Meditatioun in Wyntir

In to thir dirk and drublie dayis,
Quhone sabill all the hewin arrayis,
With mystie vapouris, cluddis and skyis,
Nature all curage me denyis
Off sangis, ballattis, and of playis.

Quhen that the nycht dois lenthin houris,
With wind, with haill, and havy schouris,
My dule spreit dois lurk for schoir ;
My hairt for languor dois forloir,
For laik of symmer with his flouris.

I walk, I turne, sleip may I nocht,
I vexit am with havy thocht;
This warld all ouir I cast about,
And ay the mair I am in dout,
The mair that I remeid have socht

I am assayit on everie syde,
Dispair sayis ay, " In tyme prowyde,
And get sum thing quhairon to leif ;
Or with grit trouble and mischeif,
Thow sall in to this court abyde."

Than Patience sayis, " Be nocht agast :
Hald Hoip and Treuthe within the fast ;
And lat Fortoun wirk furthe hir rage,
Quhen that no rasoun may assuage,
Quhill that hir glas be run and past"

And Prudence in my eir sayis ay,
" Quhy wald thow hald that will away ?
Or craif that thow may have no space,
Thow tending to ane uther place,
A journay going everie day ? "

And than sayis Age, " My freind, cum neir,
And be nocht strange, I the requeir :
Cum, brodir, by the hand me tak,
Remember thow hes compt to mak
Off all thi tyme thow spendit heir."

Syne Deid castis up his ȝettis wyd,
Saying, " Thir oppin sall ȝe abyd ;
Albeid that thow were never sa stout,
Vndir this lyntall sall thow lowt :
Thair is nane vther way besyd."

For feir of this all day I drowp ;
No gold in kist, nor wyne in cowp
No ladeis bewtie, nor luiffis blys
May lat me to remember this :
How glaid that ever I dyne or sowp.

Ȝit, quhone the nycht begynnis to schort,
It dois my spreit sum part confort,
Off thocht oppressit with the schouris.
Cum, lustie symmer ! with thy flouris,
That I may leif in sum disport.

Quod Dumbar.