The Wife of Bath's Tale: A Contemporary Translation and the Annotated Original

Book Synopsis: What do women want? That is the life-or-death question at the heart of Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Wife of Bath’s Tale.” What do men want? The clichés and stereotypes cut both ways. The Father of English Poetry imagines how a woman might retell the male-dominated literature of the time by creating the Mother of all Storytellers, the flamboyant Alisoun, woman of Bath. She masterfully weaves her story, skewering the sexes in her tale of a knightly quest—filled with shocks, laughs, and some sobering truths about us all.

Retaining the style and spirit of Chaucer’s original text, the translation aims to be as modern and direct as the character herself. This version is written for students, teachers, or anyone who loves great literature, without having to rely on footnotes. For those who want to read the original work, this edition also includes a reading guide and the tale in Middle English with annotations.

Now in the days when Arthur reigned as king(a time of which the Britons love to sing),this land was filled with fairy-folk, I hear.The elf-queen with her company so dear
on many meadows green would play at dances,or so I read in all the old romances.
I speak of many hundred years ago;These days no one can see the elves, you know.For they have been replaced by holy men,
their memories erased by prayer and pen
and blessings on the chambers, halls, and bowers,
the kitchens, towns and cities, castle towers,
the farms, the barns, the stables and the dairies—
no wonder there’s scarce room for any fairies.