Robin and Malkin

Robin and Malkin

Original Text
The Bannatyne Manuscript: National Library of Scotland Advocates' MS. 1.1.6, intro. by Denton Fox and William A. Ringler (London: Scolar Press and NLS, 1980). 2 vols. PR 8656 B36 1980a large. Victoria College Library
1Robene sat on gud grene hill,
2      Kepand a flok of fe;
3Mirry Makyne said him till,
4      "Robene, thow rew on me;
5I haif the luvit lowd and still,
6      Thir yeiris two or thre;
7My dule in dern bot gif thow dill,
8      Dowtless but dreid I de."
9  Robene answerit, "Be the rude,
10      Nathing of lufe I knaw,
11Bot keipis my scheip undir yone wid,
12      Lo quhair they raik on raw:
13Quhat hes marrit the in thy mude,
14      Makyne, to me thow schaw;
15Or quhat is lufe, or to be lude?
16      Fane wald I leir that law."
17  "At luvis lair gife thow will leir,
18      Tak thair ane a b c;
19Be heynd, courtass, and fair of feir,
20      Wyse, hardy, and fre;
21So that no denger do the deir,
22      Quhat dule in dern thow dre;
23Preiss the with pane at all poweir,
24      Be patient and previe."
25  Robene anserit hir agane,
26      "I wait nocht quhat is luve;
27But I haif mervell in certane
28      Quhat makis the this wanrufe:
29The weddir is fair, and I am fane,
30      My scheip gois haill aboif;
31And we wald play us in this plane,
32      Thay wald us bayth reproif."
33  "Robene, tak tent unto my taill,
34      And wirk all as I reid,
35And thow sall haif my hairt all haill,
36      Eik and my maidenheid.
37Sen God sendis bute for baill
38      And for murnyng remeid,
39In dern with the bot gif I daill,
40      Dowtles I am bot deid."
41  "Makyne, to morne this ilk a tyde,
42      And ye will meit me heir,--
43Peraventure my scheip may gang besyd,
44      Quhill we haif liggit full neir;
45Bot mawgre haif I and I byd,
46      Fra thay begin to steir;
47Quhat lyis on hairt I will nocht hyd;
48      Makyn, than mak gud cheir."
49  "Robene, thow reivis me roif and rest;
50      I luve bot the allane."
51"Makyne, adew, the sone gois west,
52      The day is neir hand gane."
53"Robene, in dule I am so drest,
54      That lufe wilbe my bane."
55"Ga lufe, Makyne, quhair evir thow list,
56      For lemman I lue nane."
57  "Robene, I stand in sic a styll;
58      I sicht, and that full sair."
59"Makyne, I haif bene heir this quhyle;
60      At hame God gif I wair."
61"My huny, Robene, talk ane quhyle,
62      Gif thow will do na mair."
63"Makyne, sum uthir man begyle,
64      For hamewart I will fair."
65  Robene on his wayis went
66      Als licht as leif of tre;
67Mawkin murnit in hir intent,
68      And trowd him nevir to se.
69Robene brayd attour the bent;
70      Than Mawkyne cryit on hie,
71"Now ma thow sing, for I am schent!
72      Quhat alis lufe at me?"
73  Mawkyne went hame withowttin faill,
74      Full wery eftir cowth weip.
75Than Robene in a ful fair daill
76      Assemblit all his scheip.
77Be that sum pairte of Mawkynis aill
78      Outthrow his hairt cowd creip;
79He fallowit hir fast thair till assaill,
80      And till hir tuke gude keip.
81  "Abyd, abyd, thow fair Makyne,
82      A word for ony thing;
83For all my luve it sal be thyne,
84      Withowttin depairting.
85All haill thy harte for till haif myne
86      Is all my cuvating;
87My scheip to morne quhill houris nyne
88      Will neid of no keping."
89  "Robene, thow hes hard soung and say,
90      In gestis and storeis auld,
91'The man that will nocht quhen he may
92      Sall haif nocht quhen he wald.'
93I pray to Jesu every day
94      Mot eik thair cairis cauld,
95That first preissis with the to play,
96      Be firth, forrest, or fauld."
97  "Makyne, the nicht is soft and dry,
98      The wedder is warme and fair,
99And the grene woid rycht neir us by
100      To walk attour all quhair;
101Thair ma na janglour us espy,
102      That is to lufe contrair;
103Thairin, Makyne, bath ye and I
104      Unsene we ma repair."
105  "Robene, that warld is all away
106      And quyt brocht till ane end,
107And nevir agane thairto perfay
108      Sall it be as thow wend;
109For of my pane thow maid it play,
110      And all in vane I spend;
111As thow hes done, sa sall I say,
112      Murne on, I think to mend."
113  "Mawkyne, the howp of all my heill,
114      My hairt on the is sett,
115And evirmair to the be leill,
116      Quhill I may leif but lett;
117Nevir to faill, as utheris feill,
118      Quhat grace that evir I gett."
119"Robene, with the I will nocht deill;
120      Adew, for thus we mett."
121  Malkyne went hame blyth annewche,
122      Attour the holttis hair;
123Robene murnit, and Makyne lewche;
124      Scho sang, he sichit sair;
125And so left him, bayth wo and wrewche,
126      In dolour and in cair,
127Kepand his hird under a huche,
128      Amangis the holtis hair.

Notes

1] ROBENE AND MAKYNE occurs in MS. Nat. Lib. Scotland, Bannatyne, I. i. 6, written in 1568. It was first printed in Ramsay's The Ever Green, 1724. The date of composition is unknown. This piece belongs to the type of the French pattorale or dialogue between a shepherd and shepherdess. Their names are often Robin and Marion. Makyne or Malkin is a diminutive of Matilda or Maud. Back to Line
2] fe. Cattle, live-stock (O.E. feoh). Here, sheep. Back to Line
3] till. to. Back to Line
6] Thir. These. Back to Line
7] Unless thou assuage my grief in secret. Back to Line
8] but dreid. Without doubt.
de. Die. Back to Line
9] Be the rude. By the rood. Back to Line
11] keipis. Keep. The first person pres. indic. takes -is when not immediately preceded by the pronoun.
wid. Wood. Back to Line
12] raik on raw. Range in a raw. Back to Line
13] What has marred (injured) thee in thy mood (mind). Back to Line
14] schaw. Show. Back to Line
15] lude. Loved. Back to Line
16] Fane. Fain.
leir. Learn. Back to Line
17] lair. Lore.
gife. If. Back to Line
19] heynd. Gracious.
feir. Appearance. Back to Line
20] fre. Generous. Back to Line
21] So that no disdain (from thy lady) may daunt thee, (no matter) what grief thou mayest endure in secret. Back to Line
23] Exert thyself painfully and with all thy power (to serve thy lady). Back to Line
24] previe. Secret. These are the rules of courtly love as laid down in the Roman de la Rose and in Chaucer's love-vision poetry. Back to Line
26] wait. Know. Back to Line
28] this wanrufe: Thus restless. Back to Line
30] My sheep are walking up above in good condition or complete. Back to Line
31] If we should dally in this plain they would reprove us both. Back to Line
33] tent. Heed. Back to Line
34] reid. Advise. Back to Line
36] Eik and. And also. Back to Line
37] Sen. Since
bute for baill. Remedy for woe. Back to Line
39] Unless I deal with thee in secret. Back to Line
41] to morne this ilk a tyde. To-morrow at this same time. Back to Line
42] And. If. Back to Line
43] besyd. Aside. Back to Line
44] Quhill. Till.
liggit. Lain. Back to Line
45] But may I be confounded if I wait after they begin to move. Back to Line
49] reivis me. Robbest me of.
roif. Quiet. Back to Line
52] neir hand. Nearly. Back to Line
54] bane. Destruction. Back to Line
56] lemman. Sweetheart.
lue. Love. Back to Line
57] styll. Plight. Back to Line
58] sicht. Sigh. Back to Line
59] quhyle. (Long) while. Back to Line
69] Robene started across the field. Back to Line
71] ma. May.
schent. Confounded. Back to Line
72] What has love against me? Back to Line
74] cowth. Could, i.e. did. Back to Line
78] cowd. See on 1. 74. Back to Line
79] He followed her fast to woo her there. Back to Line
80] till. To.
keip. Heed. Back to Line
84] depairting. Separation. Back to Line
85] All haill. Completely.
haif. Have. Back to Line
87] quhill houres nyne. Till nine o'clock. Back to Line
90] gestis. Tales of deeds done (L. gesta), romances.
auld. Old. Back to Line
92] wald. Would. Back to Line
93] I pray that every day may increase the cold sorrows of those who first hasten to dally with thee in woodland, forest, or fold. Back to Line
100] To walk about everywhere. Back to Line
101] janglour. Tell-tale. Back to Line
107] perfay. By my faith. Back to Line
108] wend. Didst ween, think. Back to Line
109] Thou didst make a jest of my pain. Back to Line
110] spend. Spent it. Back to Line
112] mend. Recover. Back to Line
113] howp. Hope.
heill. Health. Back to Line
115] leill. Loyal. Back to Line
116] While I may live, without ceasing. Back to Line
117] Never to be disloyal as are others, however little favour I may get. Back to Line
119] deill. Deal, have to do. Back to Line
120] thus we mett: i.e., our interview is over. Back to Line
121] annewche. enough. Back to Line
122] Through the hoary (aged) woods. Back to Line
123] lewche. laughed. Back to Line
124] sichit: sighed. Back to Line
125] wrewche: wretched. Back to Line
127] huche: cliff. Back to Line
Publication Start Year
1568
RPO poem Editors
N. J. Endicott
RPO Edition
2RP 1.52.
Rhyme
ababcdcd