#  Prologue to the Lai le Frain 

 



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## (This is often printed as an introduction to Sir Orfeo).

   
  
*For words not glossed in the margins see the glossary in The Riverside Chaucer*.

Sort  
   
   
   
 **5**  
   
   
   
   
 **10**  
   
   
   
   
 **15**  
   
   
   
   
 **20**



We redeth oft and findeth y-write,  
 And this clerkes wele it wite,  
 Layes that ben in harping  
 Ben y-founde of ferli thing:  
 Sum bethe of wer and sum of wo,  
 And sum of joie and mirthe also,  
 And sum of trecherie and of gile,  
 Of old aventours that fel while;  
 And sum of bourdes and ribaudy,  
 And mani ther beth of fairy.  
 Of al thinges that men seth,  
 Mest o love, forsothe, they beth.  
 In Breteyne this layes were wrought,  
 First y-founde and forth y-brought,  
 Of aventours that fel bi dayes,  
 Wherof Bretouns maked her layes.  
 When kinges might our y-here  
 Of ani mervailes that ther were,  
 Thai token an harp in gle and game  
 And maked a lay and gaf it name.  
 Now of this aventours that weren y-falle  
 Y can tel sum, ac nought alle.  
 Ac herkneth, lordinges that ben trewe,  
 Ichil you telle of "Lei de Frain."



**written**  
 **these scholars know it well**  
   
 **Are composed of marvelous things**  
   
 **gaiety**  
 **guile**  
 **adventures that happened once**  
 **jokes; ribaldry**  
   
   
 **Most of love**  
 **In Brittany these**  
 **composed; produced**  
 **happened in olden times**  
 **their**  
 **anywhere (our = o-wher) hear**  
 **marvels**  
 **took**  
 **gave**  
 **have happened**  
 **but**  
 **But hearken**  
 **I will**







Glossed and edited from the edition on pp. 117-18 in *Sir Orfeo: ein englisches Feenmaerchen*, ed. Oscar Zielke. Breslau, 1880. \[Widener 27283.54\].