Christs Kirk on the Green.
Composed (as is supposed) by King James the fifth.
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WAs never in Scotland heard nor seen
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such dancing and deray;
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Neither at Faulkland on the green,
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nor Peebles at the play,
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As was of woores, as I ween;
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at Christs Kirk on a day:
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For there came Kittie washen clean,
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in her new gown of gray,
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Ful gay that day.
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To dance these damsels them dight,
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these lasses light of laite:
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Their gloves were of the raffal right,
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their shoes were of the straits.
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Their kirtles were of Lincoln light,
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well prest with many plaits.
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They were so nice when men them neight
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they squeild like any gaits,
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full loud that day.
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Of all these Maidens mild as meed,
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was none so gimp as Gillie:
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As any rose her rude was red,
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her lire was like the lillie,
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But yellow, yellow was her head,
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and she of love so sillie:
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Though all her kin had sworn her dead,
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she would have none but Willie,
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Alone that day,
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She scorned Jock, and skripped at him,
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and murgeond him with mocks:
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He would have lovd her, she would not let him,
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for all his yellow locks.
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He cherisht her, she bad go chat him,
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she counted not him two locks:
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So shamefully his short Jack set him:
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his legs were like two rocks,
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Or rungs that day.
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Tom Lutter was their Minstrel meet
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good Lord, how he could lance;
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[H]e playd so shrill, and sang so sweet
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while Tomsie took a trance,
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Old Lightfoot there he could foreleet,
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and counterfitted France,
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[H]e held him like a man discreet,
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and up the Morice dance,
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He took that day.
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Then Steven came stepping in with stends
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no rink might him arrest;
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[?]play-footed did bob with many bends,
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For Masie he made request.
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[H]e lap while he lay on his lends,
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and rising so was preast,
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While he did hoast at both the ends,
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for honor of the feast,
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And dancd that day.
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Then Robin Roy began to revel,
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and Tomsie to him drudged:
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[?]et be, quoth Jack, and calld him Jevel,
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and by the tail him rugged.
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[T]hen Kensie cricked to a kevel,
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God wots as they two lugged:
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[T]hey parted there upon a nevel:
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men say that hair was rugged
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Between them twa.
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With that a friend of his cryd, Fy,
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and forth an arrow drew:
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[H]e forged it so forcefully,
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the bow in flenders flew.
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[S]uch was the grace of God, trow I,
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for had the tree been true;
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[?]en said who knew his archery,
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that he had slain anew,
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Belyve that day.
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A yape young man that stood him neist,
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soon bent his bow in ire,
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And etled the bairn in at the breast
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the bolt flew over the bire:
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An cryd Fy, he had slain a priest,
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a mile beyond the myre:
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Both bow and bag from him he kiest
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and fled as fast as fire.
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From flint that day.
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An hasty kinsman, called Hary,
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that was an archer keen,
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Tyed up a rackel withouten tary,
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I trow the man was tien.
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I wot not whether his hand did vary,
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or his foe was his friend;
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But he escaped, by the might of Mary
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as one that nothing meand,
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But good that day.
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Then Lawry like a Lyon lap,
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and soon a flain can fedder:
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He height to pierce him at the pape,
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thereon to wed a wedder;
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He hit him on the womb a wap,
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it burst like any bladder.
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He scaped so, such was his hap,
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his doublet was of leather
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Full fine that day.
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The bust so boistrously abaist him,
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that he to the earth dusht down:
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The other man for dead then left him,
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and fled out of the Town,
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The wives came forth, and up they reft him,
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and found life in the lown;
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Then with three routs there they raisd him
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and cured him out of sown,
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Fra hand that day.
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The Miller was of manly make,
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to meet him it was no mowes.
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There durst not ten some there him take
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so cowed he their powes,
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That bushment whole about him brake
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and bickered him with bows,
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Then traitorously behind his back,
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they hacked him on the howes,
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Behind that day.
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Then Hatchen with a hazel rice,
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to red gan through them rommil:
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He moddled them down like any mice,
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he was no betty bummil.
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Though he was wight, he was not wise
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with such jutors to jummil:
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For from his thumb there flew a slice
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while he cryd barlafummil,
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Im slain this day.
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When that he saw his blood was red
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to flee might no man let him:
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He trowd it had been for old feed;
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he thought, and bade have at him.
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He made his feet defend his head,
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the far fairer it set him:
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While he was past out of their plead:
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they must be swift that got him
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Through speed that day.
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Two that were heads-men of the herd,
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they rusht on other like rams;
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The other four which were unfeard,
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beat on with barrow trams.
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And where their gobs were ungeard,
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they got upon the gams,
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While that all bloudie was their beard
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as they had worried lambs
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Most like that day.
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They girnd and glowred all at anes,
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each gossip other grieved:
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Some striked stings, some gathered stanes
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some fled, and some relieved.
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Their Minstrel used quyet means,
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that day he wisely prieved;
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For he came home with unbruisd banes
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where fighters were mischieved,
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Full ill that day.
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With forks and flails then let they flaps,
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and flew together with frigs:
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With bougers of barns they piercd blew caps
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and of their bairns made brigs:
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The reer rose rudely with their raps,
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then rungs were laid on rigs:
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The wives came forth with cryes and claps
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see where my liking ligs,
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Full low this day.
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The black Sutar of Braith was bowden,
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his wise hang at his waist:
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His body was in bleck all browden,
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he girned like a ghaist.
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Her glittering hair that was so gowden,
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her love fast from him laist,
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That for his sake he was unyowden,
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while he a mile was chast,
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And more that day.
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When they had bierd like baited bulls,
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the bone-fires burnt like bails;
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They grew as meek as any mules
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that wearied are with mails.
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For these forfoughten tyred fools
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fell down like slaughtered flails;
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Fresh men came in and haild their dools,
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and dang them down in dails,
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Bedeen that day.
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The wives then gave a hideous yell,
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when all these yonkers yoked;
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As fierce as flags of fire flaughts fell,
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frieks to the field they flocked.
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Then karles with clubs did others quel,
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on breast while blood out bocked,
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So rudely rang the common bell,
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that all the steeple rocked,
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For dread that day.
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By this Tom Tailor was in his gear,
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when he heard the common bell;
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He said he should make them all on stear,
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when he came there him sell.
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He went to fight with such a fear,
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while to the ground he fell.
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A wife that hit him on the ear,
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with a great knocking mell,
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Feld him that day.
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The bridegroom brought a pint of ail,
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and bad the pyper drink it;
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Drink it, quoth he, and it so staile,
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ashrew me if I think it.
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The Bride her Maidens stood near by,
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and said, it was not blinked;
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And Bartagasie the Bride so gay,
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upon him fast she winked,
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Full soon that day.
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When all was done, Dick with an ax
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came forth to fell a fother.
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Quoth he, where are you whoreson smaiks
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right now that hurt my brother;
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His wife bad him, Go hom, Gib Glaike,
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and so did Meg his mother;
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He turnd and gave them both their paiks
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for he durst ding no other
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But them that day.
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