Sen ze haif hairt, my faythfull hairt, in cure,
Vphald þe hairt, quhilk is zour hairtis awin;
Gif my hairt be zour hairtis scheruiture,
How may ze thoill zour trew hairt be ourthrawin?
Quhairfoir sweit hairt nocht suffer so be knawin,
Bot ze be, hairt, my hairtis reiosing,
As ze ar hairt of hairtis conforting.

[Anon.]

15

19

and be my heart's re21 joicing.

7.

The anschir to the ballat of hairtis.

Considdir, hairt, my trew intent,
Suppois I am nocht eloquent

To wryt 30w anschir responsyve;

3our scedull is so excellent,

It passis far my wyttis fyve.

For quhy it is so full of hairtis
That myne within my bosum stairtis,
Quhen I behald it rycht till end;
And for ilk hairt, ane hundreth dertis
Outthrow my hairt, to 30w I send.
This woundit hairt, sweit hairt, ressaif,
Quhilk is deir hairt abone pe laif

3our faythfull hairt, with trew intent;
Ane trewar hairt may no man haif,
Nor zit ane hairt moir permanent.
Ane hairt it is without dissait ;
It is pe hairt to quhome 3e wret

The misseif full of hairtis seir;
It is ane hairt bayth air & lait
That is 3our hairtis presoneir.

It is ane hairt, full of distres;
Ane cairfull hairt all confortles;

Ane penseve hairt in dule & dolour,

Ane hairt of wo & haviness;

Ane mirthles hairt without mesour.

25

though con. stant.

It dies for
your sake,
though it
has never
offended you.

It is a living heart of flesh and blood.

Let us exchange our hearts.

It is ane hairt bayth firme & stabill
Ane hairt without fenzeit fabill;

Ane constant hairt bayth trest & trew;
Ane sure hairt set in to sabill;

Ane wofull hairt bot gif 3e rew.

It is ane hairt þat zour hairt servis ;
Ane hairt for lufe of 3our hairt stervis ;
Ane hairt þat nevir 30w offendit;

Ane hairt of 3ouris bayth vane & nervis ;
Ane hairt but solace bot gif 3e send it.

It is na gravit hairt in stone,
In siluer, gold, nor evir bone;

Nor zit ane payntit symlitud;
Bot this same verry hairt allone,
Within my
breist of flesch and blude.
Thairfoir, sueit hairt, send me pe hairt
That is in to your breist inwart;

And nocht thir writtin hairtis in vane;

Bot 3our hairt to my hairt rewert,
And send me hairt for hairt agane.

26

30

31

35

36

40

41

45

[leaf 235, p. 525] Hence, heart, to thy sovereign lady,

and abide with her thou lovest best,

[leaf 335 b, p. 526] who hast departed

8.

[Hence, hairt, with hir þat most departe.]

Hence, hairt, with hir pat most departe,
And hald the with thy souerane ;
For I had lever want ane harte,

Nor haif the hairt þat dois me pane :
Thairfoir, go, with thy lufe remane,
And lat me leif thus vnmolest,
And se pat thow cum nocht agane,
Bot byd with hir thow luvis best.

Sen scho, that I haif scheruit lang,
Is to depairt so suddanly;
Address the now, for thow sall gang
And beir thy lady cumpany:

1

5

8

9

Fra scho be gon, hairtless am I;
For quhy thow art with hir possest;
Thairfoir hairt! go
my
hence in hy,
And byd with hir thow luvis best.

Thocht this belappit body heir
Be bound to scheruitude and thrall,
My fathfull hairt is fre inteir,
And mynd to serf my lady at all:
Wald god pat I wer perigall
Vnder þat redolent ross to rest!
3it at þe leist, my hairt thow sall
Abyd with hir thow lufis best.

Sen in 3our garth be lilly quhyte
May nocht remane amang þe laif,
Adew! be flour of haill delyte,
Adew! pe succour þat ma me saif,
Adew! pe fragrant balme suaif,
And lamp of ladeis lustiest
My faythfull hairt scho sall it haif,
To byd with hir it luvis best.
Deploir, 3e ladeis cleir of hew
Hir absence, sen scho most departe,
And specialy 3e luvaris trew

That woundit bene with luvis darte:
For sum of sall want ane harte
30W
Alsweill as I; þairfoir at last

Do go with myn, with mynd inwart,
And byd with hir thow luvis best.

9.

[Quha is perfyte to put in wryt.]

Quha is perfyte / to put in wryt
The inwart murnyng & mischance;
Or to indyte / be grit delyte

Of lustie lufis obscherwance?

13

in haste.

16

17 Though my

Bot he þat may certane / paciently suffir pane /
To wyn his souerane / in recompance.

21

24

body is in
servitude,

my heart is free,

and it shall serve her.

I have experienced both.

[leaf 236 b, p. 528]

Albeid I knaw / of luvis law
The plesour & the panis smart ;
3it I stand aw/ for to furthschaw
The quyet secreitis of my harte:

For it may fortoun raith / to do hir body skaith /
Quhilk wait pat of þame baith / I am expert.

9

12

S[c]ho wait my wo/ that is ago,

Scho wait my weilfair and remeid,

My lady

her loyal lover.

Scho wait also / I lufe no mo

15

knows I am

Bot hir the well of womanheid:

Scho wait withouttin faill / I am hir luvar laill /

My only care is to please her.

Is nocht in erd I cure, / bot pleiss my lady pure /
Syne be hir scheruiture / vnto I de.

24

My heart is hers,

Scho hes1 my lufe / at hir behufe ;
My hairt is subiect, bound, & thrall;
For scho dois moif / my hairt aboif, |
To se hir proper persoun small:

27

and my body too.

Love's

labours have made me

sorrowful.

Sen scho is wrocht at will/ that natur may fulfill /
Glaidly I gif hir till / body and all.

Thair is nocht wie2 / can estimie

My sorrow and my sichingis sair;
For I am so done fathfullie

In fawouris with my lady fair,

That baith our hartis ar ane / luknyt in luvis chene /
And evirilk greif is gane / for evir mair.

1 Originally "is" in MS.; altered in a later hand to "hes."
2 Originally "wicht" in MS.; altered in same hand to "wie."

30

33

36

16

If I prove it: accept me.

Evin as 3our fo / forsaik me.

Gif I do prufe / pat I 30w luf

Nixt god abufe / so taik me, Gif I remufe / fra 3our behufe

Without excuss / foirsaik me.

Be land or sequhair evir I be
As 3e fynd me / so tak me;
And gif I le/& from 30w fle

Ay quhill I de/forsaik me.

It is bot waist/mo wordis to taist
3e haif my laist / so tak me
Gif ze our cast/ my lyf is past

Ewin at pe last / forsaik me.

My deir, adew/ most cleir of hew

Now on me rew/ & so tak me; Gif I persew / & beis nocht trew

Cheiss 3e ane new / & forsaik me.