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Happy Valentine’s Day: The Parliament of Fowls

Photo: Jamie Street

The Parliament of Fowls by Geoffrey Chaucer (ca. 1343-1400) is perhaps the first St. Valentine's Day poem
ever written. 

     The Parliament of Fowls

    A garden saw I, full of blossomy boughs 
    Upon a river, in a green mead, 
    There as sweetness evermore enough is, 
    With flowers white, blue, yellow, and red, 
    And cold well-streams, nothing dead, 
    That swimming full of small fishes light, 
    With fins red and scales silver bright.

    On every bough the birds heard I sing, 
    With voice of angels in their harmony; 
    Some busied themselves birds forth to bring; 
    The little coneys to here play did hie. 
    And further all about I could see 
    The dread filled roe, the buck, the hart and hind, 
    Squirrels, and beasts small of gentle kind.

    Of instruments of strings in accord 
    Heard I so play a ravishing sweetness, 
    That God, that maker is of all and lord, 
    Had heard never better, as I guess. 
    Therewith a wind, scarcely it might be less, 
    Made in the leaves green a noise soft 
    Accordant to the fowls' song aloft.

    Th'air of that place so a-temperate was 
    That never was grievance of hot nor cold. 
    There wax also every wholesome spice and grass; 
    No man may there wax sick nor old; 
    Yet was there joy more a thousandfold 
    Than man can tell; never would it be night, 
    But always clear day to any man's sight.

From Poem of the Week.

Filed Under: Photo Essay Tagged With: Geoffrey Chaucer, The Parliament of Fowls, Valentine's Day

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