Too late aye their state aye,
All foolish folk espy:
Behind so, they find so
Remeid, and so do I.
Gif I had ripely been advised,
I had not rashly enterprised
To soar with borrowed pens;
Nor yet had 'sayed the archer craft,
Nor shot myself with sic a shaft,
As reason quite miskens.
Frae willfulness gave me my wound,
I had nae force to flee;
Then came I granand' to the ground:
"Friend welcome hame," quod he,
"Where flew ye, whom slew ye,
Or wha brings hame the booting?2
I see now," quod he now,
"Ye have been at the shooting."
Whilk flew sae thick before my een,
Some red, some yellow, blue, and green,
Sae troubled all my harnis,'
Till every thing appeared two
To my barbuilziet? brain;
But long might I lie looking so,
Or Cupid come again;
Whose thundering, with wondering,
I heard up through the air;
Through clouds so he thuds3 so,
And flew I wist not where.
Frae that I saw that god was gone,
And I in languor left alone,
And sore tormented too;
Some time I sighed till I was sad,
Some time I mused and maist gone mad,
I wist not what to do ;
Some time I raved, half in a rage,
As ane into despair :
To be opprest with sic ane page,
Lord gif my heart was sair;
Like Dido, Cupido,
I wadill and warye,5
Wha reft me, and left me
In sic a fierie-farye."
4 Overcome and upset. 5 More troubled.
6 Ease, mitigate.
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