Lines 2440–2813

Mark, he hath seen, I wis,
The love the twain between,
Certes, the thought was his
Avenged to have been.
Tristrem he called with this
And bade him take the queen,
And drave them forth, I wis,
No more they should be seen,
They must away —
Blither they ne'er had been
I wot, for many a day!

Into a forest fair,
The twain, they fled that tide,
No dwelling have they there
Saving the woodland wide.
O'er hills and holts they fare,
Amid them they abide,
Ysonde of joy hath share,
And Tristrem, at her side;
I wot, full well,
Never before that tide
In such bliss did they dwell

Ysonde and Tristrem true
Are banished for their deed,
Hodain and Petitcrewe
The twain with them they lead.
An earth-house there they knew,
Thither they fare with speed;
He taught them, Tristrem true,
The beasts to take at need,
Nor be out-paced —
In forest fastness freed
Tristrem with Hodain chased.

Tristrem wild beasts would slay
With Hodain, for their meat;
In an earth-house they lay,
There found they solace sweet,
Giants in a by-gone day
Wrought it in fashion meet —
Each even, sooth to say,
Thither they turned their feet,
As best they might —
Thro' woodland boughs they greet
Changes of day and night.

In winter it was hot,
In summer it was cold,
Fair was that hidden grot,
The path to none they told.
No wine had they, I wot,
Nor good ale strong and old,
I trow it vexed them not
They lacked for meat on mold,
Each had their will,
The loved one to behold,
Nor ever gaze their fill!

On a hill Tristrem stood,
Aforetime was he there,
He found a well right good,
Crystal its waters were.
Thereto in joyous mood
He came, with Ysonde fair;
I wot this was their food,
On forest flesh they fare
With herbs, and grass —
In joy, all free from care,
Twelve months, save three weeks, pass.

Tristrem, ere dawn of day,
With Hodain forth would fare,
He found a beast of prey
Within a secret lair.
He slew that beast straightway
And with him homeward bare —
Sweet Ysonde sleeping lay,
Tristrem, he laid him there
Beside the queen —
His brand, unsheathed and bare,
Was laid the twain between.

A hart to bay he ran
King Mark, that self -same day;
The track his huntsmen scan
And find a woodland way;
Tristrem, in little span,
And Ysonde, sooth to say,
They find — sure no such man,
And none so fair a may,
E'er met their sight —
Between the twain there lay
A drawn sword, burnished bright.

The huntsmen went forthright,
Told Mark where they had been;
That lady and that knight
Had Mark aforetime seen;
He knew them well by sight —
The sword, it lay between,
A sunbeam passing bright
It shone upon the queen
Thro' crevice small,
Upon her face so sheen —
It vexed the king withal.

His glove he set therein
To keep the sun away —
King Mark, he woe must win,
And spake: "Ah, wellaway,
Two who would dwell in sin
Never in such wise lay!
Who live as loyal kin
Have no thought for love's play,
T is sooth, I wis— "
The knights with one voice say
"Pledge of their truth is this!"

Then wakened Tristrem true
And Ysonde, fair and sheen,
The glove away they drew
And spake the twain between;
That it was Mark's they knew
And wist he there had been.
Their joy awakened new
To know he thus had seen
Them both with sight —
With that came knights so keen
To fetch the twain forthright.

To court had come the twain
Who dwelt in woodland wide;
Mark kissed Ysonde again
And Tristrem, true and tried;
Forgiven was their pain,
Naught was to them denied;
Tristrem did office gain
Therein would he abide
As at that stound —
Hearken, who at this tide
Would know of love the ground.

It fell the twain between
Upon a summer's day,
That Tristrem and the queen
Sought solace in love's play,
The dwarf the twain had seen,
To Mark he swift did say:
"Sir King, I surely ween
Thy wife is now away
With her true knight,
Wend swiftly on thy way,
O'ertake them, an thou might."

King Mark, he swiftly ran;
His coming both might see,
Tristrem spake, woeful man,
"Sweet Ysonde, lost are we,
By naught that we may plan
The thing may hidden be,"
Ne'er was so sad a man
As Tristrem, verily,
True knight and friend —
"For fear of death I flee,
In woe my way I wend.

"I flee, since death I dread,
I may not here abide,
In woe I seek this stead
The friendly forest side —
A ring ere hence he sped
She gave him at that tide —
For fear of death he fled
Unto the woodland wide
Forthwith I ween —
To seek him swift they ride,
Alone they found the queen.

Tristrem hath gone his way
As naught 'twixt them had been;
Therefore the knights they say
That Mark amiss had seen.
And straightway do they pray
That Mark forgive the queen —
Tristrem by Ysonde lay
That night, in sooth I ween,
Good watch he kept —
Love's solace was between
The twain while others slept.

Tristrem hath fled away,
He cometh not again,
He sigheth, sooth to say,
For sorrow and for pain.
Tristrem, he fareth aye '
As one who would be slain,
Nor ceaseth, night and day,
Conflict to seek amain,
That knight so free —
He wandereth thro' Spain,
Of giants, he slew three.

Anon from Spain he fared,
Fain Rohant's sons to see,
Their joy they nowise spared,
Welcome to them was he.
Long time with them he fared —
Good reason there should be,
Their land they fain had shared
With him who set them free
An 't were his thought —
He quoth: "My thanks have ye,
Of your land will I naught."

To Britain did he hie,
There was he the duke's knight,
The land in peace did lie
That erst was full of fight.
The duke's lands, presently,
He won again with fight —
He gave him, 't is no lie,
His daughter fair and bright
There, in that land;
The maiden, she was hight
Ysonde, of the White Hand.

Tristrem, with love so strong,
He loved Ysonde the queen,
Of Ysonde made a song
By Ysonde sung, I ween.
The maiden deemed a-wrong
That song of her had been —
Her yearning lasted long,
That hath her father seen,
Her will he knew —
Ysonde with hand of sheen
He offered Tristrem true.

Tristrem a wish doth hold
Fast hidden in his thought;
"King Mark, mine uncle bold,
Great wrong on us hath brought,
I am to sorrow sold,
Thereto she me hath brought
Whose love was mine of old,
The book, it saith, with naught
Of lawful right —
The maid henceforth he sought
For that she Ysonde hight.

That was her heart's demand,
Her will would he obey —
True covenant and band
He bound with that fair may,
Ysonde of the White Hand
He wedded her that day —
At night, I understand,
As he would go his way
To bower and bed,
Tristrem's ring fell away
As men him thither led.

Tristrem beheld the ring,
His heart was full of woe —
"Ysonde did no such thing,
She ne'er betrayed me so
Tho' Mark, her lord and king,
Force her with him to go —
My heart may no man bring
From her, as well I know,
The fair and free —
Now severed are we two,
The sin, it rests on me!"

Tristrem, in bed he lay,
His heart was full of care;
He quoth: "Love's secret play
In sooth, I may not dare." —
He said the maiden nay,
If so her will it were —
She answered him straightway:
"Of that have thou no care,
I'll hold me still,
Nor ask for foul or fair
Save as it be thy will."

Her father on a day
He gave them lands so wide,
Afar, upon the way,
The posts were set beside.
The duke's lands this side lay,
A giant's the other side —
No man durst there to stray,
The giant would him abide
And challenge fight —
Lowered perforce his pride
Or king he were, or knight.

"Tristrem, I would thee rede
That thou, for love of me,
Pass not, for any need,
Beyond yon arm of sea.
Of Beliagog take heed,
A giant stern is he,
Thou should'st him fear indeed
Since thou his brothers three
Hast slain in fight,
Urgain, Morgan, truly,
And Moraunt, noble knight.

"An thine hounds seek a hare
And from his lands come free,
So be thou debonaire
If his hounds come to thee."
The forest, it was fair
With many an unknown tree,
Tristrem would thither fare
However it might be
His foe abide —
"That country will I see
What chance soe'er betide."

Tristrem would hunt the wood,
To chase a hart began,
There, where the boundary stood,
His hounds across it ran.
Tho' black and broad the flood
He crossed it like a man,
The duke's word he withstood
But followed for a span
The further shore —
Then blew, as hunters can,
A blast, three notes and more.

Beliagog came that tide,
And asked who he might be?
'A-hunting here I ride
As Tristrem men know me —
'Who slew Moraunt with pride,
That Tristrem, art thou he?
Who Urgain too defied,
And slew? 'T were ill did we
Here kiss as kin,
That wrong shall righted be
Now thou my land art in!"

'I slew them, sooth to tell,
So hope I thee to slay,
This forest will I fell
And build a burg straightway.
'T were merry here to dwell,
So here I think to stay —
The giant heard full well
And waxed right wroth that day,
He scarce was wise —
In such wise did the fray
Betwixt the twain arise.

Then mighty spears and tried
The giant to hurl began,
Sir Tristrem's life that tide
Had well nigh reached its span.
Betwixt hauberk and side
The dart methinks it ran —
Tristrem, he sprang aside,
Gave thanks, as valiant man
To God's great Might —
Tristrem, as best he can,
Now girdeth him for fight.

Now Beliagog, the bold,
E'en as a fiend did fight,
As Thomas hath us told
He nigh had slain the knight.
By God's Will, there on mold,
His foot did he off-smite
Tristrem, to earth he rolled
That man of mickle might,
And loud he cried
"Tristrem, now peace be plight,
Take thou my lands so wide.

"Now hast thou vanquished me
In battle and in fight,
Fealty I swear to thee,
'Gainst thee have I no right."
His wealth he bade him see,
Tristrem, the noble knight,
And Tristrem spake him free —
His faith the giant did plight
That he full fain,
Would build a bower bright
For Ysonde and Brengwain.

The giant led the way
Until a burg they found,
The water round it lay,
His fathers held that mound.
Tristrem the giant did pray
Strong walls to build around,
And Beliagog that day
Gave him of woodland ground
Enough for all —
Ysonde, so fairly found,
He 'ld lead unto that hall.