| Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. 1919. The Oxford Book of English Verse: 1250–1900. |
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| Alexander Montgomerie. 1540?–1610? |
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| 48. The Night is Near Gone |
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| HEY! now the day dawis; | |
| The jolly cock crawis; | |
| Now shroudis the shawis | |
| Thro' Nature anon. | |
| The thissel-cock cryis | 5 |
| On lovers wha lyis: | |
| Now skaillis the skyis; | |
| The nicht is neir gone. | |
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| The fieldis ouerflowis | |
| With gowans that growis, | 10 |
| Quhair lilies like low is | |
| As red as the rone. | |
| The turtle that true is, | |
| With notes that renewis, | |
| Her pairty pursuis: | 15 |
| The nicht is neir gone. | |
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| Now hairtis with hindis | |
| Conform to their kindis, | |
| Hie tursis their tyndis | |
| On ground quhair they grone. | 20 |
| Now hurchonis, with hairis, | |
| Aye passis in pairis; | |
| Quhilk duly declaris | |
| The nicht is neir gone. | |
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| The season excellis | 25 |
| Through sweetness that smellis; | |
| Now Cupid compellis | |
| Our hairtis echone | |
| On Venus wha waikis, | |
| To muse on our maikis, | 30 |
| Syne sing for their saikis— | |
| 'The nicht is neir gone!' | |
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| All courageous knichtis | |
| Aganis the day dichtis | |
| The breist-plate that bright is | 35 |
| To fight with their fone. | |
| The stonèd steed stampis | |
| Through courage, and crampis, | |
| Syne on the land lampis: | |
| The nicht is neir gone. | 40 |
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| The freikis on feildis | |
| That wight wapins weildis | |
| With shyning bright shieldis | |
| At Titan in trone; | |
| Stiff speiris in reistis | 45 |
| Ouer corseris crestis | |
| Are broke on their breistis: | |
| The nicht is neir gone. | |
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| So hard are their hittis, | |
| Some sweyis, some sittis, | 50 |
| And some perforce flittis | |
| On ground quhile they grone. | |
| Syne groomis that gay is | |
| On blonkis that brayis | |
| With swordis assayis:— | 55 |
| The nicht is neir gone. | |
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GLOSS: shroudis] dress themselves. shawis] woods. skaillis] clears. gowans] daisies. low] flame. rone] rowan. pairty] partner, mate. tursis] carry. tyndis] antlers. grone] groan, bell. hurchonis] hedgehogs, 'urchins.' maikis] mates. fone] foes. stonèd steed] stallion. crampis] prances. lampis] gallops. freikis] men, warriors. wight wapins] stout weapons. at Titan] over against Titan (the sun), or read 'as.' flittis] are cast. blonkis] white palfreys. |
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