PEBLIS TO THE PLAY by ANONYMOUS

AT Beltane, when ilk body bownis
To Peblis to the play,
To hear the singin' and the soundis,
The solace, sooth to say;
Be firth and forest furth they found;
They graithit them full gay;
God wait that wald they do, that stound,
For it was their feast day,
They said,
Of Peblis to the play.

All the wenches of the west
Were up or the cock crew;
For reiling there micht na man rest,
For garray and for glew.
And said, "My curches are not prest!"
Than answerit Meg full blue,
"To get an hude, I hald it best!"
"Be Goddis saul that is true",
Quod she,
Of Peblis to the play.

She tuk the tippet be the end,
To lat it hing she let not.
Quod he, "Thy back sall bear ane bend";
"In faith," quod she, "we meit not!"
She was so guckit, and so gend,
That day ane bite she eat nocht;
Than spak her fellowis that her kend,
"Be still, my joy, and greet not,
Now,
Of Peblis to the play.

"Ever, alas!" than said she,
"Am I nocht clearly tynt?
I dar nocht come yon merkat to,
I am so evil sun-brint.
Amang you merchants my erandis do,
Marie; I sall anis mynt
Stand off far, and keik them to,
As I at hame was wont",
Quod she,
Of Peblis to the play.

Hopcalyo and Cardronow
Gadderit out thick-fauld,
With "hey and how rolumbelow"
The young folk were full bauld.
The bagpipe blew, and they out-threw
-- Out of the townis untauld.
Lord, sic ane shout was them amang,
When they were owre the wald,
There west,
Of Peblis to the play.

Ane young man start into that steid
As cant as ony colt,
Ane birken hat upon his heid,
With ane bow and ane bolt;
Said, "Merrie maidenis, think not lang;
The weddir is fair and smolt".
He cleikit up ane hie rough sang,
@3There fure ane man to the holt@1,
Quod he,
Of Peblis to the play.

They had nocht gane half of the gate
When the maidenia come upon them,
Ilk ane man gaif his conceit,
How at they wald dispone them.
Ane said, "The fairest fallis to me;
Tak ye the laif and fone them".
Ane other said, "Wys lat me be!
On, Twedel-side, and on them
Swyth!
Of Peblis to the play."

Than he to-ga, and she to-ga,
And never ane bade abide you.
Ane winklot fell, and her tail up;
"Wow," quod Malkin, "Hide you!
What needis you to make it swa?
Yon man will not our-ride you."
"Are ye owre gude," quod she, "I say,
To lat them gang beside you,
Yonder,
Of Peblis to the play?"

Than they come to the townis end
Withouttin more delay,
He before, and she before,
To see wha was maist gay.
All that lukit them upon
Leuch fast at their array;
Some said that they were merkat folk;
Some said the Queen of May
Was comit
Of Peblis to the play.

Than they to the tavern-house
With meikle olyprance;
And spak wi' wordis wonder crouse,
"A done with ane mischance!
Braid up the burde," he hydis tyt.
"We are all in ane trance:
See that our nap'ry be white,
For we will dine and dance,
There out.
Of Peblis to the play".

Ay as the gudewife brocht in,
Ane scorit upon the wauch,
Ane bade pay, ane other said, "Nay,
Bide whill we reckon our lauch".
The gudewife said, "Have ye na dreid;
Ye sall pay at ye auch".
Ane young man start upon his feet,
And he began to lauche,
For heydin,
Of Peblis to the play.

He gat ane trencheour in his hand
And he began to compt:
"Ilk man twa and ane ha'penny!
To pay thus we were wont".
Ane other start upon his feet,
And said, "Thou art owre blunt
To tak sic office upon hand!
Be God thou 'servit ane dunt
Of me,
Of Peblis to the play."

"Ane dunt," quod he, "what devil is that?
Be God, you dar not do't!"
He start till ane broggit staff,
Winceand as he were wood.
All that house was in ane reird:
And cryit, "The haly rude!
Help us, Lord, upon this erd,
That there be spilt na blude
Herein,
Of Peblis to the play!"

They thrang out at the door at anis
Withouttin ony reddin';
Gilbert in ane gutter glade,
He gat na better beddin'.
There was not ane of them that day
Wald do ane otheris biddin'.
Thereby lay three and thretty-some
Thrimland in ane middin'
Of draff,
Of Peblis to the play.

Ane cadger on the merkat gate
Heard them bargane begin;
He gaif ane shout, his wife came out;
Scantly she micht ourhye him:
He held, she drew, for dust that day
Micht na man see ane styme
To red them.
Of Peblis to the play.

He start to his great grey mare,
And off he tumblit the creelis.
"Alas!" quod she, "Hald our gudeman!"
And on her knees she kneelis.
"Abide," quod she; "Why, nay," quod he;
In-till his stirrupis he lap;
The girdin brak, and he flew off,
And upstart baith his heelis,
At anis,
Of Peblis to the play.

His wife came out, and gaif ane shout,
And be the fit she gat him;
All bedirtin drew him out;
"Lord God! richt weil that sat him!"
He said, "Where is yon culroun knave?"
Quod she, "I rede ye, lat him
Gang hame his gates". "Be God," quod he,
"I sall anis have at him
Yit,
Of Peblis to the play."

"Ye 'filed me, fy for shame!" quod she;
"See as ye have drest me!
How feel ye, sir?" "As my girdin brak,
What meikle devil may lest me.
I wait weil what; it was
My awn grey mare that kest me:
Or gif I was forfochtin faint,
And syne lay doun to rest me,
Yonder,
Of Peblis to the play."

Be that the bargane was all playit,
The stringis start out of their nocks;
Seven-some that the tulzie made,
Lay gruffiling in the stocks.
John Nikson of the nether ward
Had lever have giffin an ox
Or he had comin in that company,
He sware be Goddis locks,
And manis baith,
Of Peblis to the play.

With that Will Swane come sweatand out,
Ane meikle miller man;
"Gif I sall dance have done, lat see,
Blaw up the bagpipe than!
The schamous dance I maun begin;
I trow it sall not pane."
So heavily he hochit about,
To see him, Lord, as they ran,
That tide,
Of Peblis to the play!

They gadderit out of the toun,
And nearer him they dreuch;
And bade gife the danceris room;
Will Swane makis wonder teuch.
Than all the wenches Te he! they playit;
Bot Lord, as Will Young leuch!
"Gude gossip, come hyne yon gatis,
For we have dansit aneuch,
At anis,
At Peblis to the play."

Sa fiercely fire-het was the day
His face began to frekill.
Than Tisbe tuk him by the hand,
Was new comen fra the heckill.
"Alas," quod she, "what sall I do?
And our door has na stekill!"
And she to-ga as her tail brint,
And all the carlis to ceckle
At her,
Of Peblis to the play.

The piper said, "Now I begin
To tire for playing to you;
Bot yit I have gotten naething
For all my piping to you.
Three ha'pennies for half ane day
And that will not undo you;
And gif ye will gife me richt nocht,
The meikle Devil gang wi' you!"
Quod he,
Of Peblis to the play.

Baith the dancing was all done,
Their leif tuk less and mair;
When the winklottis and the wooeris twinit
To see it was hairt sair.
Wat Atkin said to fair Ales,
"My bird, now will I fare".
The devil a word that she might speak
Bot swoonit that sweet of swair
For kindness.
Of Peblis to the play.

He fippilit like ane faderless fole;
"And be still, my sweet thing!"
"Be the haly rude of Peblis
I may nocht rest for greeting."
He whissillit and he pipit baith,
To mak her blyth that meeting:
"My honey hairt, how sayis the sang,
@3There sall be mirth at our meeting
Yit@1,
Of Peblis to the play".

Be that the sun was settand shaftis;
And near done was the day:
There men micht hear schukin of schaftis
When that they went their way.
Had there been mair made of this sang,
Mair suld I to you say.
At Beltane ilka body bown'd
To Peblis to the play.

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