Richard Brodie

An excerpt from Book 2 "Tale of the False Bachelor" illustrating the difference between a translation and a modernization. Note that in order to achieve the perfect rhyme and meter characteristic of Gower, there are many synonym substitutions and rephrasings, as well as updating to a modern idiom, an occasional triplet rhyme (as in Dryden's rendering of the Knight's Tale), and occasional line interchanges.
Original Middle English	Literal Translation	Brodie's Modernization
This bacheler was tho consailed And wedded, and of thilke empire He was coroned lord and sire, And al the lond him hath received; Wherof his lord, which was deceived, A seknesse er the thridde morwe Conceived hath of dedly sorwe. And as he lay upon his deth, Therwhile him lasteth speche and breth, He sende for the worthieste Of al the lond and ek the beste, And tolde hem al the sothe tho, That he was sone and heir also Of th'emperour of grete Rome, And how that thei togedre come, This kniht and he. Riht as it was, He tolde hem al the pleine cas, And for that he his conseil tolde, That other hath al that he wolde, And he hath failed of his mede. As for the good he takth non hiede, He seith, bot only of the love Of which he wende have ben above.	The squire was then accommodated And wedded, and of that empire He was crowned lord and sire, And all the land received him, Whereof his lord, who was deceived, A sickness on the third morning Did conceive from deadly sorrow. And as he lay upon his death [bed], While his speech and breath lasted, He sent for the worthiest Of the land and also the best, And then told them all the truth, That he was son and also heir Of the emperor of great Rome, And how they together had come, This knight and he. Just as it was, He plainly told them all, And because he [had] divulged his confidence, That other has all that he would [have had]. And he has been denied his royal endowment. As for the wealth he takes no heed, He says, but only of the love Which he regarded as sent from above..	This bachelor then got his way And was upon the wedding day Crowned to be lord, as was his aim. And all the land did him acclaim: Whereon his lord, who was deceived, From mortal misery, conceived A sickness ere three days had passed. And while his speech and breath did last, As on his deathbed he did rest, He made one dying last request To see the best men in the land, Then on the truth he did expand, That he was heir to him who reigned As king in Rome, and then explained, That he together with his squire Had come. And all that did transpire He told them plainly, how because He did confide in him, it was That someone else had robbed him of The prize that he deserved in love, Which was ordained by heav'n above, For that is all he cared about, Her dowry he could do without.