Now throw the deip fast to the port I mark,
For heir is endyt the lang desparyt wark,
And Virgyll hes hys volum to me lent:
In sovir raid now ankyrrit is our bark;
We dowt na storm, our cabillys ar sa stark;5
We have eschapyt full mony perrellus went:
Now God be lovyt, has syk grace tyl ws sent!
Sen Virgyll beys wydquhar in Latyn soung,
Thus be my laubour red in owr wlgar toung.
Bot quhat danger is ocht to compyle, allace!10
Herand thir detractouris intil euery place,
Or evir thai reid the wark, byddis byrn the buke:
Sum beyn sa frawart in malyce and wangrace,
Quhat is weill said thai love not worth ane ace,
Bot castys thame euer to spy owt falt and cruyk;15
All that thai fynd in hydlys, hyrn, or nuyk,
Thai blaw owt, sayand in euery manis face
Lo, heir he failȝeis, se thar he leys, luyk!
Bot, gyf I le, lat Virgyll be owr juge,
Hys wark is patent, I may have na refuge;
Tharby go note my faltis one by one:
No wondir is, the volum was so huge,
Quha mycht perfytely all hys hie termys luge5
In barbar langage, or thame dewly expone?
Bot weill I wait, of hys sentens wantis none.
Quha can do bettir, lat se quhar I forvayt;
Begyn of new; all thing is gud onassayt.
Far eithar is, quha lyst syt doun to moyt,10
Ane othir sayaris faltis to spy and noyt,
Than but offens or falt thame self to wryte:
Bot forto chyde sum beyn so brym and hoyt,
Hald thai thar peax, the word wald scald thar throte,
And has sik custum to jangill and to bakbyte,15
That, bot thai schent sum, thai suld bryst for syte.
I say na mair, quhen all thar rerd is rong,
That wight mon speke that can nocht hald hys tong.
Go, wlgar Virgill, to euery churlych wight
Say, I avow thou art translatit rycht,20
Beseyk all nobillys the corect and amend,
Beys not afferyt to cum in prysaris sycht;
The nedis nocht to aschame of the lycht,
For I haue brocht thy purpos to gud end:
Now salt thou with euery gentill Scot be kend,25
And to onletterit folk be red on hycht,
That erst was bot with clerkis comprehend.