English

The crased Barke full oft is saued by Pylots care,
The greatest griefes by pleasant ioyes asswaged are.
The daylie toyles by some quiet rest are alwayes eased,
The vering spirites by Musike sweete, seeme somewhat pleased.
My onely ioy regarde you this my wofull case,
Sith none but your disdaine, my sorrow can delace.

Giue me the equall friend, for greater state
Will euer grudge the wante of lowe degree,
And eke the meane repine at welthier mate,
Thus enuy breakes what friendship did decree.
By iuste agreeing porte no iarre doth grow,
Where wealth ne wante denies the friendly show.

( " Le lion dort, seul sous sa voate. " )

Deep in his cave the lion rests;
Enthralled by that prodigious slumber
The sultry midday sun invests
With fiery visions without number.

The deserts list awhile with dread,
Then freelier breathe; their tyrant's home.
For the lone tracts quake 'neath his tread
What time this mighty one doth roam.

His hot breath heaves his tawny hide;

Sumtyme to court I did repair,
Thairin sum errands for to dres;
Thinkand I had sum freindis thair
To help fordwart my beseynes.
Bot, not the les,
I fand nathing bot doubilnes.
Auld kyndnes helpis not ane hair.

To ane grit court-man I did speir;
That I trowit my friend had bene,
Becaus we war of kyn sa neir;
To him my mater I did mene.
Bot, with disdene,
He fled as I had done him tene;
And wald not byd my teill to heir.

I wend that he, in word and deid,
For me, his kynsman, sould have wrocht.

Great swelling floodes are soone dried vp,
with meaner calmes I see:
And mightie Frostes, with gentle heate
are woont dissolude to bee.
The darkest clowdes in th'ayre tost,
depart with no great winde:
Yet can the tempest of my care,
no quyet harbor finde.

Sum of the poyets, and makars, that ar now,
Of grit despyte, and malice, ar sa fow,
That all lesingis, that can be inventit,
Thai put in writ, and garris thame be prentit;
To gar the peple ill opinioun taik
Of thame, quhom of that thai thair ballats maik.
With sclanderous words thai do all thing thai can
For to defame mony gude honest man,
In setting furthe thair buikis, and thair rymes,
Accusand sum of improbabil crymes.
And, thoch that sum thair lybells does allow,
Yit few [ar] that will thair awin warks avow.

Amang folyis ane grit folye I find:
Quhan that ane man, past fyftie yeir of age,
Can in his vane consait [eir] grow sa blind
As for to join himself in maryage
With ane young lass, quhais blude is in ane rage;
Thinkand that he may serve hir appetyte;
Quhilk gif he fail, than will scho him dispyte.

Still ageit men sould jois in moral talis;
And nocht in tailis. For folye is to mary,
Fra tyme that bayth thair strenth and nature falis;
And tak ane wyf to bring thameself in tarye.
For fresche Maii, and cauld January,

Have mercy upon me, O Trinity who brought sight to the eye of the blind man; to make grass grow through the rock is more difficult, O God — do not, O Creator, allow me to be without children. You put blossom through the top of the tree, O great Father (unhappy the man who does not understand); how could it be harder for you to give me children than to bring blossom through the top of these same trees, O Creator?

Ye, that sumtym hes bene weil stakit,
Thoch of your geir sum be inlakit,
And yourself into troubil brocht;
Of this fals warld tak never thocht.

To sum thair is bot litle left;
Bot, with grit wrang, ar planelie reft
With devil's lyms, that never docht.
Of this fals warld yit tak na thocht.

Of houshold grayth sum richt skant war
With uther's geir now planeist ar,
Better nor ever thair faders bocht.
Of this fals warld yit tak na thocht.

To reif their neichbour few now rakis,

I see in loue some farther fetch there is,
Than reason can reueale to me that would:
Accuse the cause that makes me think amis,
And finde the fault of such vntempred mould.
Of sundry workes doe diuers wonders growe,
Yet skill shewes why, and how they should be so.

I see the Sunne both moue, and melt, and chaunge,
At once both dry and dew the dustie sande:
Yet are the raging stormes of loue so straunge,
As I forbeare the cause to vnderstande.
Except I should impute it to the wurst,