Lines 2521–3024

And my lyon sal help me,
Than er we four ogayns tham thre."
Sir Ywayn rides, and cries then,
Habides, i bid yow, fals men !
It semes wele that ye er wode,
That wil spill this sakles blode,
Ye sal noght so yf that i may :
His lyown made hym redy way.
Naked he saw the mayden stand,
Behind hir bunden aither hand,
Than sighed Ywain wonder oft,
Unnethes might he syt oloft,
Thar was no sembland tham bitwene,
That ever owther had other sene.
Al obout hyr myght men se
Ful mykel sorow and grete pete,
Of other ladies that thar were,
Wepeand with ful sory cher.
Lord, thai sayd, what es our gylt ?
Our joy, our confort, sal be spilt;
Who sal now our erandes say ?
Alias, who sal now for us pray ?
Whils thai thus karped was Lunet
On knese byfor the prest set,
Of hir syns hir forto schrive,
And unto hir he went bylive,
Hir hand he toke and up sho rase :
Leman, he sayd, whor er thi fase ?
" Sir, lo tham yonder, in yone stede,
Bideand until i be ded ;
Thai have demed me with wrang,
Wei ner had ye dwelt over lang
I pray to god he do yow mede,
That ye wald help me in this nede."
Thir wordes herd than the steward,
He hies him unto hir ful hard,
He said, Thou lies, fals woman,
For thi treson ertow tane :
Sho has bitraied hir lady,
And, sir, so wil sho the in hy ;
And, tharfor, syr, by goddes dome,
I rede thou wend right als thou com ;
Thou takes a febil rede
If thou for hir wil suffer ded.
Unto the steward than said he,
Whoso es ferd i rede he fle ;
And, certes, I have bene this day
Whar i had ful large pay ;
And yit, he sayd, i sal noght fail :
To tham he waged the batayl.
Do away thi lioun, said the steward,
For that es noght our forward ;
Allane sal thou fight with us thre.
And unto him thus answerd he :
Of my lioun no help i crave,
I ne have none other fote-knave,
If he wil do yow any dere
I rede wele that ye yow wer.
The steward said, On alkins wise,
Thi lyoun, sir, thou most chastise,
That he do her no harm this day,
Or els wend forth on thi way ;
For his warand mai thou noght be,
Bot thou allane fight with us thre.
Al thir men wote, and so wote i,
That sho bitrayed hir lady,
Als traytures sal sho have hyr,
Sho be brent her in this fir.
Sir Ywayn sa[i]d, Nai god forbede !
(He wist wele how the soth yede)
I trow to wreke hir with the best.
He bad his lyoun go to rest,
And he laid him sone onane
Doun byfor tham everilk ane,
Bitwene his legges he layd his tail,
And so biheld to the batayl.
Al thre thai ride to sir Ywayn,
And smertly rides he tham ogayn,
In that time nothing tint he,
For his an strake was worth thaires thre ;
He strake the steward on the shelde,
That he fel doun flat in the felde,
Bot op he rase yit at the last,
And to sir Ywayn strake ful fast ;
Tharat the lyoun greved sare,
No lenger wald he than lig thar,
To help his mayster he went onane ;
And the ladies everilk ane,
That war thar forto se that fight,
Praied ful fast ay for the knight.
The lyoun hasted him ful hard,
And sone he come to the steward,
A ful fel mynt to him he made,
He bigan at the shulder-blade,
And with his pawm al rafe he downe,
Bath hauberk and his actoune,
And al the fless doun til his kne,
So that men myght his guttes se ;
To ground he fell, so al to-rent,
Was thar no man that him ment.
Thus the lioun gan hym sla :
Than war thai bot twa and twa ;
And, sertanly, thare sir Ywayn
Als with wordes did his main
For to chastis hys lyowne,
Bot he ne wald na mor lig doun ;
The liown thoght how so he sayd,
That with his help he was wele payd.
Thai smate the lyown on ilka syd,
And gaf him many woundes wide.
When that he saw hys lyoun blede
He ferd for wa als wald wede,
And fast he strake than in that stour,
Might thare none his dintes dour ;
So grevosly than he bygan,
That doun he bar bath hors and man ;
Thai yald tham sone to sir Ywayn,
And tharof war the folk ful fayne ;
And sone quit to tham thaire hir,
For both he kest tham in the fir,
And said, Wha juges men with wrang,
The same jugement sal thai fang.
Thus he helpid the maiden ying,
And sethin he made the saghtelyng
Bitwene hyr and the riche lady ;
Than al the folk, ful hastily,
Proferd tham to his servise,
To wirship him ever on al wise ;
Nane of tham al wist, hot Lunet,
That thai with thair lord war met.
The lady prayed him als the hend,
That he hame with tham wald wende,
Forto sojorn thar a stownd,
Til he wer warist of his wound.
By his sar set he noght a stra,
Bot for his lioun was him wa.
Madame, he said, sertes, nay,
I mai noght dwel, the soth to say.
Sho said, Sir, sen thou wyl wend,
Sai us thi name, so god the mend.
Madame, he said, bi saint Symoun,
I hat the knight with the lyoun.
Sho said, We saw yow never or now,
Ne never herd we speke of yow.
Tharby, he sayd, ye understand
I am noght knawen wide in land.
Sho said, I prai the forto dwell,
If that thou may, her us omell.
If sho had wist wele wha it was,
Sho wald wele lever have laten him pas ;
And tharfor wald he noght be knawen,
Both for hir ese and for his awyn.
He said, No lenger dwel i ne may,
Beleves wele, and haves goday.
I prai to crist, hevyn kyng,
Lady, len yow gude lifing,
And len grace that al yowr anoy
May turn yow unto mykel joy.
Sho said, God grant that it so be !
Unto himself than thus said he,
Thou ert the lok and kay also
Of al my wele, and al my wo,
Now wendes he forth, and morning mase,
And nane of tham wist what he was,
Bot Lunet, that he bad sold layn,
And so sho did with al hir mayne.
Sho canvayd him forth on his way ;
He said, Gude leman, i the pray,
That thou tel to no moder son
Who has bene thi champion ;
And als i pray the, swete wight,
Late and arly thou do the might,
With speche unto my lady fre,
Forto make hir frende with me ;
Sen ye er now togeder glade,
Help you that we war frendes made :
Sertes, sir, sho sayd, ful fayn,
Thar-obout wil i be bayn ;
And that ye have done me this day
God do yow mede, als he wele may.
Of Lunet thus his leve he tase,
Bot in hert grete sorow he hase.
His lioun feled so mekill wa
That he ne myght no ferrer ga ;
Sir Ywayn puld gres in the felde,
And made a kouche opon his shelde,
Tharon his lyoun laid he thar,
And forth he rides, and sighes sar :
On his shelde so he him led,
Than was he ful evyl sted.
Forth he rides, by frith and fell,
Til he come to a fayr castell,
Thar he cald and swith sone
The porter has the yates undone,
And to him made he ful gude cher ;
He said, Sir, ye er welcum here
Syr Ywayn said, God do the mede,
For tharof have i mekil nede.
Yn he rode right at the yate,
Fair folk kepid him tharate ;
Thai toke his shelde and his lyoun,
And ful softly thai laid it doun ;
Sum to stabil led his stede,
And sum also unlaced his wede :
Thai told the lorde than of that knyght
And sone he and his lady bryght
And thair sons and doghters all,
Come ful fair him forto kail ;
Thai war ful fayn he thor was sted,
To chaumber sone thai have him led ;
His bed was ordand richely,
And his lioun thai laid him by.
Him was no mister forto crave,
Redy he had what he wald have.
Twa maydens with him thai laft,
That wele war lered of leche-craft.
The lordes doghters both thai wore,
That war left to kepe hym thore ;
Thai heled hym everilka wound,
And hys lyoun sone made thai sownd.
I can noght tel how lang he lay,
When he was helyd he went his way.
But whils he sojorned in that place,
In that land byfel this case :
A litil thethin in a stede
A grete lord of the land was ded,
Lifand he had none other ayr
Bot two doghters that war ful fayr ;
Als sone as he was laid in molde,
The elder sister sayd sho wolde
Wend to court sone als sho myght,
Forto get hir som doghty knyght
Forto win hir al the land,
And hald it halely in hir hand.
The yonger sister saw sho ne myght
Have that fell until hir right,
Bot if that it war by batail,
To court sho wil at ask cownsayl.
The elder sister sone was yar,
Unto the court fast gan sho far,
To sir Gawayn sho made hir mane,
And he has granted hyr onane :
" Bot yt bus be so prevely
That nane wit bot thou and i ;
If thou of me makes any yelp,
Lorn has thou al my help."
Then efter, on the tother day,
Unto kourt come the tother may,
And to sir Gawayn sone sho went,
And talde unto him hir entent ;
Of his help sho him bysoght.
Sertes, he sayd, that may i noght.
Than sho wepe and wrang hir handes,
And right with that come new tithandes,
How a knyght with a lyoun
Had slane a geant ful feloun.
The same knight thar talde this tale
That syr Ywayn broght fra bale,
That had wedded Gawayn sister der,
Sho and hir sons war thar in fer ;
Thai broght the dwergh, that be ye balde,
And to sir Gawayn have thai talde,
How the knyght with the lyowne
Delivred tham out of presowne,
And how he, for sir Gawayn sake,
Gan that batayl undertake ;
And als how nobilly that he wroght.
Sir Gawayn said, I knaw him n[o]ght.
The yonger mayden than alsone
Of the king askes this bone :
To have respite of fourti dais,
Als it fel to landes lays.
Sho wist thar was no man of main
That wald fyght with sir Gawayn,
She thoght to seke, by frith and fell,
The knyght that sho herd tham of tell.
Respite was granted of this thing,
The mayden toke leve at [the] king,
And sethen at al the baronage,
And forth sho went on hir vayage.
Day ne nyght wald sho noght spar,
Thurgh all the land fast gan sho far,
Thurgh castel, and thurgh ilka toun,
To seke the knight with the lyown ;
" He helpes al in word and dede,
That unto him has any nede."
Sho soght him thurgh al that land,
Bot of hym herd sho na tythand.
Na man kouth tel hir whar he was,
Ful grete sorow in hert sho has,
So mikel murning gan sho make,
That a grete sekenes gan sho take ;
Bot in hir way right wele sho sped,
At that kastell was sho sted
Whar sir Ywayn ar had bene
Helid of his sekenes clene.
Thar sho was ful wele knawen,
And als welcum als til hyr awyn ,
With alkyn gamyn thai gan hir glade,
And mikel joy of hir thai made.
Unto the lord sho tald hyr case,
And helping hastily sho hase ;
Stil in lecheing thar sho lay,
A maiden for hir toke the way,
Forto seke, yf that sho myght
In any land her of that knyght ;
And that same kastel come sho by.
Whar Ywayn wedded the lavedy,
And saft sho spird, in ylk sesown,
Efter the knight with the lioun.
Thai tald hir how he went tham fra,
And also how they saw him sla
Thre nobil knyghtes, for the nanes,
That faght with him al at anes.
Sho said, Pur charite, i yow pray,
If that ye wate, wil ye me say,
Whederward that he es went ?
Thai said forsoth thai toke na tent :
" Ne her es nane that the can tell,
Bot if it be a damysell,
For whas sake he heder come,
And for hir the batyl he nome ;
We trow wele that sho can the wis,
Yonder in yone kyrk sho ys ;
Tharfor we rede to hyr thou ga :"
And hastily than did sho swa.
Aither other ful gudeli gret,
And sone sho frayned at Lunet,
If sho kouth ani sertan sayne ;
And hendly answerd sho ogayne :
I sal sadel my palfray,
And wend with the forth on thi way,
And wis the als wele als i can.
Ful oft-sithes thanked sho hir than.
Lunet was ful smertly yar,
And with the mayden forth gan sho far,
Als thai went al sho hyr talde,
How sho was taken and done in halde,
How wikkedly that sho was wreghed,
And how that traytyrs on hir leghed,
And how that sho sold have bene brent,
Had not god hir socor sent
Or that knight with the lyoun :
" He lesed me out of presoun."
Sho broght hir sone into a playn,
Whar sho parted fra sir Ywayn ;
Sho said, Na mare can i tel the,
Bot her parted he fra me ;
How that he went wate i no mar,
Bot wounded was he wonder sar.
God, that for us sufferd wounde,
Len us to se him hale and sownde !
No lenger with the may i dwell,
Bot cumly Crist, that heried hell,
Len the grace, that thou may spede
Of thine erand, als thou has nede.
Lunet hastily hies hir home,
And the mayden sone to the kastel come,
Whar he was helid byfor-hand,
The lord sone at the yate sho fand,
With knyghtes and ladies grete cumpani,
Sho haylsed tham al ful hendely,
And ful fayr praied sho to tham then,
If thai couth, thai sold hyr ken,
Whar sho myght fynd, in tour or toun,
A kumly knyght with a lyoun.
Than said the lord, By swete Jhesus,
Right now parted he fra us ;
Lo her the steppes of his stede,
Evyn unto him thai wil the lede.
Than toke sho leve, and went hir way,
With sporrs sho sparid noght hir palfray ;
Fast sho hyed with al hyr myght,
Until sho of him had a syght,
And of his lyoun that by him ran,
Wonder joyful was sho than ;
And with hir force sho hasted so fast
That sho overtoke him at the last.
Sho hailsed him with hert ful fayn,
And he hir hailsed fayre ogayn.
Sho said, Sir, wide have i yow soght,
And for myself ne es it noght,
Bot for a damysel of pryse,
That halden es both war and wise ;
Men dose to hir ful grete outrage,
Thai wald hir reve hyr heritage,
And in this land now lifes none
That sho traystes hyr opon,
Bot anly opon god and the,
For thou ert of so grete bounte ;
Thorgh help of the sho hopes wele
To win hyr right everilka dele.
Scho sais, no knyght that lifes now
Mai help hir half so wele als thou :
Gret word sal gang of thi vassage,
If that thou win hir heritage ;
For thoght sho toke slike sekenes sar,
So that sho might travail no mar,
I have yow soght on sydes ser,
Tharfor yowr answer wald i her,
Whether ye wil with me wend,
Or els whar yow likes to lend.
He said, That knyght that idil lies
Oft-sithes winnes ful litel pries,
For-thi mi rede sal sone be tane,
Gladly with the wil i gane,
Wheder so thou wil me lede,
And hertly help the in thi nede ;
Sen thou haves me so wide soght,
Sertes fail the sal i noght.
Thus thair wai forth gan thai hald,
Until a kastel, that was cald
The castel of the hevy sorow,
Thar wald he bide until the morow,
Thar to habide him thoght it best,
For the son drogh fast to rest ;
Bot al the men that thai with met,
Crete wonder sone on tham thai set ;
And [seyde], Thou wreche unsely man,
Whi wil thou her thi herber tane ?
Thou passes noght without despite.
Sir Ywain answerd tham als tyte,
And said, Forsoth, ye er unhende,
An unkouth man so forto shende ;
Ye sold noght say hym velany,
Bot if ye wist encheson why.
Thai answerd than, and said ful sone,
Thou sal wit or tomorn at none.
Syr Ywaine said, For al yowr saw,
Unto yon castel wil i draw.
He, and his lyoun, and the may,
Unto the castel toke the way.
When the porter of tham had sight,
Sone he said unto the knight,
Cumes forth, he said, ye altogeder,
Ful ille hail er ye cumen heder.
Thus war thai welkumd at the yate,
And yit thai went al in tharate,
Unto the porter no word thai said,
A hal thai fand ful gudeli graid ;
And, als sir Ywaine made entre,
Fast bisyde him than saw he
A proper place, and fair, i wis,
Enclosed obout with a palis.
He loked in bitwix the trese,
And many maidens thar he sese,
Wirkand silk and gold wir,
Bot thai war al in pover atir,
Thair clothes war reven on evil arai,
Ful tenderly al weped thai ;
Thair face war lene and als unclene,
And blak smokkes had thai on bidene ;
Thai had mischefes ful manifalde,
Of hunger, of threst, and of calde ;
And ever onane thai weped all,
Als thai wald to water fall.
When Ywaine al this understode,
Ogayn unto the yates he yode,
Bot thai war sperred ferli fast,
With lokkes that ful wele wald last ;
The porter kepid tham with his main,
And said, Sir, thou most wend ogain ;
I wate thou wald out at the yate,
Bot thou mai noght, by na gate ;
Thi herber es tane til to-morow,
And tharfor getes thou mekill sorow ;
Omang thi fase her sted ertow.
He said, So have i bene or now,
And past ful wele, so sal i her ;
Bot, leve frend, wiltou me ler
Of thise maidens what thai ar,
That wirkes al this riche ware ?
He said, If thou wil wit trewly,
Forthermar thou most aspy.
Tharfore, he said, i sail n[o]ght lett.
He soght and fand a dern weket,
He opind it, and in he yede :
Maidens, he said, god mot yow spede !
And, als he sufferd woundes sar,
He send yow covering of yowr car,
So that ye might mak merier chere.
Sir, thai said, god gif so wer !
Yowr sorow, he said, unto me say,
And i sal mend it yf i may.
Ane of tham answerd ogayne,
And said, The soth we sal noght layne,
We sal yow tel or ye ga ferr,
Why we er here, and what we err.
Sir, ye sal understand,
That we er al of Mayden-land,
Our kyng, opon his jolite,
Passed thurgh many cuntre,
Aventures to spir and spy,
Forto asay his owen body,
His herber, her anes gan he ta,
That was biginyng of our wa,
For heryn er twa champions,
Men sais thai er the devil sons,
Geten of a woman with a ram,
Ful many man have thai done gram ;
What knight so herbers her anyght
With both at ones bihoves him fight,
So bus the do, by bel and boke :
Alas, that thou thine yns her toke ;