Sunday, July 15, 2018

No body loues mee.

No body loues mee.

Nobody loves mee. 

To the tune of Philliday.
Translated into modern spelling by myself.

Now all my money is gone, how should I swagger?
Now may I sit alone with wooden Dagger
Robert and honest John with my host Kester,
Could drink a dozen cups out of a tester [1]
     If now I wash my throat
     Needs must I pawn my coat.
     Nobody loves me.

I florish with my friends while my coin lasted,
Now that my sudd[? ends ?]eir love's blasted, [2]
He and he with his pot [don't treat me kindly], [2]
While I could pay my shot ... loving me blindly: [2]
     Now that I have no Chink, [3]
     With the Ducks [4] may I drink,
     All my friends from me shrink,
     Nobody loves me.
   
My Hosts with a smile would entertain me,
Now like a varlet vile [5] does she disdain me
I had the Parlor before at my command,
Now in the kitchen I take up my standing: [6]
     Now all my revell ruff,
     Is turned to kitchen stuff,
     And I sing, Marry muff, [7]
     Nobody loves me.

When as I had no want, each one would lend me,
Now that my money is scant, they say, God send ye:
They leave Pearce-penniles, [8] with high disdaining,
And all are pitiless, to my complaining:
     Their words are guilded fair,
     Their deeds base copper ware,
     Now I am waxen bare,
     Nobody loves me.

Fair Maids would follow me fast for a Fayring, [9]
I was good company, Purse was not sparing:
The finest froe [10] in this town, I might have kissed her,
And perhaps laid her down, now I must miss her.
     Now that my money is lost,
     They bid me kiss the post,
     Was ever man thus crost, [11]
     Nobody loves me.

Top of my kin I thought, would not deny me,
When I do ask them ought, strait they pass by me
Nought but old proverbs on me they venter, [12]
Save nought in summer and starve in winter.
     Old Proverbs fly about,
     No money pull they out,
     Their hands have got the gout, [13]
     Nobody loves me.

Faith I'll go dig for more and if I find it,
Like rich Cobs [14] hand and foot, fast will I bind it.
And hide it in the hay untill it canker, [15]
Then farewell thriftlessness play, and good Ale Tanker:
     I'll drink plain whig [16] and whey, [17]
     Untill my dying day,
     Black pots brings all away,
     Nobody loves me.

I'll save my money I, to make a purchase
Or else before I die, for to build Churches:
Like worldlings every hower [18] will I be scraping,
Or like hell still for more will I be gaping:
     Ere I do spend my coin,
     I'll let my Carcas pine,
     And eat beans from the swine.
     Nobody loves me.

If I be once rich again, I wil be wiser,
And learne of money-men to be a Miser:
Rather then lend a groat [19] to one or other,
I'll help to cut his throat, were he my brother.
     I will shut up my door,
     Always against the poor,
     So Karls do get their store. [20]
     Nobody loves me.
   
[1] Large drinking vessel, like a fowler.
[2] Line is corrupted on the broadsheet.
[3] Coins; enough money to clink together.
[4] Literally ducks, as in drink water from a pond.
[5] Evil villain.
[6] Perhaps an allusion to being sent to the kitchen to work off an unpaid bill.
[7] Slang for nonsence
[8] Pierce Penniless, His Supplication to the Divell, (1592), a story about a man who has not met with good fortune.
[9] A gift, usally given or purchased at a fair.
[10] A cutting tool with handle and blade at right angles, possiblly being used here as a sexual innuendo.
[11] Crossed.
[12] A protuberant and often hollow anatomical structure; used here as "hollow words".
[13] A disease long atributed to rich people, or to people who eat a rich diet.
[14] A small Spanish coin, maybe? It's the most likely definition of 'cob' that fits the context. Definitely not the cob from an ear of corn (maze) and a small, docile mare doesn't make sense. Nor does a male swan, or the clay and straw used to make wattle and daub walls.
[15] Either rusts and becomes unidentifable, or grows like a canker sore.
[16] Water, an illusion to Scottish Presbyterians who were nicknamed whiggamores.
[17] Whey, the liquid seperated from curds during cheese making. Very drinkable, but not alcoholic.
[18] Hole.
[19] A silver coin worth 4 pennies.
[20] No clue. Karl can be short for Charles, which doesn't make sense in context. It also means "freeman" in Swedish. I don't know.

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