KEvans The Wife of Bath

General Prologue
A good WIF was ther OF biside BATHE,

There was a good WIFE OF beside BATH,

But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.

But she was somewhat deaf, and that was a pity.

Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt

She had such a skill in cloth-making

She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.

She surpassed them of Ypres and of Ghent.

In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon

In all the parish there was no wife

That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;

Who should go to the Offering before her;

And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she

And if there did, certainly she was so angry

That she was out of alle charitee.

That she was out of all charity (love for her neighbor).

Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;

Her kerchiefs were very fine in texture;

I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound

I dare swear they weighed ten pound

That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.

That on a Sunday were upon her head.

Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,

Her stockings were of fine scarlet red,

Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.

Very closely laced, and shoes very supple and new.

Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.

Bold was her face, and fair, and red of hue.

She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:

She was a worthy woman all her life:

Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,

She had (married) five husbands at the church door,

Withouten oother compaignye in youthe --

Not counting other company in youth --

But thereof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.

But there is no need to speak of that right now.

And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;

And she had been three times at Jerusalem;

She hadde passed many a straunge strem;

She had passed many a foreign sea;

At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,

She had been at Rome, and at Boulogne,

In Galice at Seint-Jame, and at Coloigne.

In Galicia at Saint-James (of Compostella), and at Cologne.

She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.

She knew much about wandering by the way.

Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.

She had teeth widely set apart, truly to say.

Upon an amblere esily she sat,

She sat easily upon a pacing horse,

Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat

Wearing a large wimple, and on her head a hat

As brood as is a bokeler or a targe;

As broad as a buckler or a shield;

A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,

An overskirt about her large hips,

And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.

And on her feet a pair of sharp spurs.

In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.

In fellowship she well knew how to laugh and chatter.

Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,

She knew, as it happened, about remedies for love.

For she koude of that art the olde daunce.

For she knew the old dance (tricks of the trade) of that art.

There was a wife of bath and she was deaf. She was good at sewing and she loved her neighbor. She had really nice clothing. She wore red stockings and new laced shoes. She had a red fair face. She was also a worthy woman of life. She had 5 husbands. She travels everywhere. She had bad teeth and a horse. She also had a big hat and a skirt over her large hips. She always knew how to have a good time.