William Dunbar: The Golden Targe (Page 3 of 12)
(p.91)Ryght as the stern of day begouth to schyne
Quhen gone to bed war vesper and lucyne
I raise and by a rosere did me rest
Wp sprang the goldyn candill matutyne
With clere depurit bemes cristallyne
Glading the mery foulis in thair nest
Or phebus was in purpur cape reuest
Wp raise the lark the hevyns menstrale fyne
In may / in till a morow myrthfullest
Full angellike thir birdis sang thair houris
Within thair courtyns grene in to thair bouris.
Apparalit quhite and rede wyth blomes suete
Anamalit was the felde wyth all colouris
The perly droppis schake in silvir schouris.
Quhill all in balme did branch and leuis flete
To part fra phebus did aurora grete
Hir cristall teris I saw hyng on the flouris
Quhilk he for lufe all drank vp wyth his hete
For mirth of may wyth skippis and wyth happis.
The birdis sang vpon the tender croppis
With curiouse note as venus chapell clerkis
The rosis yong new spreding of thair knopis
War powderit bryt with hevinly beriall droppis
Throu bemes rede birnyng as ruby sperkis.
The skyes rang for schoutyng of the larkis
The purpur hevyn our scailit in silvir sloppis
Ourgilt the treis branchis lef & barkis
Doune throu the ryce a ryuir ran wyth stremys
So lustily agayn thai lykand lemys
That all the lake as lamp did leme of licht
