The buik of Alexander Or the buik of the most noble and valiant conquerour Alexander the Grit: By John Barbour ... Edited in four volumes, from the unique printed copy in the possession of the Earl of Dalhousie, with introductions, notes and glossary, together with the French originals (Li Fuerres de Gadres and Les Voeux du Paon) collated with numerous mss.: By R. L. Graeme Ritchie |
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To
short thame that na Romanes can,
This buke to translait I began,
And as I can, I maid ending,
Bot thocht I failȝeit of ryming
Or meter or sentence, for the rude,
Forgif me, for my will was gude
To follow that in franche I fand writtin!
Bot thocht that I seuin ȝeir had sittin,
To mak it on sa gude manere,
Sa oppin sentence and sa clere,
As is the frenche, I micht haue failȝeit.
For-thy my wit was nocht traualit
To mak it sa, for I na couth,
Bot said furth as me come to mouth.
And as I said, richt sa I wrait.
Thairfoir richt wonder weill I wait
At it hes faltis mony-fald,
Quhairfoir I pray baith ȝoung and ald
That ȝarnis this romanis for to reid,
For to amend quhair I mysȝeid!
This buke to translait I began,
And as I can, I maid ending,
Bot thocht I failȝeit of ryming
Or meter or sentence, for the rude,
Forgif me, for my will was gude
To follow that in franche I fand writtin!
Bot thocht that I seuin ȝeir had sittin,
To mak it on sa gude manere,
Sa oppin sentence and sa clere,
As is the frenche, I micht haue failȝeit.
For-thy my wit was nocht traualit
442
Bot said furth as me come to mouth.
And as I said, richt sa I wrait.
Thairfoir richt wonder weill I wait
At it hes faltis mony-fald,
Quhairfoir I pray baith ȝoung and ald
That ȝarnis this romanis for to reid,
For to amend quhair I mysȝeid!
Ze
that haue hard this romanis heir
May sumdeill by exampill leir
To lufe vertew attour all thing,
And preis ȝow ay for to win louing,
That ȝour name may for ȝour bounte
Amang men of gude menit be.
For quhen ȝe lawe ar laid in lame,
Than leuis thair nathing bot ane name,
As ȝe deserued, gud or ill;
And ȝe may alsweill, gif ȝe will,
Do the gude and haue louing
As quhylum did this nobill King,
That ȝit is prysed for his bounte,
The quhether thre hundreth ȝeir was he
Before the tyme that God was borne
To saue our saullis, that was forlorne.
Sensyne is past ane thousand ȝeir,
Four hundreth and threttie thair-to neir,
And aucht and sumdele mare, I wis.
God bring vs to his mekill blis,
That ringis ane in trinitie.
Amen, amen for cheritie!
May sumdeill by exampill leir
To lufe vertew attour all thing,
And preis ȝow ay for to win louing,
That ȝour name may for ȝour bounte
Amang men of gude menit be.
For quhen ȝe lawe ar laid in lame,
Than leuis thair nathing bot ane name,
As ȝe deserued, gud or ill;
And ȝe may alsweill, gif ȝe will,
Do the gude and haue louing
As quhylum did this nobill King,
That ȝit is prysed for his bounte,
The quhether thre hundreth ȝeir was he
Before the tyme that God was borne
To saue our saullis, that was forlorne.
Sensyne is past ane thousand ȝeir,
Four hundreth and threttie thair-to neir,
And aucht and sumdele mare, I wis.
God bring vs to his mekill blis,
That ringis ane in trinitie.
Amen, amen for cheritie!
| The buik of Alexander | |