Peblis to the Play
At Beltane,755 quhen ilk bodie bownis756
To Peblis to the play,
To heir the singin’ and the soundis,
The solace, suth to say;
Be firth757 and forrest furth they found758,
Thay graythit759 tham full gay;
God wait that wald thay do that stound760,
For it was thair feist day,
Thay said,
Of Peblis to the play.
All the wenchis of the west
War up or the cok crew;
For reiling761 thair micht na man rest,
For garray and for glew762.
Ane said “My curches763 ar nocht prest!”
Than answerit Meg full blew764,
“To get an hude I hald it best.”
“Be Goddis saull that is true!”
Quod scho765,
Of Peblis to the play.
She tuik the tippet766 be the end;
To lat it hing scho leit not767.
Quod he, “Thy bak sall beir ane bend768;”
“In faith,” quod she, “we meit not!”
Scho was so guckit and so gend769
That day ane byt scho eit nocht.
Than spak hir fallowis that hir kend770,
“Be still, my joy, and greit not771,
Now,
Of Peblis to the play!”
“Evir, allace!” than said scho,
“Am I nocht cleirlie tynt772?
I dar nocht cum yon mercat773 to,
I am so evvil sone-brint774.
Amang you merchands my dudds do775,
Marie; I sall anis mynt776
Stand of far and keik777 thaim to,
As I at hame was wont,”
Quod scho,
Of Peblis to the play.
Hop, calye, and cardronow778
Gaderit out thik-fald779;
With “hey and how rohumbelow”
The young folk were full bald.
The bagpipe blew, and thai out-threw780
Out of the townis untald781.
Lord, sic ane schout was thame amang
Quhen thai were ower the wald782,
Thair west,
Of Peblis to the play!
Ane young man stert in-to that steid783
Als cant784 as ony colt,
Ane birken hat upon his heid,
With ane bow and ane bolt;
Said “Mirrie madinis, think not lang785,
The wedder is fair and smolt786:”
He cleikit up ane hie ruf sang787;
“Thair fure788 ane man to the holt789,”
Quod he,
Of Peblis to the play.
Thay had nocht gane half of the gait790
Quhen the madinis come upon thame;
Ilk ane man gaif his consait791
How at792 thai wald dispone793 thame.
Ane said, “The fairest fallis me;
Tak ye the laif794 and fone795 thame.”
Ane-uther said “Wys lat me be!
On, Twedell syd, and on thame
Swyth796!
Of Peblis to the play.”
Than he to-ga and scho to-ga797,
And never ane bad abyd you.
Ane winklot798 fell, and her taill up,
“Wow,” quod Malkin799, “hyd yow!
Quhat neidis you to maik it sua800?
Yon man will not ourryd801 you.”
“Ar ye owr gude802,” quod scho, “I say,
To lat thame gang803 besyd yow,
Yonder,
Of Peblis to the play?”
Than thai come to the townis end
Withouttin more delai,
He befoir, and scho befoir,
To see quha was maist gay.
All that luikit thame upon
Leuche804 fast at thair array:
Sum said that thai were merkat folk,
Sum said the Quene of May
Was cumit805
Of Peblis to the play.
Than thai to the taverne hous
With meikle oly806 prance;
Ane spak wi’ wourdis wonder crous807
“A done808 with ane mischance!”
“Braid up the burde,” he hydis tyt809,
“We ar all in ane trance810.
Se that our napre be quhyt811,
For we will dyn and daunce
Thair out,
Of Peblis to the play.”
Ay as the gudwyf812 brocht in,
Ane scorit upon the wauch813.
Ane bad pay, ane-ither said “Nay,
Byd quhill we rakin our lauch814.”
The gud-wyf said, “Have ye na dreid;
Ye sall pay at ye aucht815.”
Ane young man start upon his feit,
And he began to lauche816,
For heydin817
Of Peblis to the play.
He gat ane trincheour in his hand
And he began to compt;
“Ilk man twa and are happenie818!
To pay thus we war wount.”
Ane-uther stert upon his feit,
And said “Thow art our blunt819
To tak sic office upoun hand!
Be God thow servite ane dunt820
Of me,
Of Peblis to the play.”
“Ane dunt,” quod he, “quhat dewil is that?
Be God, yow dar not du’d!”
He stert till ane broggit stauf821,
Wincheand as he war woode822.
All that hous was in an reirde823:
Ane cryit, “The halie rude!
Help us, Lord, upon this erde824,
That thair be spilt na blude
Heirin,
Of Peblis to the play!”
Thay thrang out at the dure at anis,
Withouttin ony reddin825.
Gilbert in ane gutter glayde826—
He gat na better beddin.
Thair wes not ane of thame that day
Wald do ane-utheris biddin:
Thairby lay thre and threttie-sum827
Thrunland828 in ane midding
Off draff829,
Of Peblis to the play.
Ane cadgear on the mercat gait830
Hard thame bargane831 begin;
He gaiff ane schout, his wyff came out;
Scantlie scho micht ourhye832 him.833
He held, scho drew, for dust that day
Micht na man se ane styme834
To red835 thame
Of Peblis to the play.
He stert to his greit gray meir,
And of he tumblit the creilis.
“Alace!” quod scho, “hald our gude-man!”
And on hir knees scho kneilis.
“Abyd,” quod scho; “Why, nay,” quod he;
In-till his stirrapis he lap836;
The girding837 brak, and he flew of,
And upstart bayth his heilis
At anis838,
Of Peblis to the play.
His wyf came out, and gaif ane schout
And be the fute scho gat him;
All bedirtin839 drew him out;
“Lord God, richt weil that sat840 him!”
He said, “Quhare is yon cubroun841 knaif?”
Quod scho, “I reid842 ye, lat him
Gang hame his gaites843.” “Be God,” quod he,
“I sall anis have at him
Yit,
Of Peblis to the play.”
“Ye fylit844 me, fy for schame!” quod scho;
“Se as845 ye have drest846 me!
How feil ye, schir?” “As my girdin brak,
Quhat meikle847 devil may lest848 me.
I wait849 weil quhat; it wes
My awin gray meir that kest me,
Or gif I wes forfochtin850 faynt,
And syn851 lay doun to rest me
Yonder,
Of Peblis to the play.”
Be that852 the bargane was all playit;
The stringis stert out of thair nokks853;
Sevin-sum that the tulye854 maid
Lay gruffling855 in the stokks.
John Jacksoun of the nether warde
Had lever have giffin856 an ox
Or857 he had cuming in that cumpanie,
He sware be Goddis lockkis
And mannis bayth,
Of Peblis to the play.
With that Will Swane come sueitand out,
Ane meikle miller man;
“Gif I sall dance have donn858, lat se,
Blaw up the bagpyp than!
The schamou’s dance859 I mon begin
I trow it sall not pane.”
So hevelie he hockit860 about,
To see him, Lord, as861 thai ran
That tyd,
Of Peblis to the play!
Thay gadderit out of the toun862,
And neirar him thai dreuche;
Ane bade gif the daunsaris rowme;
Will Swane makis wounder teuche863.
Than all the wenschis Te he! thai playit;
But, Lord, as Will Young leuche864!
“Gude gossip, come hyn your gaitis865,
For we have daunsit aneuche866
At anis
At Peblis at the play.”
Sa ferslie fyr-heit867 wes the day
His face began to frekill.
Than Tisbe868 tuik him by the hand,
Wes new cuming fra the Seckill.
“Allace!” quod scho, “quhat sall I do?
And our doure hes na stekill869!”
And scho to-ga870 as hir taill brynt,
And all the cairlis to kekill871
At hir,
Of Peblis to the play.
The pyper said, “Now I begin
To tyre for playing to,
Bot yit I have gottin naething
For all my pyping to you.
Thre happenis for half ane day,
And that will not undo you;
And gif ye will gif me richt nocht872
The meikill devill gang wi’ you!”
Quod he,
Of Peblis to the play.
Be that the daunsing wes all done,
Thair leif tuik les and mair;
Quhen the winklottis and the wawarris twynit873
To se it was hart sair.
Wat Atkin said to fair Ales874,
“My bird875, now I will fayr.”
The dewil a wourde that scho might speik,
Bot swownit that sweit of swair876
For kyndnes,
Of Peblis to the play.
He sippilit877 lyk ane faderles fole;
“And be still, my sweit thing!”
“Be the halyrud of Peblis
I may nocht rest for greting878.”
He quhissillit and he pypit bayth
To mak hir blyth that meiting:
“My hony part, how sayis the sang,
‘Thair sall be mirth at our meting
Yit,’
Of Peblis to the play.”
Be that the sone was settand schaftis,
And neir done wes the day.
Thair men micht heir schriken of chaftis879
Quhen that thai went thair way.
Had thair bein mair made of this sang
Mair suld I to yow say.
At Beltane ilka bodie bownd
To Peblis to the play.