Dunbar's Complaint to the King

Complane I wald, wist I quhome till,
Or wnto quhome direct my bill;
Quhidder to God, that all thing steiris,
All thing seis, and all thing heiris,
And all thing wrocht in dayis seweyne;
Or till his Moder, Quein of Heweyne;
Or wnto wardlie prince heir downe,
That dois for justice weir a crowne;
Off wrangis, and of gryt iniuris
That nobillis in thar dayis indures,
And men of wertew, and cuning,
Of wit, and visdome in gyding,
That nocht can in this cowrt conquyss
For lawte, luiff, nor lang servyss.
Bot fowll, jow-jowrdane-hedit jevellis,
Cowkin-kenseis, and culroun kewellis ;
Stuffettis, strekouris, and stafische strummellis ;
Wyld haschbaldis, haggarbaldis, and hummellis ;
Druncartis, dysouris, dyvowris, drewellis,
Misgydit memberis of the dewellis ;
Mismad mandragis of mastyf strynd,
Crawdones, couhirttis, and theiffis of kynd ;
Blait-mowit bladȝeanes, with bledder cheikis,
Club-facet cluccanes, with cloutit breikis,
Chuff-midding churllis, cuming off cart-fillaris,
Gryt glaschew-hedit gorge-millaris,
Ewill horrible monsteris, falss and fowl ;
Sum causless clekis till him ane cowll,
Ane gryt convent fra syne to tyss ;
And he him-selff exampill of vyss :
Enterand for geir, and no devotioun,
The dewell is glaid of his promotioun;
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,
Deme ȝe abowt in to ȝour thocht !
The lerit sone of erll 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 sett at tabell
That wont was for to muk the stabell :
Ane pyk-thank in a prelottis claiss,
With his wawill feitt, and virrok taiss,
With hoppir hippis, and henches narrow,
And bausy handis to beir ane barrow ;
With lut schulderis, and luttaird bak,
Quhilk natur maid to beir a pak ;
With gredy mynd, and glaschand game,
Mell-heidit lyk ane mortar-stane,
Fenȝeing the feiris of ane lord,
And he ane strumbell, I stand ford ;
And evir moir as he dois ryss,
And nobillis of bluid he dois dispyss,
And helpis for to hald thame downe,
That they ryss nevir to his renowne.
Thairfoir, O Prince, maist honorable !
Be in this mater merciabill,
And to thy auld schervandis have an E,
That lang hes lippinit into the ;
Gif I be ane of thay my sell,
Throw all regiones hes bein hard tell,
Of quhilk my wrytting vitnes beris ;
And ȝet thy danger ay me deris :
Bot eftir danger cumis grace,
As hes bein herd in mony place.

Quod Dumbar.