William Dunbar: How sowld I rewill me or quhat wyis

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87	1	How sowld I rewill me or quhat wyis,
	2	I wald sum wyisman wald dewyis.
	3	I can not leif in no degre,
	4	Bot sum my maneris will dispyis.
	5	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	6	Gif I be galland, lusty and blyth,
	7	Than will thay say on me full swyth,
	8	‘#on man, out of his mynd is he,
	9	Or sum hes done him confort kyth’.
	10	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	11	Gife I be sorrowfull and sad,
	12	Than will thay say that I am mad,
	13	I do not drowp as I wold die.
	14	Thus will thay deyme, baith man and lad.
	15	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	16	Gife I be lusty in array,
	17	Than luve I parramouris, thay say,
	18	Or in my hairt is prowd and hie,
	19	Or ellis I haif it sum wrang way.
	20	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	21	And gif I be nocht weill besene,
	22	Than twa and twa sayis thame betwene,
	23	That ‘Evill he gydis, #one man, trewlie,
	24	Lo, be his claithis it may be sene!’
	25	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	26	Gif I be sene in court ouirlang,
	27	Than will thay mvrmour thame ammang,
	28	My freyndis ar not worth a fle,
	29	That I sa lang but gwerdon gang.
	30	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	31	In court rewaird gif purches I,
	32	Than haif they malyce and invy,
	33	And secreitly thay on me lie
	34	And dois me hinder prevely.
	35	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	36	I wald my gyding war dewysit:
	37	Gif I spend littill I am dispysit,
	38	Gif I be nobill, gentill and fre,
	39	A prodigall man I am so prysit.
	40	Lord God, how sall I governe me?
	41	Sen all is iugit, baith gude and ill,
	42	And I may no mans tung hald still,
	43	To do the best my mynd salbe.
	44	Latt every man say quhat he will,
	45	The gratious God mot governe me.

