Dethtextual note 1textual note 2explanatory note 1
O mortall man, behold, tak tent to me,pay heed
Quhilk sowldtextual note 3 thy myrrour beexplanatory note 2 baith day and nicht.Which should both night
All erdly thing that evir tuik lyfe mon die.earthly was alive may die
Paip, empeirur, king, barroun, and knycht,Pope baron
5Thocht thay be in thair riall staittextual note 4 and hicht,
May nottextual note 5 ganestaind quhen I pleiss schute thetextual note 6 derte.footnote
Waltownis, castelis and towristextual note 7 nevir so wichttextual note 8Walled towns towers sturdy
May nocht risist quhill it be at his herte.while heart
Now quhat art thow that biddis me thus tak tentwhat bids pay heed
10And mak ane mirrour day and nicht of thee,a mirror
Or with thy dert I sowld richt soir repent?Lest should deeply
I trest trewly of that thuw sall sonetextual note 10 lie.about that you shall readily be lying
Quhat freik on fold sa bald dar manniss meperson on earth so bold dare threaten
Or with me fecht outhirtextual note 11 on fute or horss?fight whether foot
15Is non so wicht or stark,textual note 12 in this cuntré,no one brave fierce region
Buttextual note 13 I sall gar him bow to me on forss.shall make by force
Deth
My name at me forsuith,textual note 14 sen that thow speiris,textual note 15to me in truth, since ask
Thaytextual note 16 call me Deid, suthly I thee declair,They Death, truthfully
Calland all man and woman to thairtextual note 17 beiristextual note 18Calling their biers
line20Quhenevir I pleiss, quhat tyme, quhat place, or quhair.please where
Is nane sa stowt, sa fresche, nor yit sa fair,no one so mighty youthful
Sa yung, sa ald, sa riche, nor yit sa peur,old poor
Quhairevir I pass, owthirtextual note 19 lait or air,Wherever whether late early
Mon put thame haill on forss undir my cure.footnoteexplanatory note 3
Man
line25Sen it is so that nature can so wirkSince true work
That yung and awld with richetextual note 20 and peure mon die,old poor may
In my yowtheid allace I wes full irk.youth alas stubborn
Cuwld not tak tent to gyd and governe me,Could not pay heed guide
Ay gude to do, fra evill deidstextual note 21 to fle,Always good from deeds flee
line30Trestand ay yowtheid wold with metextual note 22 abyde,Trusting always would abide
Fulfilland evir my sensualitieappetite
In deidly syn and specialy in pryd.mortal especially pride
Deth
Thairfoir repent and remord thy conscience.fill with remorse
Think on thir wordistextual note 23 I now upoun thee cry:these words
line35O wrechit man, O fulltextual note 24 of ignorance,wretched
All thi plesance thow sall richt deirtextual note 25 aby.delight purchase at a great price
Dispone thy selftextual note 26 and cum with me in hytextual note 27Make arrangements for quickly
Adderis, askis, wormis meit for to be.Adders’, lizards’, worms’ meat
Cum quhen I call, thow ma me not denny,may deny
line40Thocht thow war paip, empriour, and king al thre.Though were pope all three
Man
Sen it is swa fra thee I may nocht chaip,Since so from escape
This wrechit warld for me heir I defywretched world here I disavow
And to thee, Deid, to lurktextual note 28 under thi caip,Death cower cape
I offer me with hairt rycht humly,textual note 29offer myself heartfelt humbly
line45Beseikingtextual note 30God the divill myne ennemyBeseeching [that] the devil
No power haif my sawill till assay.has my soul to attack
Jesus, on thee with peteous voce I crypiteous
Mercy un me to haif on .on have Judgment Day