I saw thre gay ladeis sit in ane grein arbeir, All grathit into garlandis of fresche gudelie flouris; So glitterit as the gold wer thair glorius gilt tressis, Quhill all the gressis did gleme of the glaid hewis; Kemmit was thair cleir hair, and curiouslie sched Attour thair schulderis doun schyre, schyning full bricht.
Dunbar (dimeter iambic quatrains with refrain, and much anapæstic substitution):
Come ne|vir yet May | so fresch|e and grene, Bot Jan|uar come | als wud and kene-- Wes nev|ir sic drowth | bot anis | come raine, _All erd_|_ly joy_ | _returnis_ | _in pane_.
It cumis | yow luv|aris to | be laill, Of bo|dy, hairt | and mynd | al haill, And though | ye with | year la|dyis daill-- Ressoun; Bot and | your faith | and law|ty faill-- Tressoun! . . . . . . . Be land | or se, Quhaur ev|ir I be, As ye | fynd me, So tak | me; And gif | I le, And from | yow fle, Ay quhill | I de Forsaik | me!
(_h_) Montgomerie (_Cherry and Slae_ stanza):
About | ane bank | quhair birdis | on bewis Ten thou|sand tymis | thair notis | renewis Ilke houre | into | the day, The merle | and ma|ueis micht | be sene, The Prog|ne and | the Phel|omene, Quhilk caus|sit me | to stay. I lay | and leynit | me to | ane bus To heir | the bir|dis beir; Thair mirth | was sa | melo|dious Throw na|ture of | the yeir; Sum sing|ing, || some spring|ing With wingis | into | the sky, So trim|lie, || and nim|lie, Thir birdis | they flew | me by.
_Examples of Reformed Metre from Wyatt, Surrey, and other Poets before Spenser._
The long[e] | love that | in my | thought I | harbèr And in | my heart | doth keep | his re|sidence, Into | my face | presseth | with bold | pretence, And there | campèth | display|ing his | bannèr: She that | me learns | to love | and to | suffèr, And wills | that my | trust and | lust[e]s neg|ligence Be rein|ed by rea|son, shame, | and rev|erence, With his | hardì|ness tak|ès dis|pleasùre, Wherewith | love to | the hart[e]s | forest | he fleèth, Leaving | his en|terprise | with pain | and cry, And there | him hi|deth and | not àp|pearèth. | What may | I do? | when my | master | feareth, But in | the field | with him | to live | and die, For good | is thè | life end|ing faith|fully.
Wherewith | love to |the hart's fo|rest he | fleèth.