Classic Poem

Intill ane morning, mirthfullest of May,
Or Phebus' bemes did gleit aganes the west,
I rais, and saw the feildis fair and gay.
Syne to ane river-syde anone me drest;
Quhairas the merle, and maveis mirriest,
And lark, thair nots maist curiouslie did sing.
The birdis blythe, with angel-voice possest,
Maid all the hevins about me for to ring.

Depaintit wer the feilds, with all kynd hewis,
By dame Nature, that lustie ladye schene.
The sylver drops of dew hang on the bewis,
Lyke orient perle in gold quhilk set hathe bene.
The holsome air, the firmament serene,
And blisful blenks of Phaebus' beamis bricht,
Bad me go sleip in Florais mantill grene;
Quhome to resist I noways could nor micht.

Heirfoir I vewit the fields, baith daill and schaw,
Quhair I ane place maist plesand micht espy.
And so, perhap, ane grene medow I saw,
(Quhair all wes blythe that sprang up), neirhandby.
Furthward I went; and thidder came in hy,
Amang the smelling floures me to repose.
Quhair Morpheus his mantill suddanlie
Did on me spred; syne did me eeis close.

Into my dreame, behauld! quhairas I lay,
First did appeir within ane lytil space
Twa lustie Hairts; the lyk, before that day,
I never saw, into no land nor place;
With hornis greit, and plesand well-maid face.
Syne, thame betwixt, ane Lyon, woundit sair,
Thay buire; crying, with voces rank and hace,
" Keip rewll in haist, and leif thir feildis fair!"

Thay me demandit gif I wald assent
With thame to go, thair lasors for to sie?
With aireit termes, and style most eloquent,
Thay maid me sone to thair assent agrie.
So up I rays, and furth the way went we.
Thay me convoyt into ane gardene grein;
Quhair everie plant and wod micht callit be,
That spred upon the branchis micht be sein.

M ARIE I thocht in this wode did appeir,
M AIT LAND and gold scho gave aboundantlie.
Syne in hir hand ane flourisit trie did beir;
Quhairin wes writtin with letters properlie,
" THIS IS IN SIGN OF TREW VIRGINITIE ,
" Quhilk I have socht, and luisit best of all.
" Heirfoir I sall with cair most diligentlie
" Sustein the same, that it resave no fall.

This plesant plant, pereles but paragone,
Stuid on ane ruit of semelie sickernes ;
The bark thairof wes fair proportioun ;
The bodye haill wes luifsum lawlines ;
The hairt, but dreid, wes maid of faythfulnes ;
The blomis quhyte and reid wes bewtie bricht ;
The braunche, and leifes, wer all of propernes
Weill wrocht for till alluire all erdlie wicht.

And in quhose trope ane plesand sicht thair was
Of ladyis fair as Phaebus in mid-day;
For thair wes Venus, Juno, and Pallas;
Minerva, Clco, and Terpsicore;
Proserpina, and Diana the may;
Dame Beawtie bricht, and als dame Chastetie,
For to impyire abone the rest for ay;
And Lawlines lay law under the trie.

Thir ladys bricht, on [banke] quhairas thay sat,
Begouth ane sang to gladdin all the spray;
Out of my dreame quhilk did me excitat.
Then did I luik about me, quhair I lay;
Quhen I persavit that they wer all away,
And all wes fantasie that I had sene.
With wofull hairt then did I seik the bray
Above the water-brok quhair I had bene.