A CLERK ther was of Oxenford also,
   There was also a CLERK (scholar) from Oxford,

That unto logyk hadde longe ygo.
Who long before had begun the study of logic.

As leene was his hors as is a rake,
His horse was as lean as is a rake,

And he nas nat right fat, I undertake,
And he was not very fat, I affirm,

But looked holwe, and therto sobrely.
But looked emaciated, and moreover abstemious.

Ful thredbare was his overeste courtepy,
His short overcoat was very threadbare,

For he hadde geten hym yet no benefice,
For he had not yet obtained an ecclesiastical living,

Ne was so worldly for to have office.
Nor was he worldly enough to take secular employment.

For hym was levere have at his beddes heed
For he would rather have at the head of his bed

Twenty bookes, clad in blak or reed,
Twenty books, bound in black or red,

Of Aristotle and his philosophie
Of Aristotle and his philosophy

Than robes riche, or fithele, or gay sautrie.
Than rich robes, or a fiddle, or an elegant psaltery. 

But al be that he was a philosophre,
But even though he was a philosopher,

Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre;
Nevertheless he had but little gold in his strongbox;

But al that he myghte of his freendes hente,
But all that he could get from his friends,

On bookes and on lernynge he it spente,
He spent on books and on learning,

And bisily gan for the soules preye
And diligently did pray for the souls 

Of hem that yaf hym wherwith to scoleye.
Of those who gave him the wherewithal to attend the schools.

Of studie took he moost cure and moost heede.
He took most care and paid most heed to study.

Noght o word spak he moore than was neede,
He spoke not one word more than was needed,

And that was seyd in forme and reverence,
And that was said with due formality and respect,

And short and quyk and ful of hy sentence;
And short and lively and full of elevated content;

Sownynge in moral vertu was his speche,
His speech was consonant with moral virtue,

And gladly wolde he lerne and gladly teche.
And gladly would he learn and gladly teach.


 =Brian Ó Broin