William Dunbar
William Dunbar
William Dunbarwas a Scottish makar poet active in the late fifteenth century and the early sixteenth century. He was closely associated with the court of King James IV and produced a large body of work in Scots distinguished by its great variation in themes and literary styles. He was likely a native of East Lothian, as assumed from a satirical reference in the Flyting of Dunbar and Kennedie. His surname is also spelled Dumbar...
fear trouble fear-of-death
I that in heill wes and gladnes Am trublit now with gret seiknes And feblit with infermite: Timor Mortis conturbat me.* * Fear of Death troubles me.
art cities flower thou
London, thou art the flower of cities all!
half houses orleans stripped thrown town
I was in New Orleans during the first of those two. More than half of the town was stripped of its covering, many houses thrown down in town and country,
morning men noble-man
Noble men in the quiet of morning hear Indians singing the continent's violent requiem.
vices virtue
Neither our vices nor our virtues further the poem.
love-is debt friend-love
Among my friends love is a payment. It is an old debt for a borrowing foolishly spent.
joy gems
Gem of all joy, jasper of jocundity.
art flower cities
London, thou art the flower of cities all! Gemme of all joy, jasper of jocunditie.
chaos fear-of-death
Timor mortis conturbat me. The fear of death disturbs me.
love lost love-is
All love is lost but upon God alone.
men doe lawyer
A lawyer who does not know men is handicapped.
world glory vain
Our pleasance here is all vain glory, This false world is but transitory.
humble tonight be-kind
To God be humble, to thy friend be kind, and with thy neighbors gladly lend and borrow; His chance tonight, it maybe thine tomorrow.
men law skills
Your law may be perfect, your knowledge of human affairs may be such as to enable you to apply it with wisdom and skill, and yet without individual acquaintance with men, their haunts and habits, the pursuit of the profession becomes difficult, slow, and expensive.