Lament For The Makers

1] This poem was first printed by Chepman and Myllar in Edinburgh, 1508. The MS. copies are later. The date of composition is unknown, but may have been shortly before 1508. The poem shows the influence of the dance of death or danse macabre, current in European literature and art of the fifteenth century, in which representatives of every social rank are summoned by Death, in the figure of a skeleton; cf. Lydgate, Daunce of Macabre. There is also a poem by Lydgate with the refrain Timor mortis conturbat me, which Dunbar may have known.
makaris. Makers, poets.
heill. Health. Back to Line

4] The fear of death troubles me. Back to Line

7] brukli. Brittle, frail.
the Fend is sle. The Devil is sly. Back to Line

13] No rank in earth here stands secure. Back to Line

14] wickir. Twig. Back to Line

18] potenttatis. Potentates. Back to Line

22] Ynarmit. Armed. Back to Line

23] mellie: mêlée, conflict. Back to Line

26] sowkand. Sucking. Back to Line

29] campion. Champion.
stour. Battle. Back to Line

33] piscence. Puissance. Back to Line

35] strak. Stroke. Back to Line

37] art-magicianis. Practitioners of magic arts. Back to Line

38] rethoris. Rhetoricians. Back to Line

39] conclusionis sle. Skilful reasonings. Back to Line

42] surrigianis. Surgeons. Back to Line

43] supple. Help, defend. Back to Line

46] syne. Then, afterwards. Back to Line

47] faculte. Profession. Back to Line

49] done devour. Devoured. Back to Line

51] The Monk of Bery. Lydgate, who was a monk of Bury St. Edmund's. Back to Line

53] Syr Hew of Eglintoun d. c. 1375. Possibly the poet "Huchown", said to be the author of Arthurian romances. Back to Line

54] Heryot. Unknown. Wyntoun, author of a verse chronicle of Scotland c. 1424. Back to Line

55] tane. Taken. Back to Line

57] done infek. Infected and withheld. Back to Line

58] Nothing certain is known of these poets. Back to Line

61] Holland. Author of The Buke of the Howlat, ca. 1450.
Barbour. John Barbour, author of The Bruce (1375). Back to Line

63] Works unknown. Back to Line

65] There are various poems of the adventures of Gawain in Northern dialect, but the one meant here has not been traced. Back to Line

67] Sir Gilbert Hay translated a romance of Alexander the Great, ca. 1456. Back to Line

69] Blind Hary. A blind minstrel said to have composed a poem on Sir William Wallace about 1460.
Sandy Traill. Unknown. Back to Line

71] Patrik Johnesioun. Author of one poem in Bannatyne MS. Back to Line

73] He has deprived Merseir of his power of writing. (A few of his poems are extant). Back to Line

75] of sentence hie. Lofty meaning. Cf. Prologue to Canterbury Tales, 306. Back to Line

77] Roull. One poem extant by a man of this name. Back to Line

81] hes done roun. Has whispered. Back to Line

82] Henrisoun. See the extracts from his works, above. Back to Line

83] Schir Johne the Rot. A friend of Dunbar, but nothing else is known about him. Back to Line

86] Stobo and Quintyne Schaw were friends of Dunbar and a poem by the latter is extant. Back to Line

87] wichtis. Men. Back to Line

89] Walter Kennedy engaged with Dunbar in a vituperative combat in scurrilous verse called The Flytyng of Dunbar and Kennedy. Back to Line

90] dede. Death. Back to Line

91] Reuth. Pity. Back to Line

93] Sen. Since. Back to Line

95] man. Must. Modern Scots maun. Back to Line

98] dispone. Dispose ourselves. Back to Line

Publication Start Year

1508

RPO poem Editors

N. J. Endicott

RPO Edition

2RP.1.55; RPO 1996-2000.

Rhyme

aabb