Classic Poem

Eternal God, O tak away thy scourge
[Now] from us Scottis for thy grit mercìe!
Send us thy help this land to clenge and purge
Of discord, and [of all] inamitie,
Betwix the legis and authoritie,
That we may leif in peax, withoutin deir;
In lawtie, law; in luif and libertie;
With merrines, now into this new yeir.

Almichtie God, send us support and grace!
Of mannis help for we ar all desparit,
To mak concord that had sic tym and space;
And nane, as yet, hes eir] thair lawbor wairit;
As na man war that for this country carit.
Bot, and this stryf and trouble perseveir,
He sall be seage that sall escape unsarit,
And the thole paine, now into this new yeir.

Think ye nocht schame, [ye] that ar Scottis borne,
Lordis, and barons of authoritie,
That throw your sleuth, this realme sould be forlorne;
Your grund destroyit; and your policie?
Sum wraik sall cum upon yow hastelie:
That ye sall say, ‘Alace! we war our sweir,
‘Quhil we had tym that maid na unitie!’
Amend it yet, now into this new yeir.

Trow ye to ly lurk; and to do na mair;
To see quhilk syd sall have the victorie?
The quhilk at last sall not help yow ane hair.
Ryis up! Concur all! And thame rectifie,
Quhilk with resoun will never rewlit be.
Ye [must] with force, withoutin fraud or feir,
Mak weir on thame, as comoun inimie;
And thame correct, now into this new yeir.

God grant his grace to the inferiouris
Of this puir realme, thair quiete to considder:
And till obey till their superiouris,
That lords and leiges [may na mair mak slidder]
In peax and luis sor to remaine togidder.
Syn we war quyt of all the men of weir;
That all trew folk, from Berwyk to Baquhidder,
May leif in rest uncest in this new yeir.

The Quenis grace, gif that scho hes offendit
In hir office, lat it reformat be.
And ye, all leiges, lat your falt be mendit;
And with trew hairt serve the authoritie.
And ye, kirkmen, do ye your hail dewtie.
And all estaitis, syn and vyce forbeir.
The quhilk to do I prey the trinitie
To send you grace, now into this new yeir.

God! mak us now quyt of all heresie;
And put us anis into the richt way.
In thy law may we sa instructit be,
That we be nocht begylit every day.
Ane sayis this: ane uther sayis nay :
That we wait not quham to we suld adheir.
Christ send to us ane rewle to keip for ay,
Without discord now into this new yeir!

God send justice this land to rewle and gyde;
And put away thift, reif, and all oppressioun:
That all trew folk may surelie gang, and byde;
Without discord had parliament, and sessioun.
To gar trew folk bruik thair possessioun.
And gif us grace, gud Lord! quhil we ar heir,
To ryis from syn, repentand our transgressioun;
And leif in joy now into this new yeir.