Canbalu (Khanbaliq)

Or sachiés por vérité qe de ceste vile de Canbalu se partent moutes voies lesquel vont por maintes provences, ce est à dire qe le une vait à tel provinces, et ceste à tel, et toutes les voies sunt devisés là où elle vont, et ce est mout sçue chouse.

Now you should know for a fact that many roads lead out of this city of Canbalu to many provinces. One goes to one province and another to another, and every road is named for the place it goes to. This is a very wise arrangement.

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.