Walter Kennedy

1460-1518 / Scotland

Ane Ballat In Praise Of Our Lady

Clostir of Christ, riche recent flour-de-lyss,
Ave Maria, herbar of amouris!
Princess of hevyn, hell, erd, and paradyss,
Þat baþis our blak syn wiþ þy balmy schouris,
Nuryss to God, and modir of favouris
To leper, leche, cruikit, blynd, deif, and dum,
Þe all þe ordouris of hevyne honouris,
Sancta Maria, Virgo virginum!
Protectrix till all pepill penitent,
Þe beriale bosome, þat our bliss in bred,
Sched betuix synnaris and Godis jugement,
Schawand þy Son þe sweit palpis þat him fed,
Prayand him for þe precious blud he bled,
Us to forgeif of our gret trespass;
Þy corps was nevir wiþ corruptioun cled,
Sancta et immaculata virginitas!
Revar of grace, þat sall us all releif,
Above Natur consavit God and Man;
Our heretage þat Adam tynt, and Eif,
Þow conquest newe, ourcome þe Devill and wan!
Blist be þow Mary, and þy modir An,
And Joachim þat generit þe
For till exalt þy name quha may or can?
Quibus te laudibus referam nescio.
Þe modir se, fludis, lochis, and wellis,
War all þir ynke, and quyk and deid couþ wryte,
Þe hevyne stellat, planetis, montanis and fellis,
War fair perchiament, and all as Virgillis dyte,
And plesand pennis for to report perfyte
War woddis, forestis, treis, gardingis and gravis,
Couþ nocht discryve þy honouris infinit!
Speciosa facta es et suavis.
Onely abone all virginis þow had hap,
To consaif be þe Haly Gaist, I grant;
Sanct Jhone joyit in his modiris wame and lap,
Quhen þow spak wiþ Elizabeþ þy ant;
Þow was ay meike, but vane glore, pryd, or want,
Sibilla said, alss Balaam and Sanct Dave;
Þarfore Christ chesit þy wame his house and hant,
Dominus sit tecum, gracia plena Ave!
Ruby of reuþ, riche lass, and hevinnis gem,
Blenke up wiþ þy eyne of grace owt of þe est;
Supposs all Sanctis our synfull prayer contempne,
Þyne eres are ay opyn at our requesst;
Now for þe speir þat Longius set in rest,
And persit þy sonnis preciouss hert for us,
Þow bring us to þe joye þat nevir is cest,
Benedicta tu in mulieribus!
Blist be þy hair, hed, eyne, face and neiss!
Blist be þy halss, breist bane, bak and rib!
Blist be þy palpis þat couþ þy sone appleiss!
Blist be þy handis þat wande him in þe crib!
Blist be þy sydis, and wame þat maid us sib
To Christ! Blist be þy body all forþy!
Blist be þy blude, þat come of Josues trybe!
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui.
Þocht we brek vowis, prayeris, pilgrimage and hechtis,
To þe, Rosare, and rute of our remeid,
For us, fair Lady, wiþ þe Devill þow fechtis,
And standis full neir us in þe hour of deid;
Saifand our sawlis frome þe playand leid
Of hell, quhair it servit to be tane to;
Syne stowis us saifly in to Angellis steid.
Cum Jhesu Christo filio tuo!
Beseike þy Sone, þat for me gaf na pryce
Of riche gold, bot þe reid blude of his hert,
To purge me of my gret trespass and vyce,
And clenge my saull fra lipper syne inwart;
And grant þat of þe hevin I may haif part,
Þrow þy request, Mary, as wele þow can!
Sen hale supple to Kennedy þow art,
O mater Dei, memento mei, þy man!
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