Part II
Book V 112. Robyn and Gandelyn
I
I herde a carpyng636 of a clerk,
Al at yone wodes ende,
Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn;
Was ther non other thynge.
Robynn lyth in grene wode bowndyn.
II
Stronge thevys wern tho chylderin none,
But bowmen gode and hende637;
He638 wentyn to wode to getyn hem fleych,
If God wold it hem sende.
III
Al day wentyn tho chylderin two,
And fleych fowndyn he non,
Til it were ageyn evyn639;
The chylderin wold gon hom.
IV
Half an honderid of fat falyf der
He comyn ayon640,
And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now,
But markyd was ther non:
‘Be dere God,’ seyde gode Robyn,
‘Hereof we shul have on641.’
V
Robyn bent his joly bowe,
Ther in he set a flo642;
The fattest der of alle
The herte he clef a to643.
VI
He hadde not the der i-flawe644,
Ne half out of the hyde,
There cam a schrewde645 arwe out of the west,
That felde Robertes pryde.
VII
Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west,
Be every syde:
‘Hoo hat myn mayster slayin?
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;
He saw a lytil boy,
He clepyn646 Wrennok of Donne.
IX
A good bowe in his hond,
A brod arwe ther-ine,
And fowre and twenti goode arwys,
Trusyd647 in a thrumme648:
‘Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her-of thu shalt han summe!
X
‘Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her of thu gyst649 plenté!’—
‘Ever on for an other,’ seyde Gandeleyn;
‘Mysaunter650 have he shal fle.
XI
‘Qwer-at shal our marke be?’
Seyde Gandeleyn.—
‘Everyche at otheris herte,’
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
XII
‘Ho651 shal yeve the ferste schote?’
Seyde Gandeleyn.
‘And I shul yeve652 the on be-forn,’
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
XIII
Wrennok schette a ful good schote,
And he schet not to hye;
Throw the sanchothis653 of his bryk654;
It towcyhd neyther thye.
XIV
‘Now hast thu yovyn me on655 be-forn,’
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;
He schet throw his grene certyl656,
His herte he clef on too.
XVI
‘Now shall thu never yelpe657, Wrennok,
At ale ne at wyn,
That thu hast slawe goode Robyn,
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.’
Robyn lyth in grene wode bowndyn.
Footnotes
636 carpyng = talking, tale.
637 hende = gracious, courteous.
638 He = they.
639 ageyn evyn = towards evening.
640 He comyn ayon = came over against them, in their path.
641 on = one.
642 flo = arrow.
643 a to = in two.
644 i-flawe = flayed.
645 schrewde = sharp.
646 He clepyn = whom they call.
647 Trusyd = trussed, bound up.
648 thrumme = end of a warp.
649 gyst = gettest.
650 Mysaunter = misadventure.
651 Ho = who.
652 yeve = give.
653 sanchothis = fork.
654 bryk = breeches.
655 yovyn me on = given me one.
656 certyl = kirtle.
657 yelpe = brag.