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Edmund Spenser
A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine,
Y cladd in mightie armes and silver shielde,
Wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine,
The cruell markes of many' a bloudy(bloody) fielde;
Yet armes till that time did he never wield:
His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
Full jolly knight he seemd, and faire did sitt,
As one for knightly giusts (joust)and fierce encounters fitt.

But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore,
The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,
For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore,
And dead as (or)living ever him adored:
upon his shield the like was also scored,
For soveraine hope, which in his helpe he had:
Right faithfull true he was in deede and word,
But of his cheere (expression)did seeme too solemne sad;
subjection Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad(dreaded).

Upon a great adventure he was bond(going),
That greatest Gloriana to him gave,
That greatest Glorious Queene of Faerie lond(land),
To winne him worship, and her grace to have,
Which of all earthly things he most did crave(want to have);
And ever as he rode, his hart did earne (yearn)
To prove his puissance in battell brave
Upon his foe, and his new force(means) to learne;
Upon his foe, a Dragon horrible and stearne. (stern)

A lovely Ladie rode him faire beside,
  Upon a lowly Asse more white then snow,
Yet she much whiter, but the same did hide
Under a vele(veil), that wimpled was full low,
And over all a blacke stole she did throw,
As one that inly mournd: so was she sad,
And heavie sat upon her palfrey(ass) slow:
Seemed in heart some hidden care she had,
And by her in a line(leash) a milke white lambe she lad(牵着).

So pure and innocent, as that same lambe,
She was in life and every vertuous lore, ?
And by descent from Royall lynage（linage贵族血统） came
Of ancient Kings and Queenes, that had of yore
Their scepters stretcht from East to Westerne shore,
And all the world in their subjection held（rule）;
Till that infernall 凶残的feend(fiend) with foule uprore 肮脏的
Forwasted all their land, and them expeld:
Whom to avenge, she had this Knight from far compeld. (summoned)

Behind her farre away a Dwarfe did lag,
That lasie seemd in being ever last,
Or wearied with bearing of her bag
Of needments at his backe. Thus as they past,
The day with cloudes was suddeine overcast,
And angry Jove an hideous storme of raine
Did poure into his Lemans lap so fast,
That every wight 生灵to shrowd it did constrain,
And this faire couple eke to shroud themselves were fain.

Enforst to seeke some covert nigh at hand,
A shadie grove not far away they spide,
That promist ayde the tempest to withstand:
Whose loftie trees yclad with sommers pride,
Did spred so broad, that heavens light did hide,
Not perceable with power of any starre:
And all within were pathes and alleies wide,
With footing worne, and leading inward farre:
Faire harbour that them seemes; so in they entred arre.


The Faerie Queene是Edmund Spenser的一部重要作品，全诗共12卷，每卷代表了一种品德。第一卷讲的是Holiness--圣洁.
1        A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine
Gentle这里是noble的意思，就是高贵的。 Pricking就是用鞭策马前进。
2        Ycladd in mightie armes and silver shielde.
Yaladd, clad 即全身穿着，覆盖着。Mightie=mighty , shielde=shield 后面加e是中世纪时的英语的特，这点在莎士比亚的很多作品里都可以看到痕迹。
3        wherein old dints of deepe wounds did remaine
这一句是倒装，突出强调了dints,就是打击。盾牌上面被刀剑撞击的坑洼非常明显。
4      The cruell markes of many a bloudy fielde;
这句是对前面句的补充说明：那是血腥的战场上留下的“残酷的痕迹”—cruell marks
bloudy 就是bloody  cruell即cruel
5      Yet armes till that time did he never wield:
Armes 指武器，wield—hold and use a weapon .使用(武器)。直译是直到那时，骑士还从来没有使用过武器，意思就是说骑士从未上过战场
6        His angry steede did chide his foming bitt,
Steede 是马的意思， chide =grind ,咬 bitt指马嚼
愤怒的骏马口吐白沫，将马嚼咬碎。
7      As much disdayning to the curbe to yield:
Disdayn=disdain,意思是scorn; contempt,傲慢，蔑视。骏马不愿屈从于骑士的驾驭。
第6，7句连起来的意思是他跨下的骏马愤怒的咆哮着，口吐白沫，咬着马嚼。似乎不原对骑士惟命是从。