[Edward Bruce marches toward Dundalk; he debates whether to fight]

Bot he that rest anoyit ay
And wald in travaill be alway,
A day forouth thar aryving
That war send till him fra the king,
5 He tuk his way southwart to far
Magre thaim all that with him war,
For he had nocht than in that land
Of all men I trow twa thousand,
Outane the kingis off Irchery
10 That in gret routis raid him by.
Towart Dundalk he tuk the way,
And quhen Richard of Clar hard say
That he come with sa few menye
All that he mycht assemblit he
15 Off all Irland off armyt men,
Sua that he had thar with him then
Off trappyt hors twenty thousand
But thai that war on fute gangand,
And held furth northward on his way.
20 And quhen Schyr Edward has hard say
That cummyn ner till him wes he
He send discouriouris him to se,
The Soullis and the Stewart war thai
And Schyr Philip the Mowbray,
25 And quhen thai sene had thar cummyng
Thai went agayne to tell tithing,
And said weill thai war mony men.
In hy Schyr Edward answerd then
And said that he suld fecht that day
30 Thoucht tribill and quatribill war thai.
Schyr Jhone Stewart said, 'Sekyrly
I reid nocht ye fecht on sic hy,
Men sayis my brother is cummand
With fyften thousand men ner-hand,
35 And war thai knyt with you ye mycht
The traistlyer abid to fycht.'
Schyr Edward lukyt all angrely
And till the Soullis said in hy,
'Quhat sayis thou?' 'Schyr,' he said, 'Perfay
40 As my falow has said I say.'
And than to Schyr Philip said he.
'Schyr,' said he, 'sa our Lord me se
Me think na foly for to bid
Your men that spedis thaim to rid,
45 For we ar few, our fayis ar fele,
God may rycht weill our werdis dele,
Bot it war wondre that our mycht
Suld our-cum sa fele in fycht.'
Than with gret ire 'Allace,' said he,
50 I wend never till her that of the.
Now help quha will for sekyrly
This day but mar baid fecht will I,
Sall na man say quhill I may drey
That strenth of men sall ger me fley.
55 God scheld that ony suld us blam
Gif we defend our noble nam.'
'Now be it swagat than,' quod thai,
'We sall tak that God will purvai.'

[The Irish kings promise to remain and watch the fight]

And quhen the kingis of Irchery
60 Herd say and wyst sekyrly
That thar king with sa quhone wald fycht
Agane folk of sa mekill mycht
Thai come till him in full gret hy
And consaillyt him full tenderly
65 For till abid his men, and thai
Suld hald thar fayis all that day
Doand, and on the morn alsua
With thar ronnyngis that thai suld ma.
Bot thar mycht na consail availe,
70 He wald algat hav bataile.
And quhen thai saw he wes sa thra
To fycht, thai said, 'Ye ma well ga
To fycht with yone gret cumpany,
Bot we acquyt us uterly
75 That nane of us will stand to fycht.
Assuris nocht tharfor in our mycht,
For our maner is of this land
To folow and fecht fleand
And nocht to stand in plane melle
80 Quhill the ta part discomfyt be.'
He said, 'Sen that your custum is
Ik ask at you no mar bot this,
That is that ye and your menye
Wald all togidder arayit be
85 And stand on fer but departing
And se our fycht and the ending.'
Thai said weill that thai suld do sua,
And syne towart thar men gan thai ga
That war weill twenty thousand ner.

[The defeat and death of Edward Bruce; Philip Mowbray's fate]

90 Edward with thaim that with him wer
That war nocht fully twa thousand
Arayit thaim stalwartly to stand
Agayne fourty thousand and ma.
Schyr Edward that day wald nocht ta
95 His cot-armour, bot Gib Harper
That men held as withoutyn per
Off his estate, had on that day
All hale Schyr Edwardis aray.
The fycht abad thai on this wis,
100 And in gret hy thar ennymys
Come till assemble all redy
And thai met thaim hardely.
Bot thai sa few war, south to say,
That ruschyt with thar fayis war thai,
105 And thai that pressyt mast to stand
War slane doun, and the remanand
Fled till the Irche to succour.
Schyr Edward that had sic valour
Wes dede and Jhone Stewart alsua
110 And Jhone the Soullis als with tha
And other als off thar cumpany.
Thai war vancussyt sa suddanly
That few intill the place war slane,
For the lave has thar wayis tane
115 Till the Irsche kingis that war thar
And in hale bataill howand wer.
Jhone Thomas-sone that wes leder
Off thaim of Carrik that thar wer
Quhen he saw the discumfiting
120 Withdrew him till ane Irsch king
That off his aquentance had he,
And he resavit him in leawte.
And quhen Jhone cummyn wes to that king
He saw be led fra the fechting
125 Schyr Philyp the Mowbray the wicht
That had bene dosnyt into the fycht,
And with armys led wes he
With twa men apon a causé
That wes betwix thaim and the toun
130 And strekyt lang in a randown.
Towart the toun thai held thar way,
And quhen in myd-cause war thai
Schyr Philip of his desynes
Ourcome, and persavit he wes
135 Tane and led suagat with twa.
The tane he swappyt sone him fra
And syne the tother in gret hy,
And drew the swerd deliverly
And till the fycht his wayis tays
140 Endlang the cause that than was
Fillyt intill gret foysoun
Off men that than went till the toun,
And he that met thaim agayn gan ma
Sic payment quhar he gan ga
145 That weile a hundre men gert he
Leve maugre tharis the cause.
As Jhone Thomas-sone said suthly
That saw his deid all halily
Towart the bataill evyn he yeid.

[The body of Edward Bruce]

150 Jhone Thomas-sone that tuk gud heid
That thai war vencussyt all planly
Cryit on him in full gret hy
And said, 'Cum her for thar is nane
On lyve for thai ar dede ilkane.'
155 Than stud he still a quhill and saw
That thai war all doune of daw,
Syne went towart him saraly.
This Jhone wrocht syne sa wittely
That all that thidder fled than wer
160 Thocht that thai lossyt of thar ger
Come till Cragfergus hale and fer.
And thai that at the fechting wer
Socht Schyr Edward to get his heid
Amang the folk that thar wes dede
165 And fand Gib Harper in his ger,
And for sa gud hys armys wer
Thai strak hys hed of and syn it
Thai have gert salt intill a kyt
And send it intill Ingland
170 Till the King Edward in presand.
Thai wend Schyr Edwardis it had bene,
Bot for the armyng that wes schene
Thai of the heid dissavyt wer
All thocht Schyr Edward deyt ther.

[A verdict on Edward Bruce; the belated reinforcements]

175 On this wis war thai noble men
For wilfulnes all lesyt then,
And that wes syne and gret pite
For had thar outrageous bounte
Bene led with wyt and with mesur,
180 Bot gif the mar mysaventur
Be fallyn thaim, it suld rycht hard thing
Be to lede thaim till outraying,
Bot gret outrageous surquedry
Gert thaim all deir thar worschip by.
185 And thai that fled fra the melle
Sped thaim in hy towart the se
And to Cragfergus cummyn ar thai,
And thai that war into the way
To Schyr Edward send fra the king
190 Quhen thai hard the discumfiting
To Cragfergus thai went agayne.
And that wes nocht foroutyn payn,
For thai war mony tyme that day
Assailyeit with Irschery, bot thai
195 Ay held togidder sarraly
And defendyt sa wittely
That thai eschapyt oft throu mycht
And mony tyme alsua throu slycht,
For oft of tharis to thaim gaff thai
200 To lat thaim scaithles pas thar way,
And till Cragfergus come thai sua
That batis and schyppis gan thai ta
And saylyt till Scotland in hy
And thar aryvyt all saufly.
205 Quhen thai of Scotland had wittering
Off Schyr Edwardis vencussing
Thai menyt him full tenderly
Our all the land commounaly,
And thai that with him slayn war thar
210 Full tenderly als menyt war.

[Edward Bruce's head; Edward II plans to invade Scotland]

Edward the Bruys as I said her
Wes discumfyt on this maner
And quhen the feld wes clengit clene
Sua that na resistens wes sene
215 The warda