| |
I
I HERDE a carpyng of a clerk, | |
| Al at yone wodes ende, | |
| Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn; | |
| Was ther non other thynge. | |
| Robynn lyth in grene wode bowndyn. | 5 |
| |
II
Stronge thevys wern tho chylderin none, | |
| But bowmen gode and hende; | |
| He wentyn to wode to getyn hem fleych, | |
| If God wold it hem sende. | |
| |
III
Al day wentyn tho chylderin two, | 10 |
| And fleych fowndyn he non, | |
| Til it were ageyn evyn; | |
| The chylderin wold gon hom. | |
| |
IV
Half an honderid of fat falyf der | |
| He comyn ayon, | 15 |
| And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now, | |
| But markyd was ther non: | |
| ‘Be dere God,’ seyde gode Robyn, | |
| ‘Hereof we shul have on.’ | |
| |
V
Robyn bent his joly bowe, | 20 |
| Ther in he set a flo; | |
| The fattest der of alle | |
| The herte he clef a to. | |
| |
VI
He hadde not the der i-flawe, | |
| Ne half out of the hyde, | 25 |
| There cam a schrewde arwe out of the west, | |
| That felde Robertes pryde. | |
| |
VII
Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west, | |
| Be every syde: | |
| ‘Hoo hat myn mayster slayin? | 30 |
| Ho hat don this dede? | |
| Shal I never out of grene wode go | |
| Til I se his sydis blede.’ | |
| |
VIII
Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west, | |
| And sowt under the sunne; | 35 |
| He saw a lytil boy, | |
| He clepyn Wrennok of Donne. | |
| |
IX
A good bowe in his hond, | |
| A brod arwe ther-ine, | |
| And fowre and twenti goode arwys, | 40 |
| Trusyd in a thrumme: | |
| ‘Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn, | |
| Her-of thu shalt han summe! | |
| |
X
‘Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn, | |
| Her of thu gyst plenté!’— | 45 |
| ‘Ever on for an other,’ seyde Gandeleyn; | |
| ‘Mysaunter have he shal fle. | |
| |
XI
‘Qwer-at shal our marke be?’ | |
| Seyde Gandeleyn.— | |
| ‘Everyche at otheris herte,’ | 50 |
| Seyde Wrennok ageyn. | |
| |
XII
‘Ho shal yeve the ferste schote?’ | |
| Seyde Gandeleyn. | |
| ‘And I shul yeve the on be-forn,’ | |
| Seyde Wrennok ageyn. | 55 |
| |
XIII
Wrennok schette a ful good schote, | |
| And he schet not to hye; | |
| Throw the sanchothis of his bryk; | |
| It towcyhd neyther thye. | |
| |
XIV
‘Now hast thu yovyn me on be-forn,’ | 60 |
| Al thus to Wrennok seyde he, | |
| ‘And throw the myyt of our lady | |
| A bettere I shal yeve the.’ | |
| |
XV
Gandeleyn bent his goode bowe, | |
| And set ther-in a flo; | 65 |
| He schet throw his grene certyl, | |
| His herte he clef on too. | |
| |
XVI
‘Now shalt thu never yelpe, Wrennok, | |
| At ale ne at wyn, | |
| That thu hast slawe goode Robyn, | 70 |
| And his knave Gandeleyn. | |
| |
XVII
‘Now shalt thu never yelpe, Wrennok, | |
| At wyn ne at ale, | |
| That thu hast slawe goode Robyn, | |
| And Gandeleyn his knave.’ | 75 |
| Robyn lyth in grene wode bowndyn. | |
| | | GLOSS: carpyng] talking, tale. hende] gracious, courteous. He] they. ageyn evyn] towards evening. He comyn ayon] came over against them, in their path. on] one. flo] arrow. a to] in two. i-flawe] flayed. schrewde] sharp. He clepyn] whom they call. Trusyd] trussed. bound up. thrumme] end of a warp. gyst] gettest. Mysaunter] misadventure. Ho] who. yeve] give. sanchothis] fork. bryk] breeches. yovyn me on] given me one. certyl] kirtle. |
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