Gammer Gurton's Needle - Faculty & Staff Web Pages

Gammer Gurton's Needle 27
Gammer: It was my nee'le, Diccon, Ich wot; 1 for here, even by this post,
Ich sat, what time as Ich up-start, and so my nee'le it lost! 2
Who was it, lief 3 son? Speak, Ich pray thee, and quickly tell me that!
Diccon: A subtle quean 4 as any in this town! Your neighbor here, Dame Chat.
Gammer: Dame Chat, Diccon? Let me be gone! 'Chi'll thither in posthaste! 5
[She rushes toward Dame Chat's house]
Diccon: Take my counsel 6 yet or ye go, for fear you walk in waste! 7
It is a murrion 8 crafty drab, 9 and froward to be pleased; 10
And ye not take the better way, our needle yet ye lose it. 11
For when she took it up, even here before your doors,
"What, soft, Dame Chat," quoth I, "that same is none of yours!"
"Avaunt!" 12 quoth she, "Sir Knave! What pratest thou of that I find? 13
I would thou hadst kissed me I wot where!" – she meant, I know, behind.
And home she went as brag 14 as it had been a body louse,
[Diccon continues]
And I after as bold as I had been the goodman of the house.
But there and 15 ye had heard her how she began to scold –
The tongue, it went on pattens, 16 by Him that Judas sold! 17
Each other word, I was a knave, and you a whore of whores,
Because I spoke in your behalf and said the needle was yours.
Gammer: Gog's bread! And thinks the callet 18 thus to keep my nee'le me fro? 19
Diccon: Let her alone, and she minds none other but even to dress you so! 20
1
Ich wot: I know it!
2
It was . . . lost!: It was my needle, Diccon, I know it; for here, right beside this post, I was sitting, until I jumped up and so
lost my needle!
3
Lief: beloved, dear
4
Quean: slut, whore
5
'Chi'll thither in posthaste!: I'll rush straight in there! The mail – the post, in England – was entrusted to the fastest
carriages. To go posthaste was to go at top speed.
6
Counsel: advice
7
Take my . . . waste!: Listen to my advice before you go inside, for fear you're wasting a trip!
8
Murrion: plagued, cursed
9
Drab: whore
10
Froward to be pleased: hard to satisfy, stubborn
11
And ye . . . it: If you don't take the better way, you'll lose your needle yet.
12
Avaunt: Get out of here!
13
What pratest . . . find? Why do you babble about what I've found?
14
Brag: arrogantly, briskly
15
And: if
16
Pattens: wooden shoes, which make a lot of clatter and noise
17
By Him…sold: By Christ (Judas sold out Jesus Christ for thirty pieces of silver)
18
Callet: cheap whore
19
Nee'le me fro?: needle from me?
20
Let her . . . so!: If you don't do something, that's just how she means to treat you!