My bestbelovit brother of the band,
I grein to sie the sillie smiddy smeik,
This is no lyfe that I live upaland
On rau rid herring reistit in the reik,
Syn I am subject somtyme to be seik
And daylie deing of my auld diseis
Eit bread, ill aill, and all things are ane eik;
This barme and blaidry buists up all my bees.
Ye knau ill guiding genders mony gees,
And specially in Poets. For example,
Ye can pen out tua cuple and ye pleis,
Yourself and I, old Scot and Robert Semple
When we ar dead, that all our dayis bot daffis
Let Christian Lyndesay wryt our epitaphis.