No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller’s Tale Page 15

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Original Text	Modern Text
‘Now, Pater-noster, clom!’ seyde Nicholay, And ‘clom,’ quod John, and ‘clom,’ seyde Alisoun. This carpenter seyde his devocioun, And stille he sit, and biddeth his preyere, Awaytinge on the reyn, if he it here.	‘Now, Pater-noster, clom!’ seyde Nicholay, And ‘clom,’ quod John, and ‘clom,’ seyde Alisoun. This carpenter seyde his devocioun, And stille he sit, and biddeth his preyere, Awaytinge on the reyn, if he it here.
The dede sleep, for wery bisinesse, Fil on this carpenter right, as I gesse, Aboute corfew-tyme, or litel more; 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; 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, Til that the belle of laudes gan to ringe, And freres in the chauncel gonne singe.	The dede sleep, for wery bisinesse, Fil on this carpenter right, as I gesse, Aboute corfew-tyme, or litel more; 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; 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, Til that the belle of laudes gan to ringe, And freres in the chauncel gonne singe.
This parish-clerk, this amorous Absolon, That is for love alwey so wo bigon, Upon the Monday was at Oseneye With companye, him to disporte and pleye, And axed upon 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 Sin Saterday; I trow that he be went 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; Wher that he be, I can nat sothly seyn.’	This parish-clerk, this amorous Absolon, That is for love alwey so wo bigon, Upon the Monday was at Oseneye With companye, him to disporte and pleye, And axed upon 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 Sin Saterday; I trow that he be went 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; Wher that he be, I can nat sothly seyn.’

Original Text	Modern Text
‘Now, Pater-noster, clom!’ seyde Nicholay, And ‘clom,’ quod John, and ‘clom,’ seyde Alisoun. This carpenter seyde his devocioun, And stille he sit, and biddeth his preyere, Awaytinge on the reyn, if he it here.	‘Now, Pater-noster, clom!’ seyde Nicholay, And ‘clom,’ quod John, and ‘clom,’ seyde Alisoun. This carpenter seyde his devocioun, And stille he sit, and biddeth his preyere, Awaytinge on the reyn, if he it here.
The dede sleep, for wery bisinesse, Fil on this carpenter right, as I gesse, Aboute corfew-tyme, or litel more; 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; 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, Til that the belle of laudes gan to ringe, And freres in the chauncel gonne singe.	The dede sleep, for wery bisinesse, Fil on this carpenter right, as I gesse, Aboute corfew-tyme, or litel more; 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; 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, Til that the belle of laudes gan to ringe, And freres in the chauncel gonne singe.
This parish-clerk, this amorous Absolon, That is for love alwey so wo bigon, Upon the Monday was at Oseneye With companye, him to disporte and pleye, And axed upon 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 Sin Saterday; I trow that he be went 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; Wher that he be, I can nat sothly seyn.’	This parish-clerk, this amorous Absolon, That is for love alwey so wo bigon, Upon the Monday was at Oseneye With companye, him to disporte and pleye, And axed upon 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 Sin Saterday; I trow that he be went 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; Wher that he be, I can nat sothly seyn.’