Classic Poem

1

Amang thir freiris within ane cloister
I enterit in ane oritorie,
And knelit doun with ane pater noster
Befoir the michtie king of glorie,
Haveing his passioun in memorie;
Syn to his mother I did inclyne,
Hir halsing with ane gaude flore ,
And sudandlie I sleipit syne.

2

Methocht Iudas with mony ane Iow
Tuik blissit Iesu our saluatour,
And schot him furth with mony ane schow,
With schamefull wourdis of dishonour,
And lyk ane theif or ane tratour
Thay leid that hewinlie prince most hie,
With manassing attour messour,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

3

Falslie condamnit befoir ane iuge,
Thay spittit in his visage fayr,
And as lyounis with awfull ruge
In yre thay hurlit him heir and thair,
And gaif him mony buffat sair
That it wes sorow for to se.
Of all his claythis thay tirvit him bair,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

4

Thay terandis, to revenge thair tein,
For scorne thai cled him in to quhyt,
And hid his blythfull glorious ene,
To se quham angellis had delyt;
Dispituouslie syn did him smyt,
Saying, " Gif sone of God thow be,
Quha straik the now thow tell ws tyt",
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

5

In tene thay tirvit him agane,
And till ane pillar thai him band.
Quhill blude birst out at everie vane,
Thay scurgit him bayth fut and hand.
At everie straik ran furth ane strand
Quhilk mycht haue ransonit warldis thre.
He baid in stour quhill he mycht stand,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

6

Nixt all in purpyr thay him cled,
And syn with thornis scharp and kene
His saikles blude agane thay sched,
Persing his heid with pykis grene.
Vnneis with lyf he micht sustene
That croun on thrungin with crueltie,
Quhill flude of blude blindit his ene,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

7

Ane croce that wes bayth large and lang,
To beir thay gaif this blissit lord,
Syn fullelie as theif to hang
Thay harlit him furth with raip and corde.
With bluid and sweit was all deflorde
His face, the fude of angellis fre,
His feit with stanis was rewin and scorde,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

8

Agane thay tirvit him bak and syd,
Als brim as ony baris woid.
The clayth that claif to his cleir hyd
Thay raif away with ruggis rude,
Quhill fersly followit flesche and blude,
That it was pietie for to se.
Na kynd of torment he ganestude,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

9

On to the crose of breid and lenth
To gar his lymmis langar wax,
Thay straitit him with all thair strenth,
Quhill to the rude thay gart him rax,
Syn tyit him on with greit irne takkis,
And him all nakit on the tre,
Thay raissit on loft be houris sax,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

10

Quhen he was bendit so on breid,
Quhill all his vanis brist and brak,
To gar his cruell pane exceid
Thay leit him fall doun with ane swak,
Quhill cors and corps and all did crak.
Agane thay rasit him on hie,
Reddie may turmentis for to tak,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

11

Betuix tuo theiffis the spreit he gaif
On to the fader most of micht.
The erde did trimmill, the stanis claif,
The sone obscurit of his licht,
The day wox dirk as ony nicht,
Deid bodies rais in the cite.
Goddis deir sone all thus was dicht,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

12

In weir that he wes yit on lyf
Thay rane ane rude speir in his syde,
And did his precious body ryff
Quhill blude and watter did furth glyde.
Thus Iesus with his woundis wyde
Ane marter sufferit for to de,
And tholit to be crucifyid,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

13

Methocht Compassioun, vode of feiris,
Than straik at me with mony ane stound,
And soir Contritioun, bathit in teiris,
My visage all in watter drownit,
And Reuth in to my eir ay rounde:
" For schame allace, behald, man, how
Beft is with mony bludy wound
Thy blissit saluatour Iesu".

14

Than rudlie come Remembrance,
Ay rugging me withouttin rest,
Quhilk crose and nalis, scharp scurge and lance,
And bludy crowne befoir me kest.
Than Pane with Passioun me opprest,
And evir did Petie on me pow,
Saying, " Behald how Iowis hes drest
Thy blissit saluatour Chryst Iesu."

15

With greiting glaid be than come Grace,
With wourdis sweit saying to me,
" Ordane for him ane resting place,
That is so werie wrocht for the.
The lord within thir dayis thre
Sall law vndir thy lyntell bow,
And in thy hous sall herbrit be
Thy blissit saluatour Chryst Iesu."

16

Than swyth Contritioun wes on steir,
And did eftir Confessioun ryn,
And Conscience me accusit heir
And kest out mony cankerit syn.
To rys Repentence did begin,
And out at the yettis did schow.
Pennance did walk the hous within,
Byding our saluitour Chryst Iesu.

17

Grace become gyd and gouernour
To keip the hous in sicker stait,
Ay reddie till our saluatour,
Quhill that he come, air or lait.
Repentence ay with cheikis wait
No pane nor pennence did eschew,
The hous within evir to debait,
Onlie for luif of sweit Iesu.

18

For grit terrour of Chrystis deid
The erde did trymmill quhair I lay,
Quhairthrow I waiknit in that steid,
With spreit halflingis in effray.
Than wrayt I all without delay,
Richt heir as I haue schawin to yow,
Quhat me befell on Gud Fryday
Befoir the crose of sweit Iesu.