The Tale + 

When Phoebus dwelled here in earth adown, + 

As oldë bookës makë mentioún, + 

He was the mostë lusty bachelér + 

Of all this world, and eke the best archér. + 

He slew Python the serpent, as he lay + 

Sleeping against the sun upon a day; + 

And many another noble worthy deed + 

He with his bow wrought, as men mayë read. + 

Playen he could on every minstrelsy, + 

And singë, that it was a melody + 

To hearen of his clearë voice the soun’. + 

Certes the king of Thebes, Amphioún, + 

That with his singing walled the citý, + 

Could never singë half so well as he. + 

Thereto he was the seemliestë man + 

That is, or was since that the world began; + 

What needeth it his features to descrive? + 

For in this world is none so fair alive. + 

He was therewith full fill’d of gentleness, + 

Of honour, and of perfect worthiness. + 

This Phoebus, that was flower of bach’lery, + 

As well in freedom as in chivalry, + 

For his disport, in sign eke of victóry + 

Of Python, so as telleth us the story, + 

Was wont to bearen in his hand a bow. + 

Now had this Phoebus in his house a crow, + 

Which in a cage he foster’d many a day, + 

And taught it speaken, as men teach a jay. + 

White was this crow, as is a snow-white swan, + 

And counterfeit the speech of every man + 

He couldë, when he shouldë tell a tale. + 

Therewith in all this world no nightingale + 

Ne couldë by an hundred thousand deal + 

Singë so wondrous merrily and well. + 

Now had this Phoebus in his house a wife, + 

Which that he loved morë than his life. + 

And night and day did ever his diligence + 

Her for to please, and do her reverence: + 

Save only, if that I the sooth shall sayn, + 

Jealous he was, and would have kept her fain. + 

For him were loth y-japed for to be; + 

And so is every wight in such degree; + 

But all for nought, for it availeth nought. + 

A good wife, that is clean of work and thought, + 

Should not be kept in none await certáin: + 

And truëly the labour is in vain + 

To keep a shrewë, for it will not be. + 

This hold I for a very nicety, + 

To spillë labour for to keepë wives; + 

Thus writen oldë clerkës in their lives. + 

But now to purpose, as I first began. + 

This worthy Phoebus did all that he can + 

To pleasë her, weening, through such pleasánce, + 

And for his manhood and his governánce, + 

That no man should have put him from her grace; + 

But, God it wot, there may no man embrace + 

As to distrain a thing, which that natúre + 

Hath naturally set in a creatúre. + 

Take any bird, and put it in a cage, + 

And do all thine intent, and thy coráge, + 

To foster it tenderly with meat and drink + 

Of allë dainties that thou canst bethink, + 

And keep it all so cleanly as thou may; + 

Although the cage of gold be never so gay, + 

Yet had this bird, by twenty thousand fold, + 

Lever in a forést, both wild and cold, + 

Go eatë wormës, and such wretchedness. + 

For ever this bird will do his business + 

T’ escape out of his cage when that he may: + 

His liberty the bird desireth aye. + 

Let take a cat, and foster her with milk + 

And tender flesh, and make her couch of silk, + 

And let her see a mouse go by the wall, + 

Anon she weiveth milk, and flesh, and all, + 

And every dainty that is in that house, + 

Such appetite hath she to eat the mouse. + 

Lo, here hath kind her dominatin, + 

And appetite flemeth discretión. + 

A she-wolf hath also a villain’s kind; + 

The lewedestë wolf that she may find, + 

Or least of reputation, will she take + 

In timë when her lust to have a make. + 

All these examples speak I by these men + 

That be untrue, and nothing by womén. + 

For men have ever a lik’rous appetite + 

On lower things to pérform their delight + 

Than on their wivës, be they never so fair, + 

Never so truë, nor so debonair. + 

Flesh is so newëfangled, with mischance, + 

That we can in no thingë have pleasánce + 

That souneth unto virtue any while. + 

This Phoebus, which that thought upon no guile, + 

Deceived was for all his jollitý; + 

For under him another haddë she, + 

A man of little reputatión, + 

Nought worth to Phoebus in comparison. + 

The more harm is; it happens often so, + 

Of which there cometh muchë harm and woe. + 

And so befell, when Phoebus was absént, + 

His wife anon hath for her leman sent. + 

Her leman! certes that is a knavish speech. + 

Forgive it me, and that I you beseech. + 

The wisë Plato saith, as ye may read, + 

The word must needs accordë with the deed; + 

If men shall tellë properly a thing, + 

The word must cousin be to the workíng. + 

I am a boistous man, right thus I say. + 

There is no differencë truëly + 

Betwixt a wife that is of high degree + 

(If of her body dishonést she be), + 

And any poorë wench, other than this + 

(If it so be they workë both amiss), + 

But, for the gentle is in estate above, + 

She shall be call’d his lady and his love; + 

And, for that other is a poor womán, + 

She shall be call’d his wench and his lemán: + 

And God it wot, mine owen dearë brother, + 

Men lay the one as low as lies the other. + 

Right so betwixt a titleless tyránt + 

And an outlaw, or else a thief erránt, + 

The same I say, there is no differénce + 

(To Alexander told was this senténce), + 

But, for the tyrant is of greater might + 

By force of meinie for to slay downright, + 

And burn both house and home, and make all plain, + 

Lo, therefore is he call’d a capitáin; + 

And, for the outlaw hath but small meinie, + 

And may not do so great an harm as he, + 

Nor bring a country to so great mischíef, + 

Men callë him an outlaw or a thief. + 

But, for I am a man not textuel, + 

I will not tell of texts never a deal; + 

I will go to my tale, as I began. + 

When Phoebus’ wife had sent for her lemán, + 

Anon they wroughten all their lust volage. + 

This whitë crow, that hung aye in the cage, + 

Beheld their work, and said never a word; + 

And when that home was come Phoebus the lord, + 

This crowë sung, “Cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo!” + 

“What? bird,” quoth Phoebus, “what song sing’st thou now? + 

Wert thou not wont so merrily to sing, + 

That to my heart it was a réjoicíng + 

To hear thy voice? alas! what song is this?” + 

“By God,” quoth he, “I singë not amiss. + 

Phoebus,” quoth he, “for all thy worthiness, + 

For all thy beauty, and all thy gentleness, + 

For all thy song, and all thy minstrelsý, + 

For all thy waiting, bleared is thine eye + 

With one of little reputatión, + 

Not worth to thee, as in comparison, + 

The mountance of a gnat, so may I thrive; + 

For on thy bed thy wife I saw him swive.” + 

What will ye more? the crow anon him told, + 

By sadë tokens, and by wordës bold, + 

How that his wife had done her lechery, + 

To his great shame and his great villainy; + 

And told him oft, he saw it with his eyen. + 

This Phoebus gan awayward for to wrien; + 

Him thought his woeful heartë burst in two. + 

His bow he bent, and set therein a flo, + 

And in his ire he hath his wifë slain; + 

This is th’ effect, there is no more to sayn. + 

For sorrow of which he brake his minstrelsy, + 

Both harp and lute, gitérn and psaltery; + 

And eke he brake his arrows and his bow; + 

And after that thus spake he to the crow. + 

“Traitor,” quoth he, “with tongue of scorpión, + 

Thou hast me brought to my confusión; + 

Alas that I was wrought! why n’ere I dead? + 

O dearë wife, O gem of lustihead, + 

That wert to me so sad, and eke so true, + 

Now liest thou dead, with facë pale of hue, + 

Full guiltëless, that durst I swear y-wis! + 

O rakel hand, to do so foul amiss! + 

O troubled wit, O irë reckëless, + 

That unadvised smit’st the guiltëless! + 

O wantrust, full of false suspición! + 

Where was thy wit and thy discretión? + 

O! every man beware of rakelness, + 

Nor trow no thing withoutë strong witnéss. + 

Smite not too soon, ere that ye weetë why, + 

And be advised well and sickerly + 

Ere ye do any executión + 

Upon your irë for suspición. + 

Alas! a thousand folk hath rakel ire + 

Foully fordone, and brought them in the mire. + 

Alas! for sorrow I will myselfë slé.” + 

And to the crow, “O falsë thief,” said he, + 

“I will thee quite anon thy falsë tale. + 

Thou sung whilom like any nightingale, + 

Now shalt thou, falsë thief, thy song foregon, + 

And eke thy whitë feathers every one, + 

Nor ever in all thy lifë shalt thou speak; + 

Thus shall men on a traitor be awreak. + 

Thou and thine offspring ever shall be blake, + 

Nor ever sweetë noisë shall ye make, + 

But ever cry against tempést and rain, + 

In token that through thee my wife is slain.” + 

And to the crow he start, and that anon, + 

And pull’d his whitë feathers every one, + 

And made him black, and reft him all his song, + 

And eke his speech, and out at door him flung + 

Unto the devil, which I him betake; + 

And for this causë be all crowës blake. + 

Lordings, by this ensample, I you pray, + 

Beware, and takë keep what that ye say; + 

Nor tellë never man in all your life + 

How that another man hath dight his wife; + 

He will you hatë mortally certáin. + 

Dan Solomon, as wisë clerkës sayn, + 

Teacheth a man to keep his tonguë well; + 

But, as I said, I am not textuel. + 

But natheless thus taughtë me my dame; + 

“My son, think on the crow, in Goddë’s name. + 

My son, keep well thy tongue, and keep thy friend; + 

A wicked tongue is worse than is a fiend: + 

My sonë, from a fiend men may them bless. + 

My son, God of his endëless goodnéss + 

Wallëd a tongue with teeth, and lippës eke, + 

For man should him advisë, what he speak. + 

My son, full often for too muchë speech + 

Hath many a man been spilt, as clerkës teach; + 

But for a little speech advisedly + 

Is no man shent, to speak generally. + 

My son, thy tonguë shouldest thou restrain + 

At allë time, but when thou dost thy pain + 

To speak of God in honour and prayére. + 

The firstë virtue, son, if thou wilt lear, + 

Is to restrain and keepë well thy tongue; + 

Thus learnë children, when that they be young. + 

My son, of muchë speaking evil advis’d, + 

Where lessë speaking had enough suffic’d, + 

Cometh much harm; thus was me told and taught; + 

In muchë speechë sinnë wanteth nót. + 

Wost thou whereof a rakel tonguë serveth? + 

Right as a sword forcutteth and forcarveth + 

An arm in two, my dearë son, right so + 

A tonguë cutteth friendship all in two. + 

A jangler is to God abomináble. + 

Read Solomon, so wise and honouráble; + 

Read David in his Psalms, and read Senec’. + 

My son, speak not, but with thine head thou beck, + 

Dissimule as thou wert deaf, if that thou hear + 

A jangler speak of perilous mattére. + 

The Fleming saith, and learn if that thee lest, + 

That little jangling causeth muchë rest. + 

My son, if thou no wicked word hast said, + 

Thee thar not dreadë for to be bewray’d; + 

But he that hath missaid, I dare well sayn, + 

He may by no way call his word again. + 

Thing that is said is said, and forth it go’th, + 

Though him repent, or be he ne’er so loth; + 

He is his thrall, to whom that he hath said + 

A tale, of which he is now evil apaid. + 

My son, beware, and be no author new + 

Of tidings, whether they be false or true; + 

Whereso thou come, amongës high or low, + 

Keep well thy tongue, and think upon the crow.” + 