The Poems of William Dunbar/Volume 1/Ballat of our Lady
ANE BALLAT OF OUR LADY.
Haile, sterne superne! Haile, in eterne,
In Godis sicht to schyne!
Lucerne in derne, for to discerne
Be glory and grace devyne;
Hodiern, modern, sempitern, 5
Angelicall Regyne!
Our tern inferne for to dispern,
Helpe rialest rosyne.
Ave Maria, gratia plena!
Haile, fresche flour femynyne! 10
Yerne us, guberne. Virgin matern,
Of reuth baith rute and ryne.
Haile, yyng, benyng, frescbe flurising!
Haile, Alphais habitakle!
Thy dyng of spring maid us to syng 15
Befor his tabernakle;
All thing maling we doune thring,
Be sicht of his signakle;
Quhilk King us bring unto his ryng,
Fro dethis dirk umbrakle. 20
Ave Maria, gratia plena!
Haile, Modir and Maid but makle!
Bricht fygn, gladyng our languissing,
Be micht of thi miralde.
Haile, bricht, be sicht, in hevyn on hicht! 25
Haile, day sterne orientale!
Our licht most richt, in clud of nycht,
Our darkness for to scale:
Haile, wicht, in sicht, puttar to flicht
Of fendis in battale! 30
Haile, plicht, but sicht! Haile, mekle of mycht!
Haile, glorious Virgine, haile!
Ave Maria, gratia plena!
Haile, gentill nychttingale!
Way stricht, cler dicht, to wilsome wicht, 35
That irke bene in travale.
Haile, Quene serene! Haile, most amene!
Haile, hevinlie hie Empryss!
Haile, schene, unseyne with carnale eyne!
Haile, Rois of Paradyss! 40
Haile, clene, bedene, ay till conteyne!
Haile, fair fresche flour-de-lyce!
Haile, grene daseyne! Haile, fro the splene,
Of Jhesu genetrice!
Ave Maria, gratia plena! 45
Thow bair the Prince of Pryss;
Our tryne to meyne, and go betweyne,
As humile Oratrice.
Haile, more decore, than of before,
And swetar be sic sevyne, 50
Our glore, forlore, for to restore,
Sen thow art Quene of Hevyne!
Memore of sore, stern in Aurore,
Louit with Angellis stevyne;
Implore, adore, thow indeflore, 55
To mak our oddis evyne.
Ave Maria, gratia plena!
With lovingis lowde ellevyn,
Quliill store and hore, my youth devore,
Thy name I sall ay nevyne. 60
Empryce of pryse, Imperatrice,
Brycht polist precious stane;
Victryce of vyce, hie genitrice
Of Jhesu, Lord soverayne:
Our wyfe pavyse fro enemyis, 65
Agayne the feyndis trayne;
Oratrice, Mediatrice, Salvatrice,
To God gret suffragane!
Ave Maria, gratia plena!
Haile, sterne meridiane! 70
Spyce, flour-de-lice of Paradyse,
That bair the gloryus grayne.
Imperiall wall, place palestrall,
Of peirless pulcritude;
Tryumphale hall, hie trone regall 75
Of Godis celsitude;
Hospitall riall, the Lord of all
Thy closet did include;
Bricht ball, cristall, rois virginall,
Fulfillit of angell fude. 80
Ave Maria, gratia plena!
Thy birth has with his blude,
Fra fall mortall, originall,
Us ransomid on the rude.