Chrystis Kirk on the Grene880
Was nevir in Scotland hard nor sene
Sic dansing nor deray881,
Nowthir at Falkland on the grene
Nor Peblis at the play,
As wes of wowaris882, as I wene883,
At Chryst kirk on ane day.
Thair come our kitteis884 weschin clene
In thair new kirtillis of gray,
Full gay,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
To dans thir damysellis thame dicht885,
Thir lassis licht of laitis886,
Thair gluvis wes of the raffell887 rycht,
Thair schone wes of the straitis888;
Thair kirtillis wer of lynkome889 licht,
Weill prest with mony plaitis.
Thay wer so nyss890 quhen men thame nicht891
Thay squeilit lyk ony gaitis892,
So lowd,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene that day.
Of all thir madynis myld as meid
Wes nane so gympt893 as Gillie;
As ony ross hir rude894 wes reid,
Hir lyre895 wes lyk the lillie;
Fow896 yellow yellow wes hir heid,
Bot scho of lufe wes sillie897;
Thocht all hir kin had sworn hir deid898
Scho wald haif bot sweit Willie
Allone,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Scho skornit Jok and skraipit899 at him,
And mvrionit him with mokkis900;
He wald haif luvit, scho wald nocht lat him,
For all his yallow loikkis:
He chereist hir, scho bad ga chat him901;
Scho compt902 him nocht twa clokkis903;
So schamefully his schort goun set him,
His lymmis wes lyk twa rokkis904,
Scho said,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Thome Lular wes thair menstrall meit;
O Lord! as he cowd lanss905;
He playit so schill906, and sang so sweit
Quhill Towsy tuke a transs907.
Auld Lychtfute thair he did forleit908,
And counterfutit Franss;
He vse909 him-self as man discreit
And vp tuke moreiss danss,
Full lowd,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Than Stevin come stoppand in with stendis910;
No rynk911 mycht him arreist.
Platfute912 he bobbit vp with bendis913;
For Maid he maid requeist.
His lap quhill he lay on his lendis914;
Bot rysand he wes preist915
Quhill that he oistit916 at bath the endis
For honour of the feist,
That day,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Syne Robene Roy begowth917 to revell,
And Dwny till him druggit918;
“Lat be,” quo Jok; and cawd him javell919
And be the taill him tuggit.
The kensy cleikit to the cavell920,
Bot Lord! than gif thay luggit921,
Thay pairtit hir manly with a nevell922,
God wait gif hair wes ruggit923
Betuix thame,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Ane bent a bow, sic sturt cowd steir him924;
Grit skayth wesd to haif skard925 him;
He chesit a flane926 as did affeir927 him,
The toder928 said “Dirdum Dardum.”
Throwch baith the cheikis he thocht to cheir929 him,
Or throw the erss haif chard930 him;
Bot be ane akerbraid931 it come nocht neir him,
I can nocht tell quhat mard him,
Thair,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
With that a freynd of his cryd “Fy!”
And vp ane arrow drew;
He forgit932 so fowriously
The bow in flenders933 flew;
Sa wes the will of God, trow I,
For had the tre bene trew
Men said that kend934 his archery
That he had slane anew935,
That day,
At Chrystis kirk on the grene.
Ane hasty hensure936 callit Hary,
Quha wes ane archer heynd937,
Tilt938 vp a taikle withowttin tary939,
That torment so him teynd940.
I wait nocht quhidder his hand cowd wary941,
Or the man wes his freynd,
For he eschaipit942 throw michtis of Mary
As man that no ill meynd943,
Bot gud,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Than Lowry as ane lyon lap,
And sone a flane cowd fedder944;
He hecht945 to perss him at the pap,
Thair-on to wed a weddir946.
He hit him on the wame a wap947,
It buft948 lyk ony bledder;
Bot swa his fortoun wes and hap
His dowblet wes maid of ledder,
And saift him,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
A yaip949 yung man that stude him neist
Lowsd950 of a schot with yre;
He ettlit the bern951 in at the breist,
The bolt flew our the byre952.
Ane cryit Fy! he had slane a preist
A myll beyond ane myre;
Than bow and bag953 fra him he keist
And fled as ferss as fyre
Of flynt,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
With forkis and flailis thay lait954 grit flappis,
And flang955 togiddir lyk friggis956;
With bowgaris957 of barnis thay beft958 blew kappis
Quhill thay of bernis maid briggis959.
The reird960 raiss rudly with the rappis,
Quhen rungis961 wes layd on riggis962;
The wyffis come furth with cryis and clappis,
“Lo quhair my lyking liggis963!”
Quo thay
At Chryst kirk of the grene.
Thay girnit and lait gird with granis964
Ilk gossep vder grevit965;
Sum straik with stingis966, sum gadderit stanis,
Sum fled and evill mischevit;
The menstrall wan within twa wanis967,
That day full weill he previt968,
For he come hame with vnbirsed banis969
Quhair fechtaris wer mischevit970
For evir,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Heich971 Hucheoun, with a hissill ryss972,
To red973 can throw thame rummill974;
He mudlet975 thame doun lyk ony myss976,
He wes no barty-bummill977.
Thocht he wes wicht978 he wes nocht wyss
With sic jangleris to jummill979,
For fra his thowme thay dang a sklyss980,
Quhill he cryd “Barla-fummyll981!
I am slane,”
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Quhen that he saw his blude so reid,
To fle micht no man lat982 him;
He wend983 it bene for auld done feid984,
The far sarar it set985 him.
He gart his feit defend his heid,
He thocht ane cryd haif at him,
Quhill he wes past out of all pleid986
He suld bene swift that gat him
Throw speid,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
The toun sowtar987 in greif wes bowdin988,
His wyfe hang in his waist;
His body wes with blud all browdin989,
He granit lyk ony gaist.
Hir glitterand hair that wes full goldin
So hard in lufe him lest990
That for hir saik he wes nocht yoldin,
Sevin myll quhill he wes chest991,
And mair,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
The millar wes of manly mak;
To meit him wes na mowis992;
Thair durst nocht ten cum him to tak,
So nowit he thair nowis993.
The buschment haill994 about him brak
And bikkerit995 him with bowis996,
Syne tratourly behind his bak
Thay hewit him on the howiss997
Behind,
At Chrystis kirk of the grene.
Twa that wes heidmen of the heird
Ran vpoun vtheris lyk rammis;
Than followit feymen998 rycht on affeird999,
Bet on with barrow trammis.
Bot quhair thair gobbis wes vngeird1000
Thay gat vpoun the gammis1001,
Quhill bludy berkit1002 wes thair beird;
As thay had wirreit1003 lammis,
Maist lyk,
At Chryst kirk of the grene.
The wyvis kest vp ane hiddouss yell
Quhen all thir yunkeris yokkit1004;
Als ferss as ony fyr-flaught1005 fell
Freikis1006 to the feild thay flokkit:
Tha cairlis1007 with clubbis cowd vder quell1008,
Quhill blud at breistis out bokkit1009.
So rudly rang the commoun bell,
Quhill all the stepill rokkit
For reird,
At Christis kirk of the grene.
Quhen thay had berit1010 lyk baitit bulis,
And branewod brynt in bailis1011,
Thay wer als meik as ony mvlis
That mangit wer with mailis1012.
For fantness tha forfochin fulis1013
Fell doun lyk flawchtir-failis1014,
And freschmen come in and held thair dulis1015,
And dang1016 thame doun in dailis1017
Be-dene1018,
At Chryst kirk on the grene.
Quhen all wes done, Dik with ane aix
Come furth to fell a fidder1019.
Quod he, “Quhair ar yone hangit smaix1020
Rycht now wald slane my bruder?”
His wyfe bade him ga hame gub-glaikis1021,
And sa did Meg his muder.
He turnd and gaif thaim bayth thair paikis1022,
For he durst ding nane vdir1023,
For feir,
At Chryst kirk of the grene that day.