Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, Epilogue To The Merchant's Tale (Forrest Hainline's Minimalist Translation) Poem by Forrest Hainline

Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales, Epilogue To The Merchant's Tale (Forrest Hainline's Minimalist Translation)

2419 "Eh! God's mercy! " said our Host then,
2420 "Now such a wife I pray God keep me from!
2421 Lo, which slights and subtleties
2422 In women be! For ay as busy as bees
2423 Be they, us silly men for to deceive,
2424 And from the sooth ever will they weave;
2425 By this Merchant's tale it proveth well.
2426 But doubtless, as true as any steel
2427 I have a wife, though that she poor be,
2428 But of her tongue, a labbing shrew is she,
2429 And yet she has a heap of vices mo;
2430 Thereof no force! Let all such things go.
2431 But wit you what? In counsel be it said,
2432 I rueth sore that I am unto her tied.
2433 For and I should reckon every vice
2434 Which that she has, iwis I were too nice.
2435 And cause why? It should reported be
2436 And told to her by some of this meinie -
2437 Of whom, it needeth not for to declare,
2438 Since women connen outen such chaffer;
2439 And eek my wit suffices not thereto
2440 To tell all; wherefore my tale is do."