Classic Poem

Complane I wald, wist I quhome till
Or wnto quhome darett my bill:
Quhidder to God, that all thing steiris,
All thing seis and all thing heiris,
And all thing vrocht in dayis seweyne,
Or till his moder, quein off heweyne,
Or wnto wardlie prince heir downe,
That dois for iustice weir a crownne—
Off vrangis and off gryt iniuris
That nobillis in thar dayis induris,
And men off wertew and cuning,
Off wit and vysdome in gydding,
That nocht cane in this cowrt conquys
For lawte, luiff nor lang servys.
Bot fowll iow iowrdane hedit ievellis,
Cowkin kenseis and culroun kewellis,
Stuffettis, strekouris and stafische strummellis,
Wyld haschbaldis, haggarbaldis and hummellis,
Druncartis, dysouris, dyowris, drewellis,
Misgydit memberis off the devellis,
Mismad mandragis off mastis strynd,
Crawdones, couhirttis and theiffis off kynd,
Blait mouit bladyeanes with bledder cheikis,
Clubfacet clucanes, with clutit breikis,
Chuff midding churllis, cuming off cart fillaris,
Gryt glaschewe hedit gorge millaris,
Ewill, horrible monsteris, fals and fowll.
Sum causles clekis till him ane cowll,
Ane gryt conuent fra syne to tys,
And he him selff exampill of vys,
Enterand for geir and no devocioun.
The dewill is glaid off his promocioun.
Sum ramyis ane rokkat fra the roy,
And dois ane dastart destroy,
And sum that gaittis ane personage
Thinkis it a present for a page,
And on no wayis content is he
‘My lord’ quhill that he callit be.
Bot quhow is he content or nocht,
Dem ye abowt in to yowr thocht!
The lerit sone off erle or lord,
Wpone this ruffie to remord,
That with ald castingis hes him cled,
His erandis for to ryne and red
(And he is maister natiwe borne
And all his eldaris him beforne
And mekle mair cuning, be sic thre,
Hes to posseid ane dignite),
Saying his odius ignorance
Panting ane prelottis countenance,
Sa far abowe him set at tabell,
That vont was for to muk the stabell:
Ane pykthank in a prelottis clais,
With his wawill feit and virrok tais,
With hoppir hippis and henches narrow,
And bausy handis to bere a barrow,
With lut schulderis and luttard bak,
Quhilk Natur maid to beir a pak,
With gredy mynd and glaschane gane,
Mell hedit lyk ane mortar stane,
Fenyeing the feris off ane lord
(And he ane strumbell, I stand ford)
And euer moir as he dois rys,
Nobles off bluid he dois dispys
And helpis for to hald thame downe
That thay rys neuer to his renowne.
Thairfoir, O prince maist honorable,
Be in this meter merciabill
And to thy auld serwandis haff e,
That lang hes lipinit into the.
Gif I be ane off tha my sell,
Throw all regiones hes bein hard tell,
Off quhilk my vrytting vitnes beris.
And yete thy danger ay me deris.
Bot efter danger cumis grace,
As hes bein herd in mony plece.