Go, dearë spouse, and help to save our life.”
Lo, what a great thing is affectión!
Men may die of imaginatión,
So deeply may impressión be take.
This silly carpenter begins to quake:
He thinketh verily that he may see
This newë flood come weltering as the sea
To drenchen1107 Alison, his honey dear.
He weepeth, waileth, maketh sorry cheer;1108
He sigheth, with full many a sorry sough.1109
He go’th, and getteth him a kneading trough,
And after that a tub, and a kemelin,
And privily he sent them to his inn:
And hung them in the roof full privily.
With his own hand then made he ladders three,
To climbë by the ranges and the stalks1110
Unto the tubbës hanging in the balks;1111
And victualed them, kemelin, trough, and tub,
With bread and cheese, and good ale in a jub,1112
Sufficing right enough as for a day.
But ere that he had made all this array,
He sent his knave, and eke his wench1113 also,
Upon his need1114 to London for to go.
And on the Monday, when it drew to night,
He shut his door withoutë candle light,
And dressed1115 every thing as it should be.
And shortly up they climbed all the three.
They sattë stillë well a furlong way.1116
“Now, Pater noster, clum,”1117 said Nicholay,
And “clum,” quoth John; and “clum,” said Alison:
This carpenter said his devotión,
And still he sat and bidded his prayére,
Awaking on the rain, if he it hear.
The deadë sleep, for weary business,
Fell on this carpenter, right as I guess,
About the curfew-time,1118 or little more,
For travail of his ghost1119 he groaned sore,
And eft he routed, for his head mislay.1120
Adown the ladder stalked Nicholay;
And Alison full soft adown she sped.
Withoutë wordës more they went to bed,
There as1121 the carpenter was wont to lie:
There was the revel, and the melody.
And thus lay Alison and Nicholas,
In business of mirth and in solace,
Until the bell of laudes1122 gan to ring,
And friars in the chancel went to sing.
This parish clerk, this amorous Absolon,
That is for love alway so woebegone,
Upon the Monday was at Oseney
With company, him to disport and play;
And asked upon cas1123 a cloisterer1124
Full privily after John the carpenter;
And he drew him apart out of the church,
And said, “I n’ot;1125 I saw him not here wirch1126
Since Saturday; I trow that he be went
For timber, where our abbot hath him sent.
For he is wont for timber for to go,
And dwellen at the Grange a day or two:
Or else he is at his own house certain.
Where that he be, I cannot soothly sayn.”1127
This Absolon full jolly was and light,
And thought, “Now is the time to wake all night,
For sickerly1128 I saw him not stirríng
About his door, since day began to spring.
So may I thrive, but I shall at cock crow
Full privily go knock at his windów,
That stands full low upon his bower wall:1129
To Alison then will I tellen all
My lovë-longing; for I shall not miss
That at the leastë way I shall her kiss.
Some manner comfort shall I have, parfay,1130
My mouth hath itched all this livelong day:
That is a sign of kissing at the least.
All night I mette1131 eke I was at a feast.
Therefore I will go sleep an hour or tway,
And all the night then will I wake and play.”
When that the first cock crowed had, anon
Up rose this jolly lover Absolon,
And him arrayed gay, at point devise.1132
But first he chewed grains1133 and liquorice,
To smellë sweet, ere he had combed his hair.
Under his tongue a truë love1134 he bare,
For thereby thought he to be gracious.
Then came he to the carpentérë’s house,
And still he stood under the shot window;
Unto his breast it raught,1135 it was so low;
And soft he coughed with a semisoún’.1136
“What do ye, honeycomb, sweet Alisoún?
My fairë bird, my sweet cinamomé,1137
Awaken, leman1138 mine, and speak to me.
Full little thinkë ye upon my woe,
That for your love I sweat there as1139 I go.
No wonder is that I do swelt1140 and sweat.
I mourn as doth a lamb after the teat.
Y-wis,1141 leman, I have such love-longíng,
That like a turtle true is my mourníng.
I may not eat, no morë than a maid.”
“Go from the window, thou jack fool,” she said:
“As help me God, it will not be, come ba me.1142
I love another, else I were to blamë,
Well better than thee, by Jesus, Absolon.
Go forth thy way, or I will cast a stone;
And let me sleep; a twenty devil way.”1143
“Alas!” quoth Absolon, “and well away!
That true love ever was so ill beset:
Then kiss me, since that it may be no bet,1144
For Jesus’ love, and for the love of me.”
“Wilt thou then go thy way therewith?” quoth she.
“Yea, certes, leman,” quoth this Absolon.
“Then make thee ready,” quoth she, “I come anon.”
[And unto Nicholas she said full still:1145
“Now peace, and thou shalt laugh anon thy fill.”]
This Absolon down set him on his knees,
And said; “I am a lord at all degrees:
For after this I hope there cometh more;
Leman, thy grace, and, sweetë bird, thine ore.”1146
The window she undid, and that in haste.
“Have done,” quoth she, “come off, and speed thee fast,
Lest that our neighëbours should thee espy.”
Then Absolon gan wipe his mouth full dry.
Dark was the night as pitch or as the coal,
And at the window she put out her hole,
And Absolon him fell ne bet ne werse,1147
But with his mouth he kiss’d her naked erse
Full savourly. When he was ware of this,
Aback he start, and thought it was amiss,
For well he wist a woman hath
