 | Otuel and Roland |  |
Otuel a-spyede wel there
how Oger, roulond, & Olyuer
weren out y-fare,
And with hem neuer a dussyper:
Charlys, the conquerour,
þere-for was in care.
Otuel let crye thorow the oste,
“In the name of the holy gost,
as armes! lordynges ȝare!”
fflorys, hys stede, he bestrod,
and samoun by hym rode,
And hys Baner bare.
how Oger, roulond, & Olyuer
weren out y-fare,
And with hem neuer a dussyper:
Charlys, the conquerour,
þere-for was in care.
Otuel let crye thorow the oste,
“In the name of the holy gost,
as armes! lordynges ȝare!”
fflorys, hys stede, he bestrod,
and samoun by hym rode,
And hys Baner bare.
Toward the batayle he gan ryde
with ys knyȝtes by ys syde:
with roulond he gan mete.
Many a sarisin in that tyde
Sayden to roulond, and Cryde,
“Lese þu schalt thy Swete!”
Syr Otuel gan to Chyde,
and Sayde, “Roulond, for thy pryde,
Thy lyfe þu wylt for-lete!
What! wenes tou and Olyuere alone
To sle þe sarysyns euerchone,
and thus to grounde hem bete?
with ys knyȝtes by ys syde:
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Many a sarisin in that tyde
Sayden to roulond, and Cryde,
“Lese þu schalt thy Swete!”
Syr Otuel gan to Chyde,
and Sayde, “Roulond, for thy pryde,
Thy lyfe þu wylt for-lete!
What! wenes tou and Olyuere alone
To sle þe sarysyns euerchone,
and thus to grounde hem bete?
“Nay, þouȝ þou and y & Olyuer,
hadde ben þere al in fer
Aȝeyns þe hethyn lawe,—
And ek charlys, the conquerour,
Thouȝ he Brouȝt alle hys power,—
ȝyt schuld they be nouȝt alle slawe.
Ac turne a-ȝeyn with me a-none,
And venge we ous of godys sone,
And gynne we a new plawe!
Ther schulle a þousand for þys thyng
Thys day of hem haue here endyng
with-Inne a lytel þrawe.”
hadde ben þere al in fer
Aȝeyns þe hethyn lawe,—
And ek charlys, the conquerour,
Thouȝ he Brouȝt alle hys power,—
ȝyt schuld they be nouȝt alle slawe.
Ac turne a-ȝeyn with me a-none,
And venge we ous of godys sone,
And gynne we a new plawe!
Ther schulle a þousand for þys thyng
Thys day of hem haue here endyng
with-Inne a lytel þrawe.”
A knyȝt þere was swyþe fre,—
he was cleped emptybre,—
In the foward of þe batayle.
he come dryvyng to syr Olyuere,
Alle-most he com hym to ner,
ffor-sothe with-out fayle.
Olyuer with a good spere
þoruȝ þe hert gan hym bere,
Ryȝt ouer at hys hors-tayle.
That þe sarisin ouer-threw,
That þe soth men wel knewe,
þat weren at þat assayle.
he was cleped emptybre,—
In the foward of þe batayle.
he come dryvyng to syr Olyuere,
Alle-most he com hym to ner,
ffor-sothe with-out fayle.
Olyuer with a good spere
þoruȝ þe hert gan hym bere,
Ryȝt ouer at hys hors-tayle.
That þe sarisin ouer-threw,
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þat weren at þat assayle.
Esterych of langars, a dussyper,
Slow a sarysin, stoute and fer,
That was of turkye:
he smot hym þoruȝ þe lyuer,
þat he ne flycted, fer ne ner,—
“Mahoun, help!” he gan crye.
Many an helme was of-weuyde,
And many a bassinet al to-cleued,
Off þe sarsin companye:
Many a spere and many a schyld
were dryuen a-down into the feld,
and many a sadyl made empty.
Slow a sarysin, stoute and fer,
That was of turkye:
he smot hym þoruȝ þe lyuer,
þat he ne flycted, fer ne ner,—
“Mahoun, help!” he gan crye.
Many an helme was of-weuyde,
And many a bassinet al to-cleued,
Off þe sarsin companye:
Many a spere and many a schyld
were dryuen a-down into the feld,
and many a sadyl made empty.
Olmadas of aschomoyne
he ȝaf Charlys Chamberleyne
that bar duk Reyner a-doun,
and toke the stede by the reyne,—
to wynnen it he was ful fayne,—
and lepe into the Arsoun.
But emoleres, a strong knyȝt,
hym to sle he dud hys myȝt
with hys gode fawchoun.
he smote the sarisin in the schyld,
that helm and heued flye into fylde,
and wanne hym grete renoun.
he ȝaf Charlys Chamberleyne
that bar duk Reyner a-doun,
and toke the stede by the reyne,—
to wynnen it he was ful fayne,—
and lepe into the Arsoun.
But emoleres, a strong knyȝt,
hym to sle he dud hys myȝt
with hys gode fawchoun.
he smote the sarisin in the schyld,
that helm and heued flye into fylde,
and wanne hym grete renoun.
tho come Galyaun, that hethen knyȝt,
that erst hadde slayn in fyȝt
Many a crysten man.
he smote emoleres a-plyȝt,
that to grownde he fyl ryȝt:
hys stede of hym he wan:
wel nyȝe he hadde hym slawe,
and brouȝt hym of lyf-dawe.
Ac sire Artok tho cam
And sauyd hym fro vylonye,
that vnnethe he myȝt crye
that the sarisins flowen echon.
that erst hadde slayn in fyȝt
Many a crysten man.
he smote emoleres a-plyȝt,
that to grownde he fyl ryȝt:
hys stede of hym he wan:
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and brouȝt hym of lyf-dawe.
Ac sire Artok tho cam
And sauyd hym fro vylonye,
that vnnethe he myȝt crye
that the sarisins flowen echon.
and as the sarisins flowyn in that tyde,
the cristen swed & gan to ryde;
And tho com kyng Clarel, the kyng,
and slowe by euery syde.
who-so wolde strokys abyde,
hadde there hys endyng.
He slewe the Emperour of Almayne,—
sore hyt rived Charlemayne,
that heye lordyng!
Empater ther come by-hynde,
a kyng y-come of grete kynde,
and oute of many a bekeryng.
the cristen swed & gan to ryde;
And tho com kyng Clarel, the kyng,
and slowe by euery syde.
who-so wolde strokys abyde,
hadde there hys endyng.
He slewe the Emperour of Almayne,—
sore hyt rived Charlemayne,
that heye lordyng!
Empater ther come by-hynde,
a kyng y-come of grete kynde,
and oute of many a bekeryng.
syr bernard of Orlyaunse,
Empater ȝaf hym myschawnce,
with dynt of dethys wownde.
A-mong the dussypers of Frawnce,
Empater ȝaf hym myschaunce,
And gan to Ryde to Otuel in that stounde.
Ac Otuel of hym was ware,
And with Cursins he smote hym thare,
on hys helme that was Rownde.
he clef hys heued into the teth,
so that all men wel seth,
he grenned as an hownde.
Empater ȝaf hym myschawnce,
with dynt of dethys wownde.
A-mong the dussypers of Frawnce,
Empater ȝaf hym myschaunce,
And gan to Ryde to Otuel in that stounde.
Ac Otuel of hym was ware,
And with Cursins he smote hym thare,
on hys helme that was Rownde.
he clef hys heued into the teth,
so that all men wel seth,
he grenned as an hownde.
Syr Otuel tho made alle
the dukes a-down falle,
that he myȝt hytte a-ryȝt.
To Mahoun they gonne crye & calle,
to Iouyn, & to her goddys all,
that schulde hem help in fyȝt.
tho thay flowyn with a careful crye,
tyl they com to kyng Garcy,
as fast as they euer fle myȝt.
Duk Rouland, & syr Otuel,
And Olyuer that was gode & lel,
the sarisins, slowen down ryȝt.
the dukes a-down falle,
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To Mahoun they gonne crye & calle,
to Iouyn, & to her goddys all,
that schulde hem help in fyȝt.
tho thay flowyn with a careful crye,
tyl they com to kyng Garcy,
as fast as they euer fle myȝt.
Duk Rouland, & syr Otuel,
And Olyuer that was gode & lel,
the sarisins, slowen down ryȝt.
Here by-gynnyth A batayll felle
Off kynk Clarell and Otuel,
And wondurlyche strong,
How they fouten for the lawe.
Lystenyth to my sawe,
And thynkyth nouȝt to long!
Off kynk Clarell and Otuel,
And wondurlyche strong,
How they fouten for the lawe.
Lystenyth to my sawe,
And thynkyth nouȝt to long!
| Otuel and Roland | |