Piers Plowman the C Version: Passus 10, lines 23-48

Abstract

The passage I translated emerges from Passus 10 of William Langland’s Piers Plowman C-text. This passage takes place in the real world as opposed to the oneiric landscapes and personifications prominently featured in the previous passus. Here, Will is in desperate need of direction after receiving a pardon from God in his dreams, featuring important knowledge on how to live righteously and honestly. Incredulous, Will wanders the waking world searching for clarification and finds it in the unlikeliest of individuals: Franciscan friars. Passus 10 is the longest waking episode, and the metaphor the friars bestow upon readers reminded me of my father and his love of the sea. The metaphor depicts a sinning man on a boat trying to overcome the difficulties of navigating the world through human will. My translation is an effort to channel my father’s wisdom into the language of the fraternal order, mirroring this conversation as a reflection of his teachings, similar to how a professor might instruct their students when in dire need of direction.