 | Guy of Warwick |  |
34
Now is Gij fram Warwike fare,Vnto þe se he went ful ȝare,
& passed ouer þe flod.
Þe leuedy bileft at hom in care
Wiþ sorwe, & wo, & sikeing sare:
Wel drery was hir mode.
‘Allas, allas!’ it was hir song:
Hir here sche drouȝ, hir hond sche wrong,
Hir fingres brast o blode.
Al þat niȝt til it was day
Hir song it was ‘wayleway’:
For sorwe sche ȝede ner wode.
35
Hir lordes swerd sche drouȝ biforn,& þouȝt haue slain hirself for sorn
Wiþouten more delay.
To sle hirseluen, er þe child wer born,
Sche þouȝt hir soule it wer forlorn
Euermore at domesday,
& þat hir fader, hir frendes ichon
Schuld seyn hir lord it hadde y-don,
And were so fled oway.
Þerfore sche dede his swerd oȝain,
Elles for sorwe sche hadde hir slain,
In gest as y ȝou say.
410
36
Arliche amorwe when it was dayTo chaumber, þer hir fader lay,
Sche com wringand hir hond.
‘Fader,’ sche seyd, ‘ichil þe say
Mi lord is went fro me his way,
In pilgrimage to fond.
He will passe ouer þe se,
Schal he neuer com to me
Oȝain into Inglond.’
For sorwe þat sche hadde þat stounde
Aswon sche fel adoun to grounde:
O fot no miȝt sche stonde.
37
‘Douhter,’ seyd hir fader, ‘lat be.Y trowe nouȝt þat sir Gij þe fre
Is þus fram þe fare.
Y-wis, he nis nouȝt passed þe se:
He ne doþ nouȝt bot for to fond þe,
Hou trewe of hert þou ware.’
‘Nay, sir,’ sche seyd, ‘so god me spede,
He is walked in pouer wede,
To beggen his mete wiþ care.
& þer-fore now singen y may,
“Allas þe time & wayleway
Þat mi moder me bare.”’
38
Þerl ros vp with sikeing sare,For sir Gij was fram him fare:
In hert him was ful wo,
& alle his frendes lesse & mare
For sir Gij þai hadde gret care,
For he was went hem fro.
412
Wiþin þe cite & wiþout,
Þer he was won to go.
& when þai founde him nouȝt þat day
Þere was mani a wayleway,
Wrin-gand her hondes tvo.
39
And when Gij was fram hem gonHerhaud, & his frendes ichon,
& oþer barouns him by
To þerl Rohaut þai seyden anon,
‘Þe best rede þat we can don,
Smertliche & hastily
Messangers we schul now sende
Ouer alle þis lond fer & hende,
To seche mi lord sir Gij.
& ȝif he be nouȝt in þis lond
He is in Loreyn, ich vnderstond,
Wiþ his broþer Tirry.’
40
Menssangers anon þai sendeOuer al þis lond fer & hende
Fram Londen in-to Louþe,
Ouer al biȝonde Humber & Trent,
& est & west þurch-out al Kent
To þe hauen of Portesmouthe.
Þai souȝt him ouer al vp & doun,
Ouer alle þe lond in euerich toun
Bi costes þat wer couþe,
& seþþen to Warwike þai gan wende,
& seyd þai miȝt him no-whar fende
Bi norþ no bi souþe.
41
Herhaud was wele vnder-stondÞat Gij was fer in vncouþe lond.
Ful hende he was & fre:
414
To seche his lord he wald fond
Vnto þe Grekis see.
To þerl Rohaut he seyd anon
To seche his lord he most gon
Þurch alle Christiante.
When þerl seye him þus y-diȝt,
‘Þou art,’ he seyd, ‘a trewe kniȝt:
Y-blisced mot þou be.’
42
Þo went Herhaud so trewe in taleTo seche his lord in londes fale:
For noþing he nold abide.
He ȝede ouer alle bi doun & dale
To eueri court & kinges sale
Bi mani a lond side,
Þurch Normondye and alle Speyne,
Into Fraunce & þurch Breteyne:
He ȝede boþe fer & wide
Þurch Lorain & þurch Lombardye,
& neuer no herd he telle of Gij
For nouȝt þat miȝt bitide.
43
When Herhaud had souȝt him fer and hende,& he no miȝt him no-whar fende,
Noiþer bi se no sond,
Into Inglond he gan wende,
& þerl Rohaut & al his frende
At Warwike he hem fond,
416
& þat he no miȝt finde him nouȝt
In non skinnes lond.
Mani a moder child þat day
Wepe & gan say, ‘waileway,’
Wel sore wringand her hond.
| Guy of Warwick | |