And she was somewhat deaf, which was a pity.
But for cloth making she had such a bent,
Her skills exceeded those of Ypres and Ghent.
The good wives in church must always forebear
To make offerings before hers was there,
For if they did, she then became so cross
That sad to say all charity was lost.
And kerchiefs, of the finest texture found,
(Set on their frames they must have weighed ten pound)
She proudly wore each Sunday, on her head.
Her stockings were coloured bright scarlet red
Tightly bound; her shoes were supple and new.
Her face was bold and fair and red of hue.
She had always been most respectable;
In turn had married five husbands in all,
With further company in youth I fear,
Which there's no need for me to speak of here.
She had been to Jerusalem three times,
Had crossed many a stream by foreign shrines.
She had been to Boulogne and also Rome,
St. James' at Galicia and Cologne.
She knew well how to wander by the way,
And was gap-toothed, all open you might say.
She rode easily on a saddle horse
Wearing a wimple and a hat of course
As broad as a shield is from tip to tip.
A long skirt hung down from her ample hip
The spurs at her feet were sharp as a nail,
In company she loved to laugh and rail.
She knew most cures for love by fortunes chance
For she was well versed, in that ancient dance.
But she was somdel deef, and that was scathe.
Of clooth-makyng she hadde swich an haunt,
She passed hem of Ypres and of Gaunt.
In al the parisshe wif ne was ther noon
That to the offrynge bifore hire sholde goon;
And if ther dide, certeyn so wrooth was she,
That she was out of alle charitee.
Hir coverchiefs ful fyne weren of ground;
(I dorste swere they weyeden ten pound)
That on a Sonday weren upon hir heed.
Hir hosen weren of fyn scarlet reed,
Ful streite yteyd, and shoes ful moyste and newe.
Boold was hir face, and fair, and reed of hewe.
She was a worthy womman al hir lyve:
Housbondes at chirche dore she hadde fyve,
Withouthen oother compaignye in youthe,
But therof nedeth nat to speke as nowthe.
And thries hadde she been at Jerusalem;
She hadde passed many a straunge strem;
At Rome she hadde been, and at Boloigne,
In Galice at Seint-Jame, and at Coloigne.
She koude muchel of wandrynge by the weye.
Gat-tothed was she, soothly for to seye.
Upon an amblere esily she sat,
Ywympled wel, and on hir heed an hat
As brood as is a bokeler or a targe.
A foot-mantel aboute hir hipes large,
And on hir feet a paire of spores sharpe.
In felaweshipe wel koude she laughe and carpe.
Of remedies of love she knew per chaunce,
For she koude of that art the olde daunce.