Classic Poem

May is the moneth maist amene,
For thame in Venus service bene,
To recreat thair havy hartis;
May caussis curage frome the splene,
And every thing in May revartis.

In May the plesant spray upspringis;
In May the mirthfull maveiss singis;
And now in May to madynnis fawis
With tymmer wechtis to trip in ringis,
And to play upcoill with the bawis,

In May gois gallandis bring in symmer,
And trymly occupyis thair tymmer
With " Hunts up," every morning plaid;
In May gois gentill wemen gymmer,
In gardynnis grene thair grumis to glaid.

In May quhen men yeid everich one,
With Robene Hoid and Littill Johne,
To bring in bowis and birkin bobbynis;
Now all sic game is fastlingis gone
Bot gif it be amangis clovin Robbynis.

Abbotis by rewll, and Lordis but ressone,
Sic senyeouris tymis ourweill this sessone;
Upoun thair vyce war lang to waik,
Quhais falsatt, fibilnes, and tressone,
Hes rung thryis oure this zodiak.

In May begynnis the golk to gaill;
In May drawis deir to doun and daill;
In May men mellis with famyny,
And ladeis meitis thair luvaris laill,
Quhen Phebus is in Gemyny.

Butter, new cheis, and beir in May,
Condamis, cokkillis, curdis and quhay,
Lapstaris, lempettis, mussillis in schellis,
Grene leikis and all sic, men may say,
Suppois sum of thame sourly smellis.

In May grit men within thair boundis
Sum halkis the walteris, sum with houndis
The hairis owtthrowch the forrestis cachis;
Syne efter thame thair ladeis foundis,
To sent the rynnyng of the rachis.

In May frank archeris will affix
In place to meit, syne marrowis mix,
To schute at buttis, at bankis and brais;
Sum at the reveris, sum at the prikkis,
Sum laich and to beneth the clais.

In May sowld men of amouris go
To serf thair ladeis, and no mo,
Sen thair releis in ladeis lyis;
For sum may cum in favouris so,
To kiss his loif on Buchone wyis.

In May gois dammosalis and dammis
In gardyngis grene to play lyk lammis;
Sum at the bairis they brace lyk billeis;
Sum rynis at barlabreikis lyk rammis,
Sum round abowt the standand pilleis.

In May gois madynis till Lareit,
And hes thair mynyonis on the streit
To horss thame quhair the gait is ruch:
Sum at Inchebukling bray thay meit,
Sum in the middis of Mussilburch.

So May and all thir monethis thre
Ar hett and dry in thair degre;
Heirfoir, ye wantoun men in yowth,
For helth of body now haife
Nocht oft till mell with thankless mowth.

Sen every pastyme is at plesure,
I counsale yow to mel with mesure,
And namely now, May, June, & Julij,
Delyt nocht lang in luvaris lesure,
Bot weit your lippis & labor hully.