| | And with his hondis caste to and fro | |
| 145 | And pleye songis on a smale ribible | |
| | Therto he song somtyme a lowde quynybill | |
| | And wel cowde he play on his geterne | |
| | In al the toun nas brewe hous ne tauerne | |
| | That he ne visited it with his solace | |
| 150 | There as ony gaylard tapster was | |
| | But soth to say he was somdel skweymous | |
| | Of fartyng and of speche daungerous | |
| | This Absolon that ioly was and gay | |
| | Goth with a senser on the holy day | |
| 155 | Sensinge wyuys of the parish fast | |
| | And meny a louely loke on hem he cast | |
| | And namely on this Carpentires wyf | |
| | To loke on hir hym toughte a mery lyf | |
| | She was so propir swete and eek likerous | |
| 160 | I dar wel say yf she had be a mows | |
| | And he a cat he wolde her hente anon | |
| | This parishe clerk this ioly absolon | |
| | Hath in his herte suche a loue longynge | |
| | That of no wyf toke he non offrynge | |
| 165 | For curtesye he sayde he wolde non | |
| | The mone whan it was nyght bright shoon | |
| | And Absolon his giterne hadde I take | |
| | For paramours he thoughte forto wake | |
| | And forth he goth iolif and amerous | |
| 170 | Tyl he cam to the Carpenters hous | |
| | A litil aftir cockis hadde I crowe | |
| | And dressed hym vp be the shot wyndowe | |
