I memorised this back in high school, for my Middle English class.
Therefore, I chose it as my period piece for the first year’s Norrskensbard contest, as I already knew it, and, as the event steward, I needed time for event prep, and finishing the Norrskensbard Mantel
Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote, The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, And bathed every veyne in swich licóur Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth Inspired hath in every holt and heeth The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye, That slepen al the nyght with open ye, So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages, Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes, To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes; And specially, from every shires ende Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke, That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.
