Qubilai (Kublai) Khan

Et sachiés qe quant l'en s'en part de Canbalu por toutes les voies qe voz ai contés, et il est alés vingt cinq miles, adonc le mesajes dou grant sire qe ceste vingt cinq miles ont alés, il trovent une poste que s'apelent janb. en lor langue, et en nostre langaje vaut à dir poste de chevaus, et de chascune poste treuvent les mesajes un mout grant paleis et biaus, là où les mesajes dou grant sire herbergient, et cest erbergies ont mout riches lit, fornis des riches dras de soie, et ont toutes les couses qe as autres mesajes convient, et se un rois hi venist, si seroit bien, herbergiés ; et encore voz di que à ceste poste treuvent les mesajes bien quatre cens chevaus que le grant sire a stabli, qe toutes foies hi demorent et soient aparoillés por sez mesajes quant il les envoie en aucune part.

When you leave Canbalu by any of these roads and have gone twenty-five miles, the messengers of the Great Lord find a post. In their language it is called a janb, which in ours means "post of horses." At each post the messengers find a large and handsome palace where the Great Lord's messengers stay. These lodgings have very rich beds, made up with rich silk sheets, and everything else that messengers need. If a king came there, he would be well lodged. And at this post the messengers find a good four hundred horses, which the Great Lord has placed there. They are always kept there, ready for his messengers whenever he sends them anywhere.

Et si voz di qe quant il est beinzonz qe mesajes de chevaus aille tostainemant por conter au grant sire d'aucune tere qe soit revellés, ou d'aucun baron, ou des chouses qe soient beizognables au seingnor, il chevauchent bien deus cent miles en un jor, ou voir deus cens cinquante, et voz mostrerai raison comant. Quant les mesajes vuelent aller si tostainemant et tantes miles en un jor con je voz ai contés, il a la table dou gerfaus, en senificance qe il vuelt aler tostainemant.

Sometimes messengers on horseback must go very fast, to tell the Great Lord that some land or some baron has rebelled, or about something else the lord needs to know. Then they ride a good two hundred miles in a day, or even two hundred fifty. I will show you how. When the messengers want to go so fast and so many miles in a day, they carry the gerfalcon tablet. It is a sign that the rider wants to go very fast.