Death & Dying
Quhat is this Lyfe bot ane straucht way to Deid
From The Poems of William Dunbar, ed. John Small, vol. II (Scottish Text Society, 1893)
Death & Dying
Quhat is this lyfe bot ane straucht way to deid,
Quhilk hes a tyme to pas, and nane to duell ;
A slyding quheill ws lent to seik remeid ;
A fre chois gevin to Paradice or Hell ;
A pray to deid, quhome vane is to repell ;
A schoirt torment for infineit glaidnes,
Als schort ane joy for lestand hevynes !
Quod Dumbar.
Cite this poem
MLA
Dunbar, William. “Quhat is this Lyfe bot ane straucht way to Deid.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/dunbar/76/.
Chicago
Dunbar, William. “Quhat is this Lyfe bot ane straucht way to Deid.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/dunbar/76/.
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