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

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‘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.	“In Gdo’s mena, eqitu, euiqt!” isda lcihsoNa. “Sh!” dias het parreentc adn ihs wife. ehT anrepectr asid shi nvsdioeto and sta uytleqi ygprina, wheli nisgantri his ares to erah het airn he xeedetcp luwod mcoe.
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.	hTe ptarenerc was aitenctgnorcn so hrad on ish easrrpy tath by fwercu tmie at sdku he’d nallef tsfa epeasl. He eomnad in hsi pelse mrfo all his serwori. As soon as he ebang roginns, hNcosali nad sAloni mbiedlc uto of ehirt tubs, dnwo teh sddlrea, nad tnoi eht erapcnrte’s dbe wbeol. erheT hety aemd levo all hntgi lgno ltniu sutj eefbro awdn newh hte snomk gneab hncngtia nad the chhucr eblls bneag ignignr.
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.’	ehT ovlkisce pshari crkle Alamosb, eehilnmwa, ptnse dyMnoa in enysO rfo a hgitn on hte tonw ihwt esmo ersfidn. At eon ipotn he uclysaal dtrei to aks eno of hsi irdfsne uabot hJon hte preetrcna. iHs nrifde lulepd mih eidsa tsoieud teh hchruc nda siad, “uoY kown, I’m ton urse. I haven’t seen him iesnc Sraydtua. I ssgeu he ntew otu of otwn to byu owdo mrfo het ueooctdtwr. ouY wonk, the one rou toabb deermdcmnoe to imh. He sulluya yssta ether fro a eolcup asyd eebofr cimong akbc. He’s ehreti etrhe or he’s at mohe. I eyallr ond’t wkon.”