Lines 3025–3528

Our king was wight himself to welde,
And of fourtene yeres of elde,
When he was tane with tham to fyght,
Bot unto tham had he no myght,
And when he saw him bud be ded,
Than he kouth no better rede,
Bot did him haly in thair grace,
And made tham surete in that place,
Forto yeld tham ilka yer,
So that he sold be hale and fer,
Threty maidens to trowage,
And al sold be of hegh parage,
And the fairest of his land ;
Herto held he up his hand.
This ilk rent byhoves hym gyf,
Als lang als the fendes lyf,
Or til thai be in batayl tane,
Or els unto thai be al slane,
Then sal we pas al hethin quite,
That her suffers al this despite ;
Bot herof es noght for speke,
Es none in werld that us mai wreke.
We wirk her silver, silk and golde,
Es none richer on this molde,
And never the better er we kled,
And in grete hunger er we sted ;
For al that we wirk in this stede,
We have noght half our fil of brede,
For the best that sewes her any styk,
Takes bot four penys in a wik,
And that es litel, wha-som tase hede,
Any of us to kleth and fede.
Ilkone of us, withouten lesyng,
Might win ilk wike fourty shilling,
And yit bot if we travail mar,
Oft thai bete us wonder sar :
It helpes noght to tel this tale,
For thar bese never bote of our bale.
Our maste sorow, sen we bigan,
That es, that we se mani a man,
Doghty dukes, yrels, and barouns,
Oft-sithes slane with thir champiowns,
With tham to-morn bihoves the fight.
Sir Ywayn said, God, maste of myght,
Sal strenkith me in ilka dede,
Ogains tha devils and al thair drede :
That lord deliver yow of yowr fase.
Thus takes he leve and forth he gase.
He passed forth into the hall,
Thar fand he no man him to call,
No bewtese wald thai to him bede,
Bot hastily thai toke his stede,
And also the maydens palfray,
War served wele with corn and hay :
For wele thai hoped that sir Ywayn
Sold never have had his stede ogayn.
Thurgh the hal Sir Ywain gase,
Intil ane orcherd playn pase,
His maiden with him ledes he,
He fand a knyght under a tre,
Opon a clath of gold he lay,
Byfor him sat a ful fayr may ;
A lady sat with tham in fere,
The mayden red at thai myght her
A real romance in that place,
Bot i ne wote of wham it was.
Sho was bot fiftene yeres aide,
The knyght was lord of al that halde,
And that mayden was his ayre,
Sho was both gracious, gode, and far.
Sone when thai saw sir Ywaine,
Smertly raise thai hym ogayne,
And by the hand the lord him tase,
And unto him grete myrth he mase.
He said, Sir, by swete Jhesus,
Thou ert ful welcum until us.
The mayden was bowsom and bayne
Forto unarme syr Ywayne,
Serk and breke bath sho hym broght,
That ful craftily war wroght,
Of riche cloth soft als the sylk,
And tharto white als any mylk.
Sho broght hym ful riche wedes to wer,
Hose and shose and alkins ger,
Sho payned hir with al hir myght,
To serve him and his mayden bright.
Sone thai went unto soper,
Ful really served thai wer,
With metes and drinkes of the best,
And sethin war thai broght to rest.
In his chaumber by hym lay
His owin lyoun and his may ;
At morn, when it was dayes lyght.
Up thai rase, and sone tham dyght ;
Sir Ywayn and hys damysele
Went ful sone til a chapele,
And thar thai herd a mes in haste,
That was sayd of the haly gaste ;
Efter mes ordand he has
Forth on his way fast forto pas ;
At the lord hys leve he tase,
And grete thanking to him he mase.
The lord said, Tak it to na greve,
To gang hethin yit getes thou na leve ;
Herein es ane unsely law,
That has bene used of aid daw,
And bus be done for frend or fa ;
I sal do com byfor the twa
Grete serjantes of mekil myght,
And whether it be wrang or right,
Thou most tak the shelde and sper,
Ogaynes tham the forto were.
If thou overcum tham in this stour,
Than sal thou have al this honour,
And my doghter in mariage,
And also al myne heritage.
Then said, sir Ywayn, Als mot i the,
Thi doghter sal thou have for me,
For a king or ane emperour
May hir wed with grete honour.
The lord said, Her sal cum na knyght,
That he ne sal with twa champions fight ;
So sal thou do on al wise,
For it es knawen custum assise.
Sir Ywaine said, Sen i sal so,
Than es the best that i may do
To put me baldly in thair hend,
And tak the grace that god wil send.
The champions sone war forth broght,
Sir Ywain sais, By him me boght,
Ye seme wele the devils sons,
For i saw never swilk champions.
Aither broght unto the place
A mikel rownd talvace,
And a klub, ful grete and lang,
Thik fret with mani a thwang ;
On bodies armyd wele thai war,
Bot thar hedes bath war bar.
The lioun bremly on tham blist,
When he tham saw, ful wele he wist
That thai sold with his mayster fight,
He thoght to help him at his myght ;
With his tayl the erth he dang,
Forto fyght him thoght ful lang ;
Of him aparty had thai drede.
Thai said, Syr knight, thou most nede
Do thi lioun out of this place,
For to us makes he grete manace,
Or yelde the til us als creant.
He said, That war noght mine avenant.
Thai said, Than do thi beste oway,
And als sone sal we samyn play.
He said, Sirs, if ye be agast,
Takes the beste and bindes him fast.
Thai said, He sal be bun or slane,
For help of him sal thou have nane ;
Thi self allane sal with us fight,
For that es custume, and the right.
Than said sir Ywain to tham sone,
Whar wil ye that the best be done ?
" In a chamber he sal be loken,
With gude lokkes ful stifly stoken."
Sir Ywain led than his lioun
Intil a chamber to presoun ;
Than war bath tha devils ful balde,
When the lioun was in halde.
Sir Ywayn toke his nobil wede,
And dight him yn, for he had nede,
And on his nobil stede he strade,
And baldely to tham bath he rade.
His mayden was ful sar adred,
That he was so straitly sted,
And unto god fast gan sho pray,
Forto wyn him wele oway.
Than strake thai on him wonder sar,
With thair clubbes that full strang war,
Opon his shelde so fast thai feld.
That never a pece with other held ;
Wonder it es that any man
Might ber the strakes that he toke than.
Mister haved he of socour,
For he come never in swilk a stour,
Bot manly evyr with al his mayn,
And graithly hit he tham ogayn,
And, als it relies in the boke,
He gaf the dubbil of that he toke.
Ful grete sorow the lioun has,
In the chameber whar he was,
And ever he thoght opon that dede,
How he was helpid in his nede,
And he might now do na socowr
To him that helpid him in that stour ;
Might he out of the chamber breke,
Sone he walde his maister wreke.
He herd thair strakes, that war ful sterin,
And yern he waytes in ilka heryn,
And al was made ful fast to hald ;
At the last he come to the thriswald,
The erth thar kest he up ful sone,
Als fast als four men sold have done,
If thai had broght bath bill and spade ;
A mekil hole ful sone he made.
Yn al this [tyme] was sir Ywayn
Ful straitly parred with mekil payn,
And drede he had, als him wele aght,
For nowther. of tham na woundes laght ;
Kepe tham cowth thai wonder wele,
That dintes derid tham never a dele,
It was na wapen that man might welde
Might get a shever out of thair shelde.
Tharof cowth Ywayn no rede,
Sar he douted to be ded,
And also his damysel
Ful mekil murnyng made omell,
And wele sho wend he sold be slane,
And, sertes, than war hir socor gane ;
Bot fast he stighteld in that stowr,
And hastily him come socowre.
Now es the lioun out-broken,
His maister sal ful sone be wroken ;
He rynnes fast with full fell rese,
Than helpid it noght to prai for pese,
He stirt unto that a glotowne,
And to the erth he brayd him downe ;
Than was thar nane obout that place
That thai ne war fayn of that fair chace ;
The maiden had grete joy in hert ;
Thai said, He sal never rise in quert.
His felow fraisted with al his mayn,
To raise him smertly up ogayn,
And, right so als he stowped doun,
Sir Ywain with his brand was boun,
And strake his nek-bane right in sender,
Tharof the folk had mekil wonder,
His hevid trindeld on the sand,
Thus had Ywain the hegher hand.
When he had feld that fowl feloun,
Of his stede he lighted down,
His lioun on that other lay,
Now wil he help him if he may,
The lioun saw his maister cum,
And to hys part he wald have som ;
The right sholder oway he rase,
Both arm and klob with him he tase ;
And so his maister gan he wreke :
And als he might, yit gan he speke,
And said, Sir knight, for thi gentry,
i prai the have of me mercy,
And by scill sal he mercy have
What man so mekely wil it crave ;
And tharfore grantes mercy to me.
Sir Ywain said, I grant it the,
If that thou wil thi selven say
That thou ert overcumen this day.
He said, I grant withowten fail,
I am overcumen in this batail,
For pur ataynt and recreant.
Sir Ywayn said, Now i the grant
For to do the na mar der,
And fro my liown i sal the wer,
I grant the pese at my power.
Than come the folk ful fair in fer,
The lord and the lady als,
Thai toke him fair obout the hals.
Thai saide, Sir, now saltou be
Lord and syre in this cuntre,
And wed our doghter for sertayn.
Sir Ywayn answerd than ogayn :
He said, Sen ye gif me hir now,
I gif hir evyn ogayn to yow.
Of me for ever i grant hir quite ;
Bot, sir, takes it til no despite,
For, sertes, whif may i none wed
Until my nedes be better sped ;
Bot this thing, sir, i ask of the,
That al thir prisons may pas fre :
God has granted me this chance,
I have made their delyverance.
The lord answerd than ful tyte,
And said, I grant the tham al quite ;
My doghter als i rede thou take,
Sho es noght worthi to forsake.
Unto the knyght sir Ywain sais,
Sir, I sal noght hir mysprays,
For sho es so curtays and hende,
That, fra hethin to the werldes ende,
Es no kyng ne emperour,
Ne no man of so grete honowr,
That he ne might wed that bird bright,
And so wald i if that i myght.
I wald hir wed with ful gude cher,
Bot lo i have a mayden her,
To folow hir now most i nede,
Wheder so sho wil me lede :
Tharfor at this time haves goday.
He said, thou passes noght so oway,
Sen thou wil noght do als i tell,
In my prison sal thou dwell.
He said, If i lay thar al my live
I sal hir never wed to wive,
For with this maiden most i wend,
Until we cum whar sho wil lend.
The lord saw it was na bote
Obout that mater mor to mote,
He gaf him leve oway to far,
Bot he had lever he had bene thar.
Sir Ywayn takes than forth in fer
Al the prisons that thar wer,
Bifor hym sone thai come ilkane,
Nerhand naked and wobigane,
Stil he hoved at the yate,
Til thai war went al forth tharate,
Twa and twa ay went thai samyn,
And made omang tham mikel gamyn.
If god had cumen fra hevyn on hight,
And on this mold omang tham light.
Thai had noght made mar joy sertain
Than thai made to syr Ywayne.
Folk of the toun com him biforn,
And blissed the time that he was born,
Of his prowes war thai wele payd,
In this werld es none slike, thai said ;
Thai cunvayd him out of the toun,
With ful fair processiowne.
The maidens than thair leve has tane,
Ful mekil myrth thai made ilkane ;
At thair departing prayed thai thus :
Our lord god, mighty Jhesus,
He help yow, sir, to have yowr will,
And shilde yow ever fra alkyns ill.
Maidens, he said, god mot yow se,
And bring yow wele whar ye wald be.
Thus thair way forth er thai went,
Na mor unto tham wil we tent.
Sir Ywayn and his fair may
Al the sevenight traveld thai,
The maiden knew the way ful wele
Hame until that ilk castele,
Whar sho lef the seke may,
And theder hastily come thai.
When thai come to the castel yate,
Sho led sir Ywain yn tharate,
The mayden was yit seke lyand,
Bot when thai talde hir this tithand,
That cumen was hir messager,
And the knyght with hyr in fr,
Swilk joy tharof sho had in hert,
Hir thoght that sho was al in quert.
Sho said, I wate my sister will
Gif me now that falles me till.
In hir hert sho was ful light,
Ful hendly hailsed sho the knight.
A, sir, sho said, god do the mede,
That thou wald cum in swilk a nede :
And al that in that kastel wer
Welkumd him with meri cher.
I can noght say, so god me glade,
Half the myrth that thai him made.
That night he had ful nobil rest,
With alkins esment of the best.
Als sone als the day was sent,
Thai ordaind tham and forth thai went,
Until that town fast gan thai ride
Whar the kyng sojorned that tide,
And thar the elder sister lay,
Redy forto kepe hyr day.
Sho traisted wele on sir Gawayn,
That no knyght sold cum him ogayn,
Sho hopid thar was no knyght lifand
In batail that might with him stand.
Al a sevenight dayes bidene
Wald noght sir Gawayn be sene ;
Bot in ane other toun he lay,
For he wald cum at the day,
Als aventerous into the place,
So that no man sold se his face.
The armes he bar war noght his awyn,
For he wald noght in court be knawyn.
Syr Yw.iyn and his damysell
In the town toke thaire hostell.
And thar he held him prevely,
So that none sold him ascry ;
Had thai dwelt langer by a day,
Than had sho lorn hir land for ay.
Sir Ywain rested thar that nyght,
And on the morn he gan hym dyght,
On slepe left thai his lyowne,
And wan tham wightly out of toun ;
It was hir wil, and als hys awyn,
At cum to court als knyght unknawyn.
Sone obout the prime of day,
Sir Gawayn, fra thethin thar he lay,
Hies him fast into the felde,
Wele armyd with sper and shelde.
No man knew him, les ne mor,
Bot sho that he sold fight sore.
The elder sister to court come,
Unto the king at ask hir dome,
Sho said, I am cumen with my knyght,
Al redy to defend my right,
This day was us set sesowne,
And i am her al redy bowne,
And sen this es the last day,
Gifes dome and lates us wend our way.
My sister has al sydes soght,
Bot wele i wate her cums sho noght,
For sertainly sho findes nane,
That dar the batail undertane,
This day for hir forto fyght,
Forto reve fra me my right,
Now have i wele wonnen my land,
Withowten dint of knightes hand ;
What so my sister ever has mynt,
Al hir part now tel i tynt,
Al es myne, to sell and gyf,
Als a wreche ay sal sho lyf :
Tharfor, sir king, sen it es swa,
Gifes yowr dome, and lat us ga.
The king said, Maiden, think noght lang,
(Wele he wist sho had the wrang)
Damysel, it es the assyse,
Whils sityng es of the justise,
The dome nedes you most habide,
For per aventur it may bityde,
Thi sister sal cum al bityme,
For it es litil passed prime.
When the king had tald this scill,
Thai saw cum rideand over a hyll,
The yonger sister and hir knyght,
The way to town thai toke ful right,
On Ywains bed his liown lay,
And thai had stollen fra him oway.
The elder maiden made il cher,
When thai to court cumen wer.
The king withdrogh his jugement,
For wele he trowed in his entent
That the yonger sister had the right,
And that sho sold cum with sum knyght.
Himself knew hyr wele inogh.
When he hir saw ful fast he logh,
Him liked it wele in his hert,
That he saw hir so in quert.
Into the court sho toke the way,
And to the king thus gan sho say,
God, that governs alkin thing,
The save and se, syr Arthur the kyng,
And al the knyghtes that langes to the,
And also al thi mery menye ;
Unto yowre court, sir, have i broght
An unkouth knyght that ye knaw noght ;
He sais that, sothly, for my sake,
This batayl wil he undertake,
And he haves yit in other land
Ful felle dedes underhand,
Bot al he leves, god do him mede !
Forto help me in my nede.
Hir elder sister stode hyr by,
And tyl hyr sayd sho hastily,
For hys luf that lens us life,
Gif me my right withouten strife,
And lat no man tharfor be slayn.
The elder sister sayd ogayn,
Thi right es noght for al es myne,
And i wil have yt mawgre thine ;
Tharfore if thou preche alday,
Her sal thou nothing ber oway.
The yonger mayden to hir says,
Sister, thou ert ful curtays,
And gret dole es it forto se
Slike two knightes al[s] thai be
For us sal put tham-self to spill,
Tharfor now, if it be thi will,
Of thi gude wil to me thou gif
Sum thing that i may on lif.
The elder said, So mot i the,
Who so es ferd i rede thai fle ;
Thou getes right noght withowten fail,
Bot if thou win yt thurgh batail.
The yonger said, Sen thou wil swa,
To the grace of god her i me ta,
And, lord, als he es maste of myght,
He send his socor to that knyght,
That thus in dede of charite
This day antres hys lif for me.
The twa knightes come bifor the king,
And that was sone ful grete gedering,
For ilka man that walk might,
Hasted sone to se that syght ;
Of tham this was a selly case,
That nowther wist what other wase ;
Ful grete luf was bitwix tham twa,
And now er aither other fa ;
Ne the king kowth tham noght knaw,
For thai wald noght thair faces shew,
If owther of tham had other sene,
Grete luf had bene tham bitwene.
Now was this a grete selly,
That trew luf and so grete envy
Als bitwix tham twa was than
Might bath at anes be in a man.
The knightes, for thase maidens love,
Aither til other kast a glove,
And wele armed with sper and shelde,
Thai riden both forth to the felde.