The Lament for the Makars
[Timor mortis conturbat me]
I that in heill wes and gladnes
Am trublit now with gret seiknes
And feblit with infermitй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Our plesance heir is all vane glory,
This fals warld is bot transitory,
The flesche is brukle, the Fend is sle:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
The stait of man dois change and vary,
Now sound, now seik, now blith, now sary,
Now dansand mery, now like to dee:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
No stait in erd heir standis sickir;
As with the wynd wavis the wickir
Wavis this warldis vanitй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Onto the ded gois all estatis,
Princis, prelotis, and potestatis,
Baith riche and pur of al degrй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
He takis the knychtis into field
Anarmyt undir helme and scheild,
Victour he is at all mellй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
That strang unmercifull tyrand
Takis on the moderis breist sowkand
The bab full of benignitй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
He takis the campion in the stour,
The capitane closit in the tour,
The lady in bour full of bewtй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
He sparis no lord for his piscence,
Na clerk for his intelligence;
His awfull strak may no man fle:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Art magicianis and astrologgis,
Rethoris, logicianis, and theologgis,
Thame helpis no conclusionis sle:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
In medicyne the most practicianis,
Lechis, surrigianis, and phisicianis,
Thameself fra ded may not supplй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
I se that makaris amang the laif
Playis heir ther pageant, syne gois to graif;
Sparit is nought ther facultй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
He hes done petuously devour
The noble Chaucer, of makaris flour,
The monk of Bery, and Gower, all thre:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
The gud Syr Hew of Eglintoun,
And eik Heryot and Wyntoun
He hes tane out of this cuntrй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
That scorpion fell has done infek
Maister Johne Clerk and James Afflek
Fra balat making and trigidй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Holland and Barbour he has berevit;
Allace, that he nought with us levit
Schir Mungo Lokert of the Le:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Clerk of Tranent eik he has tane
That maid the anteris of Gawane;
Schir Gilbert Hay endit has he:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
He has Blind Hary and Sandy Traill
Slaine with his schour of mortall haill,
Quhilk Patrik Johnestoun myght nought fle:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
He has reft Merseir his endite
That did in luf so lifly write,
So schort, so quyk, of sentence hie:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
He has tane Roull of Aberdene
And gentill Roull of Corstorphin –
Two bettir fallowis did no man se:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
In Dumfermelyne he hes done roune
With Maister Robert Henrisoun.
Schir Johne the Ros enbrast has he:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
And he has now tane, last of aw,
Gud gentill Stobo and Quintyne Schaw,
Of quham all wichtis has petй:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Gud Maister Walter Kennedy
In poynt of dede lyis veraly –
Gret reuth it wer that so suld be:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Sen he has all my brether tane,
He will naught lat me lif alane;
On forse I man his nyxt pray be:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
Sen for the ded remeid is none,
Best is that we for dede dispone,
Eftir our deid that lif may we:
Timor mortis conturbat me.
(2 votes, average: 4,50 out of 5)