Part 2 / Book 5 — 112. Robyn and Gandelyn

I I herde a carpyng[636] 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 hende[637]; He[638] 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 evyn[639]; The chylderin wold gon hom. IV Half an honderid of fat falyf der He comyn ayon[640], 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[641].’ V Robyn bent his joly bowe, Ther in he set a flo[642]; The fattest der of alle The herte he clef a to[643]. VI He hadde not the der i-flawe[644], Ne half out of the hyde, There cam a schrewde[645] 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 clepyn[646] Wrennok of Donne. IX A good bowe in his hond, A brod arwe ther-ine, And fowre and twenti goode arwys, Trusyd[647] in a thrumme[648]: ‘Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn, Her-of thu shalt han summe! X ‘Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn, Her of thu gyst[649] plenté!’— ‘Ever on for an other,’ seyde Gandeleyn; ‘Mysaunter[650] have he shal fle. XI ‘Qwer-at shal our marke be?’ Seyde Gandeleyn.— ‘Everyche at otheris herte,’ Seyde Wrennok ageyn. XII ‘Ho[651] shal yeve the ferste schote?’ Seyde Gandeleyn. ‘And I shul yeve[652] the on be-forn,’ Seyde Wrennok ageyn. XIII Wrennok schette a ful good schote, And he schet not to hye; Throw the sanchothis[653] of his bryk[654]; It towcyhd neyther thye. XIV ‘Now hast thu yovyn me on[655] 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 certyl[656], His herte he clef on too. XVI ‘Now shall thu never yelpe[657], 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.