Lines 1009–1512

Heder into his awyn halde,
Thar may ye wit he was ful balde.
The lady said, This es grete scorne,
That thou nevyns him me biforn,
Shou sais nowther soth, ne right,
Swith out of myrie eghen syght !
The mayden said, So mot i the,
Thus ne hight ye noght me,
That ye sold so me myssay.
With that sho turned hir oway,
And hastily sho went ogayn,
Unto the chameber to sir Ywayne.
The lady thoght than, al the nyght,
How that sho had na knyght,
Forto seke hir land thorghout,
To kepe Arthurgh and hys rowt.
Than bigan hir forto shame,
And hir self fast forto blame ;
Unto hir self fast gan sho flyte,
And said With wrang now i hir wite ;
Now hopes sho i will never mar
Luf hir, als i have done ar ;
I wil hir luf, with main and mode,
For that sho said was for my gode.
On the morn the mayden rase,
And unto chamber sone sho gase ;
Thar sho fyndes the faire lady
Hingand hir hevyd ful drerily,
In the place whar sho hir left,
And ilka dele sho talde hir eft,
Als sho had said to hir bifor.
Than said the lady, Me rewes for,
That i missayd the yisterday,
I wil amend if that i may ;
Of that knyght now wald i her,
What he war, and whether he wer ;
I wate that i have sayd omys,
Now wil i do als thou me wys :
Tel me baldely, or thou blin,
If he be cumen of gentil kyn.
Madame, sho said, i dar warand
A genteler lord es none lifand.
The hendest man ye sal him fynde,
That ever come of Adams kynde.
" How hat he ? sai me for sertayne."
Madame, sho said, sir Ywayne,
So gentil knight have ye noght sene,
He es the kings son Uryene.
Sho held hir paid of that tithyng,
For that his fader was a kyng.
" Do me have him here in my sight,
Bitwene this and the thrid night,
And ar if that it are myght be,
Me langes far him forto se ;
Bring him if thou mai this night."
Madame, sho sayd, that I ne might,
For his wonyng es hethin oway,
More than the jorne of a day ;
Bot i have a wele rinand page,
Wil stirt thider right in a stage,
And bring him by to morn at nyght.
The lady saide, Loke, yf he myght
To-morn by evyn be here ogayn.
Sho said, Madame, With al his mayn.
" Bid him hy, on alkyn wyse,
He sal be quit wele his servyse,
Avancement sal be hys bone,
It he wil do this erand sone."
Madame, sho said, i dar yow hight,
To have him her or the thrid nyght ;
To whils efter yowr kownsayl send,
And ask tham wha sal yow defend.
Yowr well, yowr land, kastel, and towr,
Ogayns the nobil king Arthur,
For thar es nane of tham ilkane
That dar the batel undertane.
Then sal ye say, nedes bus me take
A lorde to do that ye forsake :
Nedes bus yow have sum nobil knyght
That wil and may defend yowr right ;
And sais also to suffer ded
Ye wil noght do out of thair rede:
Of that worde sal thai be blyth,
And thank yow ful many sithe.
The lady said, By god of myght,
I sal areson tham this night ;
Me think thou dwelles ful lang her,
Send forth swith thi messanger.
Than was the lady blith and glad,
Sho did al als hir mayden bad,
Efter hir cownsail sho sent onane,
And bad thai sold cum sone ilkane. noo
The maiden redies hyr ful rath,
Bilive sho gert syr Ywaine bath,
And cled him sethin in gude scarlet,
Forord wele and with gold fret,
A girdel ful riche for the nanes,
Of perry and of preciows stanes.
Sho talde him al how he sold do,
When that he come the lady to ;
And thus when he was al redy,
Sho went and talde to hyr lady,
That cumen was hir messager.
Sho said smertly, Do lat me her,
Cumes he sone, als have thou wyn ?
Madame, sho said, i sal noght blin,
Or that he be byfor yow here.
Then said the lady, with light cher,
Go bring him heder prevely,
That none wit bot thou and i :
Then the maiden went ogayn,
Hastily to sir Ywayn :
Sir, sho sayd, als have i wyn,
My lady wate thou ert hereyn ;
To cum bifor hir luke thou be balde,
And tak gode tent what i have talde.
By the hand sho toke the knyght,
And led him unto chamber right,
Byfor hir lady, es noght at layne,
And of that come was sho ful fayne ;
Bot yit sir Ywayne had grete drede,
When he unto chamber yede.
The chamber flore, and als the bed,
With klothes of gold was al over spred,
Hir thoght he was withowten lac,
Bot no word to him sho spak,
And he for dred oway he drogh,
Than the mayden stode and logh :
Sho sayd, Mawgre have that knyght,
That haves of swilk a lady syght ,
And can noght shew to hir his nede ;
Cum furth sir, the thar noght drede,
That mi lady wil the smyte,
Sho loves the wele withowten lite,
Pray to hir of hir mercy,
And for thi sake right so sal i,
That sho forgif the, in this stede,
Of Salados the rouse ded,
That was hir lord that thou hast slayne.
On knese him set than syr Ywaine :
" Madame, i yelde me yow untill,
Ever to be at yowre wyll,
Yf that i might i ne wald noght fle.
Sho said, Nay, whi sold so be ?
To ded yf i gert do the now,
To me it war ful litel prow,
Bot for i find the so bowsum,
That thou wald thus to me cum,
And for thou dose the in my grace,
I forgif the thi trispase.
Syt down, sho said, and lat me her,
Why thou ert thus deboner.
Madame, he said, anis, with a luke,
Al my hert with the thou toke,
Sen i first of the had syght,
Have i the lufed with al my might,
To mo than the, mi lady hende,
Sal never mor my luf wende.
For thi luf ever i am redy
Lely forto lif or dy.
Sho said, Dar thou wele undertake
In my land pese forto make,
And forto maintene al mi rightes.
Ogayns king Arthur and his knyghtes ?
He said, That dar I undertane,
Ogaynes ilka lyfand man.
Swilk kownsail byfor had sho tane,
Sho said, Sir, than er we at ane.
Hir barons hir ful rathly red
To tak a lord hir forto wed.
Than hastily she went to hall,
Thar abade hir barons all,
Forto hald thair parlement.
And mari hir by thair asent.
Sho sayd. Sirs, with an acorde,
Sen me bus nedely have a lord,
My landes forto lede and yeme,
Sais me sone howe ye wil deme.
Madame, thai said, how so ye will,
Al we sal assent thartyll.
Than the lady went ogayne,
Unto chameber to sir Ywaine :
Sir, sho said, so god me save,
Other lorde wil i nane have,
If i the left i did noght right,
A kingson and a noble knyght.
Now has the maiden done hir thoght,
Sir Ywayne out of anger broght,
The lady led him unto hall,
Ogains him rase the barons all,
And al thai said, Ful sekerly,
This knight sal wed the lady ;
And ilkane said, tham-self bitwene,
So fair a man had thai noght sene,
For his bewte in hal and bowr,
Him semes to be an emperowr ;
We wald that thai war trowth-plight,
And weded sone this ilk nyght.
The lady set hir on the dese,
And cumand al to hald thaire pese ;
And bad hir steward sumwhat say,
Or men went fra cowrt oway :
The steward said, Sirs, understandes,
Wer es waxen in thir landes,
The king Arthur es redy dight
To be her byn this fowretenyght,
He and his menye ha thoght
To win this land if thai moght ;
Thai wate ful wele that he es ded
That was lord her in this stede,
None es so wight wapins to welde,
Ne that so boldly mai us belde, .
And wemen may maintene no stowr,
Thai most nedes have a governowre,
Tharfor mi lady most nede
Be weded hastily for drede,
And to na lord wil sho tak tent
Bot if it be by yowr assent.
Than the lordes, al on raw,
Held tham wele payd of this saw,
Al assented hyr untill
To tak a lord at hyr owyn wyll.
Than said the lady, onone right,
How hald ye yow paid of this knight ?
He prefers hym, on al wyse,
To myne honor and my servyse ;
And sertes, sirs, the soth to say,
I saw him never or this day ;
Bot talde unto me has it bene
He es the kyngson Uriene,
He es cumen of hegh parage,
And wonder doghty of vaselage,
War and wise and ful curtayse,
He yernes me to wife alwayse,
And ner the lese i wate he might
Have wele better, and so war right.
With a voice halely thai sayd,
Madame, ful wele we hald us payd ;
Bot hastes fast, al that ye may,
That ye war wedded this ilk day :
And grete prayer gan thai make,
On al wise that sho suld hym take.
Sone unto the kirk thai went,
And war wedded in thair present ;
Thar wedded Ywaine in plevyne
The riche lady Alundyne,
The dukes doghter of Landuit ;
Els had hyr lande bene destruyt.
Thus thai made the maryage,
Omang al the riche barnage,
Thai made ful mekyl mirth that day,
Ful grete festes on gude aray.
Grete mirthes made thai in that stede,
And al forgetyn es now the ded
Of him that was thair lord fre,
Thai say that this es worth swilk thre,
And, that thai lufed him mekil mor,
Than him that lord was thare byfor.
The bridal sat, for soth to tell,
Til kyng Arthur come to the well,
With al his knyghtes everilkane,
Byhind leved thar noght ane.
Than sayd sir Kay, Now whar es he
That made slike bost her forto be,
Forto venge his cosyn-germayne ?
I wist his wordes war al in vayne ;
He made grete boste bifor the quene,
And her now dar he noght be sene ;
His prowd wordes er now al purst,
For, in fayth, ful ill he durst
Anes luke opon that knyght,
That he made bost with to fyght.
Than sayd Gawayn hastily,
Syr, for goddes luf, mercy,
For i dar hete the for sertayne
That we sal here of sir Ywayne,
This ilk day, that be thou balde,
Bot he be ded or done in halde :
And never in no cumpany
Herd i him speke the velany.
Than sayd sir Kay, Lo, at thi will,
Fra this time forth i sal be still.
The king kest water on the stane,
The storme rase ful sone onane
With wikked weders kene and calde,
A Is it was byfore-hand talde ;
The king and his men ilkane
Wend tharwith to have bene slane ;
So blew it stor with slete and rayn :
And hastily than syr Ywayne
Dight him graythly in his ger,
With nobil shelde and strong sper.
When he was dight in seker wede,
Than he umstrade a nobil stede,
Him thoght that he was als lyght,
Als a fowl es to the flyght,
Unto the well fast wendes he,
And sone when thai myght him se,
Syr Kay, for he wald noght fayle,
Smertly askes the batayl ;
And alsone than said the kyng,
Sir Kay, i grante the thine askyng.
Than sir Ywayn neghed tham ner,
Thair cowntenance to se and her ;
Sir Kay than on his stede gan spring.
Ber the wele now, sayd the kyng,
Ful glad and blith was syr Ywayne,
When sir Kay come him ogayn ;
Bot Kay wist noght wha it was,
He findes his fer now or he pas ;
Syr Ywaine thinkes now to be wroken,
On the grete wordes that Kay has spoken.
Thai rade togeder with speres kene,
Thar was no reverence tham bitwene ;
Sir Ywayn gan sir Kay bere,
Out of his sadel lenkith of his sper,
His helm unto the erth smate,
A fote depe tharin yt bate ;
He wald do him na mor despite,
Bot down he lighted als tyte,
Sir Kay stede he toke in hy,
And presand the king ful curtaysly.
Wonder glad than war thai all,
That Kay so fowl a shame gan fall,
And ilkone sayd til other then,
This es he that scornes al men.
Of his wa war thai wele paid.
Syr Ywain than to the kyng said,
Sir kyng, i gif to the this stede,
For he may help the in thi nede,
And to me war it grete trispas
Forto withhald that yowres was.
What man ertow ? quod the kyng,
Of the have i na knawyng,
Bot if thou unarmed were,
Or els thi name that i might her.
Lord, he sayd, i am Ywayne.
Than was the king ferly fayne.
A sari man than was sir Kay,
That said that he was stollen oway,
Al descumfite he lay on grownde,
To him that was a sary stownde.
The king and his men war ful glad,
That thai so syr Ywayne had,
And ful glad was sir Gawayne,
Of the welefar of sir Ywayne,
For nane was to him half so der
Of all that in the court were.
The king sir Ywayn sone bisoght,
To tel him al how he had wroght,
And sone sir Ywaine gan him tell
Of al his far how it byfell,
With thr knight how that he sped,
And how he had the lady wed,
And how the mayden hym helpid wele :
Thus tald he to him ilka dele.
Sir kyng, he sayd, i yow byseke,
And al yowr menye milde and meke,
That ye wald grante to me that grace
And wend with me to my purchace,
And se my kastel and my town-,
Than myght ye do me grete honowr.
The kyng granted him ful right
To dwel with him a fowretenyght.
Sir Ywayne thanked him oft sith,
The knyghtes war al glad and blyth
With sir Ywaine forto wend,
And sone a squier has he send :
Unto the kastel the way he nome,
And warned the lady of thair come,
And that his lord come with the kyng ;
And, when the lady herd this thing,
It es no lifand man with mowth
That half hir cumforth tel kowth.
Hastily that lady hende
Cumand al hir men to wende,
And dight tham in thair best aray,
To kepe the king that ilk day.
Thai keped him in riche wede,
Rydeand on many a nobil stede,
Thai hailsed him ful curtaysly,
And also al his cumpany.
Thai said he was worthy to dowt,
That so fele folk led obowt.
Thar was grete joy, i yow bihete,
With clothes spred ' in ilka strete,
And damysels danceand ful wele,
With trompes, pipes, and with fristele :
The castel and cete rang
With mynstralsi and nobil sang ;
Thai ordand tham ilkane in fer,
To kepe the king on fair maner.
The lady went withowten towne,
And with hir many bald barowne,
Cled in purpur and ermyne,
With girdels al of gold ful fyne.
The lady made ful meri chere,
Sho was al dight with drewries der ;
Abowt hir was ful mekyl thrang.
The puple cried, and sayd omang,
Welkum ertou, kyng Arthoure,
Of al this werld thou beres the flowr,
Lord kyng of all kynges,
And blessed be he that the brynges.
When the lady the kyng saw,
Unto him fast gan sho draw,
To hald his sterap whils he lyght,
Bot sone when he of hir had syght,
With mekyl myrth thai samen met,
With hende wordes sho him gret.
A thowsand sithes, Welkum, sho says,
And so es sir Gawayne the curtayse.
The king said, Lady, white so flowr,
God gif the joy and mekil honowr,
For thou ert fayr with body gent ;
With that he hir in armes hent,
And ful fair he gan hir falde,
Thar was many to bihalde.
It es no man with tong may tell
The mirth that was tham omell ;
Of maidens was thar so gude wane,
That ilka knight myght tak ane.
Ful mekil joy syr Ywayn made,
That he the king til his hows hade,
The lady omang tham al samen
Made ful mekyl joy and gamen.
In the kastel thus thai dwell,
Ful mekyl myrth wase tham omell.
The king was thare with his knyghtes
Aght dayes and aght nyghtes,
And Ywayn tham ful mery made,
With alkyn gamyn tham for to glade ;
He prayed the kyng to thank the may
That hym had helpid in his jornay,
And ilk day had thai solace ser
Of huntyng and als of revere,
For thar was a ful fayre cuntre,
With wodes and parkes grete plente,
And castels wroght with lyme and stane,
That Ywayne with his wife had tane.
Now wil the king no langer lende,
Bot til his cuntre wil he wende.
Ay whils thai war thar, for sertayne,
Syr Gawayn did al his mayne
To pray sir Ywaine, on al maner,
For to wende with tham in fere ;
He said, Sir, if thou ly at hame,
Wonderly men wil the blame ;
That knyght es nothing to sot by
That leves al his chevalry.
And ligges bekeand in his bed,
Whan he haves a lady wed.
For when that he has grete endose
Than war tyme to win his lose ;
For, when a knyght es chevalrouse,
His lady es the more jelows ;
Also sho lufes him wele the bet :
Tharfore, sir, thou sal noght let
To haunt armes in ilk cuntre,
Than wil men wele mor prayse the ;
Thou hase inogh to thi despens,
Now may thow wele hante turnamentes ;
Thou and i sal wende in fer,
And i wil be at thi banere.
I dar noght say, so god me glad,
If i so fayr a leman had ;
That i ne most leve al chevalry,
At hame ydel with hir to ly,
Bot yit a fole, that litel kan,
May wele cownsail another man.
So lang sir Gawayn prayed so,
Sir Ywayne grantes him forto go
Unto the lady, and tak his leve ;
Loth him was hir forto greve.
Til hyr onane the way he nome,
Bot sho ne wist noght whi he come ;
In his arms he gan hir mete,
And thus he said, My leman swete,
My life, my hele, and al my hert,
My joy, my comforth, and my quert,
A thing prai i the unto,
For thine honor and myne also.
The lady said, Sir, verrayment,
I wil do al yowr cumandment.
Dame, he said, i wil the pray,
That i might the king cumvay,
And also with my feres founde,
Armes forto haunte a stownde,
For in bourding men wald me blame,
If i sold now dwel at hame.
The lady was loth him to greve ;
Sir, sho said, i gif yow leve,
Until a terme that i sal sayn,
Bot that ye cum than ogayn.
Al this yer hale i yow grante
Dedes of armes for to hante,
Bot, syr, als ye luf me dere,
On al wise that ye be her
This day twelmoth, how som it be,
For the luf ye aw to me ;
And, if ye com noght by that day,
My luf sal ye lose for ay :
Avise yow wele now or ye gone,
This day is the evyn of saint Jon,