 | The Shorter Poems of Gavin Douglas |  |
9
THE PROLOGVE.
Qvhen paill Aurora with face lamentabill
Hir Russat Mantill, borderit all with Sabill,
Lappit about the heuinly Circumstance,
The tender bed and Arres honorabill
Of Flora, Quene till floures amiabill,
In May I rais to do my obseruance,
And enterit in a Gardyne of plesance,
With Sol depaint as Paradice amiabill
And blisfull bewis with blomed varyance.
Hir Russat Mantill, borderit all with Sabill,
Lappit about the heuinly Circumstance,
The tender bed and Arres honorabill
Of Flora, Quene till floures amiabill,
In May I rais to do my obseruance,
And enterit in a Gardyne of plesance,
With Sol depaint as Paradice amiabill
And blisfull bewis with blomed varyance.
Sa craftely Dame Flora had ouirfret
Hir heuinly bed, powderit with mony a set
Of Ruby, Topas, Perle and Emerant;
With Balmy dew bathit and kyndlie wet,
Quhill vapours hote, richt fresche and weill ybet,
Dulce of odour, of fluour maist fragrant,
The siluer droppis on Daseis distillant;
Quhilk verdour branches ouir the alars ȝet
With smoky sence the mystis reflectant.
Hir heuinly bed, powderit with mony a set
Of Ruby, Topas, Perle and Emerant;
With Balmy dew bathit and kyndlie wet,
Quhill vapours hote, richt fresche and weill ybet,
Dulce of odour, of fluour maist fragrant,
The siluer droppis on Daseis distillant;
Quhilk verdour branches ouir the alars ȝet
With smoky sence the mystis reflectant.
The fragrant flouris blomand in thair seis
Ouirspred the leuis of natures Tapestreis;
Abone the quhilk with heuinly Harmoneis
The birdis sat on twystis and on greis,
Melodiously makand thair kyndlie gleis,
Quhais schill noitis fordinned all the skyis.
Of repercust air the Echo cryis
Amang the branches of the blomed treis,
And on the Laurers siluer droppis lyis.
Ouirspred the leuis of natures Tapestreis;
Abone the quhilk with heuinly Harmoneis
The birdis sat on twystis and on greis,
Melodiously makand thair kyndlie gleis,
Quhais schill noitis fordinned all the skyis.
Of repercust air the Echo cryis
Amang the branches of the blomed treis,
And on the Laurers siluer droppis lyis.
Quhill that I rowmed in that Paradice,
Replenischit and full of all delice,
Out of the sey Eous alift his heid—
I mene the hors quhilk drawis at deuice
The assiltrie and goldin Chair of price
Of Tytan, quhilk at morrow semis reid.
The new collour that all the nicht lay deid
Is restorit, baith foulis, flouris and Rice
Recomfort was throw Phebus' gudlyheid.
Replenischit and full of all delice,
Out of the sey Eous alift his heid—
I mene the hors quhilk drawis at deuice
The assiltrie and goldin Chair of price
11
The new collour that all the nicht lay deid
Is restorit, baith foulis, flouris and Rice
Recomfort was throw Phebus' gudlyheid.
The Dasy and the Maryguld vnlappit,
Quhilks all the nicht lay with thair leuis happit
Thame to reserue fra rewmes pungitiue.
The vmbrate treis that Tytan about wappit
War portrait and on the eirth yschappit
Be goldin bemis viuificatiue,
Quhais amene heit is maist restoratiue.
The Gres hoppers amangis the vergers gnappit,
And Beis wrocht materiall for thair Hyue.
Quhilks all the nicht lay with thair leuis happit
Thame to reserue fra rewmes pungitiue.
The vmbrate treis that Tytan about wappit
War portrait and on the eirth yschappit
Be goldin bemis viuificatiue,
Quhais amene heit is maist restoratiue.
The Gres hoppers amangis the vergers gnappit,
And Beis wrocht materiall for thair Hyue.
Richt hailsome was the sessoun of the ȝeir.
Phebus furth ȝet depured bemis cleir,
Maist nutritiue till all thingis vegetant.
God Eolus of wind list nocht appeir,
Nor auld Saturne, with his mortall speir
And bad aspect contrair till euerie plant.
Neptunus nold within that Palice hant.
The beriall stremis rynning men micht heir
By bonkis grene with glancis variant.
Phebus furth ȝet depured bemis cleir,
Maist nutritiue till all thingis vegetant.
God Eolus of wind list nocht appeir,
Nor auld Saturne, with his mortall speir
And bad aspect contrair till euerie plant.
Neptunus nold within that Palice hant.
The beriall stremis rynning men micht heir
By bonkis grene with glancis variant.
For till behald that heuinly place compleit,
The purgit Air with new engendrit heit,
The Sol enbroude with colour, vre and stone,
The tender grene, the balmy droppis sweit,
Sa reioycit and comfort was my Spreit
I not was it a vision or fantone.
Amyd the buskis rowming myne alone
Within that garth of all plesance repleit,
A voice I hard preclair as Phebus schone,
The purgit Air with new engendrit heit,
The Sol enbroude with colour, vre and stone,
The tender grene, the balmy droppis sweit,
Sa reioycit and comfort was my Spreit
I not was it a vision or fantone.
Amyd the buskis rowming myne alone
Within that garth of all plesance repleit,
A voice I hard preclair as Phebus schone,
13
Singand: “O May, thow Mirrour of soles,
Maternall Moneth, Lady and Maistres,
Till euerie thing adoun respirature,
Thyne heuinlie work and worthie craftines
The small herbis constranis till incres.
O verray ground till working of nature,
Quhais hie curage and assucurit cure
Causis the eirth his frutes till expres,
Diffundant grace on euerie creature.
Maternall Moneth, Lady and Maistres,
Till euerie thing adoun respirature,
Thyne heuinlie work and worthie craftines
The small herbis constranis till incres.
O verray ground till working of nature,
Quhais hie curage and assucurit cure
Causis the eirth his frutes till expres,
Diffundant grace on euerie creature.
Thy godly lore, cunning Incomparabill,
Dantis the sauage beistis maist vnstabill
And expellis all that nature infestis.
The knoppit syonis with leuis aggreabill
For till reuert and burgione ar maid abill.
Thy mirth refreschis byrdis in thair nestis,
Quhilks the to prise and nature neuer restis,
Confessand ȝow maist potent and louabill
Amang the brownis of the Oliue twystis.
Dantis the sauage beistis maist vnstabill
And expellis all that nature infestis.
The knoppit syonis with leuis aggreabill
For till reuert and burgione ar maid abill.
Thy mirth refreschis byrdis in thair nestis,
Quhilks the to prise and nature neuer restis,
Confessand ȝow maist potent and louabill
Amang the brownis of the Oliue twystis.
In the is rute and augment of curage,
In the enforces Martis vassalage,
In the is amorous lufe and Harmonie
With Incrementis fresche in lustie age.
Quha that constranit ar in luifis rage,
Addressand thame with obseruance airlie,
Weill auchtis the till gloir and Magnifie.”
And with that word I raisit my visage,
Soir affrayit, half in ane frenesie.
In the enforces Martis vassalage,
In the is amorous lufe and Harmonie
With Incrementis fresche in lustie age.
Quha that constranit ar in luifis rage,
Addressand thame with obseruance airlie,
Weill auchtis the till gloir and Magnifie.”
And with that word I raisit my visage,
Soir affrayit, half in ane frenesie.
“O Nature, Quene, and O ȝe lustie May,”
Quod I tho, “how lang sall I thus foruay,
Quhilk ȝow and Venus in this garth deseruis?
Recounsell me out of this greit affray,
That I may sing ȝow laudis day be day.
Ȝe that all mundane creatures preseruis
Comfort ȝour man that in this fanton steruis,
With spreit arraisit and euerie wit away,
Quaiking for feir, baith pulsis, vane and neruis.”
Quod I tho, “how lang sall I thus foruay,
Quhilk ȝow and Venus in this garth deseruis?
Recounsell me out of this greit affray,
That I may sing ȝow laudis day be day.
Ȝe that all mundane creatures preseruis
Comfort ȝour man that in this fanton steruis,
With spreit arraisit and euerie wit away,
Quaiking for feir, baith pulsis, vane and neruis.”
15
My fatall weird, my febill wit I wary,
My desie heid quhome laik of brane gart vary
And not sustene so amiabill a soun;
With ery curage, febill strenthis sary,
Bownand me hame and list na langer tary.
Out of the air come ane impressioun,
Throw quhais licht in extasie or swoun
Amyd the virgultis all in till a fary
As feminine so feblit fell I doun.
My desie heid quhome laik of brane gart vary
And not sustene so amiabill a soun;
With ery curage, febill strenthis sary,
Bownand me hame and list na langer tary.
Out of the air come ane impressioun,
Throw quhais licht in extasie or swoun
Amyd the virgultis all in till a fary
As feminine so feblit fell I doun.
And with that gleme sa desyit was my micht
Quhill thair remanit nouther voice nor sicht,
Breith, motion, nor heiring naturall.
Saw neuer man so faynt a leuand wicht.
And na ferly, for ouir excelland licht
Corruptis the wit and garris the blude awaill
Vntill the hart that it na danger aill.
Quhen it is smorit, memberis wirkis not richt.
The dreidfull terrour swa did me assaill.
Quhill thair remanit nouther voice nor sicht,
Breith, motion, nor heiring naturall.
Saw neuer man so faynt a leuand wicht.
And na ferly, for ouir excelland licht
Corruptis the wit and garris the blude awaill
Vntill the hart that it na danger aill.
Quhen it is smorit, memberis wirkis not richt.
The dreidfull terrour swa did me assaill.
Ȝit at the last—I not how lang a space—
A lytle heit appeirit in my face,
Quhilk had tofoir bene paill and voyde of blude.
Tho in my sweuen I met a ferly cace.
I thocht me set within a desert place
Amyd a Forest by a hyddeous flude
With grysly fische, and schortly till conclude,
I sall discryue—as God will giue me grace—
Myne Visioun in rurall termis rude.
A lytle heit appeirit in my face,
Quhilk had tofoir bene paill and voyde of blude.
Tho in my sweuen I met a ferly cace.
I thocht me set within a desert place
Amyd a Forest by a hyddeous flude
With grysly fische, and schortly till conclude,
I sall discryue—as God will giue me grace—
Myne Visioun in rurall termis rude.
Finis Prologi
| The Shorter Poems of Gavin Douglas | |