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And somme seyn, that greet delyt han we For to ben holden stable and eek secree, And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, And nat biwreye thing that men us telle. But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele; Pardee, we wommen conne no-thing hele; Witnesse on Myda; wol ye here the tale? And somme seyn, that greet delyt han we For to ben holden stable and eek secree, And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, And nat biwreye thing that men us telle. But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele; Pardee, we wommen conne no-thing hele; Witnesse on Myda; wol ye here the tale?
Ovyde, amonges othere thinges smale, Seyde, Myda hadde, under his longe heres, Growinge upon his heed two asses eres, The which vyce he hidde, as he best mighte, Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it na-mo. He loved hir most, and trusted hir also; He preyede hir, that to no creature She sholde tellen of his disfigure. Ovyde, amonges othere thinges smale, Seyde, Myda hadde, under his longe heres, Growinge upon his heed two asses eres, The which vyce he hidde, as he best mighte, Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it na-mo. He loved hir most, and trusted hir also; He preyede hir, that to no creature She sholde tellen of his disfigure.
She swoor him ‘nay, for al this world to winne, She nolde do that vileinye or sinne, To make hir housbond han so foul a name; She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.’ But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde, That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; Hir thoughte it swal so sore aboute hir herte, That nedely som word hir moste asterte; And sith she dorste telle it to no man, Doun to a mareys faste by she ran; Til she came there, hir herte was a-fyre, And, as a bitore bombleth in the myre, She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun: ‘Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,’ Quod she, ‘to thee I telle it, and namo; Myn housbond hath longe asses eres two! Now is myn herte all hool, now is it oute; I mighte no lenger kepe it, out of doute,’ Heer may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, Yet out it moot, we can no conseil hyde; The remenant of the tale if ye wol here, Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it lere. She swoor him ‘nay, for al this world to winne, She nolde do that vileinye or sinne, To make hir housbond han so foul a name; She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.’ But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde, That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; Hir thoughte it swal so sore aboute hir herte, That nedely som word hir moste asterte; And sith she dorste telle it to no man, Doun to a mareys faste by she ran; Til she came there, hir herte was a-fyre, And, as a bitore bombleth in the myre, She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun: ‘Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,’ Quod she, ‘to thee I telle it, and namo; Myn housbond hath longe asses eres two! Now is myn herte all hool, now is it oute; I mighte no lenger kepe it, out of doute,’ Heer may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, Yet out it moot, we can no conseil hyde; The remenant of the tale if ye wol here, Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it lere.

Original Text

Modern Text

And somme seyn, that greet delyt han we For to ben holden stable and eek secree, And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, And nat biwreye thing that men us telle. But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele; Pardee, we wommen conne no-thing hele; Witnesse on Myda; wol ye here the tale? And somme seyn, that greet delyt han we For to ben holden stable and eek secree, And in o purpos stedefastly to dwelle, And nat biwreye thing that men us telle. But that tale is nat worth a rake-stele; Pardee, we wommen conne no-thing hele; Witnesse on Myda; wol ye here the tale?
Ovyde, amonges othere thinges smale, Seyde, Myda hadde, under his longe heres, Growinge upon his heed two asses eres, The which vyce he hidde, as he best mighte, Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it na-mo. He loved hir most, and trusted hir also; He preyede hir, that to no creature She sholde tellen of his disfigure. Ovyde, amonges othere thinges smale, Seyde, Myda hadde, under his longe heres, Growinge upon his heed two asses eres, The which vyce he hidde, as he best mighte, Ful subtilly from every mannes sighte, That, save his wyf, ther wiste of it na-mo. He loved hir most, and trusted hir also; He preyede hir, that to no creature She sholde tellen of his disfigure.
She swoor him ‘nay, for al this world to winne, She nolde do that vileinye or sinne, To make hir housbond han so foul a name; She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.’ But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde, That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; Hir thoughte it swal so sore aboute hir herte, That nedely som word hir moste asterte; And sith she dorste telle it to no man, Doun to a mareys faste by she ran; Til she came there, hir herte was a-fyre, And, as a bitore bombleth in the myre, She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun: ‘Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,’ Quod she, ‘to thee I telle it, and namo; Myn housbond hath longe asses eres two! Now is myn herte all hool, now is it oute; I mighte no lenger kepe it, out of doute,’ Heer may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, Yet out it moot, we can no conseil hyde; The remenant of the tale if ye wol here, Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it lere. She swoor him ‘nay, for al this world to winne, She nolde do that vileinye or sinne, To make hir housbond han so foul a name; She nolde nat telle it for hir owene shame.’ But nathelees, hir thoughte that she dyde, That she so longe sholde a conseil hyde; Hir thoughte it swal so sore aboute hir herte, That nedely som word hir moste asterte; And sith she dorste telle it to no man, Doun to a mareys faste by she ran; Til she came there, hir herte was a-fyre, And, as a bitore bombleth in the myre, She leyde hir mouth unto the water doun: ‘Biwreye me nat, thou water, with thy soun,’ Quod she, ‘to thee I telle it, and namo; Myn housbond hath longe asses eres two! Now is myn herte all hool, now is it oute; I mighte no lenger kepe it, out of doute,’ Heer may ye se, thogh we a tyme abyde, Yet out it moot, we can no conseil hyde; The remenant of the tale if ye wol here, Redeth Ovyde, and ther ye may it lere.