AG: (searching through his anthology) (Is (Robert) Creeley ….in the Norton book?… yeah, one-two-two-five..yeah, I think that might be… One-two-two-five, that might’ve been it?…No. I’ll find it, there is some poem of his that’s like that.
So we have (William) Dunbar’s "Lament for the Poets" or "Lament for theMakers"– You rememberpoesiswas making, making - “makeles” here – 15th-16th century. It’s (this poem's) like my own poem, "Howl", in theme and subject . It’s a lament for all the poets that he knew that lived and died, that he knew of.
So, actually, it’s his.. it’s a recitation of his lineage, an outline of who the poets were that influenced him, William Dunbar.
Is Pat O’Brien here ? – [to Pat O'Brien - Student] - (You want to try to read it? You have a good.. you got a good.. is this a good text? I have a couple of texts here that.. maybe the one we have in the Oxford bookis better?
Pat O’Brien: (.. (Norton) - page seventy-two)
AG: I’ll be up here tho’ – Can you help out (since you know the language)?
Student (P O'B) I can just do this in common Middle English. I’m not very good at Middle Scots
AG: Well, is it Middle Scots?
Student (P O'B) Yeah, you've got to give it the Scots, roll the "r"s and so forth, and I can't do any of that.
AG: Okay
Student (P O'B): “Lament to the Makers"
AG: Is that makers and not muckers?
Student (P O'B): Yeah
AG: Makers?
Student (P O'B): Right, well, you might say mucker
AG: Muckers?
Student (P O'B): But in general, you don’t pronounce the “i-s” after a vowel in Middle Scots (except when you feel it!)
AG: Okay ..and it’s "while he was sek?"– right?
Student (P O'B): Right
AG: In our book, we don’t have that. The full title is "Lament to the Makers When He Was Sek” - Q-W-H-E-N - "Qwhen he was Sek" (S-E-K} – You might write that in - Q-W-H-E-N… Q-W-H-..
Student (PO'B): Q-U?
AG: I have “Q-W” here in the.. What do you have? Do they have that one?
Student (PO'B): Q-U-H-E..
AG: Q-U-H-E-N – he has Q-U-H-E-N, I have Q-W-H-E-N, so we take a choice – "Whan he was sek"– S-E-K
Student (P O'B): Right
AG: In our book, we don’t have that. The full title is "Lament to the Makers When He Was Sek” - Q-W-H-E-N - "Qwhen he was Sek" (S-E-K} – You might write that in - Q-W-H-E-N… Q-W-H-..
Student (PO'B): Q-U?
AG: I have “Q-W” here in the.. What do you have? Do they have that one?
Student (PO'B): Q-U-H-E..
AG: Q-U-H-E-N – he has Q-U-H-E-N, I have Q-W-H-E-N, so we take a choice – "Whan he was sek"– S-E-K
Student – S-E-I-K
AG: S-E-I-K? – I have S-E-K here. What have you got?
Student (PO'B): - S-E-I-K
AG: Do it strong, oratorical
Student: Oratorical?
AG: Yeah
[P O'B (Pat O'Brien) begins reading Dunbar's poem approximately three-and-a-half minutes in]
[Audio for the above can be heard here, beginning at the beginning of the tape and continuing to approximately eight-and-a-half minutes in]
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I THAT in heill was and gladnèss | |
Am trublit now with great sickness | |
And feblit with infirmitie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Our plesance here is all vain glory, | |
This fals world is but transitory, | |
The flesh is bruckle, the Feynd is slee:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
The state of man does change and vary, | |
Now sound, now sick, now blyth, now sary, | |
Now dansand mirry, now like to die:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
No state in Erd here standis sicker; | |
As with the wynd wavis the wicker | |
So wannis this world's vanitie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Unto the Death gois all Estatis, | |
Princis, Prelatis, and Potestatis, | |
Baith rich and poor of all degree:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
He takis the knichtis in to the field | |
Enarmit under helm and scheild; | |
Victor he is at all mellie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
That strong unmerciful tyrand | |
Takis, on the motheris breast sowkand, | |
The babe full of benignitie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
He takis the campion in the stour, | |
The captain closit in the tour, | |
The lady in bour full of bewtie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
He spairis no lord for his piscence, | |
Na clerk for his intelligence; | |
His awful straik may no man flee:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Art-magicianis and astrologgis, | |
Rethoris, logicianis, and theologgis, | |
Them helpis no conclusionis slee:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
In medecine the most practicianis, | |
Leechis, surrigianis, and physicianis, | |
Themself from Death may not supplee:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
I see that makaris amang the lave | |
Playis here their padyanis, syne gois to grave; | |
Sparit is nocht their facultie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
He has done petuously devour | |
The noble Chaucer, of makaris flour, | |
The Monk of Bury, and Gower, all three:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
The good Sir Hew of Eglintoun, | |
Ettrick, Heriot, and Wintoun, | |
He has tane out of this cuntrie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
That scorpion fell has done infeck | |
Maister John Clerk, and James Afflek, | |
Fra ballat-making and tragedie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Holland and Barbour he has berevit; | |
Alas! that he not with us levit | |
Sir Mungo Lockart of the Lee:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Clerk of Tranent eke he has tane, | |
That made the anteris of Gawaine; | |
Sir Gilbert Hay endit has he:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
He has Blind Harry and Sandy Traill | |
Slain with his schour of mortal hail, | |
Quhilk Patrick Johnstoun might nought flee:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
He has reft Merseir his endite, | |
That did in luve so lively write, | |
So short, so quick, of sentence hie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
He has tane Rowll of Aberdene, | |
And gentill Rowll of Corstorphine; | |
Two better fallowis did no man see:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
In Dunfermline he has tane Broun | |
With Maister Robert Henrysoun; | |
Sir John the Ross enbrast has he:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
And he has now tane, last of a, | |
Good gentil Stobo and Quintin Shaw, | |
Of quhom all wichtis hes pitie:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Good Maister Walter Kennedy | |
In point of Death lies verily; | |
Great ruth it were that so suld be:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Sen he has all my brether tane, | |
He will naught let me live alane; | |
Of force I man his next prey be:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. | |
Since for the Death remeid is none, | |
Best is that we for Death dispone, | |
After our death that live may we:— | |
Timor Mortis conturbat me. |
[Audio for the above can be heard here, beginning at the beginning of the tape and continuing to approximately eight-and-a-half minutes in]
