 | Guy of Warwick |  |
Listeneþ now & sitteþ stille:
Of Herhaud ich ȝou telle wille,
Þat of swoning no may him duelle.
For his lord Gij, y ȝou telle,
So michel sorwe him was an,
Þat telle no miȝt he it noman.
Euerich man is swiþe wo
When he schal a gode frende for-go:
So was Herhaud for his lord fre;
No wende he him neuer more y-se.
Þan bigan his sorweinge,
His her he tar, his honden gan wring.
‘Allas!’ he seyd, ‘sir Gij!
Now ich wot wele siker-lye
Þat y no schal þe neuer y-se;
Allas! for sorwe wo is me!’
For grete sorwe þat he hedde
He fel adoun on his bedde,
Þer he is y-falle on slepe,
As a man weri of wepe.
A sweuen him mett wel ferly,
Þat he seye his lord sir Gij
On his stede swiþe cominge,
& on his hond his swerd kerueing;
Aseyled he was wiþ wolues & bere:
Vnneþe he miȝt him fram hem were.
Alle þai hadde to-broken his scheld,
& his brini to-rent manifeld.
Vnneþe he miȝt him were,
So þai gun on him to tere.
Wiþ þat is Herhaud awaked,
& of his sweuen gret sorwe maked,
& seyd anon to alle his compeynie,
‘Felawes, wil we ous armi?
Gij to help we ouȝt to spede;
For to help he haþ gret nede,
Wele ich wot bi mi sweuen.
Now help ous god þat is in heuen!’
Y-armed þai ben sone anon,
& on hors þai lopen ichon,
& wendeþ forþ wiþ gode wille
Ouer þe dounes & þe dales snelle.
Wiþ alle her miȝt þai heye fast
For to socour Gij on hast.
Þe Sarrazins þai gun þretni,
& made gret sorwe for Gij.
Þai seyd alle þat þer were,
Hem dred þai him seye neuere;
Oþer ded he was oþer y-nome,
For him þai were sori alle & some.
Sone þai neyȝed toward þat ost,
Of Sarrazins þai herd gret bost;
Of hem was wrin al þe feld,
On hors þai were wiþ spere & scheld,
Þat euerichon þai þretten Gij:
Him to slen þai han gret envie.
Amonges hem þai seye Gyoun
Þat him wered als a lyoun.
On ich half þai him aseyle,
& he him werþ wiþ-outen feyle.
Bi þe reynes þai ben him neye niminge,
Ac he him werþ wiþ swerd kerueing;
Mani he smot of fot & fest;
He hadde al nede, la, wite Crist!
Of Herhaud ich ȝou telle wille,
Þat of swoning no may him duelle.
For his lord Gij, y ȝou telle,
So michel sorwe him was an,
Þat telle no miȝt he it noman.
Euerich man is swiþe wo
When he schal a gode frende for-go:
So was Herhaud for his lord fre;
No wende he him neuer more y-se.
Þan bigan his sorweinge,
His her he tar, his honden gan wring.
‘Allas!’ he seyd, ‘sir Gij!
Now ich wot wele siker-lye
Þat y no schal þe neuer y-se;
Allas! for sorwe wo is me!’
For grete sorwe þat he hedde
He fel adoun on his bedde,
Þer he is y-falle on slepe,
As a man weri of wepe.
A sweuen him mett wel ferly,
Þat he seye his lord sir Gij
On his stede swiþe cominge,
& on his hond his swerd kerueing;
Aseyled he was wiþ wolues & bere:
Vnneþe he miȝt him fram hem were.
Alle þai hadde to-broken his scheld,
& his brini to-rent manifeld.
Vnneþe he miȝt him were,
So þai gun on him to tere.
Wiþ þat is Herhaud awaked,
& of his sweuen gret sorwe maked,
232
‘Felawes, wil we ous armi?
Gij to help we ouȝt to spede;
For to help he haþ gret nede,
Wele ich wot bi mi sweuen.
Now help ous god þat is in heuen!’
Y-armed þai ben sone anon,
& on hors þai lopen ichon,
& wendeþ forþ wiþ gode wille
Ouer þe dounes & þe dales snelle.
Wiþ alle her miȝt þai heye fast
For to socour Gij on hast.
Þe Sarrazins þai gun þretni,
& made gret sorwe for Gij.
Þai seyd alle þat þer were,
Hem dred þai him seye neuere;
Oþer ded he was oþer y-nome,
For him þai were sori alle & some.
Sone þai neyȝed toward þat ost,
Of Sarrazins þai herd gret bost;
Of hem was wrin al þe feld,
On hors þai were wiþ spere & scheld,
Þat euerichon þai þretten Gij:
Him to slen þai han gret envie.
Amonges hem þai seye Gyoun
Þat him wered als a lyoun.
On ich half þai him aseyle,
& he him werþ wiþ-outen feyle.
Bi þe reynes þai ben him neye niminge,
Ac he him werþ wiþ swerd kerueing;
Mani he smot of fot & fest;
He hadde al nede, la, wite Crist!
| Guy of Warwick | |