A YEMAN hadde he and servantz namo   
   He (the Knight) had A YEOMAN and no more servants  

At that tyme, for hym liste ride so, 
At that time, for it pleased him so to travel, 

And he was clad in cote and hood of grene. 
And he (the yeoman) was clad in coat and hood of green. 

A sheef of pecok arwes, bright and kene, 
A sheaf of peacock arrows, bright and keen, 

Under his belt he bar ful thriftily
He carried under his belt very properly 

(Wel koude he dresse his takel yemanly;
(He well knew how to care for his equipment as a yeoman should; 

His arwes drouped noght with fetheres lowe),
His arrows did not fall short because of drooping feathers), 

And in his hand he baar a myghty bowe.
And in his hand he carried a mighty bow. 

A not heed hadde he, with a broun visage.
He had a close-cropped head, with a brown face. 

Of wodecraft wel koude he al the usage.
He well knew all the practice of woodcraft. 

Upon his arm he baar a gay bracer,
He wore an elegant archer's wrist-guard upon his arm, 

And by his syde a swerd and a bokeler,
And by his side a sword and a small shield, 

And on that oother syde a gay daggere
And on that other side an elegant dagger 

Harneised wel and sharp as point of spere;
Well ornamented and sharp as the point of a spear; 

A Cristopher on his brest of silver sheene.
A Christopher-medal of bright silver on his breast. 

An horn he bar, the bawdryk was of grene;
He carried a horn, the shoulder strap was green; 

A forster was he, soothly, as I gesse.
He was a forester, truly, as I guess. 


 =Brian Ó Broin