The English and Scottish Popular Ballads :: :: University of Virginia Library

Half an honderid of fat falyf der
He comyn a-ȝon,
And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now,
But markyd was þer non:
‘Be dere God,’ seyde gode Robyn,
‘Here of we xul haue on.’

5

Robyn bent his joly bowe,
Þer in he set a flo;
Þe fattest der of alle
Þe herte he clef a to.

6

He hadde not þe der i-flawe,
Ne half out of þe hyde,
There cam a schrewde arwe out of þe west,
Þat felde Robertes pryde.

7

Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west,
Be euery syde:
‘Hoo hat myn mayster slayin?
Ho hat don þis dede?
Xal I neuer out of grene wode go
Til I se [his] sydis blede.’

8

Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and lokyd west,
And sowt vnder þe sunne;
He saw a lytil boy
He clepyn Wrennok of Donne.

9

A good bowe in his hond,
A brod arwe þer ine,
And fowre and twenti goode arwys,
Trusyd in a þrumme:
‘Be war þe, war þe, Gandeleyn,
Her-of þu xalt han summe.

10

‘Be war þe, war þe, Gandeleyn,
Her of þu gyst plente:’
‘Euer on for an oþer,’ seyde Gandeleyn;
‘Mysaunter haue he xal fle.

11

‘Qwer-at xal our marke be?’
Seyde Gandeleyn:
‘Eueryche at oþeris herte,’
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.

12

‘Ho xal ȝeue þe ferste schote?’
Seyde Gandeleyn:
‘And I xul ȝeue þe on be-forn,’
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.

13

Wrennok schette a ful good schote,
And he schet not to hye;
Þrow þe sanchoþis of his bryk;
It towchyd ney þer thye.

14

‘Now hast þu ȝouyn me on be-forn,’
Al þus to Wrennok seyde he,
‘And þrow þe myȝt of our lady
A bettere I xal ȝeue þe.’

15

Gandeleyn bent his goode bowe,
And set þer in a flo;

He schet þrow his grene certyl,
His herte he clef on too.

16

‘Now xalt þu neuer ȝelpe, Wrennok,
At ale ne at wyn,
Þat þu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And his knaue Gandeleyn.

17

‘Now xalt þu neuer ȝelpe, Wrennok,
At wyn ne at ale,
Þat þu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And Gandeleyn his knaue.’

Robyn lyȝth in grene wode bowndyn