Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > Poems of William Dunbar > Volume 2, 1893

OF THE FEN^EIT FREIR OF TUNGLAND.
The tarsall gaif him tug for tug,
A stanchell hang in ilka lug,
The pyot furth his pennis did rug,
The stork straik ay but stynt.
The bissart, bissy but rebuik,
Scho was so cleverus of hir clvik,
His bawis he micht not langer bruik,
Scho held thame at ane hint.
Thik was the clud of kayis and crawis,
Of marle^onis, mittanis, and of mawis,
That bikkrit at his herd with blawis
In battell him abowt.
Thay nybbillit him with noyis and cry,
The rerd of thame raiss to the sky,
And evir he cryit on Fortoun, Fy !
His lyfe was in to dowt.
The ja him skrippit with a skryke,
And skornit him as it was lyk;
The egill strong at him did stryke,
And rawcht him mony a rowt.
Ffor feir vncunnandly he cawkit,
Quhill all his pennis war drownd and drawkit,
He maid a hundreth nolt all hawkit
Beneth him with a spowt.
He schewre his feddreme that was schene,
And slippit owt of it full clene,
And in a myre, vp to the ene,
Amang the glar did glyd.
The fowlis all at the fedrem dang,
As at a monster thame amang,
Quhill all the pennis of it owsprang
In till the air full wyde.