Tudor & Elizabethan
William Dunbar
William Dunbar was a Scottish makar (court poet) attached to the household of King James IV, celebrated for the range and metrical virtuosity of his verse.
His poems move between satire, comic invective, and devotional lyric, and include the famous elegy ‘Lament for the Makers,’ with its refrain ‘Timor Mortis conturbat me.’
Poems (101)
- To a Lady
- In Honour of the City of London
- On the Nativity of Christ
- Lament for the Makers
- The Merle and Nightingale
- The Goldyn Targe
- The Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedie
- The Tua Mariit Wemen and the Wedo
- The Ballad of Kynd Kittok
- The Testament of Mr Andro Kennedy
- The Ballad of Lord Bernard Stewart, Lord of Aubigny
- Elegy on the Death of Bernard Stewart, Lord of Aubigny
- I cry the Mercy, and Lasar to repent
- Memento, Homo, quod cinis es
- All Erdly Joy returnis in pane
- Tidings from the Session
- Devorit with Dreme, devysing in my Slummer
- In asking sowld Discretioun be
- Of Discretioun in Geving
- Of Discretioun in Taking
- Musing allone this hinder nicht
- How sowld I rewill me, or quhat Wyiss
- To dwell in Court, my friend
- Quhome to sall I complene my wo
- Schir, Ȝit remembir as of befoir
- Hermes the Philosopher
- Full oft I muss and hes in thocht
- We that ar heir in Hevins Glory
- The Dance of the Sevin Deidly Synnis
- The Turnament
- Ffollowis the Amendis made be him to the Telȝouris and Sowtaris for the Turnament
- Sanct Saluatour! send siluer sorrow
- Ffollowis how Dumbar was desyrd to be ane Freir
- He that hes gold and grit richess
- The Wowing of the King quhen he wes in Dumfermeling
- Ane Ballat of the Fenjeit Freir of Tungland
- This nycht in my sleip I wes agast
- Lucina schynnyng in silence of the nicht
- Man, sen thy lyfe is ay in weir
- Surrexit Dominus de Sepulchro
- Done is a Battell on the Dragon Blak
- Ffredome, Honour and Nobilnes
- Rycht airlie on Ask Weddinsday
- Be Ȝe ane Luvar, think Ȝe nocht Ȝe suld
- Sen that I am a Presoneir
- Thir Ladyis fair, that makis repair
- In prays of Woman
- Quha will behald of Luve the chance
- Now cumis Aige quhair Ȝewth hes bene, and trew Luve rysis fro the splene
- The Thistle and the Rose
- In Vice most vicius he excellis
- Of Sir Thomas Norray
- Of James Dog, Kepar of the Quenis Wardrop
- Of the same James, quhen he had plesett him
- Of a Dance in the Quenis Chalmer
- Of ane Blak-Moir
- To the Quene
- To the King, quhen mony Benefices vakit
- Aganis the Solistaris in Court
- To the King (Off benefice, Schir, at everie feist)
- Complaint to the King aganis Mure
- Dunbar's Complaint to the King
- The Petition of the Gray Horse, Auld Dunbar
- To the King, that he war Johne Thomsounis Man
- Dunbar's Remonstrance to the King
- Learning vain without guid Lyfe. Written at Oxinfurde
- Of the Warldis Instabilitie. To the King
- Of Content
- Of the Changes of Lyfe
- Meditatioun in Wyntir
- Ane Orisoun. Quhen the Gouernour past in France
- We Lordis hes chosin a Chiftane mervellus
- Ane Ballat of the Passioun of Christ
- O Wreche, be war!
- To a Ladye. Quhone he list to feyne
- In secreit place this hyndir nycht
- Quhat is this Lyfe bot ane straucht way to Deid
- Blyth Aberdein
- My heid did Ȝak Ȝesternicht
- My Lordis of Chacker, pleis Ȝow to heir
- A New Year's Gift to the King
- The Dream
- Satire on Edinburgh
- Welcome to the Lord Treasurer
- Ballate against evil Women
- Ane Ballat of our Lady
- Roiss Mary most of vertew virginall
- Gladethe thoue Queyne of Scottis Regioun
- Now fayre, fayrest off every fayre
- O synfull man, thir ar the fourty dayis
- The Freiris of Berwik
- Doun by ane Rever as I red
- Fane wald I luve, bot quhair abowt ?
- Faine wald I, with all diligence
- Gif Ȝe wald lufe and luvit be
- Ane littill Interlud of the Droichis Part of the Play
- In all oure gardyn growis thare na flouris
- Jerusalem reioss for joy
- Now glaidith euery liffis creature
- O lusty flour of Ȝowth, benyng and bricht
- The sterne is rissin of our Redemptioun