In a Secret Place [Ye brek my hart, my bony ane]

In secreit place this hyndir nycht

I hard ane beyrne say till ane bricht:

"My huny, my hart, my hoip, my heill,

I have bene lang your luifar leill

And can of yow get confort nane.

How lang will ye with danger deill?

Ye brek my hart, my bony ane."

His bony beird wes kemmit and croppit,

Bot all with cale it wes bedroppit,

And he wes townysche, peirt, and gukit.

He clappit fast, he kist and chukkit

As with the glaikis he wer ouirgane.

Yit be his feirris he wald have fukkit—

"Ye brek my hart, my bony ane."

Quod he: "My hairt, sweit as the hunye,

Sen that I borne wes of my mynnye,

I never wowit weycht bot yow.

My wambe is of your luif sa fow

That as ane gaist I glour and grane.

I trymble sa, ye will not trow,

Ye brek my hart, my bony ane."

"Tehe!" quod scho, and gaif ane gawfe.

"Be still, my tuchan and my calfe,

My new spanit howffing fra the sowk,

And all the blythnes of my bowk.

My sweit swanking, saif yow allane

Na leyd I luiffit all this owk:

Full leif is me yowr graceles gane."

Quod he: "My claver and my curldodie,

My huny soppis, my sweit possodie,

Be not oure bosteous to your billie,

Be warme hairtit and not evill wille.

Your heylis, quhyt as quhalis bane,

Garris ryis on loft my quhillelille:

Ye brek my hart, my bony ane."

Quod scho: "My clype, my unspaynit gyane,

With moderis mylk yit in your mychane,

My belly huddrun, my swete hurle bawsy,

My huny gukkis, my slawsy gawsy,

Your musing waild perse ane harte of stane.

Tak gud confort, my grit-heidit slawsy:

Full leif is me your graceles gane."

Quod he: "My kid, my capirculyoun,

My bony baib with the ruch brylyoun,

My tendir gyrle, my wallie gowdye,

My tyrlie myrlie, my crowdie mowdie,

Quhone that oure mouthis dois meit at ane,

My stang dois storkyn with your towdie:

Ye brek my hairt, my bony ane."

Quod scho: "Now tak me by the hand,

Welcum, my golk of Marie land,

My chirrie and my maikles munyoun,

My sowklar sweit as ony unyoun,

My strumill stirk yit new to spane.

I am applyit to your opunyoun:

I luif rycht weill your graceles gane."

He gaiff to hir ane apill rubye.

Quod scho, "Gramercye, my sweit cowhubye!"

And thai tway to ane play began

Quhilk men dois call the dery dan,

Quhill that thair myrthis met baythe in ane.

"Wo is me," quod scho, "Quhair will ye, man?

Best now I luif that graceles gane."

William Dunbar

WiUiam Dunbar was born, probably in East Lothian, between 1450 and 1460. He entered the University of St. Andrews in 1475, and took his full degree in 1479. In eariy life, according to his own account, he went about from Berwick to Dover, and passed over to Calais and Picardy, preaching and alms-gathering as a Franciscan noviciate ; but he became dissatisficd with this life and does not seem to have taken the vows of the order. It has been inferred from allusions in his verse that he was for some years empioyed in connection with foreign embassies. Toward tiie close of the century we find him in attendance on the Scotch Court, a poet with an established reputation, and a continual suitor for piace. In 1500 he received from the king (James IV) a pension of ^io , raised by degrees, during the next ten years to ;^8o ? then a respectable annuity; but he never obtained the Church promotion, to which on somewhat irrelevant grounds he constantly laid claim.

More poems from same author

A Dream Discretion in Taking [In taking sowld discretioun be] In a Secret Place [Ye brek my hart, my bony ane] Of James Dog [Madame, ye heff a dangerous dog] Rule of Oneself [He rewllis weill that weill himself can gyd]

In a Secret Place [Ye brek my hart, my bony ane]

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