Religion

Jerusalem reioss for joy

by William Dunbar c. 1460–c. 1520

From The Poems of William Dunbar, ed. John Small, vol. II (Scottish Text Society, 1893), Poems attributed to Dunbar

Religion

Jerusalem reioss for joy,
Jesus the sterne of most bewte
In the is rissin, as rychtous roy,
Fro dirknes to illumyne the ;
With glorius sound of angell gle,
Thy Prince is borne in Baithlem,
Quhilk sall the mak of thraldome fre ;
Illuminare Jerusalem !

With angellis licht, in legionis,
Thow art illumynit all about ;
Thre Kingis of strenge regionis
To the ar cumin with lusty rout,
All drest with dyamantis but dout,
Reverst with gold in every hem ;
Sounding attonis with a schout,
Illuminare Jerusalem !

The regeand tirrant that in the rang,
Herod, is exilit and his ofspring
The land of Juda, that josit wrang ;
And rissin is now thy richtouss King.
So he, so mychtie is and ding,
Quhen men his gloriuss name dois nem,
Hevin, erd, and hell makis inclynyng :
Illumynare Jerusalem !

His cummyng knew all element ;
The air be sterne did him persaife ;
The watter, quhen dry he on it went ;
The erd, that trymlit all and raife ;
The sone, quhen he no lichtis gaif ;
The croce, quhen it wes done contem ;
The stanis, quhen thay in pecis claif :
Illumynare Jerusalem !

The deid him knew that raiss vpricht,
Quhilk lang tyme had the erd lyne vndir;
Crukit, and blynd declarit his micht,
That helit of thame so mony hundir ;
Nature him knew, and had grit wundir,
Quhen he of wirgyn wes born but wem ;
Hell, quhen thair ȝettis wer brokin asundir :
Illumynare Jerusalem !

Finis.

MLA

Dunbar, William. “Jerusalem reioss for joy.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/dunbar/97/.

Chicago

Dunbar, William. “Jerusalem reioss for joy.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/dunbar/97/.

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