 | Otuel and Roland |  |
And as they ȝendyrware weren,
the sey an host hem by-forn
of kyng Garcions knyȝtys,
with VI Ml & VII skore
the strengyst sarisins that ewer were.
alle they were redy to fyȝt.
ther thorugh thay most hym lede,
or ellys lese her manhede,
ȝyf that they flowyn a-plyȝt.
he herde trumpes and taboures,
hornes, chymbys, & chymours.
somdel they were aflyȝt.
the sey an host hem by-forn
of kyng Garcions knyȝtys,
with VI Ml & VII skore
the strengyst sarisins that ewer were.
alle they were redy to fyȝt.
ther thorugh thay most hym lede,
or ellys lese her manhede,
ȝyf that they flowyn a-plyȝt.
he herde trumpes and taboures,
hornes, chymbys, & chymours.
somdel they were aflyȝt.
the good Oger sayd tho,
“Good hyt ys to lete hym go,
Clarelle, the kene kyng!
ȝut he may saue ous fro wo.
Among the sarisins altho
he ys a grete lordyng.”
Where he wolde thay lat hym passe,
and these knyȝtys with goddys grace
assayleden bothe elde and ȝong.
Roulond made a grysly wounde
In kyng bremer for-sothe that stounde,
That he hadde hys endyng.
“Good hyt ys to lete hym go,
Clarelle, the kene kyng!
ȝut he may saue ous fro wo.
Among the sarisins altho
he ys a grete lordyng.”
Where he wolde thay lat hym passe,
and these knyȝtys with goddys grace
assayleden bothe elde and ȝong.
87
In kyng bremer for-sothe that stounde,
That he hadde hys endyng.
Tho syre Olyuer after-thanne
Slow a kyng that hyȝt blasan,
That ful strong was in fyȝt.
Syre oger, that douȝty man,
Slow a-nother that hyȝt morgan,
with cur-sable so bryȝt:
and roulond with dorundale
Deled strokes, gret and smale,—
ffor-sothe there was a semly syȝt.
Olyuer with haunchecler
Slow many a sarsin there,
with swerd that schon ful bryȝt.
Slow a kyng that hyȝt blasan,
That ful strong was in fyȝt.
Syre oger, that douȝty man,
Slow a-nother that hyȝt morgan,
with cur-sable so bryȝt:
and roulond with dorundale
Deled strokes, gret and smale,—
ffor-sothe there was a semly syȝt.
Olyuer with haunchecler
Slow many a sarsin there,
with swerd that schon ful bryȝt.
Ouer alle where these knyȝtes rod
There was y-mad a way ful brod,
That waynes myȝten mete;
ffor there that dorundale glod,
There was no sarsin that abod,
That he ne lese hys swete.
There come carmele de taborye
vppon a stede of lumbardye,
And grymlyche gan to grede.
“ffyȝteþ,” he sayde, “[in] better wone,
Or Ellys we beȝth dede vchone!
Who schal oure bale bete?
There was y-mad a way ful brod,
That waynes myȝten mete;
ffor there that dorundale glod,
There was no sarsin that abod,
That he ne lese hys swete.
There come carmele de taborye
vppon a stede of lumbardye,
And grymlyche gan to grede.
“ffyȝteþ,” he sayde, “[in] better wone,
Or Ellys we beȝth dede vchone!
Who schal oure bale bete?
“ffy-a-devlys, how may thys be,
That these crysten knyȝtes thre
Schulle bryng ous alle to grounde?
Ryȝt ful sone ye schullyn se,
Myn owyn hond schal you sle
Wyth-in a lytyl stounde.”
he smot Oger on the schylde,
That he ffelle in-to þe fylde,
And in hys Body a wounde.
Oger tho off hys stede ffelle,
And the Blod of hys Body out-welle,—
Such hap he hath þere ffounde!
That these crysten knyȝtes thre
Schulle bryng ous alle to grounde?
Ryȝt ful sone ye schullyn se,
Myn owyn hond schal you sle
88
he smot Oger on the schylde,
That he ffelle in-to þe fylde,
And in hys Body a wounde.
Oger tho off hys stede ffelle,
And the Blod of hys Body out-welle,—
Such hap he hath þere ffounde!
Tho Roulond þat syȝt sey,
ffor wrath he was wood wel neyȝe,
And preked þo to carmele.
he smot hym on þe helm in hye,
þat in-to þe sadyl þe swerd fley.
No leche ne myȝt hym hele.
Tho come syre aufer of daubery,
The strengest with Garcy,
he þouȝt with hym to mele.
with hys spere he smot hys schylde,
þat þe hede at þe haubrek feld,—
So myche was þat steole!
ffor wrath he was wood wel neyȝe,
And preked þo to carmele.
he smot hym on þe helm in hye,
þat in-to þe sadyl þe swerd fley.
No leche ne myȝt hym hele.
Tho come syre aufer of daubery,
The strengest with Garcy,
he þouȝt with hym to mele.
with hys spere he smot hys schylde,
þat þe hede at þe haubrek feld,—
So myche was þat steole!
Tho Roulond, worthy on wede,
he dude there a welle good dede,
þat sarisin þere he slow.
these knyȝtes bothe for certayn,
Ere they wenten out of the playn,
ffyȝtyng they hadde y-nowe.
As Olyuer sat on hys stede,
Rowlond tho to hym ȝede,
“here by-gynneth a sory plawe!”
“ther-of,” sayd Olyuer, “thou ne drede!
My strenghthe ys good & nothyng gnede,
Off hem y ne ȝeue nouȝt an hawe.”
tho thay bothe gonne to Ryde,
And slowe adown vcche syde,
Alle that before hem stode.
Off gode Oger in that tyde,
that blod ranne oute of hys wounde wyde,
and he syked sore vnsounde.
tho the sarisins hym throng
with sperys and swyrdys strong,
and made hym many a wounde;
so fast hys body gan blede,
that he for-ȝate hys gode stede,—
wel wo was hym that stowunde!
he dude there a welle good dede,
þat sarisin þere he slow.
these knyȝtes bothe for certayn,
Ere they wenten out of the playn,
ffyȝtyng they hadde y-nowe.
As Olyuer sat on hys stede,
Rowlond tho to hym ȝede,
“here by-gynneth a sory plawe!”
“ther-of,” sayd Olyuer, “thou ne drede!
My strenghthe ys good & nothyng gnede,
Off hem y ne ȝeue nouȝt an hawe.”
89
And slowe adown vcche syde,
Alle that before hem stode.
Off gode Oger in that tyde,
that blod ranne oute of hys wounde wyde,
and he syked sore vnsounde.
tho the sarisins hym throng
with sperys and swyrdys strong,
and made hym many a wounde;
so fast hys body gan blede,
that he for-ȝate hys gode stede,—
wel wo was hym that stowunde!
with that come Ryde an Amerel
by-sydes the kyng clarel,
that Roulond feld a-down.
for Oger sauede hym that tyde,
Amonge the sarisins of muche pryde
[he] dude Oger grete renoun.
“Come to me,” Clarel seyde,
“off nothyng ne schaltou drede,
Ne off no sarsins tresoun!
ffor-sothe there schal no man the drede,
Whyles my body may the were,—
By my god Mahoun!”
by-sydes the kyng clarel,
that Roulond feld a-down.
for Oger sauede hym that tyde,
Amonge the sarisins of muche pryde
[he] dude Oger grete renoun.
“Come to me,” Clarel seyde,
“off nothyng ne schaltou drede,
Ne off no sarsins tresoun!
ffor-sothe there schal no man the drede,
Whyles my body may the were,—
By my god Mahoun!”
The ameraunt sayde, “so mote y the,
Thou ne schalt nouȝt his waraunt be,
That he ne schal be to-drawe!”
The kyng wel vroth tho was he:
he hewed the ameraunt in peces thre:
And so he hath hym slawe.
“lo,” he sayde, “syre ameral,
Thus men the teche schall
To sygge wycked sawe!
Now may Oger Denys
Euer more haue pes
In ernest and eke in plawe!”
Thou ne schalt nouȝt his waraunt be,
That he ne schal be to-drawe!”
The kyng wel vroth tho was he:
he hewed the ameraunt in peces thre:
And so he hath hym slawe.
“lo,” he sayde, “syre ameral,
Thus men the teche schall
90
Now may Oger Denys
Euer more haue pes
In ernest and eke in plawe!”
he dude knyȝtes come hym ner,
And by-tok hem denys Oger,
To hys lemman hym to lede.
fforth they went, alle y-fere,
And fond that mayde in on erbere,
And thus to here thay sayde:
“kyng clarel, thyn owyn lemman,
Swythe wel the grete can,
And for hys loue he the bede,
Thou scholdyst kepe thys cristen knyȝt.
To-day he hath wonne in fyȝt
Many goode knyȝtes in dede.
Twey other and thys knyȝt
Thys day haueth slaw in fyȝt
A thousand of oure mayne.”
Thenne lowe that mayde so bryȝt,
and sayde to hym a-none-ryȝt,
“why ne hadde ȝe brouȝt al thre?”
Tho sayde to here a knyȝt douȝty,
“Good damysel Enfamy,
Ous ne lyketh syker no gle!
ffyrst mote somer come,
Ere thay tweye wyl be y-nome,
And more batayle schal be.”
And by-tok hem denys Oger,
To hys lemman hym to lede.
fforth they went, alle y-fere,
And fond that mayde in on erbere,
And thus to here thay sayde:
“kyng clarel, thyn owyn lemman,
Swythe wel the grete can,
And for hys loue he the bede,
Thou scholdyst kepe thys cristen knyȝt.
To-day he hath wonne in fyȝt
Many goode knyȝtes in dede.
Twey other and thys knyȝt
Thys day haueth slaw in fyȝt
A thousand of oure mayne.”
Thenne lowe that mayde so bryȝt,
and sayde to hym a-none-ryȝt,
“why ne hadde ȝe brouȝt al thre?”
Tho sayde to here a knyȝt douȝty,
“Good damysel Enfamy,
Ous ne lyketh syker no gle!
ffyrst mote somer come,
Ere thay tweye wyl be y-nome,
And more batayle schal be.”
The damysel tho a-none-ryȝt
Cleped seuene of here knyȝt,
And by-tok hem syre Oger.
Bothe by day & eke by nyȝt,
here-self hys woundys gan dyȝt,
And ȝaf hym drynkes der.
Sche made hym salues soft,
And as oger lay in loft
he feld hym bothe hole and fer.
whenne he waked he hadde no wounde,
But felt hys body hole and sounde,—
To god he made hys prayer.
Cleped seuene of here knyȝt,
And by-tok hem syre Oger.
Bothe by day & eke by nyȝt,
here-self hys woundys gan dyȝt,
91
Sche made hym salues soft,
And as oger lay in loft
he feld hym bothe hole and fer.
whenne he waked he hadde no wounde,
But felt hys body hole and sounde,—
To god he made hys prayer.
And euer roulond and olyuer
A-ȝeynes the sarsins fouȝte there,
That were so ful of pryde.
Tho that they sey that garcy com there
with helm bryȝt and many spere
vppon here ryȝt syde,
fful loth hem was to ben y-take tho.
They smyten here hors & letten hem go,
a-way gonne thay to ryde:
an houndred sarsins and wel mo
ffaste redyn after tho
To take hem in that tyde.
A-ȝeynes the sarsins fouȝte there,
That were so ful of pryde.
Tho that they sey that garcy com there
with helm bryȝt and many spere
vppon here ryȝt syde,
fful loth hem was to ben y-take tho.
They smyten here hors & letten hem go,
a-way gonne thay to ryde:
an houndred sarsins and wel mo
ffaste redyn after tho
To take hem in that tyde.
| Otuel and Roland | |