 | Otuel and Roland |  |
In averel, the thyrdde day,
whenne foules synge on the spray,
Thay wentyn fro seynt Denys.
Syre otuel with muche pryde
Sette belysent by hys syde
vppon a mule a prys.
And sone after thay for-lete
The lond that hem thouȝt swete
And leftyn parys.
fforth to burgoyne the wente,
To Vergels, verement,
That ot-ue-llys was, y-wys.
whenne foules synge on the spray,
Thay wentyn fro seynt Denys.
Syre otuel with muche pryde
Sette belysent by hys syde
vppon a mule a prys.
And sone after thay for-lete
The lond that hem thouȝt swete
And leftyn parys.
fforth to burgoyne the wente,
To Vergels, verement,
That ot-ue-llys was, y-wys.
And forth they wente into lumbardye,
To that mount swythe hey,
That men callyn poyne.
And there the frensche myȝten se
The borwȝ that men calle vtale,
By-syde the water of coyne.
In a mede that grene was
Charles chese a fayre plas,
To telden on hys pauylon.
Seuene dayes he soiourned there,
And ouer the water he dude rere
A fayre brygge withoute assoyne,
To that mount swythe hey,
That men callyn poyne.
And there the frensche myȝten se
The borwȝ that men calle vtale,
By-syde the water of coyne.
In a mede that grene was
Charles chese a fayre plas,
To telden on hys pauylon.
Seuene dayes he soiourned there,
And ouer the water he dude rere
A fayre brygge withoute assoyne,
That the frenche men myȝten tho
Ouer that brygge come and go,
To fleen here enymyes.
Vppon a day it by-fylle so,
The duk roulond and knyȝtes to
Spokyn wordys vn-wys,
And armeden hem in goode wys wede,
And vche of hem tok a gode stede,
That was of gret prys.
Thay by-sauȝtyn god almyȝt,
That he schulde hem fynde here fylle of fyȝt,
ffor the loue of sent denys.
Ouer that brygge come and go,
81
Vppon a day it by-fylle so,
The duk roulond and knyȝtes to
Spokyn wordys vn-wys,
And armeden hem in goode wys wede,
And vche of hem tok a gode stede,
That was of gret prys.
Thay by-sauȝtyn god almyȝt,
That he schulde hem fynde here fylle of fyȝt,
ffor the loue of sent denys.
kynges foure with-outen fayle
were went out to seche batayle,
Off hethynesse thay were,—
wel y-armyd syker sam-fayle.
ȝe mowe y-here gret mervayle.
Lordynges, wyl ȝe now here?
here names, y wylle that ȝow wyte,
As in frensche it ys y-wrete.
Now lesteneth to lere!
Curables, and askeward,
And balsomoun, strong and hard,—
Clarel was here fere.
were went out to seche batayle,
Off hethynesse thay were,—
wel y-armyd syker sam-fayle.
ȝe mowe y-here gret mervayle.
Lordynges, wyl ȝe now here?
here names, y wylle that ȝow wyte,
As in frensche it ys y-wrete.
Now lesteneth to lere!
Curables, and askeward,
And balsomoun, strong and hard,—
Clarel was here fere.
The knyȝtes seyden as they gonne ryde,
ȝyf thay myȝt that tyme a-byde
That thay myȝt with roulond mete,
Thay wolde hym make blody syde,
And olyuer that was so ful of pride,
with grymly woundes and grete.
Tho sayde clarel, that ryche kyng,
“Suche res nyl helpe no thyng,
Ne no bale wyl it bete.
ȝe han herd here by-fore,
That roulond is a knyȝt y-core,
Curtays be way or strete.
ȝyf thay myȝt that tyme a-byde
That thay myȝt with roulond mete,
Thay wolde hym make blody syde,
And olyuer that was so ful of pride,
with grymly woundes and grete.
Tho sayde clarel, that ryche kyng,
“Suche res nyl helpe no thyng,
Ne no bale wyl it bete.
ȝe han herd here by-fore,
82
Curtays be way or strete.
“At wolde my lord termagaunt,
That y myȝt mete with roulond,
with hym wolde y fyȝt!
hyt scholde hym rewe with myn hond
The douȝty eyres of a-gelond,
That he slow with unryȝt.”
The knyȝtes vndyr the forest were,
And herden the kynges alle there,
And of hem haddyn a syȝt.
The place was called forestent,
That the knyȝtes were in went,
That weren of muche myȝt.
That y myȝt mete with roulond,
with hym wolde y fyȝt!
hyt scholde hym rewe with myn hond
The douȝty eyres of a-gelond,
That he slow with unryȝt.”
The knyȝtes vndyr the forest were,
And herden the kynges alle there,
And of hem haddyn a syȝt.
The place was called forestent,
That the knyȝtes were in went,
That weren of muche myȝt.
Roulond to hys felawes sayde,
“Now we haue that we bede,
God ous saue, hole and sounde!
But we ben douȝty in dede,
And styf syttyng on stede,
whenne we hem hauen founde!”—
he smot hys hors and let hym gone,
And kyng clarel sey hym a-none,
By hys lord mahound,
“Thre knyȝtes cristen y se.
we beth foure and thay but thre,
Go we felle hem to grounde!”
“Now we haue that we bede,
God ous saue, hole and sounde!
But we ben douȝty in dede,
And styf syttyng on stede,
whenne we hem hauen founde!”—
he smot hys hors and let hym gone,
And kyng clarel sey hym a-none,
By hys lord mahound,
“Thre knyȝtes cristen y se.
we beth foure and thay but thre,
Go we felle hem to grounde!”
Alle foure knyȝtes with muche pride
Smyten here hors and gonne to ryde
A-ȝeynes the knyȝtes kene.
And askeward, nouȝt to hyde,
he ȝaf roulond a wounde wyde,
with A spere that was ful kene,
that thoruȝ hys schylde yt wode,
and at hys hauberk hyt withstode,
wel y wote, with-owtyn wene.
And Rowland thouȝt that strok to ȝelde,
an karfe ato the kyngys schelde,
a-non-ryȝt uppon that grene.
Smyten here hors and gonne to ryde
A-ȝeynes the knyȝtes kene.
And askeward, nouȝt to hyde,
he ȝaf roulond a wounde wyde,
with A spere that was ful kene,
83
and at hys hauberk hyt withstode,
wel y wote, with-owtyn wene.
And Rowland thouȝt that strok to ȝelde,
an karfe ato the kyngys schelde,
a-non-ryȝt uppon that grene.
the stroke was scharpe that Rouland sprong,
and thoruȝ the kynges hert hyt stonge,
& thoruȝ-oute hys syde.
kyng corable so egre smot
with a spere that bytter bote
by-twene hauberk & hyde.
tho was the spere by-hynde fast,
the knyȝt sat, the sadyl brast,
with yre & muche pryde.
and thoruȝ the kynges hert hyt stonge,
& thoruȝ-oute hys syde.
kyng corable so egre smot
with a spere that bytter bote
by-twene hauberk & hyde.
tho was the spere by-hynde fast,
the knyȝt sat, the sadyl brast,
with yre & muche pryde.
Oger danys hys swerde out-brayde,
And to the kynge fast he leyde.
he couthe ful wel hys craft.
A wownde he made swythe wyde,
The armur fyl down by hys syde,
the helme conne outbrast.
Balsamoun, a kyng vnhende,
to Olyuer he wolde wende,
and quelle hym with hys craft.
Oliuer he smot with hys schelde,
the launce brast in the felde,
that was a wel gode schaft.
And to the kynge fast he leyde.
he couthe ful wel hys craft.
A wownde he made swythe wyde,
The armur fyl down by hys syde,
the helme conne outbrast.
Balsamoun, a kyng vnhende,
to Olyuer he wolde wende,
and quelle hym with hys craft.
Oliuer he smot with hys schelde,
the launce brast in the felde,
that was a wel gode schaft.
Olyuer with-outen abode,
with that cours [he] to hym rode,
And in the schylde hym hytte.
The schaft was strong, And the heued brod,
And þoruȝ the kynges body hyt glod,
And made a wel brod flytte.
Doun he fyl dede to grounde,
Ne was he neuer afterward sonde,
No lenger myȝt he sytte.
Slaw were þe kynges thre,
But ȝyt nolde nouȝt þe ferþe fle,—
So wod he was of wytte.
with that cours [he] to hym rode,
And in the schylde hym hytte.
The schaft was strong, And the heued brod,
84
And made a wel brod flytte.
Doun he fyl dede to grounde,
Ne was he neuer afterward sonde,
No lenger myȝt he sytte.
Slaw were þe kynges thre,
But ȝyt nolde nouȝt þe ferþe fle,—
So wod he was of wytte.
hym þouȝt hys hert brast ato,
But ȝyf he myȝt Olyuer slo,
Ere he þennes wende.
he smot hys stede, and let hym go,
In hys herte hym was ful wo,
ffor slawe were al hys kynde.
But Roulond þo by-twyne rode,
And the kynges strok he a-bode,
he kydde þat he was hende.
Ac þouȝ þe strok were ful grete,
In þe schelde he it sette,
he nolde no lenger lende.
But ȝyf he myȝt Olyuer slo,
Ere he þennes wende.
he smot hys stede, and let hym go,
In hys herte hym was ful wo,
ffor slawe were al hys kynde.
But Roulond þo by-twyne rode,
And the kynges strok he a-bode,
he kydde þat he was hende.
Ac þouȝ þe strok were ful grete,
In þe schelde he it sette,
he nolde no lenger lende.
The schaft was bothe gret and long,
And the kyng was wondyr strong,
And schof as he wolde a-wede.
There nas no game hem a-mong,
The schaft was styf & nouȝt out-sprong,
and ouer-threw hys stede.
hors & man of roulonde ryȝt,
The kyng threw doun a-plyȝt.
“Mahoun ioye!” he gredde.
That was the maner of the lawe,
whenne a knyȝt were ouer-throwe,
That douȝty were of dede.
Kyng clarel wolde a-wey haue rede,
Ac oger com by that other syde,
and smot hym with a spere.
hys hynder arson gan out glyde,
Ouer the sadyl it nys nouȝt to hyde,
There oger gan hym bere.
Oger tok the kynges stede,
and to roulond gan hym lede,
and sayd, “here ys on the to bare!
thys ys an hors good an fyn,
and moche bettyr thanne was thyn,
& with gayer gere.”
And the kyng was wondyr strong,
And schof as he wolde a-wede.
There nas no game hem a-mong,
The schaft was styf & nouȝt out-sprong,
and ouer-threw hys stede.
hors & man of roulonde ryȝt,
The kyng threw doun a-plyȝt.
“Mahoun ioye!” he gredde.
That was the maner of the lawe,
whenne a knyȝt were ouer-throwe,
That douȝty were of dede.
85
Ac oger com by that other syde,
and smot hym with a spere.
hys hynder arson gan out glyde,
Ouer the sadyl it nys nouȝt to hyde,
There oger gan hym bere.
Oger tok the kynges stede,
and to roulond gan hym lede,
and sayd, “here ys on the to bare!
thys ys an hors good an fyn,
and moche bettyr thanne was thyn,
& with gayer gere.”
Rowlond vp stert & nouȝt ne lay,
And in-to the sadyl that was so gay,
Smertelyche gan he sprynge.
Ryȝt to the place they token the way,
ther that they fouȝt, sothe to say,
with syr Clarell, the kyng.
the duk Roulond, and Olyuer,
wyȝthly they wente the kyng ner,
with-outen more dwellyng:
but kyng Clarel toke that fyȝt
Aȝens hem thre with al hys myȝt,
For-sothe with-oute lesynge,
And in-to the sadyl that was so gay,
Smertelyche gan he sprynge.
Ryȝt to the place they token the way,
ther that they fouȝt, sothe to say,
with syr Clarell, the kyng.
the duk Roulond, and Olyuer,
wyȝthly they wente the kyng ner,
with-outen more dwellyng:
but kyng Clarel toke that fyȝt
Aȝens hem thre with al hys myȝt,
For-sothe with-oute lesynge,
tyl hys swerd was brost atto.
No Wondyr thowe hym were wo,
Nedes he most hym ȝelde.
he by-souȝt Rowlond tho,
he schulde hym saue from hys fo,
And from alle harme hym schylde.
that broke swerd hym by-tok
the good Rowland, so seyth my boke,
ther he yt fonde in felde.
they setten the kyng uppon a stede,
And to Charlys they thouȝt hym lede,
To mount paynt that ys teld.
No Wondyr thowe hym were wo,
Nedes he most hym ȝelde.
he by-souȝt Rowlond tho,
he schulde hym saue from hys fo,
And from alle harme hym schylde.
that broke swerd hym by-tok
the good Rowland, so seyth my boke,
ther he yt fonde in felde.
86
And to Charlys they thouȝt hym lede,
To mount paynt that ys teld.
Nowe here by-gynneth A batayle
off these thre knyȝtes samfayle,
that wondyr it ys to telle;
ffor cristendom they fouȝten ful sore,
with VI Ml & VII sckore
Off sarisins, stronge & felle.
off these thre knyȝtes samfayle,
that wondyr it ys to telle;
ffor cristendom they fouȝten ful sore,
with VI Ml & VII sckore
Off sarisins, stronge & felle.
| Otuel and Roland | |