巴斯妇的故事.docx
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巴斯妇的故事
(TheWifeofBath’sTale)
Intheolddays,thedaysofKingArthur10,
HewhomtheBritonsholdingreathonour,
Allofthislandwasfullofmagicthen.
Andwithherjoyouscompanytheelf-queen
Dancedmanyatimeonmanyagreenmead.
Thatwastheoldbelief,asifhaveread:
Ispeakofmanyhundredyearsago.
Butnowelvescanbeseenbymennomore,
FornowtheChristiancharityandprayers
Oflimiters11andothersaintlyfriars12
Whohaunteachnookandcorner,fieldandstream,
Thickasthemotesofdustinasunbeam,
Blessingthebedrooms,kitchens,halls,andbowers,
Citiesandtowns,castlesandhightowers,
Villages,barns,cattle-shedsanddairies,
Haveseentoitthattherearenownofairies.
Thoseplaceswhereyouoncewouldseeanelf
Areplaceswherethelimiterhimself
Walksintheafternoonsandearlymornings,
Singinghisholyofficesandmartins,
Whilegoingontheroundsofhisdistrict.
Womenmaynowgosafelywheretheylike:
Ineverybush,andundereverytree,
They’llfindnoothersatyr13therebuthe:
Andhe’lldonothingworsethantaketheirhonour.
NowitsohappenedthatthisKingArthur
Hadinhiscourtaboldknight-bachelor
Whoonedaywashawkingbytheriver,
Anditsochanced,ashewasridinghome,
Hemetamaidenwalkingallalone,
Andthereupon,thoughshefoughtlongandhard,
Theknighttookbymainforcehermaidenhood;
Andthisoutrageoccasionedagreatstir,
SomuchpetitioningofKingArthur,
Thattheknightwas,induecourseoflaw,
Condemnedtodeath,andwouldhavelosthishead
Accordingtothelawasitthenstood,
Hadnotthequeenandmanyanotherlady
Importunedthekingsolongformercy
Thatintheendhegrantedhimhislife
Andgavehimtothequeentodisposeof:
Eithertoexecute,orsparehislife.
Thequeengavethekingthankswithallherheart,
Andsometimeafterwardsspoketotheknight
Onedaywhenshesawopportunity:
‘Yourfateisinthebalancestill,’saidshe,
‘Youcannotyetbecertainofyourlife,
Butyoushallliveifyoucananswerme,
Whatisthethingthatwomenmostdesire?
Yourneckisforfeittotheaxe—beware!
Andifyoucannottellmehereandnow
Ishall,however,giveyouleavetogo
Atwelvemonthandaday,toseekandfind
Ananswerthatwillsatisfymymind.
Andyoumustpledge,beforeyoucandepart,
Dulytoyieldyourselfupinthiscourt.’
Sadwastheknight;sorrowfullyhesighed;
Butthere!
It’snotasifhe’danychoice.
Andsoatlonglasthemadeuphismind
Togo,andtocomebackattheyear’send,
Withwhateveranswerheavenmightprovide;
Andsohetookhisleave,andoffherode.
Hevisitedeveryhouse,andeveryspot
Wherehemighthavethelucktofindoutwhat
Thethingisthatwewomenmostdesire;
Butcouldfindinnocountryanywhere
Twopeopletoagreewithoneanother
Uponthissubject.
Somesaidwelovebest
Richesandwealth;andotherssaid,honour;
Somesaiditisthepleasuresofthebed,
Andtobeoftenwidowed,oftenwed.
Andotherssaidwe’rehappiestatheart
Whencomplimentedandwellcosseted14.
Whichisprettynearthetruth,andthat’snolie.
Amancanwinusbestbyflattery;
Andwithattentiveness,assiduity15,
We’reensnared,oneandall.
Somesaythatwe
Lovebesttohaveourownwayandbefree,
Tohavenoonereproveusforourfollies,
Butsayhowwiseweare,howfarfromfoolish.
Ifsomeonetouchesonatenderspot,
Thereisn’toneofus—indeedthere’snot—
Whowon’tkick,justforbeingtoldthetruth!
Justtryit,andyou’llfindoutsoonenough.
Howeverfaultywemaybewithin,
Wewanttobethoughtwise,andfreefromsin.
Andotherssaythatwetakegreatdelight
Inbeingthoughtdependableanddiscreet,
Abletoholdsteadfastlytoonepurpose,
Neverrevealingwhatapersontellsus.
Asforthatnotion,it’snotworthabutton,
Becausewewomencankeepnothinghidden.
WitnessKingMidas16—wouldyouhearofhim?
Ovid17,amongsomeothertrifles,said
ThatunderhislonghairKingMidashad
Twoasses’earsgrowinguponhishead,
Whichblemishhekepthid,asbesthemight,
Mostartfullyfromeverybody’ssight,
Sothat,butforhiswife,noneknewofit.
Aboveallthingshelovedandtrustedher;
Andheimploredhernevertomakemention
Ofhisdeformitytoanyone.
No,notforanythingintheworld,sheswore,
Wouldshedosuchameanandsinfulthing,
Andbringdiscredittoherhusband’sname.
Ifonlyforhershame’ssake,she’dnottell.
Butnonetheless,shethoughtthatshewoulddie
Ifshehadtokeepasecretforsolong;
Sohardagainstherheartitseemedtoswell,
Thatshemustspeakorburst;tillfinally
Asshedaredtellthesecrettonoman,
Downtoamarshclosebyherhomesheran—
Tillshegotthere,herheartwasallafire—
And,likeabitternwhenitmakesitsboom,
Placinghermouthbeneaththewater’ssurface,
‘Donotbetrayme,water,withyournoise,’
Saidshe,‘toyouItellit,nooneelse:
Myhusbandhasgottwolongasses’ears!
Ifeeleversomuchbetternowit’sout.
Icouldn’tkeepitinanotherminute!
’
Whichshowsthatthoughwemayholdonabit,
Yetoutitmust;wecankeepnothingsecret.
Ifyou’dliketoheartheendingofthistale,
ReadOvid’sbook:
andthereyou’llfinditall.
Nowwhentheknight,thesubjectofmystory,
Foundthathewasnonearerthediscovery
Ofwhatitisthatwomenlovethebest,
Howheavywastheheartwithinhisbreast!
Andhomehewent,forhecouldnotremain;
Thedaywascomewhenhehadtoreturn.
Onhiswayhomeithappenedthatherode,
Muchtroubled,bythebordersofawood
Wherehe,allofasudden,caughtaglimpse
Offour-and-twentyladiesinadance;
Andeagerlydrewnearer,onthechance
Thathewouldhearofsomethinghecoulduse.
Loandbehold!
Beforehequitegotthere,
Thedancevanished,hecouldnottellwhere.
Nolivingcreaturewastheretobeseen
Saveforawomansittingonthegreen—
Youcouldn’timagineanuglier.
Attheknight’scoming,thisoldwomanrose.
‘There’snoroadonfromhere,SirKnight,’shesays,
‘Buttellmewhatyou’relookingfor.Whoknows,
You’lldoyourselfagoodturn,itmaybe;
Weoldfolksknowsomanythings,’saysshe.
‘Mydeargoodmother,’saidtheknight,‘forsure,
Iamasgoodasdead,ifIcan’ttell
Whatthethingisthatwomenmostdesire.
Ifyoucouldtellmethat,I’dpayyouwell.’
‘Putyourhandinmineandpledgeyourword,’saidshe,
‘ThatyouwilldothefirstthingIrequire
Ofyou,sobethatitliesinyourpower,
AndIshalltellittoyoubeforenight.’
‘Agreed:
youhavemypromise,’saidtheknight.
‘Then,’saidshe,‘I’llgosofarastosay
Yourlifeissafe:
forIwillstakemyhead
ThatwhatIsayiswhatthequeenwillsay.
Nowlet’sseeiftheproudestofthemall
Thatwearsaheadkerchieforjeweledsnood
Willhavethefacetodenyorrefute
WhatI’llteachyou.Saynomore;let’sgoon.’
Then,whisperingafewwordsinhisear,
Shetoldhimtocheerupandhavenofear.
Theknight,onhisarrivalatthecourt,
Saidhehadkept,accordingtohisword,
Hisday,andthathehadhisanswerready.
Manyamaiden,manyanoblelady,
Andmanyawidow(widowsaresowise),
Thequeenherselfinthechairofjustice,
Hadallassembledinthecourttohear;
Andthentheknightwasorderedtoappear.
Allwerecommandedtoobservesilence,
Andtheknighttotell,informalaudience,
Whatitismortalwomenlovethemost.
Insteadofstandingtheredumbasanox,
Theknightresolvedtheriddlethereandthen
Inringingtones,sothewholecourtheardhim:
‘Ingeneral,myliegelady,’hebegan,
‘Womendesiretohavedominion
Overtheirhusbands,andtheirloverstoo;
Theywanttohavemasteryoverthem.
That’swhatyoumostdesire—evenifmylife
Isforfeit.Iamhere;dowhatyoulike.’
Inthewholecourttherewasnowifenormaid
Norwidowwho’dcontradictwhathesaid,
Butalldeclaredthathedeservedhislife.
Uponthis,theoldwomanwhomtheknight
Encounteredsittingontheforestgreen,
Jumpedupandcried:
‘Mysovereignladyqueen,
Beforethecourtdisperses,domeright!
ItwasIwhotaughthisanswertotheknight.
Forwhichhegavehispromiseonthespot
ThathewoulddothefirstthingthatIasked,
Ifsobethatitlaywithinhismight.
AndsobeforethecourtIask,SirKnight,’
Saidshe,‘thatyoutakemetobeyourwife.
ForwellyouknowthatIhavesavedyourlife.
Ifthisbefalse,denyituponoath!
’
‘Alas!
’repliedtheknight,‘alack,alas!
Iknowtoowellthatsuchwasmypromise.
SofortheloveofGod,choosesomethingelse!
Takeallmygoodsandletmybodygo.’
‘Never!
AcurseonusbothifIdo!
ForthoughImaybeugly,oldandpoor,
I’dnot,forallthegoldandmetalore
That’sburiedunderground,orliesabove,
Beotherthanyourwife,andyourtruelove!
’
‘Mylove?
’criedhe.‘Youmeanmydamnation!
Alas!
Thateveranyofmyfamily
Shouldundergosuchfouldegradation!
’
Butitwasallfornothing;finally
Hewascompelledtoseeheneedsmustwed;
And,takinghisagedwife,goesofftobed.
Nowsomeofyouwillsayofme,perhaps,
ThatIdon’ttrouble,outoflaziness,
Totellofallthegaietyandjoy
Seenatthefeatuponthatmarriage-day:
TowhichI’llgiveashortandsimpleanswer,
Therewasnofeastingandnofunwhatever,
Nothingatallbutmiseryandmourning,
Forhemarriedherinsecretinthemorning,
Andallthatdayhidhimselflikeanowl,
Mopingbecausehisnewwifelookedsofoul.
Andnowwhatbitterthoughtsoppressedknight
Whenhewasbroughttobedwithhisagedwife!
Hetossedandtwistedbackandforth,thewhile
Hiswifelaythereandneverceasedtosmile,
Butsaid,‘Mydearesthusband!
Blessme!
Do
Allknightswhomarry