The Æneid of Virgil Translated Into Scottish Verse. Gawin Douglas

      We ar of ancyant Troy, gif euer ȝe

      The name of Troy has hard in this cuntre,

      And caryit throu owt diuers seys alswa,

      And now by fortoune to cost of Lybia

      Drevyn with tempest. Rewthfull Ene am I,

      That Troiane goddis tursys in my navy,

      Quham fra amyd our ennemys I rent;

      My fame is knaw abufe the eliment;

      I seik Itale and our auld cuntre fer,

      And lynage cum from hyast Jupiter.

      With schippis twys ten the Phrygyane see,

      My modir a goddes techand the way, tuke we,

      Followand destany quhilk was to me grant;

      Of all our floyt, from wynd and wallys, skant

      Sevin evil perbrakit salue remanys with me.

      Onkend and mystirfull in desertis of Lybe

      I wandir, expellit from Europ and Asia.

      Venus na mair sufferit hym pleyn or say,

      Amyd hys dolorus playntis thus spak sche;

      Quhat evir thou art, I trast weill at thou be

      Favorit with the goddis, and drawis this hailsum ayr,

      Quhilk is the spreit of lyfe, to thy weilfair,

      Sen thou art cummyn to Cartage the cyte.

      Now hald thy way, and at the Quenys entre

      Present thy self; I schaw the, for certane,

      Thy ferys ar salf, thy navy is cummyn agane,

      In salfty brocht fre of north wyndis als,

      Les than my parentis taucht me spayng craft fals.

      Behald twelf swannys in randoun glaid and fair,

      Quham, newly from the regioun of the air

      Jovis fowle, the Egill, discending fra hys hycht,

      Has sair effrayt amyd the skyis brycht;

      Now with lang range to lycht thai beyn adrest,

      And spyis the erth about quhar thai sall rest:

      As thai return, thar weyngis swouchand jolely,

      And with thar coursis circlys about the sky,

      Cryand or syngand efter thar awyn gys;

      Thy schippys and falloschip on the sammyn wys

      Owdir ar herbryit in the havyn, I wys,

      Or with bent saill entris in the port be this.

      Now pas thy way evyn furth that sammyn went.

      Thus said sche, and turnand incontinent,

      Hir nek schane lyke onto the roys in May,

      Hyr hevynly haris, glitterand brycht and gay,

      Kest from hir forhed a smell gloryus and sweit,

      Hir habyt fell down coveryng to hir feit,

      And in hir passage a verray god dyd hir kyth.

      And fra that he knew hys moder, alswith

      With sik wordis he followys as scho dyd fle;

      Quhy art thou cruell to thy son, quod he,

      Dissavand hym sa oft with fals sembland?

      Quhy grantis thou nocht we mycht joyn hand in hand,

      And fortill heir and rendir vocis trew?

      Thus he reprevys, bot sche is went adew;

      Than to the Cyte he haldis furth the way.

      Bot Venus with a sop of myst, baith tway,

      And with a dyrk clowd, closyt rownd about,

      That na man suld thame se nor twich but dowt,

      Ne by the ways stop or ellis deir,

      Or ȝit the cawsis of thar cummyn speir.

      Hyr self vplift to Paphum passyt swith,

      To vissy hir restyng place, joly and blith;

      Thar is hir tempill into Cypir land,

      Quharin thar doith ane hundreth altaris stand,

      Hait byrnnyng full of Saba sens all houris,

      And smellyng sweit with fresch garlandis of flowris.

      CAP. VII

      Eneas, at his moderys commandment,

      Cled with the mysty clowd, to Cartage went.