With us ther was a DOCTOUR OF PHISIK;
   With us there was a DOCTOR OF MEDICINE

In al this world ne was ther noon hym lik,
In all this world there was no one like him,

To speke of phisik and of surgerye,
To speak of medicine and of surgery,

For he was grounded in astronomye.
For he was instructed in astronomy.

He kepte his pacient a ful greet deel
He took care of his patient very many times

In houres by his magyk natureel.
In (astronomically suitable) hours by (use of) his natural science.

Wel koude he fortunen the ascendent
He well knew how to calculate the planetary position

Of his ymages for his pacient.
Of his astronomical talismans for his patient.

He knew the cause of everich maladye,
He knew the cause of every malady,

Were it of hoot, or coold, or moyste, or drye,
Were it of hot, or cold, or moist, or dry elements,

And where they engendred, and of what humour.
And where they were engendered, and by what bodily fluid.

He was a verray, parfit praktisour:
He was a truly, perfect practitioner:

The cause yknowe, and of his harm the roote,
The cause known, and the source of his (patient's) harm,

Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.
Straightway he gave the sick man his remedy.

Ful redy hadde he his apothecaries
He had his apothecaries all ready 

To sende hym drogges and his letuaries,
To send him drugs and his electuaries,

For ech of hem made oother for to wynne --
For each of them made the other to profit —

Hir frendshipe nas nat newe to bigynne.
Their friendship was not recently begun.

Wel knew he the olde Esculapius,
He well knew the old Aesculapius,

And Deyscorides, and eek Rufus,
And Dioscorides, and also Rufus,

Olde Ypocras, Haly, and Galyen,
Old Hippocrates, Haly, and Galen,

Serapion, Razis, and Avycen,
Serapion, Rhazes, and Avicenna,

Averrois, Damascien, and Constantyn,
Averroes, John the Damascan, and Constantine,

Bernard, and Gatesden, and Gilbertyn.
Bernard, and Gaddesden, and Gilbertus.

Of his diete mesurable was he,
He was moderate in his diet,

For it was of no superfluitee,
For it was of no excess,

But of greet norissyng and digestible.
But greatly nourishing and digestible.

His studie was but litel on the Bible.
His study was but little on the Bible.

In sangwyn and in pers he clad was al,
He was clad all in red and in blue,

Lyned with taffata and with sendal.
Lined with taffeta and with silk.

And yet he was but esy of dispence;
And yet he was moderate in spending;

He kepte that he wan in pestilence.
He kept what he earned in (times of) plague.

For gold in phisik is a cordial,
Since in medicine gold is a restorative for the heart,

Therefore he lovede gold in special.
Therefore he loved gold in particular.



 =Brian Ó Broin