University of Virginia Library

Heir the translatar direkkis hys buk and excusis hym self etc.

My Lord, to ȝour nobilyte in effect,
To quham this wark I haue abuse direct,
Gawyn, ȝour cousyng, provest of Sanct Geill,
Gretyng in God ay lestyng, and gud heill.
Ressave gude will, quhar that my cunnyng falys,
And gyf within this volume ocht avalys,
Or is onto ȝour plesour aggreabill,
Than is my laubour sum thyng profytabill.
Quhar I offendit, or mysteris correctioun,
Vndir ȝour salfgard and protectioun
I me submyt; ȝhe be my scheld and defens
Aganys corruppit tungis violens,
Can nocht amend, and ȝit a falt wald spy:
Quhen thai bakbayte, quhen evir thai clepe and cry,
Gyf neyd beys, for ȝour kynysman and clerk
Than I protest ȝe ansuer, and for ȝour wark.
Gyf thai speir quhy I dyd this buke translait,
Ȝhe war the causs tharof, full weill ȝe wait;
Ȝhe cawsyt me this volume to endyte,
Quharthrow I haue wrocht myself syk dispyte,
Perpetualy be chydit with ilk knak,
Full weill I knaw, and mokkyt behynd my bak.
Say thai nocht, I myne honeste haue degraid,
And at my self to schute a but hess maid?
Nane othir thyng, thai threpe, heir wrocht haue I
Bot fenȝeit fabillys of idolatry,
With sik myscheif as aucht not namyt be,
Oppynnand the gravis of smert iniquyte,
And on the bak half wrytis wyddyr synnys
Plente of lesyngis, and ald perversyt synnys.
Quhar that I haue my tyme superexpendyt,
Mea culpa, God grant I may amend it,
With grace and space to vpset this tynsell;
Thocht not be far sa largely as thai tell,
As that me semys, ȝit offendit haue I;
For weill I wait, our wark to mony a wy
Sall baith be plesand and eyk profitabill,
For tharin beyn seir doctrynys full notabill;
It sal eik do sum folk solace, I gess,
To pass the tyme, and eschew idylnes.
Ane othir proffit of our buke I mark,
That it salbe reput a neidfull wark
To thame wald Virgill to childryn expone;
For quha lyst note my versys, one by one,
Sall fynd tharin hys sentens euery deill,
And al maste word by word, that wait I weill.
Thank me tharfor, masteris of grammar sculys,
Quhar ȝe syt techand on ȝour benkis and stulys.
Thus haue I not my tyme swa occupy
That all suld hald my laubour onthryfty;
For I haue not interpryt ne translate
Every bural ruyd poet dywlgait,
Na meyn endyte, nor empty wordis vayn,
Common engyn, nor stile barbarian;
Bot in that art of eloquens the flude
Maste cheif, profund and copyus plenitud,
Surss capitall in veyn poeticall,
Soverane fontane, and flum imperiall;
Quham gif I haue offendit, as thai meyn,
Deym as ȝe lyst, quhen the wark is ourseyn.
Be as be may, ȝour frendschip, weill I wait,
Wrocht mair at me than dyd myne awyn estait;
For kyndnes so myne eyn almaist maid blynd,
That, ȝow to pleyss, I set all schame behynd,
Offeryng me to my weriouris wilfully,
Quhilk in myne e fast staris a mote to spy.
Bot quha sa lawchis heirat, or hedis noddis,
Go reid Bochas in the Genolygy of Goddis;
Hys twa last bukis sall swage thar fantasy,
Less than na resson may thame satysfy.
I rak nocht quhidder fulys hald me devill or sanct,
For ȝou maid I this buke, my Lord, I grant,
Nowder for pryce, det, reward nor supple,
Bot for ȝour tendir request and amyte,
Kyndness of blude grundyt in natural law.
I am na cayk fydlar, full weill ȝe knaw;
No thing is myne quhilk sall not ȝowris be,
Gyf it afferis for ȝowr nobilyte;
And of ȝour moblys and all other geir
Ȝhe will me serve siclyke, I haue na weir.
Bot as twychyng this our wark now in hand,
Quhilk oft is said was maid at ȝour command,
To quhat effect, gyf ony wald inqueir;
Ȝhe may ansuer, thocht I neid nocht ȝow leir,
That Virgill mycht intill our langage be
Red lowd and playn be ȝour lordschip and me,
And other gentill companȝeonys quha sa lyst;
Nane ar compellit drynk not bot thai haue thryst:
And quha sa lykis may tastyng of the tun
Onforlatyt, new from the berry run,
Reid Virgill baldly, but mekill offens
Except our wlgar toungis differens,
Kepand na facund rethoryk castis fair,
Bot haymly playn termys famyliar,
Na thing alterit in substans the sentens,
Thocht scant perfyte observyt beyn eloquens;
I will weill otheris can say mair curyusly,
Bot I haue said eftir my fantasy,
I covait nocht to prefer ony wight,
It may suffice I said na thing bot rycht;
And, set that empty be my brayn and dull,
I haue translait a volum wondirfull:
So profund was this wark at I haue said,
Me semyt oft throw the deip sey to waid;
And sa mysty vmquhile this poecy,
My spreit was reft half deill in extasy,
To pyke the sentens as I couth als playn,
And bryng it to my purposs, was full fayn;
And thus, becauss the mater was onkowth,
Not as I suld, I wrait, bot as I couth.
Quha wenys I say thir wordis bot invane,
Lat thame assay als lang laubour agane,
And translait Ovid, as I haue Virgill;
Perchans that wark sall occupy thame a quhile:
Ȝit haue I hard oft said be men na clerkis,
Tyll idyll folk full lycht beyn lukand warkis.
To ȝou, my Lord, quhat is thar mair to say?
Ressaue ȝour wark desyrit mony a day;
Quharin also now am I fully quyt,
As twichand Venus, of myn ald promyt
Quhilk I hir maid weil twelf ȝheris tofor,
As wytnessith my Palyce of Honour,
In the quhilk wark, ȝhe reid, on hand I tuke
Forto translait at hir instance a buke:
Sa haue I doyn abufe, as ȝe may se,
Virgillis volum of hir son Enee,
Reducit, as I cowth, intill our tong.
Be glaid, Ene, thy bell is hiely rong,
Thy faym is blaw, thy prowes and renown
Dywlgat ar, and sung fra town to town,
So hardy from thens, that other man or boy
The ony mair reput traytour of Troy,
Bot as a worthy conquerour and kyng
The honour and extoll, as thou art dyng.
My Lord, all thocht I dyd this wark compyle,
At ȝour command, intill owr wlgar style,
Suffir me borrow this a word at the leist,
Thar with to quyte my promyss and beheste,
And lat Dame Venus have gud nycht adew,
Quhamto sum tyme ȝhe war a servand trew.
I haue alsso a schort comment compilyt
To expon strange histouris and termys wild;
And gif ocht lakis mar, quhen that is doyn,
At ȝour desyre it salbe writtyn soyn.
And forthir, so that I be nocht prolixt,
The etern Lord, that on the ruyd was fixt,
Grant ȝow and ws all in this lyfe weilfair,
With euerlestand blyss quhen we hyne fair!