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This Absolon, that Iolif was and gay, Gooth with a sencer on the haliday, Sensinge the wyves of the parish faste; And many a lovely look on hem he caste, And namely on this carpenteres wyf. To loke on hir him thoughte a mery lyf, She was so propre and swete and likerous. I dar wel seyn, if she had been a mous, And he a cat, he wolde hir hente anon. This Absolon, that Iolif was and gay, Gooth with a sencer on the haliday, Sensinge the wyves of the parish faste; And many a lovely look on hem he caste, And namely on this carpenteres wyf. To loke on hir him thoughte a mery lyf, She was so propre and swete and likerous. I dar wel seyn, if she had been a mous, And he a cat, he wolde hir hente anon.
This parish-clerk, this Ioly Absolon, Hath in his herte swich a love-longinge, That of no wyf ne took he noon offringe; For curteisye, he seyde, he wolde noon. The mone, whan it was night, ful brighte shoon, And Absolon his giterne hath y-take, For paramours, he thoghte for to wake. And forth he gooth, Iolif and amorous, Til he cam to the carpenteres hous A litel after cokkes hadde y-crowe; And dressed him up by a shot-windowe That was upon the carpenteres wal. He singeth in his vois gentil and smal, ‘Now, dere lady, if thy wille be, I preye yow that ye wol rewe on me,’ Ful wel acordaunt to his giterninge. This carpenter awook, and herde him singe, And spak unto his wyf, and seyde anon, ‘What! Alison! herestow nat Absolon That chaunteth thus under our boures wal?’ And she answerde hir housbond ther-with-al, ‘Yis, God wot, Iohn, I here it every-del.’ This parish-clerk, this Ioly Absolon, Hath in his herte swich a love-longinge, That of no wyf ne took he noon offringe; For curteisye, he seyde, he wolde noon. The mone, whan it was night, ful brighte shoon, And Absolon his giterne hath y-take, For paramours, he thoghte for to wake. And forth he gooth, Iolif and amorous, Til he cam to the carpenteres hous A litel after cokkes hadde y-crowe; And dressed him up by a shot-windowe That was upon the carpenteres wal. He singeth in his vois gentil and smal, ‘Now, dere lady, if thy wille be, I preye yow that ye wol rewe on me,’ Ful wel acordaunt to his giterninge. This carpenter awook, and herde him singe, And spak unto his wyf, and seyde anon, ‘What! Alison! herestow nat Absolon That chaunteth thus under our boures wal?’ And she answerde hir housbond ther-with-al, ‘Yis, God wot, Iohn, I here it every-del.’

Original Text

Modern Text

This Absolon, that Iolif was and gay, Gooth with a sencer on the haliday, Sensinge the wyves of the parish faste; And many a lovely look on hem he caste, And namely on this carpenteres wyf. To loke on hir him thoughte a mery lyf, She was so propre and swete and likerous. I dar wel seyn, if she had been a mous, And he a cat, he wolde hir hente anon. This Absolon, that Iolif was and gay, Gooth with a sencer on the haliday, Sensinge the wyves of the parish faste; And many a lovely look on hem he caste, And namely on this carpenteres wyf. To loke on hir him thoughte a mery lyf, She was so propre and swete and likerous. I dar wel seyn, if she had been a mous, And he a cat, he wolde hir hente anon.
This parish-clerk, this Ioly Absolon, Hath in his herte swich a love-longinge, That of no wyf ne took he noon offringe; For curteisye, he seyde, he wolde noon. The mone, whan it was night, ful brighte shoon, And Absolon his giterne hath y-take, For paramours, he thoghte for to wake. And forth he gooth, Iolif and amorous, Til he cam to the carpenteres hous A litel after cokkes hadde y-crowe; And dressed him up by a shot-windowe That was upon the carpenteres wal. He singeth in his vois gentil and smal, ‘Now, dere lady, if thy wille be, I preye yow that ye wol rewe on me,’ Ful wel acordaunt to his giterninge. This carpenter awook, and herde him singe, And spak unto his wyf, and seyde anon, ‘What! Alison! herestow nat Absolon That chaunteth thus under our boures wal?’ And she answerde hir housbond ther-with-al, ‘Yis, God wot, Iohn, I here it every-del.’ This parish-clerk, this Ioly Absolon, Hath in his herte swich a love-longinge, That of no wyf ne took he noon offringe; For curteisye, he seyde, he wolde noon. The mone, whan it was night, ful brighte shoon, And Absolon his giterne hath y-take, For paramours, he thoghte for to wake. And forth he gooth, Iolif and amorous, Til he cam to the carpenteres hous A litel after cokkes hadde y-crowe; And dressed him up by a shot-windowe That was upon the carpenteres wal. He singeth in his vois gentil and smal, ‘Now, dere lady, if thy wille be, I preye yow that ye wol rewe on me,’ Ful wel acordaunt to his giterninge. This carpenter awook, and herde him singe, And spak unto his wyf, and seyde anon, ‘What! Alison! herestow nat Absolon That chaunteth thus under our boures wal?’ And she answerde hir housbond ther-with-al, ‘Yis, God wot, Iohn, I here it every-del.’