Lines 1220–1627

He seemed a man to praise
Tho' doleful wounds he bare,
Strange to their ears his lais,
(Men deemed them wondrous fair)
His harp, his lute always,
The chess board that he bare,
All filled them with amaze,
By Patrick good they sware
Never in all their days
The like were seen —
"A man of gentle ways
In health had he but been!"

That lady of high kin
To search his wounds was bent,
Knowledge she fain would win,
Grimly he made lament.
(His bones brake through the skin
For anguish was he spent;)
They bare him to an inn,
A bath, with good intent,
Both soft and strong
They made, that, well content,
Tristrem could walk ere long.

Soft salves to him they brought
And drinks both strong and sweet,
The cost they counted naught
So they brought healing fleet.
Oft to his harp they sought,
His pastimes they hold meet;
The queen his presence sought
And oft would him entreat
To seek her bower,
With mirth and music sweet
To wile away an hour.

The king's own daughter dear —
Maiden Ysonde she hight —
Music was fain to hear
And Geste to read aright.
A teacher without peer,
Sir Tramtris bent his might
His skill to bring her near,
And train both hand and sight,
Till, sooth to say,
In Ireland was no knight
Who durst with Ysonde play.

Ysonde men praise alway,
So fair, so bright, is she,
All clad in green and gray
With scarlet fittingly.
On earth is none who may
With her compared be
Save Tramtris, who alway
Was lord of courtesie
And games on ground —
Tramtris would hence away
Since healed was his wound.

Tramtris, on Irish ground
He dwelt, a twelvemonth clear,
Such tending good he found
Whole was he in that year.
He to the queen was bound
In service due and dear,
Ysonde, in glee and round
He trained, right sweet to hear;
She knew each lay —
Then leave he prayed them here,
By ship he would away.

The wise queen, undismayed,
To Tramtris did she say
"An ye a stranger aid
He passeth soon away!"
His hire to him she paid
Silver and gold that day;
What he would, that the maid,
Ysonde, gave for his play;
Then, without fail,
He bade them both "Good-day,"
With him went Gouvernail.

Fair sails to mast they drew,
Both white and red as blood;
A favouring wind fresh blew,
Towards Carlion they stood.
Now is he Tristrem true
And fareth over flood
The ship the landsmen knew
It seemed to them right good,
The news was known —
(Of wrath in fear they stood
Since he had sailed alone!)

They ran and told the king
The ship was come again;
I ween of no tiding
Was ever Mark so fain!
Straightway to town they bring
Tristrem with joyful train,
Full blithe was their meeting —
The king to hear was fain
There, at that stound,
"Tristrem, art whole again?
Cure for thy wound hast found?"

He told them all the tale
Right strange unto their ear,
How she had blessed his bale
Who Moraunt held so dear,
And made him whole and hale —
All that he bade them hear.
Then Tristrem, without fail,
Of Ysonde, maiden dear,
Told tidings new —
"Fair is she without peer
In love is none so true."

Mark did to Tristrem say:
"My land I yield to thee
To hold after my day —
Thine own it sure shall be
An thou bring me that may
That I her face may see."
This ever was his way,
Of Ysonde speaketh he,
How men should prize
Her grace and courtesie;
In love was none so wise.

Thro' England far and wide
The barons them bethought
To quell Sir Tristrem's pride;
In cunning wise they wrought,
They prayed the king that tide
A queen for him be sought;
That Tristrem should abide
And claim hereafter naught,
Nor reign as king —
He should, this was their thought,
Ysonde from Ireland bring.

"As blood upon the snow
So red and white her cheek,
A bride thus fair to show
Tristrem for thee shall seek."
Tristrem quoth: "Now I know
Thro' lies their spite they 'ld wreak,
What never may be so
To ask is fools' bespeak!
To wise man's mind
'T is folly all to seek
What man may never find!

"I bid ye cease your strife,
I heard a swallow sing,
Ye say, I 'Id keep from wife
King Mark, since I 'Id be king!
Then, since such talk be rife,
Bring ship and plenishing,
Ye see me not in life
Save that to ye I bring
Ysonde the bright;
But find at my bidding,
Fifteen men, sons of knight."

The knights they chose that day,
All wary men, and wise,
Of lofty rank alway
Whom men might highest prize.
A ship with green and gray
And furs of varied dyes,
With everything, I say,
Fitting to merchandise
In goodly store —
They set sail on this wise
For Ireland's distant shore.

His ship was richly found
With all the needful ware,
From Carlion was he bound,
Fitly he forth did fare.
They reared their gonfanoun,
The wind blew fresh and fair,
They came to Develin town,
A haven sought they there
As fit and best —
Gifts to the king they bare
And prayed his leave to rest.

Gifts for the king they brought,
And gifts they gave the queen,
For Ysonde took they thought,
(That do I wot and ween.)
As they their vessel sought,
Who now at court had been,
(No fairer maid they thought
Had e'er on earth been seen
By mortal sight —
The town and shore between
The folk were in full flight.

From Develin they fled
Fast as their feet might fly;
Down to the shore they sped
To drowning were they nigh;
All for a dragon dread —
'On ship-board!" was their cry,
The ships were dressed that stead,
Naught recked they, verily,
That he who slew
The dragon, his should be
Ysonde, as guerdon due.

Tristrem, right glad was he,
He called his knights straightway
'Which of ye all would be
The man to dare this fray?"
Each would the other see,
And for himself said nay;
"In sooth now woe is me! "
Sir Tristrem quoth that day:
"To aid, who can?"
Now hearken an ye may
Deeds of a valiant man.

From ship a steed he drew,
The best that he had brought,
His armour, it was new,
Richly with gold inwrought.
His heart was staunch and true,
(In life it failed for naught,)
The country well he knew
Ere he the dragon sought,
And saw with eye
How Hell-fire, so he thought,
Did from the monster fly.

Against that dragon dread
Tristrem he rode that tide,
Fierce as a lion he sped
The battle to abide.
With strong spear, at that stead,
He smote the dragon's side,
Naught was he furthered,
The spear point off did glide
With ne'er a dint,
That fearsome dragon's hide
Was hard as any flint!

Tristrem thereof was woe,
Another spear took he,
Against his dragon foe
It brake in pieces three.
The dragon dealt a blow,
The good steed, slain was he;
Tristrem, I 'Id have ye know,
He sprang beneath a tree,
To pray was fain —
'Dear God in Trinity,
Let me not here be slain!"

On foot did Tristrem brave
Against that dragon fight,
Blows with his falchion gave
E'en as a doughty knight.
His lower jaw he clave
In twain, with stroke of might;
The dragon 'gainst him drave,
His breath, as fire alight
Burning, he sent,
His arms that erst were bright
All scorched were they and rent.

Such fire he cast again
As burnt both shield and stone,
The good steed lieth slain,
His arms are burnt each one.
Tristrem, he cleft the brain,
And brake the fiend's back-bone —
Ne'er had he been so fain
As when that fight was done.
Then more, to boot,
The fiend's tongue hath he ta'en
And shorn off at the root.

The tongue he safe would hide
And in his hose would bear;
Scarce had he gone ten stride
Ere speech had failed him there.
Needs must he here abide,
No further may he fare —
The king's steward came that tide,
The head away he bare;
With guile he brought
That pledge to Ysonde fair
And vowed 't was dearly bought!

The steward had full fain
Won Ysonde, an he might —
The king, he quoth again,
Full fair had been that fight.
Ysonde to blind were vain,
She fast denied his right;
There, where the foe was slain,
The queen and she, by night
They took their way,
And sought the valiant wight
Who could such monster slay.

"Think ye he did this deed
The steward?" quoth Ysonde; "Nay!
Look at yon gallant steed
He owned it ne'er a day.
Look at this goodly weed,
'T was ne'er his, sooth to say!"
Further with haste they speed,
And found a man who lay
And breath scarce drew, —
Quoth they "So God us rede
This man the dragon slew!"

Betwixt his lips alway
Cordial they pour with care;
When speak Sir Tristrem may
His tale he told them there:
"This dragon did I slay"
(Freely he spake and fair)
"The tongue I cut away,
Venom with me I bare —
Straightway they look;
The queen, with craft and care,
Forthwith the tongue she took.

They quoth, his was the right,
The steward, he had lied;
They asked him, would he fight
With him who claimed the bride?
Tristrem spake as a knight
The test he would abide.
So well his faith he plight
Ysonde, she laughed that tide.
Her gage he met,
His ship with all its pride
Pledge for his faith he set.

The queen asks who he is
Who dared that fiend abide?
"Merchant am I, I wis,
My ship lies here beside.
Now hath the steward done this,
I will abate his pride
Ere that he Ysonde kiss!"
Against him would he ride
With all his might —
Ysonde, she softly sighed:
"Alas, wert thou but knight!"

Their champion, day by day,
With fitting food they feed,
Until they deem he may
Adventure doughty deed.
His arms, full long were they,
His shoulders broad at need,
The wise queen, sooth to say,
To bathe would Tristrem lead
Such skill she knew, —
Herself she went with speed
A strengthening drink to brew.

Now Ysonde, secretly,
Deemed that he Tramtris were,
His sword she fain would see,
Broken she finds it there.
Forth from a coffer, she
Draweth a piece with care
And fits it tremblingly —
The blade is whole and fair!
It fitteth right —
Ysonde, in her despair
Would slay Tristrem the knight.

Ysonde by Tristrem stood,
Unsheathed she held the brand —
"Moraunt, my kinsman good,
He fell beneath thine hand,
For this thy red heart's blood
I 'Id see shed on this strand!" —
The queen deemed she were wood;
Smiling, with cup in hand,
T'ward them she drew —
"Nay, thou shalt understand,
This wretch thy brother slew!

"Tristrem our foe is he,
That may not be denied,
The piece thou here may'st see
Thro' that mine uncle died,
It fitteth evenly,
See, I the twain have tried!"
Fain had she smitten free
Sir Tristrem in that tide,
'T is sooth, I say,
He in the bath had died
Save for the queen that day.

Sir Tristrem smiling spake
To sweet Ysonde the bright;
"The chance was your's to take
The while I Tramtris hight;
Wroth are ye for the sake
Of Moraunt, noble knight,
I no evasion make,
In battle and fair fight
I have him slain;
An he had had the might
So had he me, full fain!

"The while I Tramtris hight
I taught thee game and song;
Later, as best I might,
I spake thy praise with tongue
To Mark, the noble knight,
Till he for thee did long!"
Thus sware he day and night,
And pledges set full strong
Their lands between,
That, for amends of wrong,
Ysonde should aye be queen.

Tristrem, he sware that thing,
(They said, so should it stand,)
That he should Ysonde bring,
(Thereto they set their hand)
To Mark the noble king,
An he still bare command,
That she be made with ring
Queen of the English land.
The sooth to say
So did the forward stand
Ere yet they sailed away.