Shanties from Wedderburn's "Complaynt of Scotland" (1549)
This post from the "Origin of Sea Shanties" thread gives quotes by R. B. Whall from "The Complaynt of Scotland" (supposed 1549).
Wedderburn's (1550) publication of this has now been transcribed by The Bodleian Library, Oxford and can be found here (you have to agree to their terms). Here's the whole section containing the sea shanties (my punctuation).
[f32R…] I leukyt far furtht on the salt flude there i beheld ane galiasse gayly grathit for the veyr lyand fast at ane ankir and hyr salis in hou. I herd mony vordis amang the marynalis bot i vist nocht quhat thai menit zit i sal reherse and report ther crying and ther cals. In the fyrst the master of the galiasse gart the botis man pas vp to the top to leuk far furtht gyf he culd see ony schips than the botis man leukyt sa lang quhil that he sau ane quhyt sail than he cryit vitht ane skyrl. Quod he "I see ane grit schip". Than the maister quhislit and bald the marynalis "lay the cabil to the cabilstok to veynde and veye". Than the marynalis began to veynd the cabil vitht mony loud cry ande as ane cryit al the laif cryit in that samyn tune as it hed bene ecco in ane hou heuch and as it aperit to me thai cryit [f32v] thir vordis as eftir follouis.
veyra veyra veyra veyra
gentil gallandis gentil gallandis
veynde i see hym veynd i see hym
pourbossa pourbossa
hail al ande ane hail al and ane
hail hym vp til vs hail hym vp til vs
than quhen the ankyr vas halit vp abufe the vattir ane marynel cryit and al the laif follouit in that sam tune.
caupon caupona caupon caupona
caupun hola caupun hola
caupun holt caupon holt
sarrabossa sarrabossa
Than thai maid fast the schank of the ankyr and the maistir quhislit and cryit tua men "abufe to the foir ra cut the raibandis and lat the foir sail fal hail doune the steir burde lufe harde a burde hail eftir the foir sail scheit hail out the bollene". Than the master quhislit ande cryit tua men "abufe to the mane ra cut the raibandis and lat the mane sail and top sail fal hail doune the lufe close aburde hail eftir the mane sail scheit hail out the mane sail boulene". Than ane of the marynalis began to hail and to cry and al the marynalis ansuert of that samyn sound
hou hou
pulpela pulpela
boulena boulena
darta darta
hard out steif hard out steif
afoir the vynd afoir the vynd
god send god send fayr vedthir [f33r] fayr vedthir
mony pricis mony pricis
god foir lend god foir lend
stou stou
mak fast & belay
Than the master cryit "and bald renze ane bonet vire the trossis nou heise". Than the marynalis began to heis vp the sail cryand
heisau heisau
vorsa vorsa
vou vou
ane lang draucht ane lang draucht
mair maucht mair maucht
zong blude zong blude
mair mude mair mude
alse flasche false flasche
ly a bak ly a bak
ang suak lang suak
that that that that
thair thair thair thair
zallou hayr zallou hayr
hips bayr hips bayr
til hym al til hym al
viddefullis al viddefuls al
grit and smal grit and smal
ane and al ane and al
heisau heisau
nou mak fast the theyrs
Than the master cryit "top zour topinellis hail on zour top sail scheitis vire zour liftaris and zour top sail trossis & heise the top sail hiear hail out the top sail boulene heise the myszen and change it ouer to leuart hail the linche and the scheitis hail the trosse to the ra". Than the master cryit on the rudir man mait "keip ful and by a luf cumna hiear holabar arryua steir clene vp the helme this and so".
Than quhen the schip vas taiklit the master cryit "boy to the top schaik out the flag on the top mast tak in zour top salis [f33v] and thirl them pul doune the nok of the ra in daggar vyise marynalis stand be zour geyr in taiklene of zour salis euery quartar master til his auen quartar boitis man bayr stanis & lyme pottis ful of lyme in the craklene pokis to the top and paueis veil the top vitht pauesis and mantillis gunnaris cum heir & stand by zour artailzee euyrie gunnar til his auen quartar mak reddy zour cannons culuerene moyens culuerene bastardis falcons saikyrs half saikyrs and half falcons slangis & half slangis quartar slangis hede stikkis murdresaris pasuolans bersis doggis doubil bersis hagbutis of croche half haggis culuerenis ande hail schot ande ze soldartis & conpangzons of veyr mak reddy zour corsbollis hand bollis fyir speyris hail schot lancis pikkis halbardis rondellis tua handit sourdis and tairgis".
Than this gaye galliasse beand in gude ordour sche follouit fast the samyn schip that the botis man hed sene and for mair speid the galliasse pat furtht hir stoytene salis ande ane hundretht aris on euerye syde the master gart al his marynalis & men of veyr hald them quiet at rest be rason that the mouyng of the pepil vitht in ane schip stoppis hyr of [f34r] hyr faird of this sort the said galiasse in schort tyme cam on vynduart of the tothir schip.
Than eftir that thai hed hailsit vthirs thai maid them reddy for battel than quhar i sat i hard the cannons and gunnis mak mony hiddeus crak "duf duf duf duf duf duf". The barsis and falcons cryit "tirduf tirduf tirduf tirduf tirduf tirduf". Than the smal artailze cryit "tik tak tik tak tik tak tik tak". The reik smeuk and the stink of the gun puldir fylit al the ayr maist lyik as plutois paleis hed been birnand in ane bald fyir quhilk generit sik mirknes & myst that i culd nocht see my lyntht about me quhar for i rais and returnit to the fresche feildis that i cam fra.
Four different shanties, with moslty comprehensible words. I specially like the "Yellow hair, yellow hair/Hips bare, hips bare" in the last one!
:-)