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The Former Age by Geoffrey Chaucer

The Former Age

	A blisful lyf, a paisible and a swete,
	Ledden the peples in the former age.
	They helde hem payed of the fruites that they ete,
	Which that the feldes yave hem by usage;
5	They ne were nat forpampred with outrage.
	Unknowen was the quern and ek the melle;
	They eten mast, hawes, and swich pounage,
	And dronken water of the colde welle.
	Yit nas the ground nat wounded with the plough,
10	But corn up-sprong, unsowe of mannes hond,
	The which they gnodded and eete nat half ynough.
	No man yit knew the forwes of his lond,
	No man the fyr out of the flint yit fond,
	Unkorven and ungrobbed lay the vyne;
15	No man yit in the morter spyces grond
	To clarre ne to sause of galantyne.
	No mader, welde, or wood no litestere
	Ne knew; the flees was of his former hewe;
	No flesh ne wiste offence of egge or spere.
20	No coyn ne knew man which was fals or trewe,
	No ship yit karf the wawes grene and blewe,
	No marchaunt yit ne fette outlandish ware.
	No trompes for the werres folk ne knewe,
	Ne toures heye and walles rounde or square.
25	What sholde it han avayled to werreye?
	Ther lay no profit, ther was no richesse;
	But cursed was the tyme, I dare wel seye,
	That men first dide hir swety bysinesse
	To grobbe up metal, lurkinge in derknesse,
30	And in the riveres first gemmes soghte.
	Allas, than sprong up al the cursednesse
	Of coveytyse, that first our sorwe broghte.
	Thise tyraunts putte hem gladly nat in pres
	No wildnesse ne no busshes for to winne,
35	Ther poverte is, as seith Diogenes,
	Ther as vitaile is ek so skars and thinne
	That noght but mast or apples is therinne;
	But, ther as bagges ben and fat vitaile,
	Ther wol they gon, and spare for no sinne
40	With al hir ost the cite for to asayle.
	Yit was no paleis-chaumbres ne non halles;
	In caves and wodes softe and swete
	Slepten this blissed folk withoute walles
	On gras or leves in parfit quiete.
45	Ne doun of fetheres ne no bleched shete
	Was kid to hem, but in seurtee they slepte.
	Hir hertes were al oon withoute galles;
	Everich of hem his feith to other kepte.
	Unforged was the hauberk and the plate;
50	The lambish peple, voyd of alle vyce,
	Hadden no fantasye to debate,
	But ech of hem wolde other wel cheryce.
	No pryde, non envye, non avaryce,
	No lord, no taylage by no tyrannye;
55	Humblesse and pees, good feith the emperice.
	Yit was not Jupiter the likerous,
	That first was fader of delicacye,
	Come in this world; ne Nembrot, desirous
	To regne, had nat maad his toures hye.
60	Allas, allas, now may men wepe and crye!
	For in oure dayes nis but covetyse,
	Doublenesse, and tresoun, and envye,
	Poyson, manslawhtre, and mordre in sondry wyse.

Explicit Etas Prima. Chaucers.

The Former Age (Translation into Modern English)

A blissful life, peaceful and sweet, people led in the former age. They remained content with the fruits they ate, which the fields always gave them. They were not pampered with excess. Unknown were the quern and the mill; they fed on nuts, haws and such mast, and drank water from the cold spring. As yet the ground was not wounded by the plough, but corn sprang up not sown by man's hand; this they rubbed to meal, and ate not half they desired. No man had yet seen the soil turned in furrows, nor found the fire in the flint; the vine lay unpruned and uncultivated, no man as yet ground spices in a mortar to put in wine or sharp sauces. No dyer knew madder, weld or woad, the fleece remained in its first hue; no flesh knew the attack of knife or spear; man knew no coin, good or bad; no ship yet cut the green and azure waves; no merchant yet fetched foreign wares.

People knew no trumpets for the wars, no high towers and walls square or round. Of what purpose is there to make war? There lay no profit, there was no booty. But cursed was the time, I dare well say, when men first did their sweaty diligence to grub up metal which lurks in the dark, and first sought gems in the rivers. Alas, then sprung up all the accursed covetousness which first brought in our sorrow! These tyrants are not glad to put them in the press of battle, as Diogenes says, to win a wilderness or a few bushes where poverty dwells, where food is so scarce and poor that nothing is there but mast or apples. But where money-bags and fat meats are, there they will go and spare for no sin to assail the city with all their host.

As yet were no palace halls or chambers. In caves and woods sweet and soft slept these blessed people in perfect peace, on grass or leaves, protected by no walls. Down of feathers, and bleached sheets, were not known to them, but in security they slept. Their hearts were as one, with no spot of soreness, and each kept his faith to other. The hauberk and the plate-mail were yet unforged. The lamb-like people, void of all sin, had no fantasy to contend against each other, but each cherished another tenderly. No pride was there, or envy, avarice, lordship, tyrannical taxation, but humility, peace, and good faith, the empress of all virtues. Jupiter the wanton, first father of delicate living, was not yet come into the world; nor had Nimrod, with lust of rule, built his lofty towers. Alas! alas! Well may men now weep and lament. For in our days is nothing but covetousness and duplicity, treason and envy, poisoning, manslaughter, and many kinds of murder.

Here Ends The Former Age of Chaucer.