Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE ABBEY [OR ABBAY] WALK, by ROBERT HENRYSON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE ABBEY [OR ABBAY] WALK, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Allone as I went up and doun
Last Line: Obey and thank thy god of all.'
Alternate Author Name(s): Henderson, Robert+(1)


1

ALLONE as I went up and doun
in ane abbay was fair to se,
Thinkand quhat consolatioun
Was best in to adversitie,
On caiss I kest on syd myne E,
And saw this writtin upoun a wall:
'off quhat estait, man, that thow be,
Obey and thank thy god of all.

2

'Thy kindome and thy grit empyre,
Thy ryaltie, nor riche array,
Sall nocht endeur at thy desyre,
Bot as the wind will wend away;
Thy gold and all thy gudis gay,
quhen fortoun list will fra the fall;
Sen thow sic sampillis seis ilk day,
Obey and thank thy god of all.

3

'Job wes maist riche in writ we find,
Thobe maist full of cheritie:
Job woux pure, and thobe blynd,
Bath tempit with adversitie.
Sen blindness wes infirmitie,
and poverty wes naturall,
Thairfoir rycht patiently bath he and he
Obeyid and thankit god of all.

4

'Thocht thow be blind, or haif ane halt,
Or in thy face deformit ill,
Sa it cum nocht throw thy defalt,
Na man suld the repreif by skill.
Blame nocht thy Lord, sa is his will;
Spurn nocht thy fute aganis the wall;
Bot with meik hairt and prayer still
obey, &c.

5

'God of his justice mon correct,
and of his mercy petie haif;
he is ane Juge to nane suspect,
To puneiss synfull man and saif.
Thocht thow be lord attour the laif,
and eftirwart maid bound and thrall,
ane pure begger, with skrip and staif,
obey, &c.

6

'This changeing and grit variance
off erdly staitis up and doun
Is nocht bot causualitie and chance,
as sum men sayis, without ressoun,
Bot be the grit provisioun
of god aboif that rewll the sall;
Thairfoir evir thow mak the boun
To obey, &c.

7

'In welth be meik, heich nocht thy self;
be glaid in wilfull povertie;
Thy power and thy warldis pelf
Is nocht bot verry vanitie.
Remember him that deit on tre,
For thy saik taistit the bittir gall;
quha heis law hairtis and lawis he;
obey and thank thy god of all.'





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