And nevertheless with support and correction

And nevertheless with support and correction,

for the natural love and friendly affection,

that I bear to thy works and achievements,

although, God knows, I know them very little;

And that your fruitful meaning might be sung,

In our language as well as Latin tongue,

'As well'...no, no, it were impossible, by God;

Yet, with thy leave, Virgil, to follow you,

I would, into my rural, vulgar tongue,

write something savoring of thine Eneados.

But sore I dread to stain your name,

through my corrupt, imperfect cadence;

'Stain you', nay, truly, that I could not,

I might well show my course and rough thoughts,

but your work shall endure in praise and glory,

without spot or fault, worthy of eternal memory.

Though I offend, your name is unharmed,

the credit is yours, and any shame is mine.

And netheles with support and correctioun,

For natural lufe and freyndly affectioun,

Quilkis I beir to thy werkis and endyte,

All thocht, God wat, tharin I knaw ful lyte;

And that thy fecund sentence mycht be song

In our langage alsweill as Latyn tong,

Alsweill, na, na, impossibill war, per de;

Yit with thy leif, Virgill, to follow the,

I wald, into my rurall vulgar gros,

Wryte sum savoryng of thyne Eneados.

Bot sair I drede forto disteyn the quyte,

Throu my corruptit cadens imperfyte;

Disteyn the, nay forsuyth, that may I cnocht,

Weill may I schwa my burall busteous thocht,

But thy wark sall endur in lawd and glory,

Bot spot or falt, condyng etern memory.

Thocht I offend, onhermit is thy fame,

Thyne is the thank, and myne salbe the schame.

God wat -  'God knows'. Used to express a statement as true.

Alsweill -  Here Douglas indulges in a bit of word-play, with the first 'alsweill' taking the meaning of 'in addition to' and the second meaning 'to the same standard'.

per de - 'by God'. Used to positively affirm a statement. An interesting example of how religion permeates language. People still use 'oh my God' today, even those who aren't religious; although looking at the phrase in isolation it seems terribly archaic, it's perhaps more common to see it written as 'ohmygod!' or even OMG... (!)

burall - course/rough. 'Burel' was a type of rough woollen medieval cloth. Possibly stems from late Latin burra for wool/shaggy cloth. A burl is a knot of wool, a rough spot.

busteous - rough, rude, harsh. Perhaps related to 'bustling' and 'boisterous'?

condyng - deserved. From the Latin 'condignus' (worthy) by way of Middle English and Old French.


Bibliography
Dictionary of the Scots Language
Online Etymology Dictionary
The Poetical Works of Gavin Douglas - John Small ed.
University of Toronto Libraries
Elizabeth Chadwick @ blogger
'Word' Origins by John Ayto
Chambers Scots Dictionary

Here begins the work

Here begins 

The work of Virgil, prince of Latin poets

In his twelve books of the Aeneid

Compiled and translated from the Latin,

In our Scots Language

By a right noble and worshipful clerk

Master Gavin Douglas:

Provost of Saint Giles Kirk in Edinburgh

And Parson of Lynton in Lothian,

Who afterwards was Bishop of Dunkeld.

Heyr Begynnys

The wark of Virgyll prynce of Latyn Poetis

In his twelf bukis of Eneados

Compilit and translatit furth of Latyn

In our Scottis Langage

By ane richt nobill and wirschipfull clerk

Master Gawyn Dowglas

Provest of Sanct Gylys Kyrk in Edinburgh

And Person of Lyntoun in Louthiane

Quhilk eftyr was Bischop of Dunkeld

kyrk - kirk, church. One of the Scots words derived from Scandinavian language, such as kist (chest) and kirn (churn). Similar to (and related to) the Old English form cirice. 'The Kirk' is used to refer informally to the Church of Scotland and is found in events like the Kirking of the Parliament (still led by the minister of St Giles) and the Kirking of the Council services performed in some Scottish towns. A 'kirk session' is the body of elders and the minister of a church who decide issues that affect the congregation in the Church of Scotland.