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William Dunbar: Treatise of Two Married Women and a Widow
(my modernization)
1: Upon the Midsummer evening, merriest of nights,
2: I moved forth alone, near as midnight was past,
3: Beside a goodly green garden, full of gay flowers,
4: Hanging, of a huge height, with hawthorne trees;
5: Whereon ane bird, on ane branch, so burst out her notes
6: That never any blissfuller bird was on the bows hard:
7: What through the sugared sound of her song glad,
8: And through the savour sanative of the sweet flowers,
9: I drew in derne to the dyke to darken after mirths;
10: The dew dunked the dale and dynnit the feulis
11: I heard, under one holy and heavenly green hew,
12: One who spake, at my hand, with haughty words;
13: With that in haste to the hedge so hard I inthrang
14: That I was heildit with hawthorne and with handy leaves:
15: Through pikes of the plet thorn I presently looked,
16: If any person would approach within that pleasing garden.
17: I saw three gay ladies sitting in a green arbor,
18: All grathit in to garlands of fresh goodly flowers;
19: So glittered as the gold were their glorious gilt tresses,
20: While all the grasses did gleam of the glad hews;
21: Combed was their clear hair, and curiously sched
22: Attour their shoulders down sheer, shining full bright;
23: With kerchiefs, cast there above, of crisp clear and thin:
24: Their mantels green were as the grass that grew in May season,
25: Fettered with their white fingers about their fair sides:
26: Of fearful fine favor were their faces meek,
27: All full of flurist fairhead, as flowers in June;
28: White, seemly, and soft, as the sweet lilies
29: New upspread upon spray, as new spiniest rose;
30: Arrayed royally about with many rich vardour,
31: That nature full nobly enameled with flowers
32: Of all kinds of hews under heaven, that only heynd knew,
33: Fragrant, all full of fresh odors, finest of smells.
34: A comely table covered was before the clear ladies,
35: With royal cups upon rows full of rich wines.
36: And of these fair wlonkes, two wedded were with lords,
37: One was a widow, I wis, wanton of ladies.
38: And, as they talked at the table of many tales sundry,
39: They quaffed at the white wine and wore out words;
40: And syn they spake more speedily, and spared no matters.
41: Betray, said the Widow, ye wedded women young,
42: What mirth ye find in marriage, since ye were mens' wives;
43: Reveal if ye rue that reckless condition?
44: Or if that ever ye loved leyd upon life more
45: Nor them that ye your faith on his fastened for ever?
46: Or if ye think, had ye choice, that ye would choose better?
47: Think ye it nocht any blessed band that binds so fast,
48: That none undo it a deill may but the death of one?
49: Than spake a lusty beloved with lusty affairs;
50: It, that ye call the blessed band that binds so fast,
51: Is bare of bliss, and baleful, and great barrat works.
52: Ye speir, had I free choice, if I would choose better?
53: Chains aye are to eschew; and changes are sweet:
54: Such curses chance till eschew, had I my choice once,
55: Out of the chains of any churl I escape should for ever.
56: God if matrimony were made to mell for any year!
57: It were but merrens to be more, but if our minds pleased:
58: It is agaist the law of life, of kind, and of nature,
59: Together hearts to strain, that strive with one another:
60: Birds have a better law than bernis be meek,
61: That ilk year, with new joy, joyous one make,
62: And fangis them any fresh feir, unfulyeit, and constant,
63: And let there fulyeit feiris flee where they please.
64: Christ if such any consuetude were in this kith held!
65: Then will aware us women that ever we were free;
66: We should have feiris as fresh to fang when us liketh,
67: And give all larbaris their leaves, when they lack courage.
68: Myself should be full seemly in silks arrayed,
69: Gymp, jolly, and gentle, right joyous, and genteel.
70: I should at fairs be found new faces to see;
71: At plays, and at preachings, and pilgrimages great,
72: To show my renown, royally, where praise was of folk,
73: To manifest my makdome to multitude of people,
74: And blow my beauty on breadth, where bernis were many;
75: That I might choose, and be chosen, and change when me liketh.
76: Than should I will one full well, over all the wide realm,
77: That should my womanhead wield the long winter night;
78: And when I gotten had a grome, gainliest of all other,
79: Yaip, and young, in the yoke one year for to draw;
80: From when I had proved his pitht the first pleasant month,
81: Then should I cast me to keik in church, and in market,
82: And all the country about, king's court, and other,
83: Where I any gallant might get against the next year,
84: For to perform forth the work when faileth the other;
85: A forky furrow, aye forward, and forceful in draught,
86: No other foible, nor faint, nor fulyeit in labor,
87: But as fresh of his form as flowers in May;
88: For all the fruit should I fang, though he the flower burgeon.
89: I have one wallidrag, one worm, one old wobat carle,
90: A wasted wolroun, not worth but words to clatter;
91: A bumbart, a drone bee, a bag full of phlegm,
92: A scabbied skarth, a scorpion, a skitterer behind;
93: To see him scratch his own skin grit scunner I think.
94: When kisses me that carybald, than kindles all my sorrow;
95: As bristles of any brym bear, his beard is all stiff,
96: But soft and supple as the silk is his sorry lume;
97: He may well to the sin assent, but sakles is his deeds.
98: With gore his two grim eyes are gladderit all about,
99: And engorged like two gutters that were with glar stopped;
100: But when that glowering ghost grips me about,
101: Than think I hideous Mahomet has me in arms;
102: There may no signing me save from that old Satan; (i.e.
making the sign of the cross)
103: For, though I cross me all clean, from the crown down,
104: He will my corpse all beclip, and clap me to his breast.
105: When shaving is that old sheik with a sharp razor,
106: He shows only me his sheveled mouth and schedis my lips;
107: And with his hard hedgehog skin so heckles he my cheeks,
108: That as a gleaming gleed glows my chaftis;
109: I shrink for the sharp stound, but shout dare I not,
110: For schore of that old shrew, shame him betide!
111: The love blinks of that bogey, from his bleary eyes,
112: As Belzebub had on me blent, abased my spirit;
113: And when the smy on me smirks with his smakes molet,
114: He fepills like a farcy after that flyrit on a gillot.
115: When that the sound of his saws sinks in my ears,
116: Then aye renews my annoyance, ere he be near coming:
117: When I hear named his name, then make I nine crosses,
118: To keep me from the cumbering of that carl manged,
119: That full of eldnyng is and anger and all evil thewis.
120: I dare not look to my love for that lean gibbon,
121: He is so full of jealousy and engines false;
122: Ever imagining in mind matters of evil,
123: Compassing and casting cases a thousand
124: How he shall take me, with a trawe, at tryst of one other:
125: I dare not keik to the knave who the cup fills,
126: For eldnyng of that old shrew that ever one evil thinks;
127: For he is wasted and worn from Venus' works,
128: And may not be worth a bean in bed of my mysteris.
129: He trows that young folk I yearn yield, for he ungainly
is,
130: But I may itch all this year, ere his yerd help.
131: Aye when that caribald carl would climb on my womb,
132: Then am I dangerous and deignful and dour of my will;
133: Yet let I never that larbar my legs go between,
134: To defile my flesh, nor fumyll me, without a fee great;
135: And though his pen pearly me pays in bed,
136: His purse pays richly in recompense after:
137: For, ere he climb on my corpse, that carybald forlane,
138: I have condition of a kerchief of kersp all the finest,
139: A gown of engrained cloth, right gaily furred,
140: A ring with a royal stone, or other rich jewel,
141: Or rest of his rusty raid, though he were right wod:
142: For all the buds of John Blunt, when he above climbs,
143: Me thinks the bed dear bought, so bawch are his works;
144: And thus I sell him solace, though I it sour think:
145: From such a sire, God you save, my sweet sisters dear!
146: When that the seemly had said her sentence to end,
147: Than all they laugh upon loft with latis full merry,
148: And reached the cup round about full of riche wines,
149: And railed lang, ere they would rest, with riotous speech.
150: The widow to the t'other wlonk warped their words;
151: Now, fair sister, falls you but feigning to tell,
152: Since man first with matrimony you menskit in church,
153: How have ye fared by your faith? Confess us the truth:
154: That band to bliss, or to ban, which you best thinks?
155: Or how ye like life to laid in to loyal spousage?
156: And since my self ye examine one the same wise,
157: And I shall say forth the south, dissembling no word.
158: The pleasant said, I protest, the truth if I show,
159: That of your tongues ye be trusty. The t'other two granted;
160: With that sprang up her sprite be a span higher.
161: To speak, quoth she, I shall nought spar; there is no spy
near:
162: I shall a ragment reveal from root of my heart,
163: A roust that is so rankled while rises my stomach
164: Now shall the bile all out burst, that built has so lang;
165: For it to bear one my breast was burden over heavy:
166: I shall the venom devoid with a vent large,
167: And me assuage of the swelling, that swollen was great.
168: My husband was a whore master, the hugest in earth,
169: Therefore I hated him with my heart, so help me our Lord!
170: He is a young man right yaip, but nought in youth flower;
171: For he is faded full far and feebled of strength:
172: He was as flourishing fresh within this few years,
173: But he is failing full far and fulyeid in labor;
174: He has been lecher so long while lost is his nature,
175: His lume is waxed larbar, and lies in to swoon:
176: Was never surgeon worse set than on that snail tired,
177: For after vii weeks rest, it will nought rap any ;
178: He has been wasted upon women, before he me [for] wife chose,
179: And in adultery, in my time, I have him ta'en oft:
180: And yet he is as brankard with bonnet on side,
181: And blinkand to the brightest that in the burgh dwells,
182: As courtly of his clothing and combing of his hair,
183: As he that is mare valiant in Venus' chamber;
184: He seems to be something worth, that cipher in bower,
185: He looks as he would loved be, though he be little of valor;
186: He does as doted dog that does amiss on all bushes,
187: And lifts his leg upon loft, though he nought list piss;
(even though he doesn't want to)
188: He has a look without lust and life without courage;
189: He has a form without force and fessoun but virtue,
190: And fair words but effect, all frustrated of deeds;
191: He is for ladies in love a right lusty shadow,
192: But in to derne, at the deed, he shall be droopy found;
193: He rails, and makes repet with riotous words,
194: Aye rusing him of his raids and raging in chamber;
195: But God wot what I think when he so thra speaks,
196: And how it sets him so aside to sege of such matters.
197: But if him self, of some evening, might anything say among
them,
198: But he nought one is, but none of nature's possessors.
199: She that has an old man not all is beguiled;
200: He is at Venus works no worse than he seems:
201: I wend I josit a gem, and I have jet gotten;
202: He had the gleaming of gold, and was but glass found.
203: Though men be fierce, well I find, from failure their courage,
204: There is but eldnyng or anger their hearts within.
205: Ye speak of birds one bough: of bliss may they sing,
206: That, one Saint Valentine's day, ere vacant ilke year;
207: Had I that pleasant privilege to part when me liked,
208: To change, and aye to choose again, than, chastity, adieu!
209: Than should I have a fresh fair to fang in mine arms:
210: To hold a freke, while he faint, may folly be called.
211: Upon such matters I must, at midnight, full oft,
212: And mourns so in my mind I murder my self;
213: Then ly I walking for woe, and walteris about,
214: Worrying of my wicked kin, that me away cast
215: To such a craudoune but courage, that kindled my clear beauty,
216: And there so many keen knights this kenrik within:
217: Than think I on a seemlier, the sooth for to tell,
218: Nor is our sire be such seven; with that I such oft:
219: Than he ful tenderly does turn to me his tume person,
220: And with a golden yard does yolk me in arms,
221: And says, "My sovereign sweet thing, why sleep ye no
better?
222: Me think there holds you a heat, as if ye some harm alight."
223: Quoth I, "My honey, hold aback, and handle me nought
sore;
224: A hache is happening hastily at my heart root."
(hache: pain)
225: With that I seem for to swoon, though I no swerf take; (swerf:
swoon, faint)
226: And thus beswik I that swoon with my sweet words: (beswik:
deceive)
227: I cast on him a crabbed eye, when clear day is come,
228: And let is it is a love blink, when he about gleams,
229: I turn it in a tender look, that I in tene were, (tene:
affliction)
230: And him beholds hamely with heartily smiling. (hameley:
graciously)
231: I would a tender peronall, that might not put thole,
(peronall: wanton young maid;
232: That hated men with hard gear for hurting of flesh, put:
thrusting; thole: endure)
233: Had my good man to her guest; for I dare God swear,
234: She should not start from his stroke a stray breadth of
earth.
235: And since, I would that ilke band, that ye so blessed call,
236: Had bound him so to that bright, while his back worked;
237: And I were in a bed brought with berne that me liked,
238: I trow that bird of my bliss should a bourd want. (bourd:
jest)
239: Anon, when this amiable had ended her speech,
240: Loudly laughing the laif allowed her mickle: (laif: remnant)
241: Their gay Wives maid game among the green leaves;
242: They drank and did away dule under derne boughs; (dule:
dole; derne: secret)
243: They swapit off the sweet wine, those swan-white of hews,
(swapit: tossed off, drank)
244: But all the pertlierr in the plain they put out their voices.
245: Than said the Widow, I wis there is no way other;
246: Now tides me for to talk; my tale it is next:
247: God my spirit now inspire and my speech quicken,
248: And send me sentences to say, substantios and noble;
249: So that my preaching may pierce your perverse hearts,
250: And make you meeker to men in manners and conditions.
251: I show you, sisters in shrift, I was a shrew ever,
252: But I was schene in my shrowd, and showed me innocent; (schene:
beauty)
253: And thought I dour was, and deigning, dispitous, and bold,
254: I was dissembling suttelly in a saint's likeness: (suttelly:
cleverly)
255: I seemed sober, and sweet, and simple without fraud,
256: But I couth sixty deceits that subtler were held.
257: Unto my lesson ye list, and learn at my wit,
258: If you nought list be forleit with losingeris untrue: (forleit:
discarded; losingeris: flatterers)
259: Be constant in your governance, and counterfeit good manners,
260: Thought ye be keen, inconstant, and cruel of mind;
261: Though ye as tigers be terne, be treatable in love, (terne:
gloomy)
262: And be as turtoris in your talk, thought ye have tails brukill;
(turtoris: turtle doves; brukill: fragile)
263: Be dragons both and do aye in double form,
264: And when it needs you, anon, note both their strengths;
265: Be amiable with humble face, as angels appearing,
266: And with a terrible tail be stinging as adders;
267: Be of your looks like innocents, though ye have evil minds;
268: Be courtly aye in clothing and costly arrayed, 269: That
hurts you not worth a hen; your husband pays for all.
270: Two husbands have I had, they held me both dear,
271: Though I dispited them again, they spied it no thing:
272: One was a hoary hogeart, that hostit out phlegm; (hogeart:
old man; hostit: coughed)
273: I hated him like a hound, though I it hid preve: (preve:
secretly)
274: With kissing and with clapping I gert the carl fone; (gert...:
made the carl a fool)
275: Well could I scratch his crooked back and comb his kwewt
noddill, (kwewt: trimmed; noddil: pate)
276: And with a bukky in my cheek bo on him behind, (bukky...:
tongue in my cheek; bo: make a face)
277: And with a bek go about and blear his old eye, (bek: bow)
278: And with a kind countenance kiss his crinkled cheeks;
279: In to my mind making mokis at that mad father, (mokis: derisive
gestures)
280: Trowing me with true love to treat him so fair.
281: This could I do without dole and no disease take,
282: But aye be merry in my mind and mirthful of cheer.
283: I had a lufsummar laid my lust for to slacken, (lufsummar:
more beloved one)
284: That could be secret and sure and aye save my honor,
285: And so but at certain times and in secure placs;
286: Aye when the old [one] did me anger, with awkward words,
287: Upon the gallant for to go it gladded me again,
288: I had such wit that for woe weeped I little,
289: But let the sweet and the sour to good season bring,
290: When that the chuf would me chide, with girnand chaftis,
(girnand: snarling; chaftis: jaws)
291: I would him chuck--cheek and chin--and cherish him so mickle,
292: That his chief chymys he had chevist to my son, (chymys:
mansion; chevist: acquired)
293: Suppose the churl was gone chaste, or the child was gotten:
294: As wise woman aye I wrought and not as a wod fool,
295: For more with wiles I won no wichtnes of hands. (wichtnes:
strength)
296: Since married I a merchant, mighty of goods:
297: He was a man of mid eld and of mean stature; (eld: age)
298: But we no fellows were in friendship or blood,
299: In freedom, nor forthbearing, nor fairness of person,
300: Which aye the fool did forget, for feebleness of knowledge,
301: But I so oft thought him on, while angered his heart,
302: And whilom I put forth my voice and pedlar him called:
303: I would right touchingly talk by [how] I was twice married,
304: For ended was my innocence with my old husband:
305: I was appearing to be pert within perfect eild; (eild: maturity)
306: So says the curate of our church, that knew me full young:
307: He is over famous to be false, that fair worthy prelate;
308: I shall be loath to let him lie, while I may look forth.
309: I gert the buthman obey, there was no bute else; (gert:
made; buthman: shopkeeper; bute: remedy)
310: He made me right hie reverence, for he me right knew:
311: For, though I say it myself, the severance was mickle
312: Betwixt his bastard blood and my birth noble.
313: That page was never of such price for to presume anything
314: Unto my person to be peer, had pity naught granted.
315: But mercy into womanhead is a mickle virtue, 316: For never
but in a gentle heart is generated any ruth.
317: I held aye green in to his mind that I of grace took him,
318: And for he could ken himself I courteously him lerit: (lerit:
taught)
319: He durst not sit [out] any of my summons, for, or the second
charge,
320: He was aye ready for to run, so rad he was for blame. (rad:
feared)
321: But aye my will was the war of womanly nature;
322: The more he loutit for my love, the less of him I reckoned;
(loutit: humbled)
323: And eke, this is a ferly thing, or I him faith gave, (ferly:
marvelous)
324: I had such favor to that freke, and feid since for ever,
(feid: hostility)
325: When I cure had all clean and him overcome wholly,
326: I crowed above that craudone, as cock that were victor;
(craudone: coward)
327: When I him saw subject and set at my bidding,
328: Then I him lichtlyit as a lowne and loathed his manners.
(lichtlyit: despised; lowne: rascal)
329: Than waxed I so unmerciful to martyr him I thought,
330: For as a best I brought him to all boy's labor:
331: I would have ridden him to Rome with rope on his head,
332: Were not ruffill of my renown and rumor of people. (ruffill:
destruction)
333: And yet hatred I hid within my heart all;
334: But quhilis it heaped so huge, till it behud out: (quhilis:
at times; behud: needed)
335: Yet took I never the wasp clean out of my wide throat,
336: While I aught wanted of my will or what I would desire.
337: But when I severed had that sire of substance in earth,
338: And got his beggings to my barn, and high burrow lands,
339: Then with a stew started out the stopper of my hals, (hals:
throat)
340: That it all astonished with the stound, as of a steel weapon.
(stound: time)
341: Then would I, after long, first so feign have been working,
342: That I to flyte was as fierce as a fell dragon. (flyte:
scolding)
343: I had for flattering of that fool feigned so long,
344: My evidence of heritage ere they were all sealed,
345: My breast, that was great built, bowed was so huge,
346: That near my baret out burst ere the bond made. (baret:
distress)
347: But when my bills and my bauchles was all broad sealed,
(bauchles: documents)
348: I would no lnger bear a bridle, but beared up my head;
349: There might no molet make moy, nor hold my mouth in: (molet:
bit, curb; moy: meek)
350: I girt the reins rak and rife in assunder; (rak: fall)
351: I made that wife carl to work all women's works,
352: And laid all manly matters and mensk in this earth. (mensk:
honor)
353: Then said I to my cumaris in counsel about, (cumaris: woman
friends)
354: "Se how I cabled yonder coot with a keen bridle!
355: The cappill, that the crelis cast in the chaff midden, (cappill:
horse; crelis: wicker baskets)
356: So courteously the cart draws, and kens no plunging,
357: He is not skeich, nor yet sker, nor skips not in syd:"
(skeich: spirited; sker: restive; syd: pride)
358: And thus the scorn and the scathe escaped he neither.
359: He was no gladsome gest for a gay lady, (gest: game)
360: Therefore I got him a game that gained him better;
361: He was a great gilded man and of goods rich;
362: I let him be my lumbart to lose me all mysteries,
363: And he was fain for to fang from me that fair office, (fang:
capture)
364: And thought my favors to find through his feill gifts. (feill:
many)
365: He grathit me in a gay silk and goodly arrays, (grathit:
adorned)
366: In gowns of engrained cloth and great golden chains,
367: In rings royally set with rich ruby stones,
368: While highly rose my renown among the rude people.
369: But I full craftily did keep the courtly weeds,
370: While after dead of that droop, that doth naught in chamber:
371: Though he of all my clothes made cost and expense,
372: An other shall the worship have, that wields me after;
373: And though I liked him but little, yet for love of others,
374: I would me preen pleasantly in precious weeds,
375: That lovers might upon me look and young lusty gallants,
376: That I held more in daynte and dearer be full mickle (daynte:
regard)
377: Not him that dressed me so dink; full doted was his head.
(dink: finely)
378: When he was harried out of hand to hie up my honors,
379: And painted me as a peacock, proudest of feathers,
380: I him miskennyt, be Crist, and cuckold him made; (miskennyt:
misled)
381: I him forleit as a lad and loathed him mickle: (forleit:
discarded)
382: I thought myself a poppingay and him a plucked heron;
383: All thus enforced he his fa and fortified in strength, (fa:
enemy)
384: And made a stalwart staff to strike him selfdown.
385: But of one brought in to bed I shall you brief yet:
386: When he a whole year was hanyt, and him behuffit rage, (hanyt:
held back; behuffit: needed)
387: And I was loathe to be leaping with such a lob avoir, (lob:
loutish; avoir: horse)
388: Else long as he was on loft, I looked on him never,
389: Nor let never enter in my thought that he my thing pierced,
390: But aye in mind any other man imagined that I had;
391: Or else had I never merry been at that mirthless raid.
392: When I that grome gelded had of goods and of nature,
393: Me thought him graceless on to goif, so me God help: (goif:
gaze)
394: When he had warit all one me his wealth and his substance,
(warit: expended)
395: Me thought his wit was all went away with the laif; (laif:
remnant)
396: And so I did him despise, I spited when I saw
397: That superspended evil spirit, spilled of all virtue.
398: For, while ye wait, wives, that he that wants riches
399: And valiant n'is in Venus play, is full vile held:
400: Full frustrated in his fresh array and fairness of person,
401: All is but fruitlese his affairs and fails at the upwith.
402: I buskit up my barns like baron's sons, (buskit: dressed)
403: And made but fools of the fry of his first wife. (fry: spawn)
404: I banished from my bounds his brothers each one;
405: His friends as my foes I held at feud ever;
406: By this, ye believe may, I loved not himself,
407: For never I liked a lad that belonged to his blood:
408: And yet the wisemen, they wot that all wives evil
409: Are kend with their conditions and knawen with the same.
(kend: familiar; knawen: familiar)
410: Dead is now that dyvour and dolling in earth: (dyvour:
bankrupt)
411: With him died all my dole and my dreary thoughts;
412: Now done is my doley night, my day is upsprung,
413: Adieu dolor, adieu! My daynte now begins:
414: Now am I a widow, I wise and well am at ease;
415: I weep as I were woeful, but well is me for ever;
416: I busk as I were baleful, but blithe is my heart;
417: My mouth it makes mourning, and my mind laughs;
418: My cloaks they are careful in color of sable,
419: But courtly and right curious my corpse is there under:
420: I droop with a dead look in my dull habit,
421: As with man's dealing I had done for days of my life.
422: When that I go to the church, clad in cair weeds, (cair:
mourning)
423: As fox in a lamb's flesh feign I my chair;
424: Than lay I forth my bright book one braid on my knee,
425: With many lusty letter illuminated with gold;
426: And drew my cloak forward over my face white,
427: That I may spy, unspied, a space me beside:
428: Full oft I blink by my book, and blynis from devotion, (blynis:
cease)
429: To se what berne is best brand or broadest in shoulders,
430: Or forget is most forcefully to furnish a banquet
431: In Venus chamber, valiantly, without vain ruse:
432: And, as the new moon all pale, oppressed with change,
433: Kythis quhilis her clear face through clouds of sable. (kythis:
declare; quhilis: at times)
434: So keik I through my cloaks, and cast kind looks (keik:
glance)
435: To knights, and to clerks, and courtly persons.
436: When friends of my husband beheld me one fer,
437: I have a water sponge for woe, within my wide cloaks,
438: Than wring I it full wilely and wet my cheeks,
439: With that water mine eyes and welter down tears.
440: Than say they all, that sits about, "Se ye nought,
alas!
441: Yonder lustless led so loyally she loved her husband:
442: Yonder is a pity to imprint in a prince's heart,
443: That such a pearl of pleasance should yonder pain dre!"
(dre: endure)
444: I sane me as I were a saint, and seems an angel;
445: At language of lechery I let as [if] I were crabbed:
446: I such, without sore heart or sickness in body;
447: According to my sable weed I must have sad manners,
448: Or they will see all the sooth; for certes, we women
449: We set us all from the sight to assail men of truth:
450: We dole for no evil deed, so it be derne held.
451: Wise women have ways and wonderful guidings
452: With great engines to jape their jealous husbands;
453: And quietly, with such craft, conveys our matters
454: That, under Crist, no creature kens of our doings.
455: But folk a curry may miscook, that knowledge wants,
456: And hav no colors for to cover their own kindly faults;
457: As do their damsels, for derne doted lovee, (lovee: praise)
458: That dogonis held in dainte and delight with them so lang,
(dogonis: worthless fellows; dainte: esteem)
459: While all the country know their kindness and faith:
460: Faith has a fair name, but falsehood fairs better:
461: Fie one here that can nought feign her fame for to save!
462: Yet am I wise in such work and was all my time;
463: Thought I want wit in worldliness, I wiles have in love,
464: As any happy woman has that is of hie blood:
465: Hooted be the halok lass a hundred year of old! (halok:
guileless)
466: I have a secret servant, right sober of his tongue,
467: That me supports of such needs, when I a sin make:
468: Thought he be simple to the sight, he has a tongue sure;
469: Full many seemlier siege were service does make:
470: Thought I have care, under cloak, the clear day while night,
471: Yet have I solace, under serk, while the sone rise. (serk:
shirt)
472: Yet am I held a holy wife over all the whole shire,
473: I am so piteous to the pur, when there is persons many,
(pur: perfection)
474: In passing of pilgrimage I pride me full mickle,
475: More for the praise of people than any pardon winning.
476: But yet me think the best bourd, when barons and knights,
(bourd: jest)
477: And other bachelors, blithe blooming in youth,
478: And all my lovers loyal, my lodging pierces,
479: And fills my wine wantonly with welfare and joy:
480: Some rownis; and some rale; and some read ballads; (rownis:
whisper)
481: Some raiffis forth rudely with riotous speech; (raiffis:
rant)
482: Some plaint, and some praise; some praise my beauty,
483: Some kiss me; some clasp me; some kindness me proffer;
484: Some carve for me courteously; some me the cup give;
485: Some stalwartly steppis ben, with a stout courage, (steppis:
marchers)
486: And a stiff standing thing staiffs in my neiff; (staffs:
thrusts; neiff; fist)
487: And many blenks have been ours, that but full far sit, (blenks:
glances)
488: That may, for the thick throng, naught thrif as they would.
(thrif: prosper)
489: But, with my fair calling, I comfort them all:
490: For he that sits me next, I nip on his finger;
491: I serve him on the t'other side in the same fashion;
492: And he that behind me sits, I hard on him lean;
493: And him before, with my foot fast on his I stramp; (stramp:
tread)
494: And to the bernis far but sweet blenks I cast: (bernis:
fellows; blenks: glances)
495: To every man in special speak I some words
496: So wisely and so womanly, while warms their hearts.
497: Thar is no living laid so low of degree
498: That shall me love unloved, I am so loik-hearted; (loik:
warm)
499: And if his lust so be lent into my lyre white,
500: That he be lost or with me lie, his life shall naught danger.
501: I am so merciful in mind, and menys all wichtis, (menys:
lament; wichtis: persons)
502: My sely soul shall be safe, when so but all judges.
503: Ladies learn their lessons and be no lasses found:
504: This is the legend of my life, though Latin it be none.
505: When ended had her ornate speech, this eloquent widow,
506: Loud they laughed all the laif, and loved her mickle; (laif:
remnant)
507: And said they should example take of her sovereign teaching,
508: And work after her words, that woman was so prudent.
509: Than cooled they their mouths with comfortable drinks;
510: And carped full cummerlik with cup going round. (cummerlik:
like gossips)
511: Thus draif they ere that dear night with dances full
noble, (draif: spent)
512: While that the day did up daw, and dew dunked flowers;
513: The morrow mild was and meek, the mavis did sing,
514: And all remuffit the mist, and the mead smelled; (remuffit:
passed away)
515: Silver showers down shook as the shiny crystal,
516: And birds shouted in show with their shrill notes;
517: The golden glittering gleam so gladdened their hearts,
518: They made a glorious glee among the green bows.
519: The soft sowch of the swyr and sound of the streams, (sowch:
murmuring; swyr: hollow between two hills)
520: The sweet savor of the Sward and singing of fowls,
521: Might comfort any creature of the kin of Adam,
522: And kindle again his courage, though it were cold sloknyt.
(sloknyt: quenched)
523: Than rose their royal roses, in their riche weeds,
524: And raked home to there rest through the rise blooms;
525: And I all prevely past to a pleasant arbor, (prevely: secretly)
526: And with my pen did report their pastime most merry.
527: Ye auditors most honorable, that ears have given
528: Unto this uncouth adventure, which early happened;
529: Of their three wanton wives, that I have written here,
530: Which would ye will to your wife, if ye should wed one? |
(derne: secretly)
(dynnit: beat;
feulis: foulness)
(heildit: covered)
(plet: intertwined)
(grathit in: adorned with)
(sched: flowed)
(attour: over)
(crisp: a fabric)
(flurist: blossoming)
(vardour: green vegetation)
(heynd: skillfully)
(wlonkes: ladies)
(syn: thereupon)
(bewrie: betray)
(leyd: man)
(fayth: faith, troth)
(a deill: a bit)
(barrat: distress)
(speir: ask)
(mell: mingle)
(merrens: nuisance)
(bernis: fellows, lovers)
(fangis: embrace; feir[is]: mate[s]; unfulyeit: untired; fulyeit:
tired)
(consuetude: custom; kith: country)
(feiris: lovers; fang: embrace; larbaris: impotent men; courage:
spirit; gymp: slender)
(makdom: form, comeliness)
(will: choose)
(grome: fellow )
(yaip: nimble)
(pitht: vigor)
(keik: glance)
(fulyeit: worn out)
(fang: embrace; burgeon: i.e. makes the flowers increase)
(wobat: hairy like a caterpillar; wolroun: wild boar)
(skarth: a hermaphroditic monster)
(scunner: disgusting)
(brym: fierce)
(lume: tool)
(sakles: harmless)
(gladderit: besmeared)
(glar: slime)
(beclip: embrace)
(sheveled: twisted; schedis: parts)
(gleyd: coal; chaftis: jaws; stound: trial, period of time)
(schore: threatening)
(blent: glance)
(smakes molet: rogue's muzzle)
(leers like a diseased horse after a filly)
(eldnyng: jealousy; thewis: habits)
(trawe: trick)
(keik: glance)
(misteris: sexual needs)
(yerd: penis)
(fumyll: handle)
(forlane: despicable)
(kersp: fine fabric)
([rede] wod: stark raving mad)
(bawch: poor)
(laitis: manners)
(menskit: favored)
(ragment: discourse)
(yaip: nimble)
(fulyeid: tired)
(brankard: prancing)
(blinkand: winking)
(courage: spirit, heart)
(fessoun: show)
(repet: uproar)
(rusing: boasting)
(thra: wildly)
(sege: speak)
(wend: believed; josit: possessed)
(freke: man, poet)
(cradoune: coward)
(kenrik: kingdom)
(tume: empty)
|