William Dunbar: This hinder nycht in Dumfermeling

Pages	Line number	Line
245	1	This hinder nycht in Dumfermeling
	2	To me wes tawld ane windir thing:
	3	Thait lait ane tod wes with ane lame
	4	And with hir playit and maid gud game,
	5	Syne till his breist did hir imbrace
	6	And wald haif riddin hir lyk ane rame,
	7	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	8	He braisit hir bony body sweit
	9	And halsit hir with fordir feit,
	10	Syune schuk his taill, with quhinge and #elp,
	11	And todlit with hir lyk ane quhelp,
	12	Syne lowrit on growfe and askit grace,
	13	And ay the lame cryd, ‘Lady, help!’
	14	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	15	The tod wes nowder lene nor skowry.
	16	He wes ane lusty, red haird lowry,
	17	Ane lang taild beist, and grit with all.
	18	The silly lame wes all to small
	19	To sic ane tribbill to hald ane bace.
	20	Scho fled him nocht, fair mot hir fall,
	21	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	22	The tod wes reid, the lame wes quhyte,
	23	Scho wes ane morsall of delyte.
	24	He lovit na #owis, auld, twch and sklender -
	25	Becaus this lame wes #ung and tender,
	26	He ran vpoun hir with a race,
	27	And scho schup nevir for till defend hir,
	28	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
246	29	He grippit hir abowt the west
	30	And handlit hir, as he had hest.
	31	This innocent that nevir trespast
	32	Tuke hert that scho wes handlit fast
	33	And lute him kis hir lusty face.
	34	Hir girnand gamis hir nocht agast,
	35	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	36	He held hir till him be the hals
	37	And spak full fair, thocht he wes fals,
	38	Syne said  (and swoir to hir be God)
	39	That he suld nocht twich hir prenecod.
	40	The silly thing trowd him, allace.
	41	The lame gaif creddence to the tod,
	42	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	43	I will no lesingis put in vers,
	44	Lyk as thir iangleries dois rehers,
	45	Bot be quhat maner thay war mard.
	46	Quhen licht wes owt and durris wes bard
	47	I wait nocht gif he gaif hir grace,
	48	Bot all the hollis wes stoppit hard,
	49	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	50	Quhen men dois fleit in ioy maist far,
	51	Sone cumis wo or thay be war.
	52	Quhen carpand wer thir two most crows,
	53	The wolf he ombesett the hous,
	54	Vpoun the tod to mak ane chace.
	55	The lamb than cheipit lyk a mows,
	56	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	57	Throw hiddowis #owling of the wowf
	58	This wylie tod plat doun on growf,
247	59	And in the silly lambis skin
	60	He crap als far as he micht win
	61	And hid him thair ane weill lang space.
	62	The #owis besyd thay maid na din,
	63	And that me thocht ane ferly cace.
	64	Quhen of the tod wes hard no peip,
	65	The wowf went all had bene on sleip,
	66	And quhill the tod had strikkin ten,
	67	The wowf hes drest him to his den,
	68	Protestand for the secound place.
	69	And this report I with my pen,
	70	How at Dumfermling fell the cace.

