Poem by Robert Henryson

Ane Prayer for the Pest

O eterne God of power infinyt
To quhois hie knawlege nathink is obscure,
That is or wes or salbe is perfyt
Into thi sicht quhill that this warld indure,
Haif mercy of us, indigent and pure.
Thow dois no wrang to punis our offens.
O lord that is to mankynd haill succure,
Preserve us fra this perrelus pestilens.

We thee beseik, O lord of lordis all,
Thy eiris inclyne and heir our grit regrait.
We ask remeid of thee in generall
That is of help and confort dissolait.
Bot thow with rewth our hairtis recreate,
We ar bot deid but only thy clemens.
We thee exort on kneis law prostrait,
Preserve us from this perrellus pestilens.

We ar rycht glaid thow punis our trespas
Be ony kynd of udir tribulatioun,
Wer it thy will, O lord of hevin, allais,
That we suld thus be haistely put doun
And de as beistis without confessioun,
That nane dar mak with udir residens.
O blissit Jesu that wore the thorny croun
Preserve us from this perrelus pestilens.

Use derth, O lord, or seiknes and hungir soir
And slak thy plaig that is so penetryfe.
The pepill ar perreist quha may remeid thairfoir.
Bot thow, O lord, that for thame lost thy lyfe.
Suppois our syne be to thee pungetyfe,
Our deid ma nathing our synnis recompens.
Haif mercy, lord, we may nocht with thee stryfe,
Preserve us fra this perrelus pestilens.

Haif mercy, lord, haif mercy, hevins king,
Haif mercy of thy pepill penitent,
Haif mercy of our petous punissing,
Retreit the sentence and thy just jugement
Aganis us synnaris that servis to be schent.
Without mercy, we may mak no defens.
Thow that but rewth upoun the rud wes rent,
Preserve us frome this perrellus pestilens.

Remembir, lord, how deir thow hes us bocht
That for us synnaris sched thy pretius blude,
Now to redeme that thow hes maid of nocht,
That is of virtew barran and denude.
Haif rewth, lord, of thyn awin similitude.
Punis with pety and nocht with violens.
We knaw it is for our ingratitude
That we are punist with this pestillens.

Thow grant us grace for till amend our mis
And till evaid this crewall suddane deid.
We knaw our sin is all the caus of this.
For opin sin thair is set no remeid.
The justice of God mon punis than be deid
For by the law he will with nane dispens.
Quhair justice laikis, thair is eternall feid
Of God that suld preserf fra pestilens.

Bot wald the heidismen that suld keip the law
Punis the peple for thair transgressioun,
Thair wald na deid the peple than ourthraw,
Bot thay ar gevin sa plenly to oppressioun
That God will nocht heir thair intercessioun,
Bot all ar punist for inobediens
Be swerd or deid withouttin remissioun,
And hes just caus to send us pestilens.

Superne lucerne, guberne this pestilens
Preserve and serve that we nocht sterf thairin,
Declyne that pyne be thy devyne prudens,
For treuth, haif reuth, lat nocht our slewth us twyn.
Our syte full tyte, wer we contryt, wald blin.
Dissivir did nevir quha euir thee besocht
But grace with space for to arrace fra sin.
Lat nocht be tint that thow sa deir hes bocht.

O prince preclair, this cair quotidiane,
We thee exort, distort it in exyle.
Bot thow remeid, this deid is bot ane trane
For to dissaif the laif and thame begyle,
Bot thow sa wyse, devyse to mend this byle,
Of this mischeif quha may releif us ocht
For wrangus win, bot thow our sin oursyle?
Lat nocht be tint that thow sa deir hes bocht.

Sen for our vice that justice mon correct,
O king most he, now pacife thy feid.
Our sin is huge, refuge we nocht suspect.
And thow be juge, dislug us of this steid.
In tyme assent or we be schent with deid,
For we repent, all tyme mispent forthocht.
Thairfoir evirmor be gloir to thy godheid.
Lat nocht be tint that thow sa deir hes bocht.

1. The Ressoning betwix Aige and Yowth
2. The Bludy Serk
3. Against Hasty Credence
4. The Fox, the Wolf, and the Cadger
5. The Wolf and the Lamb

Print

1288 Views

Last Poems

To Russian version