56

60

64

68

72

believe thyself thou shalt not did 13 felled 15 smote many easily death 19

heard

5 slay

14

hence 10 then against so many 20 took pagans 21 did kill 22 there might not live 23 foreigner

Of men he had too few.

Swords in hand they took

And together struck.

They smote so under shield
That some fell in the field.
The king had all too few
Against this evil crew.
So many might easily
Put to death these three.

The pagans came to land
And seized it in their hand.
The people they did kill
And churches spoil at will.
There none alive might go,
Kinsman no more than foe,
But who his faith forsook
And that of pagan took.
Of all earthly women
Saddest was Godhild then.
For Murry wept she sore
And for Horn yet more.
She went out of the hall,
Leaving her maidens all.
Under a rock of stone
There lived she all alone.
To serve God was she glad,
Though the pagans it forbade ;
And there she served Christ too,
And naught the pagans knew.
Ever she prayed for Horn Child
That Jesus Christ be to him mild.
Horn was in pagans' hand
With his fellows of the land.
Beauty great had he,

As Christ would have it be.

The pagans wished to slay him
Or else alive to flay him.

24 kinsman

52

56

бо

64

68

72

77

80

84

888

92

25 unless they forsook their faith 26 theirs 27 she wept 28 29 yet See note on 1. 16.

32

30 she 31 pagans' prohibition 33 knew 34 prayed

35 companions

36 fairness

37

38

slay flay alive

Armes heo gan buge; 16

lot.

I come of thralls, God wot;
A foundling's was my
Befits thee not by kind
Thyself to me to bind.
It were no fit wedding

Betwixt a thrall and a king."

Rymenhild was grieved thereby And sore began to sigh.

452

Adun he 17 feol iswoge.18

Horn in herte was ful wo,

Her arms slipped strengthless down, And there she fell a-swown.

456

And tok hire on his armes two. He gan hire for to kesse,

Horn such woe could nowise brook

And in his arms the maiden took.

460

Wel ofte mid ywisse.19

"Lemman,

"20 he sede, "dere,

Thin herte nu thu stere.21

464

Help me to knigte,

Bi al thine migte,

To my lord the king,

Thanne is mi thralhod

Iwent 22 in to knigthod,

And i schal wexe more,

That he me yive dubbing.

And do, lemman, thi lore." 23
Rymenhild, that swete thing,
Wakede of hire swowning.24
"Horn," quath heo, "wel sone
That schal beon idone;
Thu schal beo dubbed knigt

25

Are come seve nigt.

Have her this cuppe,

1 skin, rug 2 fill 3 neck 4 kissed

7 plight

12

8 direct 9 give

suit nature

13

468

472

476

10 chanced 11 sigh spouse 14 bound 15

And then he did her kiss,
Full oft and oft, i-wis.
"Sweetheart," said he, “dear,

Thy heart now must thou steer.
Help me become a knight,
Truly, with all thy might,
To my lord, the king,

That he me grant dubbing.
Then shall my thrallhood
Be changed to knighthood,
And I grow greater still,
And do, sweetheart, thy will.”

Rymenhild, that sweetest thing,
Wakened then from her swooning.
"Horn," quoth she, "full soon
That shall all be done;

9

Ich was in one sumere dale,10

In one swithe digele hale,"

I-herede 12 ich holde grete tale 13 An ule and one nigtingale.

14

16

That plait was stif and starc and strong,
Sum wile 15 softe, and lud among;
And aither 17 agen other swal,18
And let that vule mod ut al.19
And either 17 seide of otheres custe 20
That alre-worste 21 that hi wuste;
And hure and hure 23 of otheres songe
Hi 24 heolde plaiding swithe 25 stronge.

22

The nigtingale bi-gon the speche,

In one hurne 26 of one beche;
And sat up one vaire bohe,27

Thar were abute 28 blosme i-nohe,29

In ore waste 30 thicke hegge,
I-meind mid spire 31 and grene segge.
Heo 32
was the gladur vor 33 the rise,34
And song a vele cunne wise.35
Bet thuhte the drem 36 that he 37
Of harpe and pipe, than he 37
Bet thuhte 39 that he 37 were i-shote
Of harpe and pipe than of throte.

were

nere,

38

ΙΟ

20

As I was in a summer dale,
Within a very secret vale,

I heard of talking a great tale
Betwixt an owl and a nightingale.
The strife was stiff and stark and strong;
Sometimes 'twas soft, then loud, their song.
Either against the other swelled,

Let out the rage that in her dwelled.
And each said of the other's ways
The worst she knew to her dispraise;
And specially of each other's song
They had a quarrel very strong.

The nightingale began the speech,
Snug in a corner of a beech;

She sat upon a pretty bough,

There were about her blossoms enow,

All in a lonely, thickset hedge,

Tangled with shoots and green with sedge. She was the gladder for the sprays,

And sang in many kinds of ways.

It rather seemed the sound I heard

Was harp and pipe than song of bird;

For rather seemed the sound to float

ΙΟ

20

From harp and pipe than from bird's throat.
There stood an old stump there beside,
Wherefrom the owl in her turn cried;
It was with ivy overgrown,

And there the owl dwelled all alone.