|
| | A col-fox, ful of sly iniquitee, |
| 450 | That in the grove hadde woned yeres three, |
| By heigh ymaginacioun forn-cast, |
| The same nyght thurghout the hegges brast |
| Into the yerd, ther Chauntecleer the faire |
| Was wont, and eek hise wyves, to repaire; |
| 455 | And in a bed of wortes stille he lay, |
| Til it was passed undren of the day, |
| Waitynge his tyme on Chauntecleer to falle, |
| As gladly doon thise homycides alle |
| That in await liggen to mordre men. |
| 460 | O false mordrour, lurkynge in thy den! |
| O newe Scariot! newe Genyloun! |
| False dissymulour, O Greek synoun |
| That broghtest Troye al outrely to sorwe! |
| O Chauntecleer, acursed be that morwe |
| 465 | That thou into that yerd flaugh fro the bemes! |
| Thou were ful wel ywarned by thy dremes |
| That thilke day was perilous to thee; |
| But what that God forwoot moot nedes bee, |
| After the opinioun of certein clerkis. |
| 470 | Witnesse on hym that any parfit clerk is, |
| That in scole is greet altercacioun |
| In this mateere, and greet disputisoun, |
| And hath been of an hundred thousand men. |
| But I ne kan nat bulte it to the bren, |
| 475 | As kan the hooly doctour Augustyn, |
| Or Boece, or the Bisshop Bradwardyn, |
| Wheither that Goddes worthy forwityng |
| Streyneth me nedefully to doon a thyng, - |
| "Nedely" clepe I symple necessitee; |
| 480 | Or elles, if free choys be graunted me |
| To do that same thyng, or do it noght, |
| Though God forwoot it, er that it was wroght; |
| Or if his wityng streyneth never a deel |
| But by necessitee condicioneel. |
| 485 | I wol nat han to do of swich mateere; |
| My tale is of a Cok, as ye may heere, |
| That tok his conseil of his wyf, with sorwe, |
| To walken in the yerd upon that morwe |
| That he hadde met that dreem, that I yow tolde. |
| 490 | Wommennes conseils been ful ofte colde; |
| Wommannes conseil broghte us first to wo, |
| And made Adam fro Paradys to go, |
| Ther as he was ful myrie, and wel at ese. |
| But for I noot to whom it myght displese, |
| 495 | If I conseil of wommen wolde blame, |
| Passe over, for I seye it in my game. |
| Rede auctours, wher they trete of swich mateere, |
| And what they seyn of wommen ye may heere. |
| Thise been the cokkes wordes, and nat myne; |
| 500 | I kan noon harm of no womman divyne. |
|
|
A brant-fox, full of sly iniquity, |
| 450 | That in the grove had lived two years, or three, |
| Now by a fine premeditated plot |
| That same night, breaking through the hedge, had got |
| Into the yard where Chauntecleer the fair |
| Was wont, and all his wives too, to repair; |
| 455 | And in a bed of greenery still he lay |
| Till it was past the quarter of the day, |
| Waiting his chance on Chauntecleer to fall, |
| As gladly do these killers one and all |
| Who lie in ambush for to murder men. |
| 460 | O murderer false, there lurking in your den! |
| O new Iscariot, O new Ganelon! |
| O false dissimulator, Greek Sinon |
| That brought down Troy all utterly to sorrow! |
| O Chauntecleer, accursed be that morrow |
| 465 | When you into that yard flew from the beams! |
| You were well warned, and fully, by your dreams |
| That this day should hold peril damnably. |
| But that which God foreknows, it needs must be, |
| So says the best opinion of the clerks. |
| 470 | Witness some cleric perfect for his works, |
| That in the schools there's a great altercation |
| In this regard, and much high disputation |
| That has involved a hundred thousand men. |
| But I can't sift it to the bran with pen, |
| 475 | As can the holy Doctor Augustine, |
| Or Boethius, or Bishop Bradwardine, |
| Whether the fact of God's great foreknowing |
| Makes it right needful that I do a thing - |
| By needful, I mean, of necessity |
| 480 | Or else, if a free choice he granted me, |
| To do that same thing, or to do it not, |
| Though God foreknew before the thing was wrought; |
| Or if his knowing constrains never at all, |
| Except by necessity conditional. |
| 485 | I have no part in matters so austere; |
| My tale is of a cock, as you shall hear, |
| That took the counsel of his wife, with sorrow, |
| To walk within the yard upon that morrow |
| After he'd had the dream whereof I told. |
| 490 | Now women's counsels oft are ill to hold; |
| A woman's counsel brought us first to woe, |
| And Adam caused from Paradise to go, |
| Wherein he was right merry and at ease. |
| But since I know not whom it may displease |
| 495 | If woman's counsel I hold up to blame, |
| Pass over, I but said it in my game. |
| Read authors where such matters do appear, |
| And what they say of women, you may hear. |
| These are the cock's words, they are none of mine; |
| 500 | No harm in women can I e'er divine. |
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