lines.

Those lines are divided into three stanzas of seven lines each, and then there's that short concluding section called the envoy, which consists of five lines.

Those first three stanzas have a rhyming pattern that's a bit unusual today, but it was much more common in the Middle Ages.

It's called rhyme royal, and it followed the pattern AB ABBC.

So the first and third lines rhyme with each other, and the second, fourth, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the last two lines, six and seven, rhyme with each other.

It was a structure that Chaucer actually introduced to English, and he used it in several of his works, including some parts of the Canterbury Tales.

He probably based it on similar poetic styles that were used in France and Italy.

Now I'm going to take you through each of those three stanzas and the concluding passage.

As I go through each section, I'm going to read it three times.

First, I'll read the passage in Chaucer's Middle English of the 1300s, and then I'll read it a second time and shift the vowel sounds to reflect the initial stages of the great vowel shift.

So basically the second version will be in early modern English, from around the time of Shakespeare in the early 1600s.

Then I'll read it a third time, and I'll include the later vowel shifts that took place in the 1700s and 1800s.

I'll keep the same vocabulary, so it will be a literal reading of the passage, but the pronunciation will be updated to a modern English accent.

As always, I'll try to render those versions as best I can, but there isn't universal agreement about all of the pronunciations, nor is there universal agreement about Chaucer's intended meaning in some of these passages.

So this is one interpretation, and it's ultimately just an exercise to illustrate how the language has evolved over the centuries.

And that's the spirit in which I'm presenting this.

So let's start with the first stanza.

In the opening passage, Chaucer says that the poem is addressed to his purse and no other white, W-I-G-H-T.

White meant person, so he's saying that the poem is addressed to his purse and no other person.

He then refers to his purse as his dear lady, so he addresses the purse as if it were his lover, in keeping with the conventional style of this type of poetry.

He says that he regrets that his purse is light, which is actually a pun because light has a double meaning here.

It's literally light in the sense that there's no money in it, but in Middle English, light could also refer to someone who was fickle or unfaithful.

So his purse, or dear lady, has become unfaithful.

He says that unless his purse gives him heavy cheer or great delight, he would rather be laid like a leaf upon his bier, B I E R.

That's an old word for a coffin stand or a tomb.

He concludes with the standard refrain: Be heavy again, or else must I die.

Now here's the stanza first in Middle English

To ye me purse, unto none other wicked

Compline ye, for ye bay me Laddie dare

Eam so sorry know that ye been lict For a certis but ye mock me heavy chair, may whereas leif be laid upon me bear

For which unto your mercy Lucy Cree Bayeth heavy again or else multi de

Now here's the same passage in early modern English which reflects the initial stages of the great vow shift.

So roughly speaking, the time frame here is the sixteen hundreds

To you, my parse, and to none other weight,

Complain I, for ye be my lady dear

I am so sorry now that ye be light For sartis but ye make me heavy cheer Me where as life be laid upon me bare for which unto yar marcy thus I cry beeth heavy again, or else must I die

Now here's the same passage in modern English.

This is a literal reading of Chaucer's words without any translation

To you my purse, and to none other white complain I, for ye be my lady dear I am so sorry now that ye be light, for certain but ye make me heavy cheer me were as leaf be laid upon my bier, for which unto your mercy thus I cry, Beeth heavy again, or else must I die.

Now let's turn to the second stanza.

In this second passage, Chaucer pleads that the purse vouchsafe or grant him favour on this particular day before it is night.

He pleads to hear its blissful sound, comparing the jingle of coins to a lover's voice, and he pleads to see its color, like the bright sun and the yellowness that has no peer.

Again, here he's comparing the silver and gold coins to the golden hair or complexion of his lover.

He says that his purse is his life and his heart's steer or rudder.

He also describes his purse as the queen of comfort and good company.

Now here's the passage first in Chaucer's original Middle English

Nuvuchet soft this die, or it be nicht, that ye of ye the blissful soon my hair,

or say your colour lick the soon break,

that of yellow anus had never repair

Ye be me leaf, ye be mean heretis stare,

Queen of comfort, and of good company, baith heavy again, or else mot e de

Now here's the same passage in early modern English from around the sixteen hundreds

Now voucheth Seth this day, or it be night, that I of you the blissful sound may hear,

or see your colour like the sun bright That of yelliness had never peer

ye be my life, ye be mine heart's steer Queen of comfort and of good company, beeth heavy again, or else must I die

Now here's a literal reading of the same passage in modern English

Now vouchsafe this day, or it be night, that I of you the blissful sound may hear, or see your colour like the sun bright, That of yellowness had never peer Ye be my life, ye be my heart's steer, Queen of comfort and of good company Beeth heavy again, or else must I die

Now let's turn to the third stanza of the poem.

In this passage, Chaucer says that his purse is the light of his life and savior down in this world.

He then begs his purse to help him out of this town, since the purse will not be his treasury.

Now that line is subject to differing interpretations, but one common interpretation is that the word town was still sometimes used in its original sense as a walled enclosure.

Over time, the word has been extended to large settlements because those settlements usually had protective walls, but originally the word town could refer to a small-scale enclosure as well.

And during this period, Chaucer had moved to the monastery at Westminster Abbey, and he was living in the enclosed area there.

And as long as he lived there, he was protected from his creditors.

So in this poem, when he begs his purse to help him out of this town, he's essentially saying that a full purse would allow him to leave the monastery at Westminster and return to a sense of normalcy where he could freely roam the city streets again.

Chaucer concludes the passage by noting that he is shaven as near as a friar.

In other words, he has as little money as a friar has hair.

Here's the passage, first in Chaucer's original Middle English

New purse that bay to me me leaves licht

and sevior as dun in this world hair Out of this tune help me through your mic

Seen that ye woe not bane me trees or hair for ye am shab as ni as any freer but yet ye pray unto your courtesy

bayeth heavy again or else multi de

Now here's the same passage in early modern English from around the sixteen hundreds

Now parse that be to me my livest light, unsevier as dune in this world here,

out of this town, help me through your might,

since that ye will not be my treasure,

for I am shaved as nay as any frayer.

But yet I pray until your courtesy

beeth heavy again, or else must I die.

Now here's a literal reading of the same passage in modern English.

Now purse that be to me my life's light, and Saviour as down in this world here,

out of this town, help me through your might, since that ye will not be my treasury, for I am shaven as near as any friar, but yet I pray unto your courtesy, be heavy again, or else must I die.

Now let's turn to the final passage of the poem, which is called the envoy of the poem.

Believe it or not, that's actually the original meaning of the word envoy in English.

It comes from French, where it meant to send or send off.

It was originally used in this sense as the final part of a poem, the send-off, or the concluding part.

It was later re-borrowed in the sense of a government official who was sent on a diplomatic mission to another country or another place.

In this particular poem, the envoy is addressed to the new king of England at the time, Henry IV.

Chaucer needed him to renew the payments which had been suspended.

As I've noted before, Henry had deposed his cousin Richard, and he had a dubious claim to the throne.

He based his claim on three factors, conquest, royal descent, and having been selected and approved by Parliament.

Now, in order to gain Henry's favor with this poem, Chaucer refers to each of those factors at the beginning of the envoy.

He refers to Henry as the conqueror of Brutus's Albion.

As we've seen in prior episodes, Brutus was the mythological founder of Britain, and Albion was a nickname for Britain, so that's why he refers to Henry as the conqueror of Brutus's Albion.

Chaucer also refers to Henry as the very king, which meant the rightful or true king, and he says that Henry occupied that position both by line and free election.

So he's repeating the Lancastrian claim that Henry was the rightful heir by royal descent and was also duly chosen by Parliament.

Chaucer concludes by saying that Henry is the only one who can mend his harm, and he begs Henry to consider his supplication, which meant his humble plea.

Of course that plea was a request to renew the annuity payments which had been suspended.

Now here's the passage first in Chaucer's original Middle English O conqueror of Brutus Albion, which that be lead and frey elexion,

Be very king this song to you send,

and ye that mowen all o'er horramand,

have miened upon me suplication.

Now here's the same passage in early modern English from around the sixteen hundreds.

O Conqueror of Brutus Albion, which that by line fre election

Be very king this song to you I send And ye that may all o'er harm amend, Have mind upon me supplication

Now here's a literal reading of the same passage in modern English

O conqueror of Brutus's Albion, which that by line and free election Be very king, this song to you I send, And ye that may all our harm amend, have mind upon my supplication.

So that's Chaucer's complaint to his purse, in Middle English, early modern English, and contemporary English.

As I noted, it appears that the poem was composed by Chaucer to recover his annuities and renew his income, and if that was the purpose, it worked.

He did soon recover his annuity, and his purse was in fact heavy again, or at least not as light light as it had been.

And even though he didn't live much longer to enjoy that renewed income, his request in this poem illustrates the power of poetry in the Middle Ages.

But the Middle Ages were slowly giving way to the Renaissance and the modern era.

So next time we'll pick back up with the next regular episode, and we'll look at a world in transition in the late 1400s.

One other quick note before we conclude, if you're interested in hearing the entire poem read out in each of the versions I presented here without interruption, I'm going to include those readings at the very end of this episode.

So after the theme music ends, you can continue to listen and hear those versions if you would like.

So until next time, thanks for listening to the History of English podcast.

To ye me purus, unto none other waked, complain ye, for ye bay me larry dare ye am so sorry, know that ye been licked, for a certis, but ye mock me heavy chair, may wera's laf be laid upon me bare

For which unto your mercy Lucy Cree Bayeth heavy again, or else multi de

Nuvucheth softest die, or it be nich

That e of ye the blissful soon my hair

Or say your colour leak the soon break

That of yellow anus had never repair

Ye be me leaf, ye be mean heretis stare

Queen of of comfort and of good company, Bayeth heavy again, or else multi de

porse that bay to me leavis licht, and savior as doon in this world hair

Out of this tune help me through your micht, seeing that ye woe not bane me treasure,

for ye am shab as ni as any frere, but yet ye pray unto your courtesy,

Bayeth heavy again, or else multidia

O conqueror of Brutus Albion, which that be lead and fray elexion,

Bay very king this song to you ye send, and ye that mowen all o'er horram amend, have mien' upon me suplication

To you my parse, and to none other weight, complain I, for ye be my lady dear

I am so sorry now that ye be light, for sartis, but ye make me heavy cheer, mewer as leaf be laid upon me bare, for which unto yar mercy thus I cry, Beeth heavy again, or else must I die

Now voucheth Seth this day, or it be night, that I of you the blissful sound may hear,

or see your colour like the sun bright, That of Yellenus had never peer

Ye be my life, ye be mine heart's steer

Queen of comfort and of good company Beeth heavy again, or else must I die

Now parse that be to me my livest light And sevior as down in this world hair Out of this town help me through your might

Since that ye will not be my treasure,

for I I am shaved as nay as any frayer.

But yet I pray unto your courtesy,

beeth heavy again, or else must I die.

O conqueror of Brutus Albion, which that by line and fray elexion be very king, this song to you I send, and ye that may all or harm amend, have mind upon me supplication.

To you, my purse, and to none other white, complain I, for ye be my lady dear.

I am so sorry now that ye be light, for certain, but ye make me heavy cheer.

Me were as leaf be laid upon my bier, for which unto your mercy thus I cry, Beeth heavy again, or else must I die.

Now vouchsafe this day, or it be night, that I of you the blissful sound may hear, or see your colour like the sun bright, that of yellowness had never peer.

Ye be my life, ye be my heart's steer, queen of comfort and of good company, beeth heavy again, or else must I die.

Now purse that be to me my life's light, and saviour as down in this world here,

out of this town, help me through your might, since that ye will not be my treasury, for I am shaven as near as any friar, but yet I pray unto your courtesy, be heavy again, or else must I die.

O conqueror of Brutus's Albion, which that by line and free election be very king, this song to you I send, and ye that may all our harm amend, have mind upon my supplication.