Table of Contents Previous Chapter Next Chapter
1540?-1610?
HEY! now the day dawis;
The jolly cock crawis;
Now shroudis1 the shawis2
Thro’ Nature anon.
The thissel-cock cryis
On lovers wha lyis:
Now skaillis3 the skyis;
The nicht is neir gone.
The fieldis ouerflowis
With gowans4 that growis,
Quhair lilies like low5 is
As red as the rone.6
The turtle that true is,
With notes that renewis,
Her pairty7 pursuis:
The nicht is neir gone.
Now hairtis with hindis
Conform to their kindis,
Hie tursis8 their tyndis9
On ground quhair they grone.10
Now hurchonis,11 with hairis,
Aye passis in pairis;
Quhilk duly declaris
The nicht is neir gone.
The season excellis
Through sweetness that smellis;
Now Cupid compellis
Our hairtis echone
On Venus wha waikis,
To muse on our maikis,12
Syne sing for their saikis—
‘The nicht is neir gone!’
All courageous knichtis
Aganis the day dichtis
The breist-plate that bright is
To fight with their fone.13
The stonàd steed14 stampis
Through courage, and crampis,15
Syne on the land lampis:16
The nicht is neir gone.
The freikis17 on feildis
That wight wapins18 weildis
With shyning bright shieldis
At Titan19 in trone;
Stiff speiris in reistis
Ouer corseris crestis
Are broke on their breistis:
The nicht is neir gone.
So hard are their hittis,
Some sweyis, some sittis,
And some perforce flittis20
On ground quhile they grone.
Syne groomis that gay is
On blonkis21 that brayis
With swordis assayis:—
The nicht is neir gone.10 grone: utter their rutting cry.
11 hurchonis: hedgehogs, ‘urchins.’
18 wight wapins: stout weapons.
19 at Titan: over against Titan (the sun), or read ‘as’.
21 blonkis: white palfreys.
Table of Contents Previous Chapter Next Chapter