Ane Ballat of the Passioun of Christ

Amang thir freiris, within ane cloister,
I enterit in ane oritorie,
And kneling doun with ane pater noster,
Befoir the michti king of glorye,
Having his passioun in memorye ;
Syne to his mother I did inclyne,
Hir halsing with ane gaude-flore ;
And sudandlie I slepit syne.

Me thocht Judas with mony ane Jow
Tuke blissit Jesu, our Salvatour,
And schot him furth, with mony ane schow,
With schamefull wourdis of dishonour;
And lyke ane thef, or ane tratour,
Thai led that hevinlie prince most hie,
With manassing attour mesour,
O mankynd, for the luf of the.

Falsly condampnit befoir ane juge,
Thai spittit in his visage fair ;
And, as lyonis with awfull ruge,
In yre thai hurlit him heir and thair,
And gaif him mony buffat sair,
That it was sorrow for to se ;
And of his claithis thai tirvit him bair,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

Thai tyrandis to revenge thair teyne,
For scorne thai cled him in-to quhyte ;
And hid his blythfull glorious eyne,
To se quham angellis had delyt ;
Dispituouslie syne did him smyt,
Saying, " Gif sone of God thow be,
Quha straik the now, thow tell us tyt?" —
O mankynd, for the luf of the.

In tene, thai tirvit him agane,
And till ane pillar thai him band;
Quhill blude birst out at every vane,
Thai scurgit him baith fut and hande :
At every straik ran furth ane strand,
Quhilk mycht have ransomit warldis thre ;
He baid in stour quhill he mycht stand,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

Nixt all in purpour thai him cled,
And syne with thornis scharp and kene ;
His saikles blude agane thai sched,
Persing his heid with pykis grene ;
Vneiss with lyf he mycht sustene
That croune, on thrungin with crueltie,
Quhill flude of blude blyndit his ene,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

Ane croce that was baith large and lang,
To beir thai gaif that blissit Lord ;
Syn fullelie, as theif to hang,
Thai harlit him furth with raip and corde ;
With blude and sweit was all deflorde
His face, the fude of angellis fre ;
His feit with stanis war rewin and scorde,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

Agane thai tirvit him bak and syde,
Als brim as ony baris woid ;
The claith that claif to his clere hyde,
Thai 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.

Unto the crose of breid and lenth,
To gar his lymmis langar wax,
Thai straitit him with all thair strenth,
Quhill to the rude thai gart him rax ;
Syne tyit him on with greit irne takkis,
And him all nakit on the tre
Thai raisit on loft, be houris sax,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

Quhen he was bendit so on breid,
Quhill all his vanys brist and brak,
To gar his cruell pane exceid,
Thai leit him fall doune with ane swak,
Quhill corss and corps and all did crak ;
Agane thai raisit him on hie,
Reddie mair turmentis for to mak,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

Betuix tuo theiffis the spreit he gaif,
On-to the Fader most of mycht ;
The erde did trimmill, the stanis claif,
The sone obscurit of his licht ;
The day wox dirk as ony nycht,
Deid bodyis raiss in the cite :
Godis deir Sone all thus was dicht,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

In weir that he was ȝit on lyf,
Thai ran ane rude speir in his syde,
And did his precious body ryff,
Quhill blude and wattir did furth glyde :
Thus Jesus with his woundis wyde,
As martir suffirit for to de,
And tholit to be crucifyid,
O mankynd, for the luif of the.

Methocht Compassioun, vode of feiris,
Than straik at me with mony ane stound,
And for Contritioun, baithit in teiris,
My visage all in watter drownd,
And Reuth into my eir ay round
" For schame, allace I behald, Man, how
Beft is with mony bludy wound
Thy blissit Salvatour Jesu ! "

Than rudelie come Rememberance
Ay rugging me, withoutin rest,
Quhill croce and nalis scharp, scurge, and lance,
Ane bludy crowne befoir me kest ;
Than pane with passioun me opprest,
And ever did Petie on me pow,
Saying, " Behald how Jowis hes drest
Thy blissit Salvatour Jesu ! "

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 three
Sall law under thy lyntell bow,
And in thy hous sall herbrit be
Thy blissit Salvatour Jesu."

Than swyth Contritioun wes on steir,
And did eftir Confessioun ryn ;
And Conscience me accusit heir,
And kest out mony cankerit syn ;
To ryse Repentence did begyn
And out at the ȝettis did schow;
Penance did walk the house within,
Byding our Salvatour Jesu.

Grace become gyd and governour,
To keip the house in sicker stait,
Ay reddy till our Salvatour,
Quhill that he come, air or lait ;
Repentence ay with cheikis wait,
No pane nor pennence did eschew,
The house within ever to debait,
Only for luif of sweit Jesu.

For grit terrour of Chrystis deid,
The erde did trymmyll quhar I lay ;
Quhairthrow I waiknit in that steid,
With spreit halflingis in effray;
Than wrait I all without delay,
Richt heir as I have schawin to ȝow,
Quhat me befell, on Gud Friday,
Befoir the Croce of sweit Jesu.

Finis quod Dunbar.