No Fear Literature: The Canterbury Tales: The Miller's Tale The Miller’s Tale Page 17

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Original Text	Modern Text
‘Go fro the window, Iakke fool,’ she sayde, ‘As help me God, it wol nat be “com ba me,” 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, And lat me slepe, a twenty devel wey!’	‘Go fro the window, Iakke fool,’ she sayde, ‘As help me God, it wol nat be “com ba me,” 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, And lat me slepe, a twenty devel wey!’
‘Allas,’ quod Absolon, ‘and weylawey! That trewe love was ever so yvel biset! Than kisse me, sin it may be no bet, For Iesus love and for the love of me.’	‘Allas,’ quod Absolon, ‘and weylawey! That trewe love was ever so yvel biset! Than kisse me, sin it may be no bet, For Iesus love and for the love of me.’
‘Wiltow than go thy wey ther-with?’ quod she.	‘Wiltow than go thy wey ther-with?’ quod she.
‘Ye, certes, lemman,’ quod this Absolon.	‘Ye, certes, lemman,’ quod this Absolon.
‘Thanne make thee redy,’ quod she, ‘I come anon;’ And unto Nicholas she seyde stille, ‘Now hust, and thou shall laughen al thy fille.’	‘Thanne make thee redy,’ quod she, ‘I come anon;’ And unto Nicholas she seyde stille, ‘Now hust, and thou shall laughen al thy fille.’
This Absolon doun sette him on his knees, And seyde, ‘I am a lord at alle degrees; For after this I hope ther cometh more! Lemman, thy grace, and swete brid, thyn ore!’	This Absolon doun sette him on his knees, And seyde, ‘I am a lord at alle degrees; For after this I hope ther cometh more! Lemman, thy grace, and swete brid, thyn ore!’
The window she undoth, and that in haste, ‘Have do,’ quod she, ‘com of, and speed thee faste, Lest that our neighebores thee espye.’	The window she undoth, and that in haste, ‘Have do,’ quod she, ‘com of, and speed thee faste, Lest that our neighebores thee espye.’
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 Ful savourly, er he was war of this.	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 Ful savourly, er he was war of this.

Original Text	Modern Text
‘Go fro the window, Iakke fool,’ she sayde, ‘As help me God, it wol nat be “com ba me,” 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, And lat me slepe, a twenty devel wey!’	‘Go fro the window, Iakke fool,’ she sayde, ‘As help me God, it wol nat be “com ba me,” 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, And lat me slepe, a twenty devel wey!’
‘Allas,’ quod Absolon, ‘and weylawey! That trewe love was ever so yvel biset! Than kisse me, sin it may be no bet, For Iesus love and for the love of me.’	‘Allas,’ quod Absolon, ‘and weylawey! That trewe love was ever so yvel biset! Than kisse me, sin it may be no bet, For Iesus love and for the love of me.’
‘Wiltow than go thy wey ther-with?’ quod she.	‘Wiltow than go thy wey ther-with?’ quod she.
‘Ye, certes, lemman,’ quod this Absolon.	‘Ye, certes, lemman,’ quod this Absolon.
‘Thanne make thee redy,’ quod she, ‘I come anon;’ And unto Nicholas she seyde stille, ‘Now hust, and thou shall laughen al thy fille.’	‘Thanne make thee redy,’ quod she, ‘I come anon;’ And unto Nicholas she seyde stille, ‘Now hust, and thou shall laughen al thy fille.’
This Absolon doun sette him on his knees, And seyde, ‘I am a lord at alle degrees; For after this I hope ther cometh more! Lemman, thy grace, and swete brid, thyn ore!’	This Absolon doun sette him on his knees, And seyde, ‘I am a lord at alle degrees; For after this I hope ther cometh more! Lemman, thy grace, and swete brid, thyn ore!’
The window she undoth, and that in haste, ‘Have do,’ quod she, ‘com of, and speed thee faste, Lest that our neighebores thee espye.’	The window she undoth, and that in haste, ‘Have do,’ quod she, ‘com of, and speed thee faste, Lest that our neighebores thee espye.’
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 Ful savourly, er he was war of this.	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 Ful savourly, er he was war of this.