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1425-1500
ROBIN sat on gude green hill,
Kepand1 a flock of fe:2
Mirry Makyne said him till3
‘Robin, thou rew on me:
I haif thee luvit, loud and still,
Thir yeiris twa or thre;
My dule in dern4 bot gif thou dill,5
Doutless but dreid I de.’6
Robin answerit ‘By the Rude
Na thing of luve I knaw,
But keipis my scheip undir yon wud:
Lo, quhair they raik on raw.7
Quhat has marrit thee in thy mude,
Makyne, to me thou shaw;
Or quhat is luve, or to be lude?8
Fain wald I leir9 that law.’
‘At luvis lair10 gif thou will leir
Tak thair ane A B C;
Be heynd,11 courtass, and fair of feir,12
Wyse, hardy, and free:
So that no danger13 do thee deir14
Quhat dule in dern thou dre;15
Preiss16 thee with pain at all poweir
Be patient and previe.’
Robin answerit hir agane,
‘I wat nocht quhat is luve;
But I haif mervel in certaine
Quhat makis thee this wanrufe:17
The weddir is fair, and I am fain;
My scheip gois haill18 aboif;19
And20 we wald play us in this plane,
They wald us baith reproif.’
‘Robin, tak tent21 unto my tale,
And wirk all as I reid,22
And thou sall haif my heart all haill,
Eik and my maiden-heid:
Sen God sendis bute for baill,23
And for murnyng remeid,
In dern with thee bot gif24 I daill
Dowtles I am bot deid.’
‘Makyne, to-morn this ilka tyde
And ye will meit me heir,
Peraventure my scheip may gang besyde,
Quhyll we haif liggit full neir;
But mawgré haif I and25 I byde,
Fra they begin to steir;
Quhat lyis on heart I will nocht hyd;
Makyn, then mak gude cheir.’
‘Robin, thou reivis26 me roiff27 and rest;
I luve bot thee allane.’
‘Makyne, adieu! the sone gois west,
The day is neir-hand gane.’
‘Robin, in dule I am so drest28
That luve will be my bane.’
‘Ga luve, Makyne, quhair-evir thow list,
For lemman29 I luve nane.’
‘Robin, I stand in sic a styll,30
I sicht,31 and that full sair.’
‘Makyne, I haif been here this quhyle;
At hame God gif I wair.’
‘My huny, Robin, talk ane quhyll,
Gif thow will do na mair.’
‘Makyn, sum uthir man begyle,
For hamewart I will fair.’
Robin on his wayis went
As light as leif of tre;
Makyne murnit in hir intent,32
And trowd him nevir to se.
Robin brayd33 attour the bent;34
Then Makyne cryit on hie,
‘Now may thow sing, for I am schent!35
Quhat alis36 lufe at me?’
Makyne went hame withowttin fail,
Full wery eftir cowth37 weip;
Then Robin in a ful fair daill
Assemblit all his scheip.
Be that38 sum part of Makynis aill
Out-throw his hairt cowd creip;
He fallowit hir fast thair till39 assaill,
And till her tuke gude keip.40
‘Abyd, abyd, thow fair Makyne,
A word for ony thing;
For all my luve, it sal be thyne,
Withowttin departing.
All haill thy harte for till haif myne
Is all my cuvating;
My scheip to-morn, quhyll houris nyne,
Will neid of no keping.’
‘Robin, thow hes hard41 soung and say,
In gestis42 and storeis auld,
The man that will nocht quhen he may
Sall haif nocht quhen he wald.
I pray to Jesu every day,
Mot eik43 thair cairis cauld
That first preissis with thee to play
Be44 firth, forrest, or fawld.’
‘Robin, that warld is all away,
And quyt brocht till ane end:
And nevir agane thereto, perfay,
Sall it be as thow wend;46
For of my pane thow maid it play;
And all in vane I spend:
As thow hes done, sa sall I say,
‘‘Murne on, I think to mend.’’ ’
‘Makyne, the howp47 of all my heill,
My hairt on thee is sett;
And evirmair to thee be leill
Quhill I may leif but lett;48
Never to faill as utheris feill,
Quhat grace that evir I gett.’
‘Robin, with thee I will nocht deill;
Adew! for thus we mett.’
Makyne went hame blyth anneuche49
Attour the holttis hair;50
Robin murnit, and Makyne leuche;51
Scho sang, he sichit sair:
And so left him baith wo and wreuch,52
In dolour and in cair,
Kepand his hird under a huche53
Amangis the holtis hair.
4 dule in dern: sorrow in secret.
6 but dreid I de: I shall certainly die.
23 bute for baill: remedy for hurt.
25 mawgré haif I and: I am uneasy if.
32 in hir intent: in her inward thought.
48 but lett: without hindrance.
50 holttis hair: grey woodlands.