Upon a dead man's head

Your ugly token

My mind has broken

From worldly lust;

For I haue dyscust

We ar but dust,

And dy we must.

It is generall

To be mortall:

I haue well espyde

No man may hym hyde

From Deth holow eyed,

With synnews wyderyd,

With bonys shyderyd,

With hys worme etyn maw,

And his gastly jaw

Gaspyng asyde,

Nakyd of hyde,

Neyther flesh nor fell.

Then, by my councell,

Loke that ye spell

Well thys gospell:

For wher so we dwell

Deth wyll us qwell,

And with us mell.

For all oure pamperde paunchys,

Ther may no fraunchys,

Nor worldly blys,

Redeme vs from this:

Oure days be datyd,

To be chekmatyd

With drawttys of deth,

Stoppyng oure breth;

Oure eyen synkyng,

Oure bodys stynkyng,

Oure gummys grynnyng,

Oure soulys brynnyng.

To whom, then, shall we sew,

For to haue rescew,

But to swete Jesu,

On vs then for to rew?

O goodly chyld

Of Mary mylde,

Then be oure shylde!

That we be not exyld

To the dyne dale

Of boteles bale,

Nor to the lake

Of fendys blake.

But graunt vs grace

To se thy face,

And to purchace

Thyne heuenly place,

And thy palace,

Full of solace,

Aboue the sky,

That is so hy;

Eternally

To beholde and se

The Trynyte!

Amen.

Myrres vous y.