Lines 1628–2032

The steward denied his deed,
Hearing he Tristrem hight;
The king sware, God him speed,
They both should have their right!
The steward took better rede
And sware he would not fight —
To Tristrem as his meed
They gave Ysonde the bright —
That they should bring
In ward that traitor knight
The maid besought the king.

Tristrem prayed land nor fee,
Only that maiden bright:
For parting speedily
They trussed them, squire and knight.
Her mother, blithe was she,
She brewed a drink of might,
That love should waken free —
A maiden, Brengwain hight,
She gave the draught:
"See, on their bridal night
By king and queen 't is quaffed!"

Ysonde, the bright of hue,
Is far out on the sea,
A wind against them blew,
No sail might hoisted be.
They rowed, those knights so true,
Tristrem, an oar took he
E'en as his turn fell due,
Nor one, against the three,
From toil would shrink —
Ysonde, the maiden free,
Bade Brengwain give them drink.

The cup was richly wrought,
Of gold it was, the pin,
In all the world was naught
To match the drink therein.
Brengwain, she was distraught,
She to that flask did win
And to sweet Ysonde brought —
She bade Tristrem begin;
The sooth to say,
Each heart there found its twin
Until their dying day.

A dog was at their side,
That was yclept Hodain,
The cup he licked that tide
When set down by Brengwain.
These three in love allied,
(Thereof were they full fain,)
Together must abide
In joy, and eke in pain,
Long as man's thought —
In an ill hour they drain
The drink that ill was wrought.

Tristrem, each night he lay
Beside that lady sweet,
And found with her alway
Such solace as was meet.
In her bower, night and day,
Gaily the hours they fleet —
They dallied in love's play —
Brengwain doth well entreat
For love the twain.
As sun in summer's heat
So waxed their love amain.

Two weeks thus bound to strand
No sail to mast they drew;
By favouring breezes fanned
Towards the shore they flew.
Mark hunted in the land —
A varlet whom he knew
He knighted with his hand
For tidings good and true
That he did bring —
Ysonde, the fair of hue,
She wedded Mark the King.

Wedded with ring were they —
Of feasting speak I naught —
Then Brengwain, sooth to say,
Did as the three had thought;
(She took the drink that day
That was with magic fraught,)
To Mark the King alway
In Ysonde's stead, was brought
Brengwain, that tide;
Till he his will had wrought
On her who lay beside.

When Mark had had his will
Ysonde her place would take;
A cup she bade them fill
That she her thirst might slake,
The drink she swift did spill;
Small need for Tristrem's sake
To summon magic skill,
No man the bands might break
Betwixt the twain,
Nor clerk of wisdom make
Their true Love's secret plain.

They looked for joy alway,
Certes, it was not so
Their dreams, they went astray,
Doubts fell betwixt the two.
The one in languor lay;
The other fain would go;
Ysonde was blithe and gay
When Tristrem was in woe,
Such feint she made —
Ysonde, I 'Id have ye know,
Brengwain full ill repaid.

She said: "I may be wroth,
She lay first with the king;
I vowed she should have cloth,
Gold, and a rich wedding.
Tristrem and I for troth
Win shame and slandering —
Methinks 't were best for both
That maid to death to bring,
Secret and still —
Then, fearing naught the king,
Free, we may work our will."

The queen bade to her side
Two workmen, on a day;
And told them at that tide
What was her will to say.
"I will ye slay and hide
Brengwain, that merry may! " —
She quoth: "Ye shall abide
In wealth for many a day.
Now go with speed,
Nor fear for lack of pay
An well ye do this deed."

Into a dark ravine
They led the maiden good,
One drew his sword so keen,
And one behind her stood.
"Mercy," she cried, I ween,
And quoth: "By Christ on Rood,
What hath my trespass been,
Why would ye spill my blood?"
"The sooth to say,
Ysonde, that lady good
She sent us thee to slay."

Then Brengwain secretly
Bade them to seek the queen:
"Greet well my sweet lady,
Say, I have faithful been;
White smocks had she and I,
But her's had lost its sheen,
When she by Mark should lie
I lent her mine all clean
And that she wore:
Against her, well I ween,
Have I done nothing more."

The maid they would not slay
But gat them to the queen;
Ysonde, she asked alway
What passed the three between?
"She bade us soothly say:
'Since soiled your smock had been
When erst by Mark ye lay,
I lent ye mine all clean,
As well ye knew.' "
Quoth Ysonde, quick and keen,
"Where is my maiden true?"

Ysonde in wrathful mood
Quoth: "Ye have killed Brengwain!"
She sware by Christ on Rood
Hanging should be their pain.
She proffered gifts so good
To bring that maid again:
They fetched her where she stood,
Then was Ysonde full fain
And, sooth to say,
So true she found Brengwain
She loved her from that day.

Peace was betwixt them made,
And pardon given for ill —
Tristrem, all undismayed,
Of Ysonde had his will —
From Ireland's 'shore there strayed
A harper; to fulfil
His thought, at court he stayed;
His harp was wrought with skill,
No man with sight
Had seen its like, and still
He bare it day and night.

The queen he loved her e'er —
The harp he hither brought
And in his bosom bare,
Full richly was it wrought.
He hid it aye with care
And drew it forth for naught.
"Thy harp why wilt thou spare
If thou of skill hast aught
In lay or glee?"
"It cometh forth for naught
Save a right royal fee!"

Quoth Mark: "Now let me see,
Harp thou as best thou may,
And what thou askest me
That will I freely pay."
"Of right good will!" quoth he,
And harped a merry lay.
"Sir King, by gift so free
Ysonde is mine to-day
With harp, I ween
Foresworn art thou alway
Or else I take thy queen!"

Mark hath his council sworn
And asketh rede thereto:
"My manhood is foresworn
Or Ysonde must us fro'."
Mark was of joy forlorn;
Ysonde, she fared in woe;
Tristrem, it chanced that morn,
Would to the woodland go
The deer to slay, —
Nor of the tale might know
Till Ysonde was away.

Tristrem in wrath I ween
He chode with Mark the King:
"Dost give gleemen thy queen?
Hadst thou no other thing?"
His lute he there hath seen,
He took it by the ring;
Tristrem, he followed keen;
Ysonde to ship they bring
With joy and glee.
Tristrem began to sing,
She hearkened willingly.

He sang so sweet a strain
It wrought her mickle woe;
For love her heart was fain,
Well nigh it brake in two.
The earl, he came amain
And many knights also,
He spake in tender strain: —
"Sweet heart, why mournest so?
Tell me, I pray!"
Ysonde to land would go
Ere yet she sailed away.

"Within an hour this day
Shall I be whole and sound,
I hear a minstrel play
Like Tristrem's rings his round."
"Cursed were he alway,
An he should here be found!
That minstrel for his lay
Shall have an hundred pound
This day of me,
An he with us be bound
Since Love, thou lov'st his glee!"

To hear that music sweet
The queen was set on land;
Beside the waters fleet
The earl, he took her hand.
Tristrem, as minstrel meet,
A merry ruse had planned;
With ivory lute would greet
Their coming to the strand
Upon that stound.
Ysonde, on the sea sand
Full soon was whole and sound.

Whole was Ysonde, and sound,
By virtue of that glee;
I wot the earl that stound
A joyful man was he.
Of pence two hundred pound
He gave Tristrem in fee.
To ship they now are bound,
In Ireland would they be,
Of heart full fain,
The earl and his knights three
With Ysonde and Brengwain.

Tristrem, he took his steed,
And leapt thereon to ride;
The queen would have him lead
And take her at his side.
Tristrem was swift to heed —
The twain in woodland hide.
He scoffed: "Now in this need
Earl, have I lowered thy pride
Without dispute —
Won by thy harp that tide
Thou'st lost her by my lute!"

Tristrem, he Ysonde bare
Into the woods away,
They found a bower fair
And fit for lovers' play.
Seven nights abode they there
Then took to court their way;
"Henceforth, Sir King,"
Tristrem to Mark did say,
"Give minstrels other thing."

Now Meriadoc was one
Whom Tristrem trusted aye;
Much good he him had done, —
The twain together lay.
Tristrem to Ysonde won
By night, with her to play;
Wiser than he was none,
A board he took away
From off her bower.
Ere he went on his way
Of snow there fell a shower.

So fast the snow did fall
That all the way was white.
Tristrem was woe withal
For sorrow and despite.
'Twixt bower, I ween, and hall
Narrow the road to sight
A chance did him befall
As we find writ aright,
In hall he found
A straw wisp, and full tight
Around his feet he bound.

Meriadoc that night
He rose up, all unseen,
He took the path aright
That led him to the queen.
The board was loose to sight,
And there, in sooth, I ween,
Of Tristrem's robe, the knight,
He found a piece of green
But lately tore —
Then Meriadoc, the keen,
It wondered him the more.

He told the king next morn
All he had seen with sight:
"Tristrem, traitor foresworn,
With Ysonde lay last night.
Counsel of need be born —
Ask, Who shall be her knight
To shield her? Thou art sworn
The Cross to take forthright
If so ye may. —
'Tristrem, the noble knight.'
The queen herself will say!"

The king, he told the queen,
(They lay together there:)
"Lady, full soon, I ween,
On crusade must I fare;
Say now, us twain between,
Who shall thee shield from care?"
"O'er all thy knights so keen,
Tristrem!" she answered there,
"None better can;
He hath my favour fair,
He is thy near kinsman!"

All that Mark to her told
At morn she told Brengwain;
"He sails on errand bold,
Now may we be full fain
Tristrem his court shall hold
Until he come again."
Brengwain did speech unfold
"Thy deeds are known amain
And seen with sight —
Mark testeth thee again
In other wise to-night.

"Now watch thou well his will;
To wend with him thou pray,
And if he love thee still
Bid Tristrem go his way.
Pray him to deal with skill;
Thy foe was Tristrem aye;
Thou fear'st he'll do thee ill
An so he holdeth sway
The land above —
Thou loved'st him ne'er a day
Save for his uncle's love!"

Ysonde, when came the night,
Cried: "Mark, some pity show,
And deal with me aright,
Would'st leave me to my foe?
God knows, I, an I might,
From land with thee would go,
And slay Tristrem the knight,
Save that I love would show
To thee this day —
For men make feint to know
That Tristrem by me lay!"

Mark, he was blithe and bold,
Faith in her word had he:
Him, who the tale had told,
He used despitefully.
Meriadoc, as of old
Spake: "Now thou let him be,
Their loves shalt thou behold
All for the love of me;
In sooth, I ween,
By wisdom thou shalt see
The love the twain between."

Mark severed then the two,
Bade Tristrem go his way.
Ysonde was ne'er so woe
Nor Tristrem, sooth to say.
Tristrem was laid full low,
Ysonde herself would slay,
In sooth she mourned so, —
And Tristrem, night and day;
In very deed,
Each man may see alway
The life for love they lead.