Jocke Taittis Expeditioune Till Hell.
Jocke Taitte hee satte on yonne hille syde,1
And wow but his herte wals sore,2
For hee hadde weiped so long and loudde,3
That hee cold weipe no more.4
The scaldyng teris his chekis did smerte,5
Quhille bathe his eene ranne drie ;6
The sobbis were bobbyng at his herte,7
And his mouthe was sore awrie.8
He toke his bonnette off his heide9
And threwe it on the greine,10
And aye he clawit his burlye powe,11
And gaif ane raire betweine :12
“ Och, woe is me,” sayit the grefous youth,13
“ That evir I once wals borne,14
For I haif lost my owne true lofe,15
And myne herte is lefte forlorne !16
“ I lofit hir better nor my breidde,17
Far better than myne lyffe ;18
I would haif given this bullet heide19
To haif halde hir for myne wyffe !20
“ Sho wals the sonne-blink on the brae,21
Als sweite and als deire to mee ;22
Far sweiter nor the lychte of daye23
To the weirye waikryffe ee.24
“ Sho wals the raynbow among the cluddis,25
The lyllye among the dewe,26
The bonnye moorehenne amang the menne,27
Of all the burdis that flewe.28
“ Ane roz-budde grewe withynne her mouthe,29
Which manne colde nevir espye30
But the breize out of the vernalle southe31
Wals sweite quhan sho wals nighe.32
“ Sho wals the roz among the flouris,33
The cherrye amang the hawis,34
The starre of lofe among the starris,35
The sea-mawe ’mang the crawis.36
“ It wals hir power, it wals hir parte,37
The soulis of men to thralle,38
But, och! she halde ane wycked herte,39
And that was worst of alle !40
“ Sho garrit me waire myne pennye fee,41
And neyir thochte it synne,42
On sylken cloke of cramasie43
To rowe her beautye in.44
“ Sho garrit me selle myne collye true,45
My last lamb on the le,46
To decke her all in the skarlette hue,47
Ane comelie sight to see ;48
" And nowe the ende of all myne geire, 49
It grefeth mee to telle ;50
It hathe sente my bonnye lasse to the deille ;51
I woulde raither haif gone myselle !”52
With that Jocke Taitte hee heerit ane lauche,53
Some quhair abone his heide,54
And hee lokit eiste, and hee lokit weste,55
For his herte wals fillit with dreide ;56
Hee lokit ower his lefte sholdere57
To se quhat hee colde se ;58
There he behelde the muckil deille59
Comyng stendyng ower the le !60
He wore ane boustrous shepherdis plaidde,61
That wauffit als hee were wudde ;62
And the blue bonnette on his heide63
Wals lyke ane thonder cludde.64
His lockis were lyke the hedder cowe,65
And swarthye wals his hue,—66
It wals of that derke and feirsum tinte,67
Betwine the blacke and blue.68
In sothe he wals ane goustye gaiste69
Als anie eye colde se,70
And jollye mischieffe on his face71
Wals prentit stamphishlye.72
The shepherde wals astoundit sore,73
And he courit him downe for feare :74
" O quhaare you, ye boustrous kairle,75
Or quhatte are you seiking heire ?”76
“ I am Gil-Mooullis, the shepherdis deille,77
And ane heavye chairge haif I,78
For they are the moste rampaugent raice79
That braithes benethe the skie.80
“ They thynke of wemyng nychte and daye,81
And nothyng els thaye mynde,82
Quhille theyre verrye soulis doe falle ane preye83
To the lofe of womankynde.84
“ I wille not clayme the comelye daime85
Which you gaif owre to mee ;86
For ane lychte recklesse deidde of shaime,87
Myne scho wille nevir bee.88
“ But your kynde offir in hir plaice,89
I taik with herte and hande,90
For wee lyke to se ane shepherdis faice91
Better nor alle the lande.92
“ I haif wemyng enewe, of rozie hue,93
Alle rathe and rubycounde ;94
I cannot stirre myne fote at home,95
Theyre numberis so abounde.96
“ But ane shepherde is theyre greate delychte,97
Theyre is none they lyke soe weille,98
For he touzilis them bothe daye and nychte,99
And garris them lauch and squeille.100
“ And hee syngis them queire and funnie sangis,101
Which maike theyre hertis fulle gladde,102
And tellis them melting tailes of lofe,103
Which almaist puttis them madde."104
Then the shepherde clawit his burlye hede,105
And girnit and leuche amayne,106
And he pullit the fogge up fro the hille,107
For he coulde not refrayne.108
Quod he, “ You are ane funnye deille,109
Be more quhate’er you maye ;110
Faythe I wolde lyke to se the jaddis,111
And heire what theye walde saye !"112
“ I trowit als moche,” sayit the muckelle deille,113
“ That garrit me come with speiede ;114
For it is ane haime will suite you weille,115
In all youre tymis of neidde.116
“It wals maide for you, and you for it,—117
And monie more besyde ;118
There is nathyng happenis in nature brade,119
That wysdome can deryde."120
Hee rowit the shepherde in his plaidde,121
And hee toke him on his backe122
Als I wolde do ane poore blynde whalpe,123
The lyttellest of the packe.124
And awaye and awaye went the muckle deille,125
Stryding ower hille and daille ;126
It wals soche ane awsum sychte to se,127
That the shepherdis herte did faille,128
The mountains were his stepping stonis,129
While far ower firthe and floode,130
His bonnette bobbit yont the skie,131
Ane derke and trobilit clude.132
He walked lyke columne sterke and stoure133
On toppis of mountainis greinne ;134
For aye he spangit frae hille to hille,135
Though twentye mylis betwinne.136
And the frychtenit morefoulis fledde amayne137
All shymmering on the wynde ;138
And the ptarmigandis theye lefte the heighte,139
And neyir lokit behynde.140
And ower the mountayne and the mayne141
He helde his mychtie waye,142
Quhille they lefte the daylychte far behynde,143
And enterit ane twilychte graye.144
And the sonne went downe into the Eiste,145
And the mone into the mayne ;146
And the lyttil byrning lampis of hevin,147
Theye vainishit ane bee ane.148
At length theye caime to the deillis halle yette,149
And tirlyt at the pynne,150
And ane jollye porter openit the dore,151
And smudgit als theye came in.152
“ Maistere Gill-Moullis,”’ then sayit Jocke Taitte,153
“ Is this youre lustie haime ?154
I will thanke you then to taike mee backe,155
To the plaice fro whence I caime.156
“ For heire I cannot se ane styme,157
And darre not gang for feirre ;158
But I heire the yelpe of womannis tungis,159
Which I lyke welle tille heirre.”160
" Och !” sayit the deille, “ the lychte is goode161
Quhan heire a quhile you dwelle ;162
It is rather sombere at the fyrste,163
But sutis exceedyng welle.164
“ For it is the bagnio of helle,165
Ane braif and gallante plaice,166
The grandiste gaime that evir wals fraimit167
For synneris of human raice.168
“ For wee haif kyngis, and dukis, and lordis,169
That daylie come in pairis ;170
But the jollye shepherdis and the prestis171
Are our best customeris.172
“ ’Tis strainge wee haif no ladyis heire,173
Scairce one our hallis withynne ;174
Thes are alle pryncessis and quenis,175
And lymmeris of vulgar kynne.176
“ But you shalle find them lofying and kynde,177
Rychte blythesum, franke, and fre,178
And aye the longer you lofe them,179
The madder in lofe you’ll bee.”180
“ Coulde I but se,” the shepherde sayit,181
“ To maike myne choyce arycht,182
This is the very plaice for mee,183
In which I wolde delychte.”184
Then the deille he flung the shepherde downe185
Als hee were ane deidde sheippe,186
And hee lychtit on ane feddir bedde,187
Betweine two queanis asleippe.188
But hee colde not se quhat theye were lyke,189
So up he sprang withe speidde ;190
But he hearit them gigglyng, als he ranne191
In darknesse and in dreidde.192
Hee spyit the Lord of——suppyng193
His kaille out throughe the reike,194
And the doughtye chieftaine of M—— 195
Wals playing at hydde-and-seike.196
And he sawe the lordis and lemanis gaye197
Syttand bebbyng at the wyne,198
And aye theye dronke theyre merrye tostis199
With oggylle and with sygne.200
And everilke draughte they swallowit downe201
More greidillye nor the fyrste ;202
For aye the langer that theye dronke,203
The hotter grewe theyre thyrste.204
Enjoymente there brought no alloye,205
Desyre stille waikyt anewe ;206
The more that theye indulgit in synne,207
The madder on synne theye grewe.208
For mony a yeirre and mony a daye209
Our shepherde did remayne ;210
But nought of pleissure caime his waye211
But quhat grewe byttere payne.212
For he wals fairlye stawit of lofe—213
Of routte and revelrye ;214
Hee haitit the wemyng from his soull,215
Yet colde not let them bee.216
And hee thocht upon his owne firste lofe217
With alle his earlye flaime,218
Who though she had fallen in ane snaire,219
Hir herte wals nevir to blaime.220
And ofte he sayit unto himselle,221
Withe the teirre blynding his ee,222
“ Och had I hir on the greine hille syde,223
And nevir ane eye to se !224
“ ’Tis sweitte to se the lasse we lyke225
Come lynking ower the le ;226
Tis sweite to se the earlye budde227
First nodding fro the tre ;228
“ ’Tis sweite to se the mornyng beime229
Kyssing the sylver dewe ;230
But forgivenesse is the sweeteste thyng231
That evir ane kynde herte knewe.232
“ Yes, I wolde kysse her blushyng cheike,233
And grante forgivenesse free ;234
For if I dinna forgive myne lofe,235
Then quha can pardon mee ?236
“ But heirre may Lin shaime and synne237
For evir more remayne,238
For I’ll nevir se the greine hille syde,239
Nor my true lofe agayne !240
“ Bay-hay ! bay-hay !” quod the shepherde lad,241
Als loude als he coulde raire ;242
And “ Bouff !— bouff!” quod his colley dogge,243
For it wonderit quhat wals there.244
The shepherde started to his feitte245
In terrour and in teene ;246
For hee laye upon the greine hille syde,247
Nor farder had evir beine.248
He soughte his lofe that verye nychte,249
And at his calle sho caime,250
And hee toulde hir of his dreidful dreime251
Of sorrow, synne, and shaime.252
And hir wee errour with the lairde253
Wals alle forgiven fre ;254
And I wals at theyre weddyng yestreinne,255
And ane merrye nycht hald wee !256