The Poems of William Dunbar/Volume 1/The Twa Cummeris
THE TWA CUMMERIS.
Rycht airlie on Ash Weddinsday,
Drynkand the wyne satt Cummeris Tway:
The tane cowth to the tother complene;
Graneand, and suppand cowth scho say,
This lang Lentren makis me lene. 5
On cowth, besyd the fyre scho satt,
God wait gif scho wes grit and fatt,
Yit to be feble scho did hir fene;
And ay scho said, Latt preif of that:
This lang Lentren makis me lene. 10
My fair sweit Cummer, quoth the tuther,
Ye tak that nigirtness of your muther;
All wyne to test scho wald disdane
But mavasy, scho bad nane uther:
This lang Lentren makis me lene. 15
Cummer, be glaid, both even and morrow,
Thocht ye suld bayth beg and borrow;
Fra our lang fasting ye yow refrene,
And latt your husband dré the sorrow:
This lang Lentren makis me lene. 20
Your counsale, Cummer, is gud, quoth scho,
All is to tene him that I do;
In bed he is nocht wirth a bene:
Fill fow the glass, and drynk me to:
This lang Lentren makis me lene. 25
Off wyne, out of ane choppyne stowp,
Thay drank twa quartis, sowp and sowp;
Off drowth sic excefss did thame constrene;
Be than to mend thay had gud howp:
That Lentren suld nocht mak thame lene.30