James VI. (King of Scotland) From the engraving by Crispin van de Pass

The

Kings' Lyrics

King James I. (1566-1625)

Ane Schort Poeme of Tyme

A

SI was pansing in a morning aire,

And could not sleip nor nawyis take me rest, Furth for to walk, the morning was so faire,

Athort the fields, it seemed to me the best. The East was cleare, whereby belyve I gest That fyrie Titan cumming was in sight, Obscuring chaste Diana by his light.

Who by his rising in the azure skyes,

Did dewlit helse all thanse on earth do dwell. The balmy dew through birning drouth he dryis, Which made the soile to savour sweit and smell, By dew that on the night before downefell, Which then was soukit up by the Delphienus heit Up in the aire: it was so light and weit.

Whose hie ascending in this purpour chere
Provokit all from Morpheus to flee:
As beasts to feid, and birds to sing with beir,
Men to their labour, bissie as the bee:
Yet idle men devysing did I see,

How for to drive the tyme that did them irk,
By sindrie pastymes, quhile that it grew mirk.

Then woundred I to see them seik a wyle,
So willingly the precious tyme to tine :
And how they did themselfis so farr begyle,

To fushe of tyme, which of itself is fyne.
Fra tyme be past to call it backward syne
Is bot in vaine: therefore men sould be warr,
To sleuth the tyme that flees fra them so farr.

For what hath man bot tyme into this life,
Which gives him dayis his God aright to know?
Wherefore then sould we be at sic a stryfe,
So spedelic our selfis for to withdraw

Evin from the tyme, which is on nowayes slaw
To flie from us, suppose we fled it nought?
More wyse we were, if we the tyme had sought.

But sen that tyme is sic a precious thing,
I wald we sould bestow it into that

Which were most pleasour to our heavenly King.