Petition of the Gray Horse, Auld Dunbar

The Petition of the Gray Horse, Auld Dunbar is an eleven 6-line stanza poem, with a 2 line refrain, by William Dunbar. Dunbar's persona complains in the petition to "be an Yowllis yald", a holiday horse put out to pasture. The expression appears to have meant someone not dressed for the occasion; Dunbar plays with the literal meaning. The response by the king - criticism is uncertain whether it was James IV's response, or rather, a further joke by Dunbar - is to dress him "lyk ane bischopis muille", a bishop's mule, who were typically garbed in an expensive fashion.

The text is taken from William Dunbar: The Complete Works, ed. John W. Conlee (Kalamazoo: Medieval Institute Publications, 2004), 109-111.

Text

Schir, lat it never in toune be tald

That I suld be ane Yowllis yald.

Suppois I war ane ald jaid aver,

Schott furth our clewch to squische the clever,

And hed the strenthis of all Strenever,

I wald at Youll be housit and stald:

Schir, lat it never in toune be tald

That I suld be ane Yowllis yald.

I am ane auld hors, as ye knaw,

That ever in duill dois drug and draw.

Gryt court hors puttis me fra the staw,

To fang the fog be firthe and fald.

Schir, lat it never in toune be tald

That I suld be ane Yowllis yald.

I heff run lang furth in the field

On pastouris that ar plane and peld.

I mycht be now tein in for eild,

My bekis ar spruning, he and bald.

Schir, lat it never in toune be tald

That I suld be ane Yowllis yald.

My maine is turned into quhyt,

And thairof ye heff all the wyt.

Quhen uthair hors hed brane to byt,

I gat bot gris, grype giff I wald.

Schir, lat it never in towne be tald

That I suld be ane Yowllis yald.

I was never dautit into stabell.

My lyff hes bein so miserabell,

My hyd to offer I am abell

For evill schoud strae that I reiv wald.

Schir, lat it never in towne be tald

That I suld be ane Yowllis yald.

And yett, suppois my thrift be thyne,

Gif that I die your aucht within

Lat nevir the soutteris have my skin,

With uglie gumes to be gnawin.

Schir, lat it nevir in toun be tald

That I sould be ane Yuillis yald.

The court hes done my curage cuill

And maid me ane forriddin muill.

Yett to weir trapperis at the Yuill,

I wald be spurrit at everie spald.

Schir, lett it nevir in toun be tald

That I sould be ane Yuillis yald.

Now lufferis cummis with larges lowd.

Quhy sould not palfrayis thane be prowd,

Quhen gillettis wil be schomd and schroud

That riddin ar baith with lord and lawd?

Schir, lett it nevir in toun be tald

That I sould be ane Yuillis yald.

Quhen I was young and into ply

And wald cast gammaldis to the sky,

I had beine bocht in realmes by,

Had I consentit to be sauld.

Schir, lett it nevir in toun be tauld

That I sould be ane Yuillis yald.

With gentill hors quhen I wald knyp,

Thane is thair laid on me ane quhip.

To colleveris than man I skip

That scabbit ar, hes cruik and cald.

Schir, lett it nevir in toun be tald

That I sould be ane Yuillis yald.

Thocht in the stall I be not clappit,

As cursouris that in silk beine trappit,

With ane new hous I wald be happit

Aganis this Crysthinmes for the cald.

Schir, lett it nevir in toun be tald

That I sould be ane Yuillis yald.

Respontio Regis

Efter our wrettingis, thesaurer,

Tak in this gray hors, auld Dumbar,

Quhilk in my aucht with service trew

In lyart changeit is his hew.

Gar hows him new aganis this Yuill

And busk him lyk ane bischopis muill,

For with my hand I have indost

To pay quhatevir his trappouris cost.