Not saint Nicholas

I get the picture that it’s always the same woman, getting a jolt and there are various guys visiting while her husband is in Osenay.

Each translation provides a different picture and soon I can see how the Miller’s wife is giving a spring with a jolt delighted by being the center of her many lovers: The crafty clerk Nicholas, the parish clerk Nicholas, the handyman student Nicholas, the gallant Nicholas, and not enough next arrives the Fly Nicholas an artist-clerk, who slyly caught hold of her cunt:

Now, gentlemen, it so happened that one day when her husband was at Oseney, Fly Nicholas — these clerks are strange artful fellows — began romping and larking with this young woman. He slyly caught hold of her cunt, saying, ‘Sweetheart, if you don’t let me have my way, I’ll perish for love!’ And he went on, holding her tight around the haunches, ‘For God’s sake, sweetheart, let’s make love this minute, or I’ll die.’ She bucked like a colt being shod...

I do not even think that it is odd, that most of her lovers are named after St.Nicklaus, Nicolas or Nicholas, the bearded fellow who brings gifts to the good kids and spanking to the naughty in the Christian world.

The various words as I found them in the published works do vary from each other, the variations are greatly. And I gladly let you decide which wording was actually used by Chaucer himself in just this one following line:.

Was it:

"And unperceived he caught her by the puss,"

or

"and privily he grabbed her where he shouldn’t"

or

"He caught her in between the legs, and said."

or

"He made a grab and caught her by the quim"

or

"He slyly caught hold of her cunt, saying,"

Or maybe it was neither one of those above. And does it matter what Chaucer wrote and what others wrote?

I find each of the aforementioned lines funny too and no I do not think that any of the lines is actually as such by Chaucer

Somehow the situation reminds me of Santa Claus and in how many shapes and sizes, the white-bearded fellow in his red outfit provided, provides now and shall provide in the future joy for many generations to come. Is it coincidence that Santa Claus is the modern name for Nicklaus aka Nicolas aka Nicholas?

Maybe this effect was not intended by Chaucer, yet I can see the Miller’s wife making her wish and Santa delivering.

"A poem should be equal to: Not true."(Ars Poetica)

says Archibald McLeish, and each one of the translations is: Not true, they are however somewhat equal to what Chaucer had intended to say.

As later poets have always referred back to the great masters like Chaucer I keep my eyes open for Chaucer and the multitude of his translations. How humorous for he Chaucer was a translator too. The Frenchman Eustace Deschamps even wrote a ballade to celebrate "The grand translator noble Gefroy Chaucier!"

So reading I am. Reading The Canterbury Tales I am in deed.

1.The Knight’s Tale,

2.The Miller’s Tale,

3.The Reeve’s Tale,

4.The Cook’s Tale,

5.The Man of Law’s Tale,

6.The Shipman’s Tale,

7.The Tale of Sir Topaz,

8.The Tale of Melibee,

9.The Monks Tale,

10.The Nun’s Priest Tale,

11.The Physician’s Tale,

12.The Pardoner’s Tale,

13.The Wife of Bath’s Tale,

14.The Friar’s Tale,

15.The Summoner’s Tale,

16.The Clerk’s Tale,

17.The Merchant’s Tale,

18.The Squire’s Tale,

19.The Franklin’s Tale,

20.The Second Nun’s Tale,

21.The Canon’s Yeoman’s Tale,

22.The Manciple’s Tale,

23.The Parson’s Tale

I find these tales easy to read, and I love the stories of England around Chaucier’s time. I like the humor too.

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01/09/09