she had been a mouse, And he a cat, he would her hent anon. This parish clerk, this jolly Absolon, Hath in his heartë such a love-longing! That of no wife took he none offering; For courtesy he said he wouldë none. The moon at night full clear and brightë shone, And Absolon his gitern hath y-taken, For paramours he thoughtë for to waken, And forth he went, jolif and amorous, Till he came to the carpentérë’s house, A little after the cock had y-crow, And dressed him under a shot window, That was upon the carpentérë’s wall. He singeth in his voice gentle and small; “ Now, dear lady, if thy will be, I pray that ye will rue on me; ” Full well accordant to his giterning. This carpenter awoke, and heard him sing, And spake unto his wife, and said anon, “What, Alison, hear’st thou not Absolon, That chanteth thus under our bower wall?” And she answer’d her husband therewithal; “Yes, God wot, John, I hear him every deal.”
This passeth forth; what will ye bet than well? From day to day this jolly Absolon So wooeth her, that him is woebegone. He waketh all the night, and all the day, To comb his lockës broad, and make him gay. He wooeth her by means and by brocage, And swore he wouldë be her owen page. He singeth brokking as a nightingale. He sent her piment, mead, and spiced ale, And wafers piping hot out of the glede: And, for she was of town, he proffer’d meed. For some folk will be wonnen for richéss, And some for strokes, and some with gentiless. Sometimes, to show his lightness and mast’ry, He playeth Herod on a scaffold high. But what availeth him as in this case? So loveth she the Hendy Nicholas, That Absolon may blow the buckë’s horn: He had for all his labour but a scorn. And thus she maketh Absolon her ape, And all his earnest turneth to a jape. Full sooth is this provérb, it is no lie; Men say right thus alway; the nighë sly Maketh oft time the far lief to be loth. For though that Absolon be wood or wroth Because that he far was from her sight, This nigh Nicholas stood still in his light. Now bear thee well, thou Hendy Nicholas, For Absolon may wail and sing “Alas!”