[King Robert goes to Ireland]

Quhen Schyr Edward, as Ik said ar,
Had discomfyt Richard of Clar
And of Irland all the barnage
Thris throu his worthi vasselag
5 And syne with all his men of mayn
Till Cragfergus wes cummyn agayn,
The gud erle of Murreff Thomas
Tuk leyff in Scotland for to pas,
And he him levyt with a gruching,
10 And syne him chargyt to the king
To pray him specialli that he
Cum intill Irland him to se,
For war thai bath into that land
Thai suld fynd nane suld thaim withstand.
15 The erle furth thane his way has tane
And till his schipping is he gayn
And sayllyt weill out-our the se.
Intill Scotland sone aryvit he,
Syne till the king he went in hy,
20 And he resavyt him glaidsumly
And speryt of his brodyr fayr
And of journayis that thai had thar,
And he him tauld all but lesing.
Quhen the king left had the spering
25 His charge to the gud king tauld he,
And he said he wald blythly se
Hys brother and se the affer
Off that cuntre and off thar wer.
A gret mengye then gaderyt he,
30 And twa lordys of gret bounte
The tane the Stewart Walter was
The tother James of Douglas
Wardanys in his absence maid he
For to maynteyme wele the countre,
35 Syne to the se he tuk the way
And at Lochriane in Galloway
He schippyt with all his menye,
To Cragfergus sone cummyn is he.
Schyr Edward of his come wes blyth
40 And went doun to mete him swyth
And welcummyt him with glaidsome cher,
Sa did he all that with him wer
And specially the erle Thomas
Off Murreff that his nevo was,
45 Syne till the castell went thai yar
And maid thaim mekill fest and far.
Thai sojournyt that dayis thre
And that in myrth and jolyte.

[The Scots march south and an ambush is prepared for them]

King Robert apon this kyn wis
50 Intill Irland aryvit is,
And quhen in Cragfergus had he
With his men sojournyt dayis thre
Thai tuk to consaill that thai wald
With thar folk thar wayis hald
55 Throu all Irland fra end till other.
Schyr Edward than the kingis brother
Befor in the avaward raid,
The king himselff the rerward maid
That had intill his cumpany
60 The erle Thomas that wes worthi.
Thar wayis southwart haff thai tane
And sone ar passyt Inderwillane.
This wes in the moneth of May
Quhen byrdis syngis in ilk spray
65 Melland thar notis with seymly soune
For softnes of the swet sesoun,
And levys off the branchys spredis
And blomys brycht besid tham bredis
And feldis ar strowyt with flouris
70 Well saverand of ser colouris
And all thing worthis blyth and gay,
Quhen that this gud king tuk his way
To rid southwart as I said ar.
The wardane than Richard of Clar
75 Wyst the king wes aryvyt sua
And wyst that he schup him to ta
His way towart the south contre,
And of all Irland assemblit he
Bath burges and chevalry
80 And hobilleris and yhumanry
Quhill he had ner fourty thousand.
Bot he wald nocht yet tak on hand
With all his fayis in feld to fycht
Bot he umbethocht him of ane slycht,
85 That he with all his gret menye
Wald in a wod enbuschit be
All prively besid the way
Quhar that thar fayis suld away,
And lat the avaward pas fer by
90 And syne assembill hardely
On the rerward with all thar men.
Thai did as thai divisyt then,
In ane wod thai enbuschit wer,
The Scottis ost raid by thaim ner
95 Bot thai na schawing of thaim maid.

[The ambush of King Robert's men; the folly of Colin Campbell]

Schyr Edward weill fer forouth rad
With thaim that war of his menye,
To the rerward na tent tuk he,
And Schyr Richard of Clar in hy
100 Quhen Schyr Edward wes passyt by
Send lycht yomen that weill couth schout
To bykkyr the rerward apon fute.
Then twa of thaim that send furth war
At the wod sid thaim bykkerit thar
105 And schot amang the Scottismen.
The king that had thar with him then
Weill fyve thousand wicht and worthi
Saw thai twa sa abandounly
Schut amang thaim and cum sa ner.
110 He wist rycht weill withoutyn wer
That thai rycht ner suppowall had,
Tharfor a bidding has he mad
That na man sall be sa hardy
To prik at thaim, bot sarraly
115 Rid redy ay into bataill
To defend gif men wald assail,
'For we sall sone, Ik undreta,'
He said, 'haf for to do with ma.'
Bot Schyr Colyne Cambell, that ner
120 Was by quhar thai twa yhumen wer
Schoutand amang thaim hardily,
Prykyt on thaim in full gret hy
And sone the tane has our-tane
And with the sper him sone has slane,
125 The tother turnyt and schot agayne
And at the schot his hors has slane.
With that the king come hastily
And intill his malancoly
With a trounsoun intill hys new
130 To Schyr Colyne sic dusche he geve
That he dynnyt on his arsoun,
Than bad he smertly tit him doun.
Bot other lordis that war him by
Ameyssyt the king into party,
135 And he said, 'Breking of bidding
Mycht caus all our discumfiting.
Weyne ye yone ribaldis durst assaill
Us sa ner intill our bataill
Bot giff thai had suppowaill ner.
140 I wate rycht weill withoutyn wer
That we sall haf to do in hy,
Tharfor luk ilk man be redy.'
With that weill neir thretty or ma
Off bowmen come and bykyrit sua
145 That thai hurt off the kingis men.
The king has gert his archeris then
Schoute for to put thai men agayn.
With that thai entryt in a playn
And saw arayit agayn thaim stand
150 In four bataillis fourty thousand.
The king said, 'Now, lordingis, lat se
Quha worthy in this fycht sall be,
On thaim foroutyn mar abaid.'

[The fight and victory of King Robert]

Sa stoutly than on thaim thai raid
155 And assemblyt sa hardely
That off thar fayis a gret party
War laid at erd at thar meting.
Thar wes off speris sic bristing
As ather apon other raid
160 That it a wele gret frusch has maid,
Hors come thar fruschand heid for heid
Sua that fele on the ground felle deid.
Mony a wycht and worthi man
As ather apon other ran
165 War duschyt dede doun to the ground,
The red blud out off mony a wound
Ruschyt in sa gret foysoun than
That off the blud the stremys ran.
And thai that wraith war and angry
170 Dang on other sa hardily
With wapnys that war brycht and bar
That mony a gud man deyit thar,
For thai that hardy war and wycht
And frontlynys with thar fayis gan fycht
175 Pressyt thaim formast for to be.
Thar mycht men cruell bargane se
And hard bataill. Ik tak on hand
In all the wer off Irland
Sa hard a fechting wes nocht sene,
180 The-quhether of gret victours nynteyne
Schyr Edward has withoutyn wer,
And into les than in thre yer,
And in syndry bataillis of tha
Vencussyt thretty thousand and ma
185 With trappyt hors rycht to the fete,
Bot in all tymys he wes yete
Ay ane for fyve quhen lest wes he.
Bot the king into this melle
Had alwayis aucht of his fa-men
190 For ane, bot he sua bar him then
That his gud deid and his bounte
Confortyt sua all his menye
That the mast coward hardy wes,
For quhar he saw the thikkest pres
195 Sa hardely on thaim he raid
That thar about him roume he maid,
And Erle Thomas the worthi
Wes in all tyme ner him by
And faucht as he war in a rage,
200 Sua that for thar gret vasselage
Thar men sic gret hardyment gan tak
That thai na perell wald forsak
Bot thaim abandound sa stoutly
And dang apon thaim sa hardely
205 That all thar fayis affrayit war.
And thai that saw weill be thar far
That thai eschewyt sumdele the fycht
Than dang thai on with all thar mycht
And pressit thame dyngand so fast 209
210 That thai the bak gaf at the last, 210
And thai that saw thaim tak the flicht 211
Pressit thame than with all thare mycht 212
And in thar fleyng fele gan sla. 209
The kingis men has chassyt sua
215 That thai war scalyt everilkane. 211
Rychard off Clar the way has tane
To Devillyne into full gret hy
With other lordys that fled him by
And warnysyt bath castellis and townys
220 That war in thar possessiounys. 216
Thai war sa felly fleyit thar
That I trow Schyr Richard off Clar
Sall haiff na will to faynd his mycht
In bataill na in fors to fycht
225 Quhill King Robert and