Geoffrey Chaucer - The Canterbury Tales

3635

And dressed al thing as it sholde be.

(450)

And shortly, up they clomben alle three;

They sitten stille wel a furlong-way.

3611. E. Auctor ( in margin ). 3612. Hl. A man. E. Hn. dyen. Pt. Hl. for; Cm. thour; rest of. 3624. E. om. he; Hl. has þan. 3626. E. In-to; Cm. Onto; rest Vnto. 3627. E. vitailleth. 3630. E. hadde. 3635. E. dresseth; rest dressed. E. Hn. Cm. alle. Hn. Cp. scholde; E. shal.

'Now, Pater-noster , clom!' seyde Nicholay,

And 'clom,' quod John, and 'clom,' seyde Alisoun.

3640

This carpenter seyde his devocioun,

And stille he sit, and biddeth his preyere,

[105: T. 3642-3677.]

Awaytinge on the reyn, if he it here.

The dede sleep, for wery bisinesse,

Fil on this carpenter right, as I gesse,

3645

Aboute corfew-tyme, or litel more;

(460)

For travail of his goost he groneth sore,

And eft he routeth, for his heed mislay.

Doun of the laddre stalketh Nicholay,

And Alisoun, ful softe adoun she spedde;

3650

With-outen wordes mo, they goon to bedde

Ther-as the carpenter is wont to lye.

Ther was the revel and the melodye;

And thus lyth Alison and Nicholas,

In bisinesse of mirthe and of solas,

3655

Til that the belle of laudes gan to ringe,

(470)

And freres in the chauncel gonne singe.

3643. Cm. Hl. verray; rest wery.

This parish-clerk, this amorous Absolon,

That is for love alwey so wo bigon,

Up-on the Monday was at Oseneye

3660

With companye, him to disporte and pleye,

And axed up-on cas a cloisterer

Ful prively after Iohn the carpenter;

And he drough him a-part out of the chirche,

And seyde, 'I noot, I saugh him here nat wirche

3665

Sin Saterday; I trow that he be went

(480)

For timber, ther our abbot hath him sent;

For he is wont for timber for to go,

And dwellen at the grange a day or two;

Or elles he is at his hous, certeyn;

3670

Wher that he be, I can nat sothly seyn.'

3660. E. With a compaignye. 3661. E. Cloistrer; Pt. Ln. Cloystrere.

This Absolon ful Ioly was and light,

And thoghte, 'now is tyme wake al night;

For sikirly I saugh him nat stiringe

Aboute his dore sin day bigan to springe.

3675

So moot I thryve, I shal, at cokkes crowe,

(490)

Ful prively knokken at his windowe

That stant ful lowe up-on his boures wal.

[106: T. 3678-3712.]

To Alison now wol I tellen al

My love-longing, for yet I shal nat misse

3680

That at the leste wey I shal hir kisse.

Som maner confort shal I have, parfay,

My mouth hath icched al this longe day;

That is a signe of kissing atte leste.

Al night me mette eek, I was at a feste.

3685

Therfor I wol gon slepe an houre or tweye,

(500)

And al the night than wol I wake and pleye.'

3672. E. Hl. wake; Cm. to waky n ; rest to wake. 3676. Hn. Cp. Pt. Ln. knokken; E. Cm. knokke; Hl. go knokke.

Whan that the firste cok hath crowe, anon

Up rist this Ioly lover Absolon,

And him arrayeth gay, at point-devys.

3690

But first he cheweth greyn and lycorys,

To smellen swete, er he had kembd his heer.

Under his tonge a trewe love he beer,

For ther-by wende he to ben gracious.

He rometh to the carpenteres hous,

3695

And stille he stant under the shot-windowe;

(510)

Un-to his brest it raughte, it was so lowe;

And softe he cogheth with a semi-soun—

'What do ye, hony-comb, swete Alisoun?

My faire brid, my swete cinamome,

3700

Awaketh, lemman myn, and speketh to me!

Wel litel thenken ye up-on my wo,

That for your love I swete ther I go.

No wonder is thogh that I swelte and swete;

I moorne as doth a lamb after the tete.

3705

Y-wis, lemman, I have swich love-longinge,

(520)

That lyk a turtel trewe is my moorninge;

I may nat ete na more than a mayde.'

3690. E. of; rest and. 3696. E. brist. 3697. Hn. cogheth; Cp. coughed; Hl. cowhith; Pt. kougheþ; Cm. coude; E. knokketh. 3701. Cp. Pt. thenken; rest thynken, thynke.

'Go fro the window, Iakke fool,' she sayde,

'As help me god, it wol nat be "com ba me,"

3710

I love another, and elles I were to blame,

Wel bet than thee, by Iesu, Absolon!

Go forth thy wey, or I wol caste a ston,

[107: T. 3713-3745.]

And lat me slepe, a twenty devel wey!'

3709. E. Hn. com pa me; Cp. com pame; Cm. cu m pame; Pt. compame; Hl. Ln. compaine; several MSS. come bame, combame; see note .

'Allas,' quod Absolon, 'and weylawey!

3715

That trewe love was ever so yvel biset!

(530)

Than kisse me, sin it may be no bet,

For Iesus love and for the love of me.'

3716. Cp. Pt. Ln. kisse; Hl. kisseth; rest kys.

'Wiltow than go thy wey ther-with?' quod she.

3718. E. om. ther-with.

'Ye, certes, lemman,' quod this Absolon.

3720

'Thanne make thee redy,' quod she, 'I come anon;'

[T. om.

And un-to Nicholas she seyde stille,

[T. om.

'Now hust, and thou shall laughen al thy fille.'

3721, 2. These 2 lines in E. only.

This Absolon doun sette him on his knees,

And seyde, 'I am a lord at alle degrees;

3725

For after this I hope ther cometh more!

(540)

Lemman, thy grace, and swete brid, thyn ore!'

3724. E. om. a.

The window she undoth, and that in haste,

'Have do,' quod she, 'com of, and speed thee faste,

Lest that our neighebores thee espye.'

3728. Cm. don; Hl. doon; Pt. doo; rest do. Hn. thee; rest the.

3730

This Absolon gan wype his mouth ful drye;

Derk was the night as pich, or as the cole,

And at the window out she putte hir hole,

And Absolon, him fil no bet ne wers,

But with his mouth he kiste hir naked ers

3735

Ful savourly, er he was war of this.

3731. E. Dirk. 3732. E. pitte.

(550)

Abak he sterte, and thoghte it was amis,

For wel he wiste a womman hath no berd;

He felte a thing al rough and long y-herd,

And seyde, 'fy! allas! what have I do?'

3736. E. Cm. stirte.

3740

'Tehee!' quod she, and clapte the window to;

And Absolon goth forth a sory pas.

'A berd, a berd!' quod hende Nicholas,

'By goddes corpus , this goth faire and weel!'

This sely Absolon herde every deel,

3745

And on his lippe he gan for anger byte;

(560)

And to him-self he seyde, 'I shal thee quyte!'

3743, 4. E. weel, deel; Ln. wele, dele; rest wel, del.

Who rubbeth now, who froteth now his lippes

[108: T. 3746-3780.]

With dust, with sond, with straw, with clooth, with chippes,

But Absolon, that seith ful ofte, 'allas!

3750

My soule bitake I un-to Sathanas,

But me wer lever than al this toun,' quod he,

'Of this despyt awroken for to be!

Allas!' quod he, 'allas! I ne hadde y-bleynt!'

His hote love was cold and al y-queynt;

3755

For fro that tyme that he had kiste hir ers,

(570)

Of paramours he sette nat a kers,

For he was heled of his maladye;

Ful ofte paramours he gan deffye,

And weep as dooth a child that is y-bete.

3760

A softe paas he wente over the strete

Un-til a smith men cleped daun Gerveys,

That in his forge smithed plough-harneys;

He sharpeth shaar and culter bisily.

This Absolon knokketh al esily,

3765

And seyde, 'undo, Gerveys, and that anon.'