#  Guèrin - The Priest who Peeked 

 



## (French fabliau, early 13th century)

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 80**



In what follows I want to tell you,   
 If you will hear me out,   
 A courtly little fabliau,   
 As Guèrin relates it and tells   
 About a peasant who had a fine wife --   
 Wise, courteous, and well bred;   
 She was beautiful and came from a good family.   
 He deeply loved her,   
 This peasant, and he served her well,   
 But she loved a priest;   
 To him she had given her heart completely.   
   
 The priest was so smitten by her   
 That one day he decided   
 He would go talk to her.   
 He proceeded to the house,   
 But before he arrived there,   
 The peasant, as I have heard,   
 Had sat down to dinner with his wife.   
   
 The two were all alone,   
 And the priest did not delay;   
 He came rapidly to the door,   
 But it was closed and locked.   
 When he came there, he stopped   
 By the door and looked it over.   
 He looked through a small opening and saw   
 That the peasant was eating and drinking   
 And that his wife was sitting next to him.   
 The eager priest was displeased   
 To see what a life was led by this husband   
 Who did not appreciate the pleasure of his wife.   
 And, when he had looked at everything,   
 Straightway he shouted these words:   
 "What are you doing there, good people?"   
   
 The peasant promptly replied,   
 "By my faith, sir, we are eating;   
 Come in and we will give you some of it."   
 "You're eating, you say! You are lying,   
 For it seems to me that you are screwing!"   
   
 "Hush, sir! We speak the truth;   
 We are eating, as you can see."   
   
 Said the priest, "I have no doubt about it;   
 You are screwing, for I see it clearly.   
 Now you are trying to trick me.   
 Come stand outside where I am,   
 And I will go sit in there,   
 Then you can see indeed   
 Whether I told the truth or lied."   
   
 The peasant quickly jumped up,   
 Went to the door and unlocked it,   
 And the priest came in;   
 He locked the door with a bolt,   
 And then he did not waste his time;   
 He did not pause until   
 He had grabbed the lady by the head   
 And pushed her down below him   
 And pulled up her dress.   
 And then he did that thing   
 That women love more than anything;   
 For he so battered and pounded   
 That she could not prevent   
 His doing what he wanted.   
   
 And the peasant peeked   
 Through the door and saw clearly   
 His wife's arse uncovered   
 And the priest on top;   
 And he asked, "As God may save you,"   
 Said the peasant, "is this a joke?"   
 And the priest immediately   
 Answered, "What do you think?   
 Don't you see? I have sat down   
 To eat at this table."   
   
 "By the heart of God, this is like a fabliau,"   
 Said the peasant; "I would certainly have believed --   
 If I had not heard you say otherwise --   
 That you were screwing my wife!"   
   
 "I am not, sir, hush! By my soul,   
 It seemed the same to me just now."   
 Said the peasant, "Indeed, I believe you."   
 Thus was the peasant tricked   
 And so deceived and befuddled   
 Both by the priest and by his own weak wit   
 That he never felt any pain;   
 And because the door had a hole in it,   
 It is said to this day: "One hole satisfies many fools."   
   
 *Here ends the fabliau of the Priest.*   
   
 *Explicit. Amen.









From Larry D. Benson and Theodore M. Andersson, *The Literary Context of Chaucer's Fabliaux.* Indianapolis and New York, 1971. Pp. 269-73.