  PROLOGUE TO SIR DAVID LYNDESAY'S DREAM. WRITTEN IN THE REIGN OF KING JAMES V. I. In the kalendies of Januarie, When fresche Phoebus by moving circulair From Capricorn was enter'd in Aquarie, With blastis that the branches made full bare, The snow and sleet perturbit all the air, And flemit flora from everie bank and bus, Throuch support of the austeir Eolus. II. Efter that I the lang wynteris night Had lyne waking in my bed allone Throw hevy thought, that na way sleep I micht, Remembering of divers thingis gone; Sa up I rois, and cleithit me anone By this fair Titan with his lemis licht O'er all the land had spred his banner bricht. III. With cloke and hude I dressit me belive, With dowbill schone, and myttains on my handis, Howbeit the air was richt penetratyve, Zet fure I forth lansing outhort the landis, Towards the sea, to schort me on the sandis Because unblomit was baith bank and bray, And sa as I was passing by the way, IV. I met dame flora in dule weid disagysit, Quilk into May was dulce and delectabill, With stalwart stormis hir sweetness was surprisit, Hir heavinlie hewis war turnit into sabill, Quilkis umguile war to Luffaris amiabill, Fled from the froist, the tender flouris I saw Under dame Nature's mantill lurking law. V. The small fowlis in flockis saw I flee To nature makand lamentatioun, They lichtit down beside me on ane tree, Of thair complaint I had compassioun, And with ane piteous exclamation They said "blyssit be somer with his flouris, "And waryit be thou wynter with thy schowris. VI. "Allace aurore, (the sillie lark did cry) "Quhair has thou left thy balmy liquour sweit, "That us rejoisit mounting in the sky? "Thy silver dropps are turned into sleit. "Of fair phebus quhair is the holsum heit, "Quhy tholis thow thy hevinlie plesand face, "With mystie vapouris to be obscurit, allace! VII. "Quhair art thou May, with June thy sister schene "Weill bordourit with daseis of delyte? "And gentill Julie, with thy mantill grene, "Enamelit with rosis reid and quhyte? "Now auld and cauld Januar in dispyte "Reissis from us all pastime and plesure "Allace! quhait gentle hart may this indure? VIII. "Ovirsilit ar with cloudis odious "The goldin skyis of the orient, "Changeing in sorrow our sing melodious, "Quhilk we had wont to sing with gude intent, "Resoundand to the hevinnis firmament, "But now our day is changed into the nicht," With that they rose and flew forth of my sicht. |
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