English

And first fra the father syde sindrie haid fed it,
Mony munkis and marmaidynis come with the mother.
" Black buitche on thair bouk, " quod thay, " that first breid it! "
Ay offering that undoche fra ane to ane uther:
Whair that serpent sowkit, sair wes to sched it.
Bot belyve it began to bukill the brother.
In the bark of ane bowrtrie whyllumis they bed it.
Thair taillis with the tounge of it, they lyk and ruther;
Sum fartand, sum flyrand, thair phisnomies thi flyp;

Be ane eftir midnicht thair office they endit;
For then it wes na tyme for trumpouris to tairie:
Sum bakward on bi t ches and broodsowis bendit
That cruikit crokadeill quyt with thame they carie.
Unto the cocatrice in ane creill they send it:
Whair, sevin yeiris, it sowkit, sweillit singit and sarie,
The [kin of it] be the cry incontinent kend it
Fetching fude for to feid it from the field of pharie.
Ilk elph of thame all brocht ane almoushous oster;
Bot [it] wes no dayntie dische;

When the cummeris that crab with Pluto contractit,
They promeist, as parentis, for thair awin pairt,
Ane mother of mischief, an they micht mak it,
Ane imp of all ill most meit for thair airt.
Nikniven, as nurische, to teich it, gart tak it,
To saill the see in a sive, bot compas or cairt;
And milk of ane harin tedder, that wyfis suld be wrakit,
And the kow give ane choppin wes wont give a quart;
That bairnis suld bane baith bloode and banis,
When they have neither milk nor meill;
Compellit be hunger for to steill,

" That this worme, in our wark, sick wonder can wirk;
And, throw poyson of this poyd, our practic prevaill
To cut of f our cummer to cum to the kirk,
For the half of our help I hauld heir is haill.
Let nevir this undoche of evill doing Irk,
All boundis whair it bydis may brocht be to baill.
Of bliss let it be als bair as the birk,
That tittest that taidrell may tell ane ill taill:
Let no wo in this warld to this wra t che be wantit. "
Be they haid said, the fyre flauch flew;

" Be the moving of the mone, mapamond and the kingis ell,
Be phlegitoun, the sevin starnis and the Chairlwane,
Be the hicht of the heavin, and lawnes of hell,
Be all the brether of bellialis buird in ane band,
Be the pollis, the planeittis, and singis all tuell,
Be the michtis of the moone — lat mirknes remane, —
Be the elementis [all] that our craft can compell.
Be the floodis Infernall, and fureis of pane,
Be all the ghaistis of our gang that dwellis thair doun
In signe of stikis, that stinking strand,

Syne bairfute and bair leggit to bapteis that barne
To ane well went th e y west by ane wood syde
They saw the schit all beschyttin and soipit in charne.
On ane three headit Hecate in haist thair they cryit:
" As we have fund in this feild this fundlin forfarne,
First, his faith he forsaikis in the feynd to confyde,
Be vertew of thir wordis and of this raw yarne,
And thryse thre and threttie knottis on ane blew threed;
And of deid menis memberis weill schewit in ane schoe,
Whilk we have band from top and tae

Thir venerabill virginis whome ye wald call wi t ches,
In tyme of thair triumph they tirlt me that taid;
Sum bakward on broidsuis and sum on blak bi t cheis,
Sum, in steid of ane staig, over ane stark munk straid.
From the heavinis to the hellis sum hobbillis, sum hi t chis
With thair mouthis to the moone, sick murgeonis they maid.
Sum, be force and effect the four windis fi t chis
And nyne tymes wirdersones about the thorne raid;
And glowrand to the ground grivouslie gaipis
By craft conjurand feyndis by force

Fra the weird sisteris saw the schaip of that schit,
" Littil luk be thy lot, " quod they, " whair thow lykis; "
" Thy fowmart face, " quod the first, " to flyt salbe fit. "
" Nikneven " quod the nixt, " sall nureische the e thryse;
To ryde post in Elphin none abiller nor it. "
" To dryve doggis furth to dryt " the third did devyse:
" All they dayis sall thow be of thy bodie bot a bit.
As suche as thow seames, als scharp be thy syse. "
Then dewlie they deimit what deid it suld die.

" Untrowit be thy tounge, yit tratling all tymes.
Ay fals be thy fingeris, bot laith to confess.
All cuntreis whair thou cumes accuse the of crymes:
Ay the langer that thow live thy luk be the less.
Yit still be thow reivand, but rude of thy rymes.
All ill be thow usand and ay in excess.
Ilk moone be thow mad, fra past be the pryme s ;
Syne plaigit with povertie, thy pryde to oppres.
With wolfis and wil cattis thy weird be to wander;
Draiglit throw dirtie dubbis and dykis;

" Both schame and sorrow on hir snowt that sufferis the to sowk;
Or scho that cairis for thy creidill, cauld be hir cast;
Or bringis onie bedding for thy blae bowk;
Or lowsis af thy ludyeotis so long as they lest;
Or offeris the e ony thing all the lang oulk;
Or first refreschis the with fuide, albeit thow suld fast;
Or when thy duddis ar bedirtin, that givis thame ane dowk;
Al l gromes, whair thou grainis, at thy gruntill be agast:
Als freamit be thy fortoune as foule is thy forme.