[Translation based on text as printed in Dunn and Byrnes,
but not on their glosses.]
As I came along a road,
I heard talk about one
Very high-spirited and proud.
He was skilled in learning,
And an attractive person ["comely in his clothes"] 5
And dressed in handsome garment.
He began to love
A wedded woman:
He was wrong in that.
His heart was completely fixed on her 10
So that he had no rest,
The love was so strong.
Very eagerly he took thought
How he might get her
In any kind of way. 15
One day it happened that
The lord [her husband] went away
About his business.
He went to the house
Where she lived-- 20
That was a fine dwelling!
And came into the main room
Where she was, clothed with fine cloth,
And he began thus:
WILEKIN:
"God almighty be here-in!" 30
MARGERI:
"Welcome, as I ever experience joy,"
Said this wife.
"If it's your wish, come and sit,
And let me know what your wish is,
My dear creature." 35
By our Lord, king of heaven,
If I can do anything
That pleases you,
You could find me very generous
For blithely I wish to do for you 35
Without hesitation."
WILEKIN:
"Madame, God reward you,
But on condition that you not betray me
Nor become angry,
I will announce to you my errand, 40
But to make you angry for any action
Would be loathe to me."
MARGERI:
"No, indeed, Wilekin,
With nothing that is ever mine,
Though you yearn for it, 45
I would never be uncourteous--
I neither know anything about rudeness
Nor do I wish to learn it.
You can say all your desire,
And I shall listen and sit still 50
Till you have spoken.
And if you speak what is reasonable to me
I will act according to your will,
Of that be confident.
And though you speak of any shame to me, 55
I shall blame you not at all
For your words."
WILEKIN:
"Now that I have won leave,
If I should complain
It would be wrong! 60
Certainly, madame, you speak courteously,
And I shall get to the point
And tell you all,
What I would like and why I came.
I neither know how to say any falsehood 65
Nor shall I [say] any.
I have loved you many a year,
Though I have not been here
To declare my love.
While your lord is in town 70
No one can have private conversation with you
With propriety.
Yesterday I heard tell
As I went along the road
Of your Sire. 75
Someone told me that he was gone
To the fair of Botolfston
In Lincolnshire.
And because I knew that he was away,
Therefore I have come around 80
To speak with you.
It behooves him to be pleased with his life
Who could have his way with such a woman
In privacy.
Madame, if it is your will, 85
Both secretly and quietly
I want to love you."
MARGERI:
"That I would do for no thing,
By our Lord, heaven's king,
Who is above us! 90
I have my lord who is my spouse,
Who brought me to his house as a virgin,
With much honor.
He loves me and I love him well;
Our love is just as true as steel 95
Without wrong.
Though he be away from home on his business,
I would be unhappy
To be a whore.
That I shall never be, 100
That I shall do such a false thing
On bed or on floor.
Never during his life time,
Though he were a hundred miles
On the other side of Rome, 105
For no cause ought I take
Any man on earth to be my mate
Before his home coming."
WILEKIN:
"Madame, Madame, change your mind.
Your courtesy was always good, 110
And shall be still.
For the Lord who has made us,
Amend your disposition, turn your thought,
And take pity on me."
MARGERI:
"Alas, alas! Do you take me for a fool? 115
So may I ever live till Christmas,
You are unwise.
You shall never change my thinking.
My lord is a courteous and gracious man,
And a man of excellence. 120
And I am a woman both good and true.
A truer woman no one could know
Than I am.
That time shall never come
That a man, on account of wooing or of pride, 125
Shall cause me shame."
WILEKIN:
"Sweet lover, have mercy!
Shame or vileness
I offer you none;
But I offer you secret love 130
As a man who would like to succeed be successful in love
And find joy.
MARGERI:
"So may I ever enjoy either food or drink,
Here you waste all your labor.
You might go home, dear brother, 135
For I intend to love neither you or any other
Except my wedded husband.
I do not want to hesitate to tell it to you."
WILEKIN:
"Certainly, madame, that causes me regret;
And Sorry is the man who labors much, 140
And in the end loses all his success!
It is necessary for him to get a go-between.
Of myself I speak very certainly,
[I] who love the love that I must miss.
And, madame, goodbye now! 145
And that same Lord, who can govern all,
Grant that you so change
That I no longer mourn for you."
Sad at heart he went away,
And thought both night and day 150
All in order to change her.
A friend advised him to go
And leave all his great sorrow
To Dame Sirith the hende.1
He went thither immediately, 155
As quickly as he was able to go,
He met no one [along the way].
He was full of anguish and pain,
With words mild and also shrewd
He greeted her pleasantly. 160
WILEKIN:
"May God bless you, Dame Sirith!
I have come to speak with you,
On account of [my] great need.
If I can get help from you
You shall have -- as you shall see -- 165
A very rich reward."
SIRITH:
"Welcome you are, dear son.
And if I can, or know how to,
Do for you in any way,
I shall apply myself to it. 170
Therefore, dear son, tell me
What you would that I might do for you."
WILEKIN:
"Help, dear old [one]. I fare very badly;
I lead my life with anguish and care.
With much unhappiness I lead my life, 175
And that is on account of one sweet woman
Who is called Margeri.
I have loved her many a day,
And she denies me her love.
Hither I come on account of that. 180
Unless she change her mind,
I must grow mad with sorrow,
Or kill myself.
I have thought about killing myself.
For this reason, a friend advised me to go 185
To tell my sorrow to you.
He told me, without fail,
That you know how to help and assist,
And to bring me out of woe
Through your skills and your deeds. 190
And I intend to give you rich reward
Provided it be so."
SIRITH:
" 'Y'all bless'2 be [exclaimed] in this house!
Here you have, son, great sin.
May the Lord, on account of his sweet name, 195
Let you have no shame on account of it!
you work to incur God's wrath
When you say such blame of me.
For I am old and sick and lame;
Sickness has made me very subdued. 200
Bless you, bless you, dear boy
Lest you have misfortune
On account of this lying that is laid
Upon me, who am severely oppressed.
I am a holy woman; 205
I know nothing about witchcraft,
But by the generosity of good people
I support my life each day,
And pray my Our Father and my Creed,
That God may help in their need those 210
Who help me lead my life,
And grant that success be given to them.
May his life and his soul become disgraced
Who sent you to me on this errand.
And [God] grant that I may be avenged 215
On the one who has spoken this shame against me."
WILEKIN:
"Dear old one, leave off all this.
It seems to me you are unwise.
The one who directed me to you
Understood that you would know how to reconcile us [Wilekin and Margeri]. 220
Help, Dame Sirith, if you can,
To reconcile me with the sweet one
And I will give you really striking gifts,
Many a pound and many a mark,
Warm furs and warm shoes, 225
When my errand is well accomplished.
You will be able to boast of much benefit,
If it come about that you help me."
SIRITH:
"Lie to me not, Wilekin! On your good faith,
Is it your serious intention which you present to me? 230
Do you really love Dame Margeri?"
WILEKIN:
"Yes, old woman, certainly.
I love her; it must ruin me
Unless I get her according to my desire."
SIRITH:
"God knows, Wilekin, your hardship causes me sorrow; 235
May our Lord send you help soon!
If I knew it could be concealed,
It would seem to me [my efforts] were well applied
To fulfill your desire.
Make me confident with your pledged word 240
That you will conceal it and I will try
If I can persuade her.
I would not want, for all this world,
To be brought before the ecclesiastical court
For any such works. 245
Judgment against me would be quickly given
To be driven out on a pack horse
By priests and clerks.
WILEKIN:
"Certainly, my old [one], I would not want
For you to have any dishonor 250
Or shame on account of my interests.
Here I pledge you my word,
I shall conceal as I am able,
By the holy cross!"
SIRITH:
"Welcome hither, Wilekin! 255
Here have you made an agreement
Which can well please you.
You can bless that occasion,
For you can make yourself very happy;
You need never more sigh. 260
To good fortune indeed have you come hither,
For straightway I intend to go there
And make her understand.
I shall teach her such a lesson
That she shall love you much more 265
Than any [other] man in the country."
WILEKIN:
"So may I have God's peace,
You have spoken well, Dame Sirith.
And good fortune shall be thine.
Have now twenty shillings. 270
This I give you as reward
To buy for yourself sheep and pigs."
SIRITH:
"So may I ever enjoy the use of house or floor3,
Pennies [money] were never better employed
Than these shall be. 275
For I shall perform an exploit,
And a marvelous, masterful deed,
As you shall very well see.
[The context tells us she now speaks to her dog.]
Pepper you shall now eat;
This mustard shall be your food, 280
And cause thine eyes to run.
I shall create a deception
By thine eyes' running,
I know well where and when."
WILEKIN:
"What! you don't know how to do any good! 285
It seems to me that you are mad.
You give the dog mustard!?"
SIRITH:
"Be still, fool!
I shall with this very device
Cause her love to be all thine. 290
Nor shall I never have rest or peace,
Till I have explained how you should act.
Wait here till I return."
WILEKIN:
"Yes, by the summer flowers,
Hence I do not want to be taken 295
Till you have come back."
Dame Sirith set out,
Like a wretch who is woeful,
Till she came to the dwelling
In which this good woman was. 300
When she came to the door,
Extremely piteously she began:
SIRITH:
"Lord," she said, "woe is the lot of old women
Who continually lead lives in poverty;
No one knows so much of suffering 305
As a poor woman who falls into hardship.
Everyone can know this from me,
For I can neither move or stay put.
I would very gladly be dead.
Hunger and thirst have nearly slain me; 310
I cannot control my limbs
On account of great hunger and thirst and cold.
For what does such a wretch live!
Why will not God fetch my soul?"
MARGERI:
"Poor woman, may God unburden you! 315
Today I intend to provide food for you
For the love of God.
I have pity on your woe,
For I see you go miserably clothed
And miserably shod. 320
Come in here, I intend to feed you."
SIRITH:
"God almighty provide reward for you,
And the Lord who was killed on the cross,
And who fasted forty days till the ninth hour,
And who has heaven and earth under his control, 325
May this same Lord reward you."
MARGERI:
"Have here meat, and also bread,
And make yourself happy, that's my advice.
And have here the cup with the drink."
SIRITH:
"God give you reward for your labor," 330
Then said that old woman --
May Christ curse her life! --
"Alas, alas that ever I live!
I would entirely forgive the sin
Of the person who struck off my head! 335
I would that my life were taken away!"
MARGERI:
"Poor woman, what ails you?"
SIRITH:
"Very easily can I be sorry.
I had a daughter, lovely and gracious,
No one could see a lovelier one. 340
She had a courteous husband,
More gracious a man one could not find.
My daughter loved him all too well;
For that reason I make sorrowful lament.
One day he had traveled away, 345
And through that was my daughter ruined.
He went on business out of town;
And a high-spirited clerk with tonsure came,
Offered his love to my daughter,
And she would not follow his advice. 350
He was not able to have his desire
Despite all his pleading.
Then the clerk began to practice witchcraft,
And changed my daughter into a bitch.
This is my daughter that I speak of; 355
In lamentation over her my heart breaks.
Look how her eyes weep,
On her cheeks the tears meet.
Therefore, madame, it would be no wonder
If my heart were to burst apart. 360
And whosoever is a young housewife,
She loves her life very little,
If any clerk asks love of her,
Unless she grant it and allow him to succeed."
MARGERI:
"A! Lord Christ, What can I do, then? 365
The other day a clerk came to me
And asked me to love in his manner,
And I did not want to hear him at all.
I believe he will deform me.
How, my old one, do you believe I can escape?" 370
SIRITH:
"God almighty be your help,
So that you be neither bitch or pup!
Dear lady, if any clerk
Ask you for that work of love,
I advise that you grant his request 375
And become his lover immediately.
And if you do not so,
You take worse advice [than this I give]."
MARGERI:
"Lord Christ, but woe is me
That the clerk went from me, 380
Before he had won me.
It would be more pleasing to me than any money
That he had once lain by me
And immediately begun.
Evermore, my old one, I will be thine 385
If you fetch Wilekin for me,
The clerk of whom I speak.
I will give you gifts
Which will make you better off from now on,
By God's own bell!"4 390
SIRITH:
"Truly, my sweet lady,
If I can without blame,
Gladly will I try.
And if I can meet him
Along any road or other street, 395
I will not at all hesitate.
Good day, madame. I intend to go forth."
MARGERI:
By all means see that you do exactly
As I asked you.
Unless you bring me Wilekin, 400
I can never laugh or sing
Or be glad."
SIRITH:
"Certainly, madame, if I can,
I will bring him this very day,
According to my ability." 405
She went to her dwelling,
Where she found Wilekin,
By our Lord!
SIRITH:
"Sweet Wilekin, be not afraid,
For I have well succeeded on your errand. 410
Quickly come forth with me,
For she has sent after you.
Indeed, now you may be able to have success,
For you have a grant of her love."
WILEKIN:
"May God reward you, my dear old one, 415
Who is in control of heaven and earth!"
This high-spirited man set out to go
With Sirith to his beloved one
At that very moment.
Dame Sirith commenced to speak [to Margeri] 420
And swore by God's own bell
She had found him.
SIRITH:
"Madame, thus have I sought Wilekin,
For now I have brought him."
MARGERI:
"Welcome, Wilekin, sweet thing, 425
You are more welcome than the king.
Wilekin, sweet,
I promise you my love,
To do all your will.
I have changed my mind, 430
For I would not at all want
For you to destroy yourself."
WILEKIN:
"Madame, so may I ever live till the ninth hour,
I am ready and prepared
To do all that you might say. 435
Old one, by my faith!
You may go away,
While I and she shall play."
SIRITH:
"God knows, so I will.
And see to it that you plow her 440
And stretch out her thighs.
God give you much care
If you spare her
As long as you are with her.
And whoever is unwise 445
And, at any price,
Cannot get his lover,
I shall, in return for my reward,
Cause him to succeed,
For I very well know how to." 450