Question

Translate the following original excerpt from 'The Wife of Bath's Tale' by Geoffrey Chaucer into modern text.He hadde a book that gladly, nyght and day,For his desport he wolde rede alway.He cleped it Valerie and Theofraste,At whiche book he lough alwey ful faste.And eek ther was som tyme a clerk at Rome,680 A cardinal that highte Seint Jerome,That made a book agayn Jovinian,In whiche book eek ther was Tertulan,Crisippus, Trotula, and Helowys,That was abbesse nat fer fro Parys,685 And eek the Parables of Salomon,Ovides Art, and bookes many on,And alle thise were bounden in o volume,And every nyght and day was his custumeWhan he hadde leyser and vacacioun690 From oother worldly occupaciounTo reden on this book of wikked wyves.He knew of hem mo legendes and lyvesThan been of goode wyves in the Bible.For trusteth wel, it is an impossible695 That any clerk wol speke good of wyves,But if it be of hooly seintes lyves,Ne of noon oother womman never the mo.Who peyntede the leon, tel me, who?By God! if wommen hadde writen stories,700 As clerkes han withinne hire oratories,They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse

Answer 1

The given excerpt from 'The Wife of Bath's Tale' is translated into modern English, describing a man's habit of reading a book about wicked wives and the notion that praise is only given to lives of holy saints, inferring that if women wrote histories, they would tell of men's wickedness.

Step-by-step explanation:

The original excerpt from 'The Wife of Bath's Tale' by Geoffrey Chaucer can be translated to modern English as follows:

He had a book that he would gladly read night and day for his enjoyment. He called it 'Valerie and Theofraste', and he would always laugh so much at this book. There was also once a clerk in Rome, a cardinal named Saint Jerome, who wrote a book against Jovinian. In this book were also Tertullian, Crisippus, Trotula, and Heloise, who was an abbess not far from Paris. There were also the Parables of Solomon, Ovid's Art of Love, and many other books, all bound in one volume. It was his habit to read this book of wicked wives every night and day when he had leisure time and a break from other worldly occupations. He knew more legends and lives of these wicked wives than there are good wives in the Bible. For trust me well, it's impossible that any cleric will speak well of wives, unless they are about the lives of holy saints, and not about any other woman. Who painted the lion, tell me, who? By God! If women had written stories, just as clerks have in their studies, they would have written more wickedness about men.

Answer 2

Answer: Transalation below

Step-by-step explanation:

A really important thing relative to Chaucer is the language. and how to approach something that is written in Middle English. Chaucer was part of a movement in the Middle Ages of writers who wrote in vernacular or the language that people spoke. At the time Latin was written and spoken by high classes. Chaucer wrote in Middle English.

He hadde a book that gladly, nyght and day,

He had a book that regularly, night and day,

For his desport he wolde rede alway;

For his amusement he would always read;

He cleped it Valerie and Theofraste,

He called it Valerie and Theofrastus,

At which book he lough alwey ful faste.

At which book he always heartily laughed.

And eek ther was somtyme a clerk at Rome,

And also there was once a clerk at Rome,

680 A cardinal, that highte Seint Jerome,

A cardinal, who is called Saint Jerome,

That made a book agayn Jovinian;

That made a book against Jovinian;

In which book eek ther was Tertulan,

In which book also there was Tertullian,

Crisippus, Trotula, and Helowys,

Crisippus, Trotula, and Heloise,

That was abbesse nat fer fro Parys,

Who was abbess not far from Paris,

And eek the Parables of Salomon,

And also the Parables of Salomon,

Ovides Art, and bookes many on,

Ovid's Art, and many other books,

And alle thise were bounden in o volume.

And all these were bound in one volume.

And every nyght and day was his custume,

And every night and day was his custom,

Whan he hadde leyser and vacacioun

When he had leisure and spare time

690 From oother worldly occupacioun,

From other worldly occupations,

To reden on this book of wikked wyves.

To read in this book of wicked wives.

He knew of hem mo legendes and lyves

He knew of them more legends and lives

Than been of goode wyves in the Bible.

Than are of good women in the Bible.

For trusteth wel, it is an impossible

For trust well, it is an impossibility

695 That any clerk wol speke good of wyves,

That any clerk will speak good of women,

But if it be of hooly seintes lyves,

Unless it be of holy saints' lives,

Ne of noon oother womman never the mo.

Nor of any other woman in any way.

Who peyntede the leon, tel me who?

Who painted the lion, tell me who?

By God, if wommen hadde writen stories,

By God, if women had written stories,

700 As clerkes han withinne hire oratories,

As clerks have within their studies,

They wolde han writen of men moore wikkednesse

They would have written of men more wickedness