Considering Chaucer’s Romaunt of the Rose: Principles and Processes of Medieval and Present-day Translations

Abstract

This thesis attempts to identify Chaucer’s style in the Middle English translation of Le Roman de la Rose and examine it in comparison to his own work. It also considers any influence Chaucer may have had on modern translations of the same text. This thesis is divided into four parts: firstly, it explores several secondary sources on Chaucer’s Romaunt of the Rose to give an account of what exactly is Chaucer’s work and how he came to this translation. Secondly, it attempts to identify Chaucer’s particular style of translation, and see how much of this is evident in the Romaunt, his earliest literary work. Thirdly and most importantly, the main body of the thesis will consist of translation reflection. Several passages from Chaucer’s Romaunt are compared to the French source text and two more recent translations: the first one by Harry W. Robbins, published posthumously in 1962, the second a prose translation by Charles Dahlberg from 1971. Finally, the thesis ventures to formulate a conclusion with regard to the importance of the three translations of the Romance de la Rose in the history of translation and literature in the English-speaking world.