Dunbar's "Sweet Rose of Virtue" translation

Sweet Rose of Virtue
by William Dunbar
loose translation by Michael R. Burch

Sweet rose of virtue and of gentleness,
delightful lily of youthful wantonness,
richest in bounty and in beauty clear
and in every virtue that is held most dear―
except only that you are merciless.

Into your garden, today, I followed you;
there I saw flowers of freshest hue,
both white and red, delightful to see,
and wholesome herbs, waving resplendently―
yet everywhere, no odor but rue.

I fear that March with his last arctic blast
has slain my fair rose of pallid and gentle cast,
whose piteous death does my heart such pain
that, if I could, I would compose her roots again―
so comforting her bowering leaves have been.

"Sweet Rose of Virtue" has been described as a "lovely, elegant poem in the amour courtois tradition" or courtly love tradition. According to Tom Scott, author of "Dunbar: A Critical Exposition of the Poems," this poem is "Dunbar's most perfect lyric, and one of the supreme lyrics in Scots and English." William Dunbar [c. 1460-1530] has been called the Poet Laureate of the court of King James IV of Scotland. 

Keywords/Tags: Scot, Scots, Scottish, Translation, Modernization, Interpretation, Makar, Makaris, Sonnet, Iambic Pentameter, Quintains, Courtly Tradition, Carpe Diem, Garden, Rose, Lily, Herbs, Rue, Virtue, Bower, Bowers, Bowering

Ballad

by William Soutar

translation/modernization by Michael R. Burch

O, surely you have seen my love

Down where the waters wind:

He walks like one who fears no man

And yet his eyes are kind!

O, surely you have seen my love

At the turning of the tide:

For then he gathers in his nets

Down by the waterside!

Yes, lassie we have seen your love

At the turning of the tide:

For he was with the fisher folk

Down by the waterside.

The fisher folk worked at their trade

No far from Walnut Grove:

They gathered in their dripping nets

And found your one true love!

Keywords/Tags: William Soutar, Scottish, Scot, Scotsman, ballad, water, waterside, tide, nets, nets, fisher, fishers, fisher folk, fishermen, love, sea, ocean, lost, lost love, loss