diff --git a/rdflib/plugins/sparql/_contrib/valuesToTheLeftOfTheJoins.py b/rdflib/plugins/sparql/_contrib/valuesToTheLeftOfTheJoins.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f2193bb8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdflib/plugins/sparql/_contrib/valuesToTheLeftOfTheJoins.py
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+"""
+Move a VALUES clause to the left of the join.
+This is normally smart as this is often a much shorter list than what is generated
+by the other expression.
+"""
+
+from typing import Any
+
+from rdflib.plugins.sparql.sparql import Query
+
+
+class ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin:
+    @classmethod
+    def translate(cls, query: Query) -> Query:
+        main = query.algebra
+        query.algebra = ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin._optimize_node(main)
+        return query
+
+    @classmethod
+    def _optimize_node(cls, cv: Any) -> Any:
+        if cv.name == "Join":
+            if cv.p1.name != "ToMultiSet" and "ToMultiSet" == cv.p2.name:
+                cv.update(p1=cv.p2, p2=cv.p1)
+            else:
+                op1 = ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin._optimize_node(cv.p1)
+                op2 = ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin._optimize_node(cv.p2)
+                cv.update(op1, op2)
+            return cv
+        elif cv.p is not None:
+            cv.p.update(ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin._optimize_node(cv.p))
+        elif cv.p1 is not None and cv.p2 is not None:
+            cv.p1.update(ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin._optimize_node(cv.p1))
+            cv.p2.update(ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin._optimize_node(cv.p2))
+        elif cv.p1 is not None:
+            cv.p1.update(ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin._optimize_node(cv.p1))
+        return cv
diff --git a/rdflib/plugins/sparql/optimizer.py b/rdflib/plugins/sparql/optimizer.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2556543f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rdflib/plugins/sparql/optimizer.py
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+"""
+This contains standard optimizers for sparql
+
+"""
+import re
+from typing import Any, Callable
+
+from rdflib import Literal
+from rdflib.plugins.sparql.algebra import CompValue, Expr, Join, Values
+from rdflib.plugins.sparql.operators import Builtin_CONTAINS, Builtin_REGEX
+from rdflib.plugins.sparql.sparql import Query
+
+"""
+An interface for having optimizers that transform a query algebra hopefully
+in an faster to evaluate version.
+"""
+
+
+class SPARQLOptimizer:
+    def optimize(self, query: Query) -> Query:
+        return query
diff --git a/rdflib/plugins/sparql/processor.py b/rdflib/plugins/sparql/processor.py
index de97d80bd..a8677d340 100644
--- a/rdflib/plugins/sparql/processor.py
+++ b/rdflib/plugins/sparql/processor.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import Any, Mapping, Optional, Union
+from typing import Any, Callable, List, Mapping, Optional, Union
 
 from rdflib.graph import Graph
 from rdflib.plugins.sparql.algebra import translateQuery, translateUpdate
@@ -106,9 +106,13 @@ def update(
         return evalUpdate(self.graph, strOrQuery, initBindings)
 
 
+_QueryTranslatorType = Callable[[Query], Query]
+
+
 class SPARQLProcessor(Processor):
-    def __init__(self, graph):
+    def __init__(self, graph, translators: Optional[List[_QueryTranslatorType]] = None):
         self.graph = graph
+        self.translators = translators
 
     # NOTE on type error: this is because the super type constructor does not
     # accept base argument and thie position of the DEBUG argument is
@@ -144,4 +148,7 @@ def query(  # type: ignore[override]
         if isinstance(strOrQuery, str):
             strOrQuery = translateQuery(parseQuery(strOrQuery), base, initNs)
 
+        for translator in self.translators:
+            strOrQuery = translator(strOrQuery)
+
         return evalQuery(self.graph, strOrQuery, initBindings, base)
diff --git a/test/test_sparql/test_contrib_query_translators.py b/test/test_sparql/test_contrib_query_translators.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f9de73cb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test_sparql/test_contrib_query_translators.py
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+from rdflib import Graph
+from rdflib.plugins.sparql._contrib.valuesToTheLeftOfTheJoins import (
+    ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin,
+)
+from rdflib.plugins.sparql.parser import *
+
+# from rdflib.plugins.sparql.processor import prepareQuery
+from rdflib.plugins.sparql.processor import parseQuery, translateQuery
+
+query_slow = """
+PREFIX ex:<https://example.org/>
+
+SELECT ?x {
+  ?x ?y ?z .
+  VALUES (?x) {
+    (ex:1)
+    (ex:2)
+    (ex:3)
+  }
+}
+"""
+
+query_fast = """
+PREFIX ex:<https://example.org/>
+
+SELECT ?x {
+  VALUES (?x) {
+    (ex:1)
+    (ex:2)
+    (ex:3)
+  }
+    ?x ?y ?z .
+}
+"""
+
+query_regex = """
+PREFIX ex:<https://example.org/>
+
+SELECT ?x {
+  ?x ?y ?z .
+  FILTER(regex("?z", "hi"))
+}
+"""
+
+query_contains = """
+PREFIX ex:<https://example.org/>
+
+SELECT ?x {
+  ?x ?y ?z .
+  FILTER(contains("?z", "hi"))
+}
+"""
+
+
+def test_values_to_left():
+    qs = _prepare_query(query_slow)
+    qf = _prepare_query(query_fast)
+    assert qs != qf
+    qso = ValuesToTheLeftOfTheJoin.translate(qs)
+
+    assert qso.algebra == qf.algebra
+
+
+def _prepare_query(str_or_query):
+    parse_tree = parseQuery(str_or_query)
+    query = translateQuery(parse_tree, None, {})
+    return query
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    test_values_to_left()