A good WIF was ther of biside BATHE,
A worthy woman was there from near Bath,
But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.
But she was a bit deaf, and that was a pity.
Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt
In making clothes she had such skill
She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
She outperformed those of Ypres and of Ghent.
In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
In the whole parish there was not a single woman
That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
that dared go to the altar in front of her
And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she
And if someone did, she was certainly so angry
That she was out of all charitee.
That she was deeply upset.
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
Her head coverings were 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.
those she had on her head on Sundays.
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Her stockings were of fine scarlet red,
Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.
Closely laced, and shoes which were very supple and new.
Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
Bold was her face, and pretty, and red of colour.
She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:
She had been a worthy woman all her life:
Housbondes at chirche door she hadde fyve,
She'd had five husbands, all at the church door,
Withouten oother compaignye in youthe-
Apart from other boy friends in her youth-
But thereof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.
But we need not speak about that now.
And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;
She had been in Jerusalem thrice;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
She had crossed many foreign rivers;
At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,
She had been in Rome, and in Boulogne,
In Galice at Seint-Jame, and at Coloigne.
In Galicia at St. James of Compostella, and in Cologne.
She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.
And she was skilled in wandering along the road.
Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
She was gap-toothed, it is true to say.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
She sat comfortably on 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,
She had an apron-like overskirt which covered her broad hips,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
And a pair of sharp spurs on her feet.
In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.
In company she liked to laugh and chat.
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
And knew the remedies for love sickness,
For she koude of that art the olde daunce.
For she knew the tricks of that trade.