Peblis to the Play

At Beltane, quhen ilk bodie bownis
To Peblis to the play,
To heir the singin’ and the soundis,
The solace, suth to say;
Be firth and forrest furth they found,
Thay graythit tham full gay;
God wait that wald thay do that stound,
For it was thair feist day,
Thay said,
Of Peblis to the play.

All the wenchis of the west
War up or the cok crew;
For reiling thair micht na man rest,
For garray and for glew.
Ane said “My curches ar nocht prest!”
Than answerit Meg full blew,
“To get an hude I hald it best.”
“Be Goddis saull that is true!”
Quod scho,
Of Peblis to the play.

She tuik the tippet be the end;
To lat it hing scho leit not.
Quod he, “Thy bak sall beir ane bend;”
“In faith,” quod she, “we meit not!”
Scho was so guckit and so gend
That day ane byt scho eit nocht.
Than spak hir fallowis that hir kend,
“Be still, my joy, and greit not,
Now,
Of Peblis to the play!”

“Evir, allace!” than said scho,
“Am I nocht cleirlie tynt?
I dar nocht cum yon mercat to,
I am so evvil sone-brint.
Amang you merchands my dudds do,
Marie; I sall anis mynt
Stand of far and keik thaim to,
As I at hame was wont,”
Quod scho,
Of Peblis to the play.

Hop, calye, and cardronow
Gaderit out thik-fald;
With “hey and how rohumbelow”
The young folk were full bald.
The bagpipe blew, and thai out-threw
Out of the townis untald.
Lord, sic ane schout was thame amang
Quhen thai were ower the wald,
Thair west,
Of Peblis to the play!

Ane young man stert in-to that steid
Als cant as ony colt,
Ane birken hat upon his heid,
With ane bow and ane bolt;
Said “Mirrie madinis, think not lang,
The wedder is fair and smolt:”
He cleikit up ane hie ruf sang;
“Thair fure ane man to the holt,”
Quod he,
Of Peblis to the play.

Thay had nocht gane half of the gait
Quhen the madinis come upon thame;
Ilk ane man gaif his consait
How at thai wald dispone thame.
Ane said, “The fairest fallis me;
Tak ye the laif and fone thame.”
Ane-uther said “Wys lat me be!
On, Twedell syd, and on thame
Swyth!
Of Peblis to the play.”

Than he to-ga and scho to-ga,
And never ane bad abyd you.
Ane winklot fell, and her taill up,
“Wow,” quod Malkin, “hyd yow!
Quhat neidis you to maik it sua?
Yon man will not ourryd you.”
“Ar ye owr gude,” quod scho, “I say,
To lat thame gang besyd yow,
Yonder,
Of Peblis to the play?”

Than thai come to the townis end
Withouttin more delai,
He befoir, and scho befoir,
To see quha was maist gay.
All that luikit thame upon
Leuche fast at thair array:
Sum said that thai were merkat folk,
Sum said the Quene of May
Was cumit
Of Peblis to the play.

Than thai to the taverne hous
With meikle oly prance;
Ane spak wi’ wourdis wonder crous
“A done with ane mischance!”
“Braid up the burde,” he hydis tyt,
“We ar all in ane trance.
Se that our napre be quhyt,
For we will dyn and daunce
Thair out,
Of Peblis to the play.”

Ay as the gudwyf brocht in,
Ane scorit upon the wauch.
Ane bad pay, ane-ither said “Nay,
Byd quhill we rakin our lauch.”
The gud-wyf said, “Have ye na dreid;
Ye sall pay at ye aucht.”
Ane young man start upon his feit,
And he began to lauche,
For heydin
Of Peblis to the play.

He gat ane trincheour in his hand
And he began to compt;
“Ilk man twa and are happenie!
To pay thus we war wount.”
Ane-uther stert upon his feit,
And said “Thow art our blunt
To tak sic office upoun hand!
Be God thow servite ane dunt
Of me,
Of Peblis to the play.”

“Ane dunt,” quod he, “quhat dewil is that?
Be God, yow dar not du’d!”
He stert till ane broggit stauf,
Wincheand as he war woode.
All that hous was in an reirde:
Ane cryit, “The halie rude!
Help us, Lord, upon this erde,
That thair be spilt na blude
Heirin,
Of Peblis to the play!”

Thay thrang out at the dure at anis,
Withouttin ony reddin.
Gilbert in ane gutter glayde--
He gat na better beddin.
Thair wes not ane of thame that day
Wald do ane-utheris biddin:
Thairby lay thre and threttie-sum
Thrunland in ane midding
Off draff,
Of Peblis to the play.

Ane cadgear on the mercat gait
Hard thame bargane begin;
He gaiff ane schout, his wyff came out;
Scantlie scho micht ourhye him.

* * * * *

He held, scho drew, for dust that day
Micht na man se ane styme
To red thame
Of Peblis to the play.

He stert to his greit gray meir,
And of he tumblit the creilis.
“Alace!” quod scho, “hald our gude-man!”
And on hir knees scho kneilis.
“Abyd,” quod scho; “Why, nay,” quod he;
In-till his stirrapis he lap;
The girding brak, and he flew of,
And upstart bayth his heilis
At anis,
Of Peblis to the play.

His wyf came out, and gaif ane schout
And be the fute scho gat him;
All bedirtin drew him out;
“Lord God, richt weil that sat him!”
He said, “Quhare is yon cubroun knaif?”
Quod scho, “I reid ye, lat him
Gang hame his gaites.” “Be God,” quod he,
“I sall anis have at him
Yit,
Of Peblis to the play.”

“Ye fylit me, fy for schame!” quod scho;
“Se as ye have drest me!
How feil ye, schir?” “As my girdin brak,
Quhat meikle devil may lest me.
I wait weil quhat; it wes
My awin gray meir that kest me,
Or gif I wes forfochtin faynt,
And syn lay doun to rest me
Yonder,
Of Peblis to the play.”

Be that the bargane was all playit;
The stringis stert out of thair nokks;
Sevin-sum that the tulye maid
Lay gruffling in the stokks.
John Jacksoun of the nether warde
Had lever have giffin an ox
Or he had cuming in that cumpanie,
He sware be Goddis lockkis
And mannis bayth,
Of Peblis to the play.

With that Will Swane come sueitand out,
Ane meikle miller man;
“Gif I sall dance have donn, lat se,
Blaw up the bagpyp than!
The schamou’s dance I mon begin
I trow it sall not pane.”
So hevelie he hockit about,
To see him, Lord, as thai ran
That tyd,
Of Peblis to the play!

Thay gadderit out of the toun,
And neirar him thai dreuche;
Ane bade gif the daunsaris rowme;
Will Swane makis wounder teuche.
Than all the wenschis Te he! thai playit;
But, Lord, as Will Young leuche!
“Gude gossip, come hyn your gaitis,
For we have daunsit aneuche
At anis
At Peblis at the play.”

Sa ferslie fyr-heit wes the day
His face began to frekill.
Than Tisbe tuik him by the hand,
Wes new cuming fra the Seckill.
“Allace!” quod scho, “quhat sall I do?
And our doure hes na stekill!”
And scho to-ga as hir taill brynt,
And all the cairlis to kekill
At hir,
Of Peblis to the play.

The pyper said, “Now I begin
To tyre for playing to,
Bot yit I have gottin naething
For all my pyping to you.
Thre happenis for half ane day,
And that will not undo you;
And gif ye will gif me richt nocht
The meikill devill gang wi’ you!”
Quod he,
Of Peblis to the play.

Be that the daunsing wes all done,
Thair leif tuik les and mair;
Quhen the winklottis and the wawarris twynit
To se it was hart sair.
Wat Atkin said to fair Ales,
“My bird, now I will fayr.”
The dewil a wourde that scho might speik,
Bot swownit that sweit of swair
For kyndnes,
Of Peblis to the play.

He sippilit lyk ane faderles fole;
“And be still, my sweit thing!”
“Be the halyrud of Peblis
I may nocht rest for greting.”
He quhissillit and he pypit bayth
To mak hir blyth that meiting:
“My hony part, how sayis the sang,
‘Thair sall be mirth at our meting
Yit,’
Of Peblis to the play.”

Be that the sone was settand schaftis,
And neir done wes the day.
Thair men micht heir schriken of chaftis
Quhen that thai went thair way.
Had thair bein mair made of this sang
Mair suld I to yow say.
At Beltane ilka bodie bownd
To Peblis to the play.