White was her smock,960 and broider’d all before,
And eke behind, on her collar about
Of coal-black silk, within and eke without.
The tapës961 of her whitë volupere962
Were of the samë suit of her collére;
Her fillet broad of silk, and set full high:
And sickerly963 she had a likerous964 eye.
Full small y-pulled were her browës two,
And they were bent,965 and black as any sloe.
She was well more blissful on to see966
Than is the newë perjenetë967 tree;
And softer than the wool is of a wether.
And by her girdle hung a purse of leather,
Tassel’d with silk, and pearlëd with latoun.968
In all this world to seeken up and down
There is no man so wise, that coudë thenche969
So gay a popelot,970 or such a wench.
Full brighter was the shining of her hue,
Than in the Tower the noble971 forged new.
But of her song, it was as loud and yern,972
As any swallow chittering on a bern.973
Thereto974 she couldë skip, and make a game,975
As any kid or calf following his dame.
Her mouth was sweet as braket,976 or as methe,977
Or hoard of apples, laid in hay or heath.
Wincing978 she was as is a jolly colt,
Long as a mast, and upright as a bolt.
A brooch she bare upon her low collére,
As broad as is the boss of a bucklére.
Her shoon were laced on her leggës high;
She was a primerole,979 a piggesnie,980
For any lord t’ have ligging981 in his bed,
Or yet for any good yeoman to wed.
Now, sir, and eft982 sir, so befell the case,
That on a day this Hendy983 Nicholas
Fell with this youngë wife to rage and play,984
While that her husband was at Oseney,985
As clerkës be full subtle and full quaint.
And privily he caught her by the queint,
And said; “Y-wis,986 but if I have my will,
For dernë987 love of thee, leman,988 I spill.”989
And heldë her fast by the haunchë bones,
And saidë “Leman, love me well at once,
Or I will dien, all so God me save.”
And she sprang as a colt doth in the trave:990
And with her head she writhed fast away,
And said; “I will not kiss thee, by my fay.991
Why let be,” quoth she, “let be, Nicholas,
Or I will cry out harow and alas!992
Do away your handës, for your courtesy.”
This Nicholas gan mercy for to cry,
And spake so fair, and proffer’d him so fast,
That she her love him granted at the last,
And swore her oath by Saint Thomas of Kent,
That she would be at his commandement,
When that she may her leisure well espy.
“My husband is so full of jealousy,
That but993 ye waitë well, and be privy,
I wot right well I am but dead,” quoth she.
“Ye mustë be full derne994 as in this case.”
“Nay, thereof care thee nought,” quoth Nicholas:
“A clerk had litherly beset his while,995
But if996 he could a carpenter beguile.”
And thus they were accorded and y-sworn
To wait a time, as I have said beforn.
When Nicholas had done thus every deal,997
And thwacked her about the lendës well,
He kiss’d her sweet, and taketh his psalt’ry
And playeth fast, and maketh melody.
Then fell it thus, that to the parish church,
Of Christë’s owen workës for to wirch,998
This good wife went upon a holy day:
Her forehead shone as bright as any day,
So was it washen, when she left her werk.
Now was there of that church a parish clerk,
The which that was y-cleped Absolon.
Curl’d was his hair, and as the gold it shone,
And strutted999 as a fannë large and broad;
Full straight and even lay his jolly shode.1000
His rode1001 was red, his eyen grey as goose,
With Paulë’s windows carven1002 on his shoes.
In hosen red he went full fetisly.1003
Y-clad he was full small and properly,
All in a kirtle1004 of a light waget;1005
Full fair and thickë be the pointës set.
And thereupon he had a gay surplíce,
As white as is the blossom on the rise.1006
A merry child he was, so God me save;
Well could he letten blood, and clip, and shave,
And make a charter of land, and a quittance.
In twenty manners could he trip and dance,
After the school of Oxenfordë tho,1007
And with his leggës castë to and fro;
And playen songës on a small ribible;1008
Thereto he sung sometimes a loud quinible.1009
And as well could he play on a gitérn.1010
In all the town was brewhouse nor tavérn,
That he not visited with his solas,1011
There as that any garnard tapstere1012 was.
But sooth to say he was somedeal squaimous1013
Of farting, and of speechë dangerous.
This Absolon, that jolly was and gay,
Went with a censer on the holy day,
Censing1014 the wivës of the parish fast;
And many a lovely look he on them cast,
And namëly1015 on this carpénter’s wife:
To look on her him thought a merry life.
She was so proper, and sweet, and likerous.
I dare well say, if she had been a mouse,
And he a cat, he would her hent anon.1016
This parish clerk, this jolly Absolon,
Hath in his heartë such a love-longing!
That of no wife took he none offering;
For courtesy he said he wouldë none.
The moon at night full clear and brightë shone,
And Absolon his gitern hath y-taken,
For paramours he thoughtë for to waken,
And forth he went, jolif1017 and amorous,
Till he came to the
