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Text
God. Noe, to the and to thi fry
My blyssyng graunt I;
Ye shall wax and multiply,
And fill the erth agane,
When all thise floodis ar past
and fully gone away.
Noah. Lord, homward will I
hast
as fast as that I may;
My [wife] will I frast
what she will say,
And I am agast
that we get som fray
Betwixt vs both;
ffor she is full tethee,
ffor litill oft angre,
If any thyng wrang be,
Soyne is she wroth.
God spede, dere wife
how fayre ye?
Uxor. Now, as euer myght I thryfe
the wars I thee see;
Do tell me belief
where has thou thus long be?
To dede may we dryfe
or lif for the, ffor
want.
When we swete or swynk,
thou dos what thou thynk,
Yit of mete and of drynk
haue we veray skant.
Noah. Wife, we ar hard, sted
with tythyngis new.
Uxor. Bot
thou were worthi be cled
In stafford blew;
ffor thou art alway adred
be it fals or trew;
Bot god knowes I am led
and that may I rew,
ffull ill;
ffor I dar be thi borow,
ffrom euen vnto morow,
Thou spekis euer of sorow;
God send the onys thi
fill!
We women may wary
all ill husbandis;
I haue oone, bi mary!
that lowsyd me of my bandis;
If he teyn I must tary
how so euer it standis,
With seymland full sory,
wryngand both my handis
ffor drede.
Bot yit other while,
What with gam & with gyle,
I shall smyte and smyle,
And qwite hym his mede.
Noah. We! hold, thi tong, ram-skyt
or I shall the still.
Uxor. By my thryft, if thou smyte
I shal turne the vntill.
Noah. We shall assay as tyte
haue at the, gill!
Apon the bone shal it
byte.
Uxor. A, so, mary! thou smytis
ill!
Bot I suppose
I shal not in thi det,
fflyt of this flett!
Take the ther a langett
To tye vp thi hose!
Noah. A! wilt thou so?
mary, that is myne.
Uxor. Thou shal
thre for two
I swere bi godis pyne.
Noah. And I shall qwyte the tho
In fayth or syne.
Uxor. Out apon
the, ho!
Noah. Thou can both byte and whyne,
with a rerd,;
ffor all if she stryke,
yit fast will she skryke,
In fayth I hold, none slyke
In all medill-erd,;
Bot I will kepe charyte
ffor I haue at do.
Uxor. Here shal
no man tary the
I pray the go to!
ffull well may we mys the
as euer haue I ro;
To spyn will I dres me.
Noah. We! fare well, lo;
Bot wife,
Pray for me besele,
To eft I com vnto the.
Uxor. Euen
as thou prays for me,
As euer myght I thrife.
(Lines 177-243)
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Translation
Deus. Noah, to you and to
your offspring
I grant my blessing;
You shall grow and multiply
And fill the earth again
When all these floods have passed
and fully gone away. [Exit Deus.
Noe. Lord, I will hurry
homewards
as fast as I can;
My wife shall I ask
what she will say,
And I am afraid
that we get some strife
Between us,
For she is very peevish,
Often angry for nothing;
Is anything is wrong,
she is soon wrathful.
God speed you, dear wife!
How do you do?
Uxor. Now, as I hope to
prosper,
the worse for seeing you!
Do tell me at once
where you have been such a long time?
We may die, or live,
because of you, for lack of food.
When we sweat and labour,
You do as you like it,
But we are short of
Food and drink.
Noe. Wife, we are hard put
to it with news.
Uxor. But you were worthy to
be beaten
black and blue,
For you are always afraid,
be it false or true.
God knows I am treated -
and that I may regret -
Very badly;
For I pledge my word,
From evening till morning
You always speak of sorrow;
May God send you once your fill!
We women may curse
all bad husbands;
I have one, by Mary,
who delivered me out of our Lady's bands!
If he is vexed, I have to wait about him,
whatever it is,
With sad looks full of sorrow,
wringing both my hands
For dread;
But at other times,
Whether by intrigues and by guile,
I shall smite and smile
And pay him back to the last penny.
Noe. We! Mind your tongue,
ram-shit,
or I'll wring your neck.
Uxor. As I hope to thrive: if
you smite,
I'll pay you back.
Noe. We shall test it at once.
Take that, Jill,
It shall cut to the bone.[Strikes her.]
Uxor. Ah, so! By Mary, you hit badly!
But I suppose
I shall not in your debt
Depart from this place:
Take this thong
to tie up your hose! [Strikes him.
Noe. Ah! You want it that way?
Mary, that is mine!
Uxor. You shall get three for
two,
I swear, by God's pain!
Noe. And I shall pay those
back,
in faith, ere long!
Uxor. Fie on thee, ho!
Noe. You can both smite and
whine at a time
With a roar;
For even if she strikes, [To the audience.
Yet quickly will she shriek;
In faith, there is none such as she
In the world.
But I shall be charitable,
because I have to work.
Uxor. Here shall nobody hinder
you;
I pray you go ahead!
We won't miss you,
as I hope to have peace.
I will get ready to spin. [Sits down to spin.]
Noe. We! Farewell, lo;
But, wife,
Pray for me diligently
So that I may come back to you again.
Uxor. Exactly as you pray for me,
As I hope to thrive.
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