On Reverencing the Husband

Chapter VII: On Reverencing the Husband

When a girl leaves her father’s house

Her husband thereafter

Is her nearest relative.

In her former state, before she was born,

Her relations in the present world were fixed.

Her husband is to her as heaven!

How dare she fail to reverence him?

The husband commands, the wife obeys;

Yet let there be mutual grace and love;

Let them be to each other as guests in politeness;

But whenever the husband speaks

Let the wife give careful attention.

If her husband does wrong,

Let her only exhort and persuade him,

And not imitate stupid women

Who call down calamities on bad husbands.

When the husband goes out

The wife should respectfully ask how far he must walk.

If by the middle of the night

He has not returned home,

She may not sleep, but must still wait for him,

Keep the light burning and his food hot,

Until she hears his knock at the door.

Do not imitate lazy women

Who go to bed before it is dark.

If the husband is sick,

Let his wife, with careful hand,

Administer all the medicine,

Exhausting every means to restore him,

And failing not to beseech the gods

That his life may be prolonged.

Imitate not stupid women

Who at such times know not sorrow.

If the husband is angry,

Let not the wife be angry in return,

But meekly yield to him,

And press down her angry feelings.

Do not imitate bad women

Who are ready to quarrel with their husbands.

The winter and summer clothing for the husband

Wash carefully and mend neatly.

Let him not be either too cold or too hot,

To the injury of his bodily health.

His daily food carefully prepare;

Let not his stomach be empty,

Nor his mouth thirsty,

Lest his body become thin

And his heart sorrowful!