Sir Loumor

Fair Signild's brothers took her hand,
And married her into a foreign land.
Took her hand,
And married her into a foreign land.

Afar from home they made her wed
The man her father's blood had shed.
They made her wed
The man her father's blood had shed.

Eight weary years her thrall she bore,
Eight years saw not her brothers more.
Her thrall she bore,
Eight years saw not her brothers more.

She brew'd the mead and sparkling wine,
And bade her brothers come and dine.
The sparkling wine
And bade her brothers come and dine.

Sir Loumor laugh'd with hearty glee,
For eight years never laugh'd had he.
With hearty glee,
For eight years never laugh'd had he.

Fair Signild went to her lofty tower,
And gazed around from hour to hour.
On lofty tower
She gazed around from hour to hour.

She saw along the mountain side
Her seven long-wish'd -for brothers ride.
On mountain side
Her seven long-wish'd-for brothers ride.

Nearer they drew, and still more near,
And now their voices she could hear.
And still more near,
And now their voices she could hear.

In scarlet cloak she wrapp'd her head,
And up to Loumor's chamber sped.
She wrapp'd her head,
And up to Loumor's chamber sped.

"My lord, what welcome will you show
"To these my brothers down below?"
"Will you show
"To these my brothers down below?"

"I'll welcome them with best of cheer,
"As though they were my own come here."
"With best of cheer,
"As though they were my own come here."

And then into a laugh he brake,
That made the very walls to shake.
A laugh he brake
That made the very walls to shake.

Spake then the babe, in cradle lay,
It never spake before that day.
In cradle lay,
It never spake before that day.

"Ha! Ha! My father's laugh I hear,
"That bodes ray mother evil near."
"Laugh I hear,
"That bodes my mother evil near."

He rose and kick'd the cradle o'er;
The babe left lifeless on the floor.
The cradle o'er,
The babe left lifeless on the floor.

The setting sun began to show,
'Twas time they should to supper go.
Began to show,
'Twas time they should to supper go.

Her lord she placed at table -head,
To chairs her several brothers led.
"At table -head,
To chairs her several brothers led.

With wine she charged Sir Loumor's cup,
With milk she fill'd her brothers' up.
Sir Loumor's cup,
With milk she fill'd her brothers' up.

But oft as she his goblet fill'd,
The wine upon the floor he spill'd.
His goblet fill'd,
The wine upon the floor he spill'd.

She then to the sleeping room repair'd,
And all her brothers' beds prepar'd.
She then repair'd,
And all her brothers' beds prepar'd.

Their beds on hard sharp stones she laid,
Lest they should be to sleep betray'd.
On stones she laid,
Lest they should be to sleep betray'd.

She placed beside them, every one,
A knife, they could rely upon.
Gave every one
A knife, he could rely upon.

She laid along the bedstead rail
A naked sword and coat of mail.
Bedstead rail
A naked sword and coat of mail.

And now the hour of night came on,
And time they should to bed be gone.
Night came on,
And time they should to bed be gone.

Signild had scarce begun to doze,
Ere from her arms Sir Loumor rose.
Begun to doze,
Ere from her arms Sir Loumor rose.

Softly he stole to the outer hall,
And murder" d there her brothers all.
In the outer hall
He murder'd there her brothers all.

He took in turn each several bed,
And left those gallant brothers dead.
Each several bed,.
And left those gallant brothers dead.

He drew from each his sword and knife,
And took therewith the sleeper's life.
His sword and knife,
And took therewith the sleeper's life.

He fill'd a cup with brother's gore,
And that to his wife, fair Signild, bore.
With brother's gore,
And that to his wife, fair Signild, bore.

As soon as he approach'd her room,
Grew pale fair Signild's rosy bloom.
Approach'd her room,
Grew pale fair Signild's rosy bloom.

"Tell me, Sir Loumor, gallant knight,
"Where went you then at dead of night?"
"Gallant knight,
"Where went you then at dead of night?"

"Outside, my dear, out on the hill,
"I heard, I thought, my falcon's yell."
"Out on the hill,
"I heard, I thought, my falcon's yell."

"Your falcons? — Why these sorry jests?
"God guard from harm our sleeping guests."
"Why these sorry jests?
"God guard from harm our sleeping guests/'

He set her down the cup he bore,
A cup brim full of reeking gore.
The cup he bore,
A cup brim full of reeking gore.

"Now drink, fair Signild, prithee drink,
"From brothers' blood thou wilt not shrink."
"Prithee drink,
"From brothers' blood thou wilt not shrink."

"My thirst indeed must urge me sore,
"To taste your filthy cup of gore.
"Urge me sore,
"To taste your filthy cup of gore.

"Go back, my lord, to bed again,
"I little care for those you've slain."
"To bod again,
"I little care for those you've slain."

"I reck not, though of all bereft,
"So long as you, my lord, are left."
"Though of all bereft,
"So long as you, my lord, are left."

And now full eight years more were past,
Since Loumor saw his brothers last.
Eight years were past,
Since Loumor saw his brothers last.

Sir Loumor bade brew mead and wine,
And ask'd his brothers all to dine.
Mead and wine,
And ask'd his brothers all to dine.

Fair Signild laughs, as that she hears,
She had not laugh'd for eight whole years.
As that she hears,
She had not laugh'd for eight whole years.

She placed Sir Loumor's guests at board,
With honied words their wine she pour'd.
Guests at board,
With honied words their wine she pour'd.

Sir Loumor drain'd his cup with glee,
So little fear of death had he.
His cup with glee,
So little fear of death had he.

She gave them down, whereon to sleep,
To yield them slumbers long and deep.
Whereon to sleep,
To yield them slumbers long and deep.

She pillow'd them with cushions blue,
And sleep -runes on them all she drew.
On cushions blue,
And sleep -runes on them all she drew.

Soon as her lord began to doze,
Up from his arms fair Signild rose.
Began to doze,
Up from his arms fair Signild rose.

Nor slow was she his sword to take,
And go their sleeping guests to wake.
His sword to take
And go their sleeping guests to wake.

Out to the courtyard Signild sped,
And left Sir Loumor's brothers dead.
To courtyard sped
And left Sir Loumor's brothers dead,

Her heart was with such anger fill'd,
All his three sisters too she kill'd.
With such anger fill'd,
All his three sisters too she kill'd.

A goblet then she charged with gore,
And that to her lord Sir Lou in or bore.
Charged with gore,
And that to her lord Sir Loumor bore.

But first a cord of silk she found,
And foot and thigh Sir Loumor bound.
Silk she found,
And foot and thigh Sir Loumor bound.

And then with plaited braid for bands,
She bound Sir Loumor's murderous hands.
With plaited bands
She bound Sir Loumor's murderous hands.

"Wake up, Sir Loumor, talk with me,
"In sleep I will not murder thee.
"Talk with me,
"In sleep I will not murder thee.

"Drink now, my lord Sir Loumor, drink,
"Nor thou from blood of brothers shrink."
"Sir Loumor drink,
"Nor thou from blood of brothers shrink."

"My thirst indeed must urge me sore,
To drink thy filthy cup of gore.
"Urge me sore,
"To drink thy filthy cup of gore.

"Go back, sweet wife, to bed again,
" I little care for kinsmen slain."
"To bed again,
"I little care for kinsmen slain."

He thought to grasp his trusty brand,
But felt she had bound him foot and hand.
His trusty brand,
But felt she had bound him foot and hand.

"O spare me, Signild, slay not me,
"I've never wish'd to murder thee."
"Slay not me,
"I've never wish'd to murder thee."

"It was by a murder foully plann'd,
"My father sank beneath thy hand.
"Foully plann'd,
"My father sank beneath thy hand.

"None else than thou ray father slew,
"And all my seven dear brothers too.
"My father slew,
"And all my seven dear brothers too.

"And now I'll e'en avenge on thee
"The many lives, thou 'st robb'd from me."
"Avenge on thee
"The many lives thou 'st robb'd from me."

From out her sleeve a knife she drew,
And straight therewith Sir Loumor slew.
A knife she drew,
And straight therewith Sir Loumor slew.

Then spake the babe, in cradle lay,
"I'll venge that deed some future day."
In cradle lay
"I'll venge that deed some future day."

"Thou'rt sprung, I know, from the same blood,
"To me thou never wilt be good."
"From the same blood
"To me thou never wilt be good."

She seiz'd the brat, "I'll stop thy boast,"
And dash'd its brains against a post.
"I'll stop thy boast"
And dash'd its brains against a post.

"And now that man for man I've slain
"I'll to my native land again."
"Man I've slain
"I'll to my native land again."