| | And I wol telle verament | |
| | Of mirthe and of solace | |
| | Of a knyght fair and gent | |
| 5 | In batayl and in turnament | |
| | His name was sir Thopas | |
| | I borne he was in fer contre | |
| | In Flaundris al be yond the se | |
| | At Popering in the place | |
| 10 | His fadir was a man ful fre | |
| | A lord he was of that contre | |
| | As it was goddis grace | |
| | Sir Thopas wext a doughty sweyn | |
| | Whit was his face as paynemeyn | |
| 15 | His lippis rede as rose | |
| | His rode is lik scarlet in greyn | |
| | As I telle you in good certeyn | |
| | He hadde a semely nose | |
| | His heer his berd was lik saffron | |
| 20 | That to his girdil raught a doun | |
| | His shoon of cordeweyn | |
| | Of briggis were his hosyn broun | |
| | His Robe was of siclatoun | |
| | That coste many a Ian | |
| 25 | He coude hunte atte wilde deer | |
| | And ryde an hawkyng for Ryuere | |
| | With grey gosehauk in honde | |
| | Therto he was a greet archer | |
| | Of wrastlyng was ther none his peer | |
| 30 | Ther ony ram sholde stonde | |
