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THE WIFE OF BATH’S TALE02
书名： 坎特伯雷故事集 作者： （英） 乔叟 本章字数： 24155 更新时间： 2024-06-13 17:43:43

O Lord! the pain I did them, and the woe,

‘Full guilteless, by Godde’s sweete pine;* *pain

For as a horse I coulde bite and whine;

I coulde plain,* an’** I was in the guilt, *complain**even though

Or elles oftentime I had been spilt* *ruined

Whoso first cometh to the nilll, first grint;* *is ground

I plained first, so was our war y-stint.* *stoppe

They were full glad to excuse them full blive**quickly

Of things that they never *aguilt their live.* *were guilty in their lives*

Of wenches would I *beare them on hand,* *falsely accuse them*

When that for sickness scarcely might they stand,

Yet tickled I his hearte for that he

Ween’d* that I had of him so great cherte:** *though**affection

I swore that all my walking out by night

Was for to espy wenches that he dight:* *adorned

Under that colour had I many a mirth.

For all such wit is given us at birth;

Deceit, weeping, and spinning, God doth give

To women kindly, while that they may live. *naturally

And thus of one thing I may vaunte me,

At th’ end I had the better in each degree,

By sleight, or force, or by some manner thing,

As by continual murmur or grudging,* *complaining

Namely* a-bed, there hadde they mischance,*especially

There would I chide, and do them no pleasance:

I would no longer in the bed abide,

If that I felt his arm over my side,

Till he had made his ransom unto me,

Then would I suffer him do his nicety.* *folly

And therefore every man this tale I tell,

Win whoso may, for all is for to sell;

With empty hand men may no hawkes lure;

For winning would I all his will endure,

And make me a feigned appetite,

And yet in bacon* had I never delight: *i.e. of Dunmow

That made me that I ever would them chide.

For, though the Pope had sitten them beside,

I would not spare them at their owen board,

For, by my troth, I quit* them word for word *repaid

As help me very God omnipotent,

Though I right now should make my testament

I owe them not a word, that is not quit* *repaid

I brought it so aboute by my wit,

That they must give it up, as for the best

Or elles had we never been in rest.

For, though he looked as a wood* lion, *furious

Yet should he fail of his conclusion.

Then would I say, “Now, goode lefe* tak keep***dear **heed

How meekly looketh Wilken oure sheep!

Come near, my spouse, and let me ba* thy cheek*kiss

Ye shoulde be all patient and meek,

And have a *sweet y-spiced* conscience, *tender,nice*

Since ye so preach of Jobe’s patience.

Suffer alway, since ye so well can preach,

And but* ye do, certain we shall you teach* *unless

That it is fair to have a wife in peace.

One of us two must bowe* doubteless: *give way

And since a man is more reasonable

Than woman is, ye must be suff’rable.

What aileth you to grudge* thus and groan? *complain

Is it for ye would have my [love] alone?

Why, take it all: lo, have it every deal,* *whit

Peter! shrew* you but ye love it well *curse

For if I woulde sell my *belle chose*, *beautiful thing*

I coulde walk as fresh as is a rose,

But I will keep it for your owen tooth.

Ye be to blame, by God, I say you sooth.”

Such manner wordes hadde we on hand.

Now will I speaken of my fourth husband.

My fourthe husband was a revellour;

This is to say, he had a paramour,

And I was young and full of ragerie,* *wantonness

Stubborn and strong, and jolly as a pie.* *magpie

Then could I dance to a harpe smale,

And sing, y-wis,* as any nightingale, *certainly

When I had drunk a draught of sweete wine.

Metellius, the foule churl, the swine,

That with a staff bereft his wife of life

For she drank wine, though I had been his wife,

Never should he have daunted me from drink:

And, after wine, of Venus most I think.

For all so sure as cold engenders hail,

A liquorish mouth must have a liquorish tail.

In woman vinolent* is no defence,** *full of wine*resistance

This knowe lechours by experience.

But, lord Christ, when that it rememb’reth me

Upon my youth, and on my jollity,

It tickleth me about mine hearte-root;

Unto this day it doth mine hearte boot,* *good

That I have had my world as in my time.

But age, alas! that all will envenime,* *poison,embitter

Hath me bereft my beauty and my pith:* *vigour

Let go; farewell; the devil go therewith.

The flour is gon, there is no more to tell

The bran, as I best may, now must I sell.

But yet to be right merry will I fand.* *try

Now forth to tell you of my fourth husband,

I say, I in my heart had great despite,

That he of any other had delight;

But he was quit,* by God and by Saint Joce:*requited, paid back

I made for him of the same wood a cross;

Not of my body in no foul mannere,

But certainly I made folk such cheer,

That in his owen grease I made him fry

For anger, and for very jealousy.

By God, in earth I was his purgatory,

For which I hope his soul may be in glory.

For, God it wot, he sat full oft and sung,

When that his shoe full bitterly him wrung.* *pinched

There was no wight, save God and he, that wist

In many wise how sore I did him twist.

He died when I came from Jerusalem,

And lies in grave under the *roode beam:* *cross*

Although his tomb is not so curious

As was the sepulchre of Darius,

Which that Apelles wrought so subtlely.

It is but waste to bury them preciously.

Let him fare well, God give his soule rest,

He is now in his grave and in his chest.

Now of my fifthe husband will I tell

God let his soul never come into hell.

And yet was he to me the moste shrew;* *cruel, ill-tempered

That feel I on my ribbes all *by rew,* *in a row

And ever shall, until mine ending day.

But in our bed he was so fresh and gay,

And therewithal so well he could me glose,* *flatte

When that he woulde have my belle chose,

Though he had beaten me on every bone,

Yet could he win again my love anon.

I trow, I lov’d him better, for that he

Was of his love so dangerous* to me. *sparing, difficul

We women have, if that I shall not lie,

In this matter a quainte fantasy.

Whatever thing we may not lightly have,

Thereafter will we cry all day and crave.

Forbid us thing, and that desire we;

Press on us fast, and thenne will we flee

With danger* utter we all our chaffare;** *difficulty**merchandise

Great press at market maketh deare ware,

And too great cheap is held at little price;

This knoweth every woman that is wise.

My fifthe husband, God his soule bless

Which that I took for love and no richess,

He some time was *a clerk of Oxenford,* *a scholar of Oxford*

And had left school, and went at home to board

With my gossip,* dwelling in oure town: *godmother

God have her soul, her name was Alisoun.

She knew my heart, and all my privity,

Bet than our parish priest, so may I the.* *thrive

To her betrayed I my counsel all;

For had my husband pissed on a wall,

Or done a thing that should have cost his life,

To her, and to another worthy wife,

And to my niece, which that I loved well,

I would have told his counsel every deal.* *jot

And so I did full often, God it wot,

That made his face full often red and hot

For very shame, and blam’d himself, for he

Had told to me so great a privity.* *secret

And so befell that ones in a Lent

(So oftentimes I to my gossip went,

For ever yet I loved to be gay,

And for to walk in March, April, and May

From house to house, to heare sundry tales),

That Jenkin clerk, and my gossip, Dame Ales,

And I myself, into the fieldes went

Mine husband was at London all that Lent;

I had the better leisure for to play,

And for to see, and eke for to be sey* *seen

Of lusty folk; what wist I where my grace* *favour

Was shapen for to be, or in what place? *appointed

Therefore made I my visitations

To vigilies,* and to processions, *festival-eves

To preachings eke, and to these pilgrimages,

To plays of miracles, and marriages,

And weared upon me gay scarlet gites.* *gowns

These wormes, nor these mothes, nor these mites

On my apparel frett* them never a deal** *fed**whit

And know’st thou why? for they were used* well. *worn

Now will I telle forth what happen’d me:

I say, that in the fieldes walked we

Till truely we had such dalliance,

This clerk and I, that of my purveyance* *foresight

I spake to him, and told him how that he,

If I were widow, shoulde wedde me.

For certainly, I say for no bobance,* *boasting

Yet was I never without purveyance* *foresight

Of marriage, nor of other thinges eke:

I hold a mouse’s wit not worth a leek,

That hath but one hole for to starte* to, *escape

And if that faile, then is all y-do.* *done

[*I bare him on hand* he had enchanted me *falsely assured him*

(My dame taughte me that subtilty);

And eke I said, I mette* of him all night, *dreamed

He would have slain me, as I lay upright,

And all my bed was full of very blood;

But yet I hop’d that he should do me good;

For blood betoken’d gold, as me was taught.

And all was false, I dream’d of him right naught,

But as I follow’d aye my dame’s lore,

As well of that as of other things more.]

But now, sir, let me see, what shall I sayn?

Aha! by God, I have my tale again.

When that my fourthe husband was on bier,

I wept algate* and made a sorry cheer,** *always**countenance

As wives must, for it is the usage;

And with my kerchief covered my visage;

But, for I was provided with a make,* *mate

I wept but little, that I undertake* *promise

To churche was mine husband borne a-morrow

With neighebours that for him made sorrow,

And Jenkin, oure clerk, was one of tho:* *those

As help me God, when that I saw him go

After the bier, methought he had a pair

Of legges and of feet so clean and fair,

That all my heart I gave unto his hold.* *keeping

He was, I trow, a twenty winter old,

And I was forty, if I shall say sooth,

But yet I had always a colte’s tooth.

Gat-toothed* I was, and that became me well, *see note

I had the print of Sainte Venus’ seal.

[As help me God, I was a lusty one,

And fair, and rich, and young, and *well begone:**in a good way*

For certes I am all venerian* *under the influence of Venus

In feeling, and my heart is martian;* *under the influence of Mar

Venus me gave my lust and liquorishness,

And Mars gave me my sturdy hardiness.]

Mine ascendant was Taure,* and Mars therein: *Taurus

Alas, alas, that ever love was sin!

I follow’d aye mine inclination

By virtue of my constellation:

That made me that I coulde not withdraw

My chamber of Venus from a good fellaw.

[Yet have I Marte’s mark upon my face,

And also in another privy place.

For God so wisly* be my salvation, *certainly

I loved never by discretion,

But ever follow’d mine own appetite,

All* were he short, or long, or black, or white,*whether

I took no keep,* so that he liked me, *heed

How poor he was, neither of what degree.]

What should I say? but that at the month’s end

This jolly clerk Jenkin, that was so hend,* *courteous

Had wedded me with great solemnity,

And to him gave I all the land and fee

That ever was me given therebefore:

But afterward repented me full sore.

He woulde suffer nothing of my list.* *pleasure

By God, he smote me ones with his fist

For that I rent out of his book a leaf,

That of the stroke mine eare wax’d all deaf.

Stubborn I was, as is a lioness,

And of my tongue a very jangleress,* *prater

And walk I would, as I had done beforn,

From house to house, although he had it sworn:**had sworn to

For which he oftentimes woulde preach prevent it

And me of olde Roman gestes* teach *stories

How that Sulpitius Gallus left his wife

And her forsook for term of all his

For nought but open-headed* he her say** *bare-headed **saw

Looking out at his door upon a day.

Another Roman told he me by name,

That, for his wife was at a summer game

Without his knowing, he forsook her eke.

And then would he upon his Bible seek

That ilke* proverb of Ecclesiast, *same

Where he commandeth, and forbiddeth fast,

Man shall not suffer his wife go roll about.

Then would he say right thus withoute doubt:

“Whoso that buildeth his house all of sallows,**willows

And pricketh his blind horse over the fallows,

And suff’reth his wife to *go seeke hallows,* *make pilgrimages*

Is worthy to be hanged on the gallows.”

But all for nought; I *sette not a haw* *cared nothing for*

Of his proverbs, nor of his olde saw;

Nor would I not of him corrected be.

I hate them that my vices telle me,

And so do more of us (God wot) than I.

This made him wood* with me all utterly; *furious

I woulde not forbear* him in no case. *endure

Now will I say you sooth, by Saint Thomas,

Why that I rent out of his book a leaf,

For which he smote me, so that I was deaf.

He had a book, that gladly night and day

For his disport he would it read alway;

He call’d it Valerie, and Theophrast,

And with that book he laugh’d alway full fast.

And eke there was a clerk sometime at Rome,

A cardinal, that highte Saint Jerome,

That made a book against Jovinian,

Which book was there; and eke Tertullian,

Chrysippus, Trotula, and Heloise,

That was an abbess not far from Paris;

And eke the Parables* of Solomon, *Proverbs

Ovide’s Art, and bourdes* many one; *jests

And alle these were bound in one volume.

And every night and day was his custume

(When he had leisure and vacation

From other worldly occupation)

To readen in this book of wicked wives.

He knew of them more legends and more lives

Than be of goodde wives in the Bible.

For, trust me well, it is an impossible

That any clerk will speake good of wives,

(*But if* it be of holy saintes’ lives) *unless

Nor of none other woman never the mo’.

Who painted the lion, tell it me, who?

By God, if women haddde written stories,

As clerkes have within their oratories,

They would have writ of men more wickedness

Than all the mark of Adam may redress

The children of Mercury and of Venus,

Be in their working full contrarious.

Mercury loveth wisdom and science,

And Venus loveth riot and dispence.* *extravagance

And for their diverse disposition,

Each falls in other’s exaltation.

As thus, God wot, Mercury is desolate

In Pisces, where Venus is exaltate,

And Venus falls where Mercury is raised.

Therefore no woman by no clerk is praised.

The clerk, when he is old, and may not do

Of Venus’ works not worth his olde shoe,

Then sits he down, and writes in his dotage,

That women cannot keep their marriage.

But now to purpose, why I tolde thee

That I was beaten for a book, pardie.

Upon a night Jenkin, that was our sire,* *goodman

Read on his book, as he sat by the fire

Of Eva first, that for her wickednes

Was all mankind brought into wretchedness,

For which that Jesus Christ himself was slain,

That bought us with his hearte-blood again.

Lo here express of women may ye fin

That woman was the loss of all mankind.

Then read he me how Samson lost his hairs

Sleeping, his leman cut them with her shears,

Through whiche treason lost he both his eyen.

Then read he me, if that I shall not lien,

Of Hercules, and of his Dejanire,

That caused him to set himself on fire

Nothing forgot he of the care and woe

That Socrates had with his wives two;

How Xantippe cast piss upon his head.

This silly man sat still, as he were dead,

He wip’d his head, and no more durst he sayn,

But, “Ere the thunder stint* there cometh rain.” *ceases

Of Phasiphae, that was queen of Crete,

For shrewedness* he thought the tale sweet. *wickedness

Fy, speak no more, it is a grisly thing,

Of her horrible lust and her liking.

Of Clytemnestra, for her lechery

That falsely made her husband for to die,

He read it with full good devotion.

He told me eke, for what occasion

Amphiorax at Thebes lost his life:

My husband had a legend of his wife

Eryphile, that for an ouche* of gold *clasp, collar

Had privily unto the Greekes told,

Where that her husband hid him in a place,

For which he had at Thebes sorry grace.

Of Luna told he me, and of Lucie;

They bothe made their husbands for to die,

That one for love, that other was for hate.

Luna her husband on an ev’ning late

Empoison’d had, for that she was his foe:

Lucia liquorish lov’d her husband so,

That, for he should always upon her think,

She gave him such a manner* love-drink, *sort of

That he was dead before it were the morrow:

And thus algates* husbands hadde sorrow. *always

Then told he me how one Latumeus

Complained to his fellow Arius

That in his garden growed such a tree,

On which he said how that his wives three

Hanged themselves for heart dispiteous.

“O leve* brother,” quoth this Arius, *dear

“Give me a plant of thilke* blessed tree, *that

And in my garden planted shall it be.”

Of later date of wives hath he read,

That some have slain their husbands in their bed,

And let their *lechour dight them* all the night,*lover ride them*

While that the corpse lay on the floor upright

And some have driven nails into their brain,

While that they slept, and thus they have them slain:

Some have them given poison in their drink:

He spake more harm than hearte may bethink.

And therewithal he knew of more proverbs,

Than in this world there groweth grass or herbs.

“Better (quoth he) thine habitation

Be with a lion, or a foul dragon,

Than with a woman using for to chide.

Better (quoth he) high in the roof abide,

Than with an angry woman in the house,

They be so wicked and contrarious:

They hate that their husbands loven aye.”

He said, “A woman cast her shame away

When she cast off her smock;” and farthermo’,

“A fair woman, but* she be chaste also, *except

Is like a gold ring in a sowe’s nose.

Who coulde ween,* or who coulde suppose *think

The woe that in mine heart was, and the pine?**pain

And when I saw that he would never fine* *fini

To readen on this cursed book all night,

All suddenly three leaves have I plight* *plucked

Out of his book, right as he read, and eke

I with my fist so took him on the cheek

That in our fire he backward fell adown

And he up start, as doth a wood* lion, *furious

And with his fist he smote me on the head

That on the floor I lay as I were dead

And when he saw how still that there I lay,

He was aghast, and would have fled away

Till at the last out of my swoon I braid,* *woke

“Oh, hast thou slain me, thou false thief?” I said

“And for my land thus hast thou murder’d me?

Ere I be dead, yet will I kisse thee.”

And near he came, and kneeled fair adown,

And saide”, “Deare sister Alisoun,

As help me God, I shall thee never smite:

That I have done it is thyself to wite,* *blame

Forgive it me, and that I thee beseek.”* *beseech

And yet eftsoons* I hit him on the cheek, *immediately; again

And saidde, “Thief, thus much am I awreak.* *avenged

Now will I die, I may no longer speak.”

But at the last, with muche care and woe

We fell accorded* by ourselves two: *agreed

He gave me all the bridle in mine hand

To have the governance of house and land,

And of his tongue, and of his hand also.

I made him burn his book anon right tho.* *then

And when that I had gotten unto me

By mast’ry all the sovereignety,

And that he said, “Mine owen true wife,

Do *as thee list,* the term of all thy life, *as pleases thee*

Keep thine honour, and eke keep mine estate;

After that day we never had debate.

God help me so, I was to him as kind

As any wife from Denmark unto Ind,

And also true, and so was he to me:

I pray to God that sits in majesty

So bless his soule, for his mercy dear.

Now will I say my tale, if ye will hear. —

The Friar laugh’d when he had heard all this:

“Now, Dame,” quoth he, “so have I joy and bliss,

This is a long preamble of a tale.”

And when the Sompnour heard the Friar gale,**speak

“Lo,” quoth this Sompnour, “Godde’s armes two,

A friar will intermete* him evermo’: *interpose

Lo, goode men, a fly and eke a frer

Will fall in ev’ry dish and eke mattere.

What speak’st thou of perambulation?* *preamble

What? amble or trot; or peace, or go sit down:

Thou lettest* our disport in this mattere.” *hinderesst

“Yea, wilt thou so, Sir Sompnour?” quoth the Frere;

“Now by my faith I shall, ere that I go,

Tell of a Sompnour such a tale or two,

That all the folk shall laughen in this place.”

“Now do, else, Friar, I beshrew* thy face,” *curse

Quoth this Sompnour; “and I beshrewe me,

But if* I telle tales two or three *unless

Of friars, ere I come to Sittingbourne,

That I shall make thine hearte for to mourn:

For well I wot thy patience is gone.”

Our Hoste cried, “Peace, and that anon;”

And saide, “Let the woman tell her tale.

Ye fare* as folk that drunken be of ale. *behave

Do, Dame, tell forth your tale, and that is best.”

“All ready, sir,” quoth she, “right as you lest,**please

If I have licence of this worthy Frere.”

“Yes, Dame,” quoth he, “tell forth, and I will hear.”

NOTES:

1. Among the evidences that Chaucer’s great work was left incomplete, is the absence of any link of connexion between the Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale, and what goes before. This deficiency has in some editions caused the Squire’s and the Merchant’s Tales to be interposed between those of the Man of Law and the Wife of Bath; but in the Merchant’s Tale there is internal proof that it was told after the jolly Dame’s. Several manuscripts contain verses designed to serve as a connexion; but they are evidently not Chaucer’s, and it is unnecessary to give them here.Of this Prologue, which may fairly be regarded as a distinct autobiographical tale, Tyrwhitt says: “The extraordinary length of it, as well as the vein of pleasantry that runs through it, is very suitable to the character of the speaker. The greatest part must have been of Chaucer’s own invention, though one may plainly see that he had been reading the popular invectives against marriage and women in general;such as the ‘Roman de la Rose,’ ‘Valerius ad Rufinum, De non Ducenda Uxore,’ (‘Valerius to Rufinus, on not being ruled by one’s wife’) and particularly’Hieronymus contra Jovinianum.’ (‘Jerome against Jovinianus’) St Jerome, among other things designed to discourage marriage, has inserted in his treatise a long passage from ‘Liber Aureolus Theophrasti de Nuptiis.’ (‘Theophrastus’s Golden Book of Marriage’).”

2. A great part of the marriage service used to be performed in the church-porch.

3. Jesus and the Samaritan woman: John iv. 13.

4. Dan: Lord; Latin, “dominus.” Another reading is”the wise man, King Solomon.”

5. Defended: forbade; French, “defendre,” to prohibit.

6. Dart: the goal; a spear or dart was set up to mark the point of victory.

7. “But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour.” — 2 Tim. ii 20.

8. Jesus feeding the multitude with barley bread: Mark vi. 41, 42.

9. At Dunmow prevailed the custom of giving, amid much merry making, a flitch of bacon to the married pair who had lived together for a year without quarrel or regret. The same custom prevailed of old in Bretagne.

10. “Cagnard,” or “Caignard,” a French term of reproach, originally derived from “canis,” a dog.

11. Parage: birth, kindred; from Latin, “pario,” I beget.

12. Norice: nurse; French, “nourrice.”

13. This and the previous quotation from Ptolemy are due to the Dame’s own fancy.

14. (Transcriber’s note: Some Victorian censorship here. The word given in [brackets] should be “queint”i.e. “cunt”.)

15. Women should not adorn themselves: see I Tim. ii. 9.

16. Cherte: affection; from French, “cher,” dear.

17. Nicety: folly; French, “niaiserie.”

18. Ba: kiss; from French, “baiser.”

19. Peter!: by Saint Peter! a common adjuration, like Marie! from the Virgin’s name.

20. St. Joce: or Judocus, a saint of Ponthieu, in France.

21. “An allusion,” says Mr Wright, “to the story of the Roman sage who, when blamed for divorcing his wife, said that a shoe might appear outwardly to fit well, but no one but the wearer knew where it pinched.”

22. Vigilies: festival-eves; see note 33 to the Prologue to the Tales.

23. Bobance: boasting; Ben Jonson’s braggart, in”Every Man in his Humour,” is named Bobadil.

24. “I hold a mouse’s wit not worth a leek,

That hath but one hole for to starte to”

A very old proverb in French, German, and Latin.

25. The lines in brackets are only in some of the manuscripts.

26. Gat-toothed: gap-toothed; goat-toothed; or cat-or separate toothed. See note 41 to the prologue to the Tales.

27. Sempronius Sophus, of whom Valerius Maximus tells in his sixth book.

28. The tract of Walter Mapes against marriage,published under the title of “Epistola Valerii ad Rufinum.

29. “Ars Amoris.”

30. All the mark of Adam: all who bear the mark of Adam i.e. all men.

31. The Children of Mercury and Venus: those born under the influence of the respective planets

32. A planet, according to the old astrologers, was in”exaltation” when in the sign of the Zodiac in which it exerted its strongest influence; the opposite sign,in which it was weakest, was called its “dejection.” Venus being strongest in Pisces, was weakest in Virgo; but in Virgo Mercury was in “exaltation.”

33. Intermete: interpose; French, “entremettre.”

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