 | Guy of Warwick |  |
Þe soudan cleped after Helman,
Þat deined fle for no man;
He was coraious & gode kniȝt,
& michel adouted in euerich fiȝt.
‘Sir king,’ quaþ he, ‘come to me.
Wiþ .xx. þousende Turkes, ich hot þe,
The Cristen ȝe schul aseyle anon.
Loke ȝe nim hem oþer slen ichon;
Opon ȝon hulle þai ben, lo;
Gret harm þai han ous y-do.’
Þe king forþ went wiþ his men ichon,
Wiþ strengþe þe helde þai vnder-nome;
Wiþ strengþe þai wene þe slade ouer-go;
Ac gret combraunce hem com furst to.
At þe entring of þe pas Gij gan to grede,
‘Helpeþ, lordinges, alle our ferrede!
Biþenkeþ ȝou to winnen wele.
& hij oȝaines ȝou vndernim þe hille,
Yuel ous worþ þan bi-go,
Bot god ous on þenke þat al may do;
Þai ben bi-neþen & we aboue.
Amidde þe pas þai ben to-gider come,
& asaileþ hem smerteliche;
& to-gider we go now commonliche:
Þroweþ wiþ stones, and bowes scheteinge,
Launces, swerdes, & dartes kerueinge,
Smiteþ wiþ swerdes & speres y-grounde,
Scheteþ wiþ piles & ȝif hem deþ wounde.’
Mani Sarrazin þer y-slawe is;
Þer doþ Gij as þe riȝt wise.
Into þe narwe hij come, hem to lett,
Bi hundredes foure þai aseyl hem sket;
Bi hundred & bi þousende,
Þai ben þe Sarrazins quellinde.
Gij smot on þis side & on þat:
Nas þer non þat his dint sat.
Þat deined fle for no man;
He was coraious & gode kniȝt,
& michel adouted in euerich fiȝt.
‘Sir king,’ quaþ he, ‘come to me.
Wiþ .xx. þousende Turkes, ich hot þe,
The Cristen ȝe schul aseyle anon.
Loke ȝe nim hem oþer slen ichon;
Opon ȝon hulle þai ben, lo;
Gret harm þai han ous y-do.’
Þe king forþ went wiþ his men ichon,
Wiþ strengþe þe helde þai vnder-nome;
Wiþ strengþe þai wene þe slade ouer-go;
Ac gret combraunce hem com furst to.
At þe entring of þe pas Gij gan to grede,
‘Helpeþ, lordinges, alle our ferrede!
Biþenkeþ ȝou to winnen wele.
& hij oȝaines ȝou vndernim þe hille,
Yuel ous worþ þan bi-go,
Bot god ous on þenke þat al may do;
Þai ben bi-neþen & we aboue.
Amidde þe pas þai ben to-gider come,
& asaileþ hem smerteliche;
& to-gider we go now commonliche:
Þroweþ wiþ stones, and bowes scheteinge,
Launces, swerdes, & dartes kerueinge,
202
Scheteþ wiþ piles & ȝif hem deþ wounde.’
Mani Sarrazin þer y-slawe is;
Þer doþ Gij as þe riȝt wise.
Into þe narwe hij come, hem to lett,
Bi hundredes foure þai aseyl hem sket;
Bi hundred & bi þousende,
Þai ben þe Sarrazins quellinde.
Gij smot on þis side & on þat:
Nas þer non þat his dint sat.
Ermine he smot on þurch þe scheld;
Almost he feld him in þe feld.
Þan come Auþer ouer þuert,
A Sarrazin modi of hert:
Ermine smot him on þe helme an heyȝe,
Þat he cleue him to þe teþ;
Al ded he made him on þe grounde to lie.
Wiþ þat come þe king of Nubie;
Toward Herhaud he come prikeinde,
& Gij him was oȝain cominde.
Wiþ grete strengþe sir Gij him smot
Þat he feld him anon fot hot.
When þe douke of Tire þat y-seþ,
His men dye on so reweliche deþ
(An hond he held a dart kerueinde,
Þe Cristen þer-wiþ þreteninde),
He forþ ȝede, & smot a kniȝt,
Þat ded he feld him anon riȝt.
When Gij o Warwike þat y-seye,
Þiderward he drouȝ him swiþe neye:
A gode dart on hond he bar,
& to him he launced heteliche þar.
Þer-wiþ he smot Ebban þe king,
Þat ded he fel wiþouten letting.
Þe Sarrazines hij to-heweþ & quelleþ,
Bi þe doun hij gredeþ & ȝelleþ.
Almost he feld him in þe feld.
Þan come Auþer ouer þuert,
A Sarrazin modi of hert:
Ermine smot him on þe helme an heyȝe,
Þat he cleue him to þe teþ;
Al ded he made him on þe grounde to lie.
Wiþ þat come þe king of Nubie;
Toward Herhaud he come prikeinde,
& Gij him was oȝain cominde.
Wiþ grete strengþe sir Gij him smot
Þat he feld him anon fot hot.
When þe douke of Tire þat y-seþ,
His men dye on so reweliche deþ
(An hond he held a dart kerueinde,
Þe Cristen þer-wiþ þreteninde),
He forþ ȝede, & smot a kniȝt,
Þat ded he feld him anon riȝt.
When Gij o Warwike þat y-seye,
Þiderward he drouȝ him swiþe neye:
A gode dart on hond he bar,
& to him he launced heteliche þar.
Þer-wiþ he smot Ebban þe king,
Þat ded he fel wiþouten letting.
Þe Sarrazines hij to-heweþ & quelleþ,
Bi þe doun hij gredeþ & ȝelleþ.
| Guy of Warwick | |