Chaucer April

"When April with its sweet showers has pierced
The drought of March right to the root, and bathed
Each vein of plant in such moisture
That it brings forth the flower;
When the West Wind also with its gentle breath
Has breathed life into every wood and field,
And the young sun has run half its course in Aries,
And small birds make melody,
Those that sleep all night with open eyes—
So Nature stirs them in their hearts—
Then people long to go on pilgrimages..."
--
Modern translation of the first lines of Geoffrey Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales' written between 1387 and 1400 in Middle English.

The original lines are:

"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,"

--
T.S. Eliot references the first lines of in The Waste Land (published 1922) - reversing them to 'April':

"April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain."

I tried to go with the positive description of April with this competition entry titled 'Chaucer April'.

Also see: Pale flowers in the horticultural gardens.