Fredome

From Wikisource

 
Jump to: navigation, search
Fredome
by John Barbour
This oft-quoted extract from the long narrative poem The Brus is taken from Oxford Book of English Verse 1250-1918 (pages 14 and 15)


[page]

A! Fredome is a noble thing!
Fredome mays man to haiff liking;
Fredome all solace to man giffis,
He levys at ese that frely levys!
A noble hart may haiff nane ese,
Na ellys nocht that may him plese,
Gyff fredome fail; for fre liking
Is yarnyt our all othir thing.
Na he that ay has levyt fre
May nocht knaw weill the propyrtè,

[page]

The angyr, na the wretchyt dome
That is couplyt to foule thyrldome.
Bot gyff he had assayit it,
Than all perquer he suld it wyt;
And suld think fredome mar to prise
Than all the gold in warld that is.
Thus contrar thngis evirmar
Discoweryngis off the tothir ar.


[notes]liking] pleasure. na ellys nocht] nor aught else, yarnyt] yearned for. our] above.[notes]perquer] thoroughly, by heart.