Lines 1–420

For love of God in Trinity
Ye who be gentle hearken me,
I pray ye, par amour;
Hear what befell beyond the sea
To barons twain, of great bountie,
And men of high honour;
Their fathers, they were barons free,
And lordings come of high degree,
Renowned in town and tower;
The tale of these their children twain
Alike in pleasure and in pain
To hear is great dolour.

In weal and woe what was their lot,
And how their kinsmen knew them not,
Those children brave and fair;
(Courteous and good they were, forsooth,
And friends became from early youth,
E'en as in court they were.)
And how the twain they were dubbed knight,
And how together sware troth-plight,
And did as comrades fare;
The land from which those children came,
And how each one was called by name
I will to ye declare.

In Lombardie, I understand,
Of old it chanced, in that same land,
E'en as in Geste we read,
There dwelt two barons, brave and bold,
Who did as wives in wedlock hold
Two ladies, fair in weed.
And as it fell, those ladies fair
A son each to her lord did bear
Who doughty was in deed;
And true were they in everything,
And therefore Jesu, Heaven's King,
Requited them their meed.

The children's names as they were hight
In rhyme I will rehearse aright
And tell in tale to ye;
Begotten in the self-same night,
The self-same day they saw the light,
Forsooth and verily;
And the one baron's son, I wis,
They called him by his name, Amis,
When christened he should be;
The other was called Amiloun,
He was a child of great renown,
And came of high degree.

Those bairns, I trow, they well did thrive,
No fairer bairns were seen alive,
So courteous, true, and good;
Whenas their years they reckoned five
Then all their kin of them were blithe
So mild were they of mood;
When seven years were their's, I wis
That every man of them had bliss
Who saw them as they stood;
And when they were twelve winters old
Throughout the land all did them hold
Fairest of bone and blood.

Now in that time, I understand,
A duke was lord of that same land
Renowned in town and tower;
A message he sent speedily
To earl and baron, bond and free,
To ladies bright in bower,
A right rich feast he thought to make
And all for Our Lord Jesu's sake
Who is Our Saviour;
And many folk, the sooth to say,
He bade them come by a set day,
With mirth and great honour.

Those barons twain, who were so bold,
And these, their sons, of whom I told,
To court they came straightway,
When all were gathered, young and old,
Full many did the lads behold
Of lordings blithe and gay;
Saw them in body full of grace,
To all men's eyes alike in face,
Well taught in Wisdom's way;
And all men sware that: "Verily,
Children so fair as these shall be
We saw not ere to-day!"

In all the court there was no wight
Nor earl nor baron, swain nor knight,
Were he or lieve or loth,
For that they were so like to sight,
And in their growth of equal height,
(I tell this on my troth —
Since that they were so like to see
Nor rich man there, nor poor might be,
Of those who saw them both,
Father nor mother of the two,
Who knew the one the other fro'
Save by their coat and cloth.

The rich duke, he his feast did hold
With earls, and many a baron bold,
As ye may list my lay,
A fourteen-night, as I was told,
With meat and drink, merry on mold,
He bade his guests be gay;
For mirth they had, and melody,
And every kind of minstrelsy,
To show their skill alway;
Upon the fifteenth day they make
Ready, their homeward way to take,
With thanks their host they pay.

Then ere the lordings forth had gone
The duke of gracious mien, anon,
He called to him that tide
These barons, proved in courtesie,
And prayed that they his friends should be
And in his court abide;
And let their two sons, of goodwill,
Be of his house to serve him still,
And fare forth at his side;
And he as knight would dub the twain
And would them fittingly maintain
As lordings proud in pride.

The barons answered him straightway,
And with their ladies spake that day
And made him answer fair,
And said, they were both glad and fain
That these their lovely children twain
In this his service were;
Blessing they gave their sons that day,
And Jesu, Heaven's King, did pray
To shield them both from care;
Full oft they thanked the duke that tide,
Then took their leave from thence to ride
And to their country fare.

Thus were those children twain, I wis,
Childe Amiloun and Childe Amis,
Made free in court to feed,
A-hunting 'neath the boughs to ride,
O'er all the land their praise was cried
As worthiest in weed;
Such love each to the other bore
Were never children who loved more
Neither in word nor deed;
Betwixt the twain, in blood and bone,
A truer love was never shown,
In Geste as ye may read.

Thus on a day, these children bright,
Their troth each to the other plight,
While they might live and stand,
That both alike, by day and night,
In weal or woe, for wrong or right,
By free and friendly band,
They 'ld hold together in all need,
In word and work, in will and deed,
Where'er they were in land;
From that day forward ne'er to fail
Each other, aye for bliss or bale,
To that they set their hand.

Thus in the Geste as ye may hear
Within that land, those children dear
Did with the duke abide;
The duke, he was both blithe and fain
Dear to him were those children twain
Who fared forth at his side.
When they were fifteen winters old
He dubbed them both, those bairns so bold,
As knights in that same tide,
And gave them all that they might need,
Horses and weapons, knightly weed,
As princes proud in pride.

That rich duke loved those lads so brave
All that they would he freely gave,
Steeds had they, white and brown;
Where'er they were to sojourn fain
The land, it spake but of those twain,
Were it in tower or town;
In whatsoever place they went,
Were it for joust or tournament,
Amis and Amiloun
The doughtiest were in every deed,
With shield and spear to ride on steed
They won them great renown.

The rich duke, he the twain did prize,
For that they wary were and wise,
Holden good knights to be,
Sir Amiloun, and Sir Amis,
He gave them office high, I wis,
In court for all to see;
Sir Amis, as I tell ye now,
Chief butler did he make, I trow,
Since he was fair and free;
Sir Amiloun, of his knights all
He made chief steward in his hall
To order his mesnie.

When thus into his service brought
To win them praise they spare them naught,
In courteous wise they fare;
With rich and poor so well they wrought
That they, I trow, in word and thought,
Well loved by many were,
For that they were so blithe of cheer
Throughout the land, both far and near,
All did their praise declare.
And the rich duke, an truth be told,
Above all men who lived on mold
Most love to them he bare.

The duke, for so I understand,
Had a chief steward o'er his land,
A doughty knight was he,
By envy urged, he, at this same,
Strove hard to bring them both to blame,
By guile and treachery;
For that they courteous were and good,
And high in the duke's favour stood,
He needs must envious be;
His lord with evil words he sought
And fain had shame upon them brought,
Such was his felonie.

Ere yet two years to end were brought
A messenger hath swiftly sought
Sir Amiloun in hall,
And said his parents twain were dead,
Father and mother, in that stead,
Must answer to God's call —
A sad man was the knight that day,
Unto the duke he took his way,
Told him what did befall,
How father brave, and mother fair,
Were dead, and he must homeward fare
And take his lands withal.

Then the duke rich, and fair to see,
He spake with kind words graciously,
And said: "So God me speed,
Sir Amiloun, thou hence shalt wend,
Ne'er grieved I so for any friend
Who left my court indeed!
But if the chance it falleth so
That thou shalt be in war or woe,
And of my help hast need,
Come thou thyself, or message send,
With all the force my land may lend
I'll aid thee in that deed."

Sir Amiloun was sad at heart
That he must from Sir Amis part,
On him was all his thought,
He with a goldsmith speech did hold,
And bade him make two cups of gold,
For pounds three hundred bought;
The twain they of one weight should be,
And of one fashion, verily, —
Full richly were they wrought; —
And both they were as like, I wis,
As Amiloun was like Amis,
Thereto there failed naught.

Whenas Sir Amiloun was dight
He took his leave to wend forthright
And ride as swift might be,
Sir Amis was so full of care
For grief and woe, and sighing sare
That well nigh swooned he —
He sought the duke in dreary mood,
And prayed of him e'en as he stood,
Spake, "Sire, of charitie,
Now give me leave to wend thee fro',
Save I may with my brother go
My heart shall break in three!"

But the rich duke, so fair to see,
With courteous words, and graciouslie,
Answered without delay
And said: "Sir Amis, my good friend,
Now would ye both from this court wend?
Certes, I tell ye nay!
For an ye both should me forsake
Then all my sorrow should ye wake,
My joy were all away.
Thy brother seeks his lands this tide,
Thou on his way with him shalt ride
And come again to-day."

When they were ready forth to ride
The barons bold who should abide,
They busked them up and down;
Now hearken here, naught would I hide,
Those doughty knights who, at that tide,
Fared forth from out the town,
E'en as they rode, throughout the day,
Great mourning did they make alway
Amis and Amiloun,
And when they needs must part, the twain,
Then fair together on a plain
From horse they lighted down.

And when the twain on foot were 'light,
Sir Amiloun, that courteous knight,
Was likewise of good rede,
Thus to Sir Amis spake forthright:
"Brother, as we our troth once plight,
Alike in word and deed,
From that day forward, without fail,
To be of aid in bliss or bale,
And help in every need,
So brother, now be true to me,
And I will be as true to thee,
So God give me good speed

"And brother, here I would thee warn
For His Sake, Who the Crown of Thorn
To save Mankind once wore,
Against thy lord ne'er be foresworn,
For if thou art, shalt be forlorn,
And lost for evermore!
But hold to truth and treason shun,
And think of me, Sir Amiloun,
Since parting lies before.
And brother, this I pray of thee
Shun the false steward's companie,
He'll do thee mischief sore!"

As thus they stood, those brethren bold,
Amiloun took those cups of gold,
Alike in everything,
And bade Sir Amis that he should
Choose whether of the twain he would
Without more parleying;
And quoth to him: "now dear, my brother,
Take thou the one, and I the other,
For God's Love, Heaven's King;
And let this cup ne'er go from thee,
But look on it, and think on me,
For Friendship's tokening!"

With sorrow sore they part, I wis,
With weeping eyes and many a kiss,
Those knights so fair and free,
To God each doth commend his friend,
Then sprang on steed his way to wend,
And rode thence speedily;
Sir Amiloun, he sought his land,
And brought straightway beneath his hand
All that his sire's should be,
Then with a lady fair he wed,
His bride with honour homeward led,
And much solemnity.

Sir Amiloun now leave we here,
In his own land, with wife so dear,
(God grant them well to fare,)
And of Sir Amis will we tell,
Who came again, at court to dwell,
Then blithe of him they were;
For that he courteous was and good
Men blessed the sire, in bone and blood,
Who him begat and bare;
Save but the steward, who ever strove,
Since hate and envy did him move,
To bring the knight to care.

Then as it chanced upon a day,
He met the steward on his way,
Who spake full courteouslie,
And quoth: "Sir Amis, thou art woe
In that thy brother hence must go,
Certes, 't is so with me,
But for his going cease to grieve,
If thou wilt now my rede believe
And let thy mourning be,
And wilt as comrade with me wend
I'll be to thee a better friend,
Than ever yet was he!"

He quoth: "Sir Amis, hear my prayer,
And brotherhood with me now swear,
Plight we our troth, we two;
Be true to me in word and deed,
And I shall be, so God me speed,
As true to thee also; "
Sir Amis quoth: "My troth I plight
Sir Amiloun, that gentle knight,
Ere that he hence must go,
And whiles that I in life shall be
That troth shall ne'er be broke by me,
Neither for weal nor woe!

"For by the truth that God doth send
I found him aye so good a friend
Since we each other knew,
For that to him my troth was plight,
Where'er he go, that gentle knight,
To him will I be true.
And if I now should be foresworn
And break my troth, I were forlorn,
And sore it should me rue.
But win me friends where'er I may
I ne'er shall change, by night or day,
This old friend for a new!"

The steward was of evil mood,
For wrath, I trow, he waxed nigh wood,
And spake without delay,
And sware by Him Who died on Rood:
"Thou traitor, of unnatural blood,
Shalt dearly buy this "nay";
And thus he spake: "Be warned by me,
A bitter foe I'll be to thee,
Henceforward, from this day!"
Sir Amis bold, he answered there,
"Sir, not a sloe for that I care,
Do all the ill ye may!"

'T was thus their quarrel rose that day,
In wrath upon their separate way
Those barons bold they go;
The steward ceased not day and night
Striving to shame that doughty knight
If chance the way should show.
In court together had they been
With wrathful cheer, and lowering mien,
For half a year or so,
And after that it chanced one while
The steward by treason and by guile
He wrought him mickle woe.

Then on a time, 't is written fair,
The rich duke did a feast prepare
Seemly, in summer-tide,
And many a gentle guest there came,
Good meat and good drink, at that same,
Were served on every side;
Mickle the folk assembled all,
Of earl and baron, great and' small,
And ladies proud in pride,
Nor greater joy on earth might be
Than in that hold of chivalrie
With bliss in bower to bide.