Sir Ribolt

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Title:     Sir Ribolt
Author: George Borrow [More Titles by Borrow]

Ribolt the son of a Count was he--
Gulborg he courted in secrecy.

Since she was a child the maid he woo'd,
And till she had come to womanhood.

"Gulborg do thou become my bride,
In a better land then thou shalt reside.

"Unto the land I thee will bear,
Where grief ne'er comes the mind to tear.

"To an island 'neath a blissful sky,
Where thou shalt live and never die."

"To the land thou never me wilt bear,
But grief shall come the mind to tear.

"Nor me to the isle wilt thou convey
Where I've no death to the Lord to pay."

"O there no grass but the leek up-springs,
And there no bird but the cuckoo sings.

"No other water flows than wine,
Thou may'st believe these words of mine."

"But how from the Castle can I fly?
So many watch incessantly.

"I'm watched by father, watched by mother,
By sister I am watched, and brother.

"I'm watched by the man to whom I'm plighted,
And I fear him more than the rest united."

"Although by all thy clan controll'd,
Thy promise to me thou yet shall hold.

"In my acton blue I thee will case,
And my golden helm on thy head I'll place.

"I'll gird thee with my sword of worth,
Then none will think that a maid rides forth.

"Decked with my gilded spurs so free,
Thou off may'st ride though thy father see."

O'er her he threw his mantle wide,
And set her upon his steed of pride.

When on the moor themselves they found,
Met them a Count, in arms renown'd.

"Here, Ribolt, hear, dear comrade mine,
Say, who's that fair young page of thine?"

"Comrade, it is my youngest brother,
I've ta'en him from his doting mother."

"It little avails such tales to tell;
Gulborg, Gulborg, I know thee well.

"Thy scarlet dress thou may'st disguise,
But thy cheeks of rose I recognise.

"Thy hair I know of fairest sort,
For long I've served at thy father's court.

"By thy garb and shoon I know thee not,
But I know the knight who thy troth has got."

A bracelet drew she forth of gold,
And gave it to that Count so bold:

"Where'er thou rest thee at close of day,
Be sure no word of me thou say."

The Count he rode to Kulloe house,
Where the kemps were drinking a deep carouse.

He enter'd at Sir Truid's gate--
At his table wide Sir Truid sate.

"Here, Truid, thou sitt'st the red wine taking,
Whilst Ribolt off with thy bride is making."

Then through his hall Sir Truid roar'd:
"Up, up, ye knights, take helm and sward!"

Barely a mile had they advanced
When fair Gulborg behind her glanced.

"O yonder my father's steed I see,
And the knight who is betrothed to me."

"Gulborg, be therefore in no pain,
But hold our steeds by the bridle rein.

"And though to earth thou see me fall,
Gulborg thou must not upon me call.

"And though thou see me freely bleed,
Let not my name from thy mouth proceed."

His helm on his head Sir Ribolt cast,
Gulborg with her fair hands laced it fast.

Then, crying his cry, he slays outright
Her father dear and her plighted knight,

And, at the second "Halloo," he slew
Her brothers with locks of yellow hue.

"Desist, O Ribolt, my heart's ador'd,
'Tis time, 'tis time to sheath thy sword.

"My youngest brother I pray thee spare,
That he to my mother may tiding bear;

"Bear her the tidings of the slaughter,
O would she never had borne a daughter!"

Scarce had the name of Ribolt sounded,
When Ribolt tottered, deadly wounded.

He sheathed his faulchion, blood be-dyed:
"Come, dear Gulborg, we hence will ride."

They thread the mazes of the wood,
No word escaped him, bad or good.

"Hear, Ribolt, hear, my destined mate,
Why art not glad as thou wast of late?"

"Gulborg, I feel my life-blood leak,
Gulborg, I feel me faint and weak.

"But chiefly, chiefly I look not pleas'd
Because Death's hand my heart has seiz'd."

"Myself of my girdle I'll dis-array,
And thy streaming blood will stanch and stay."

"God bless thee ever, my own true love,
Of service slight will thy girdle prove."

And when to the Castle gate they won,
His mother stood there and leaned thereon.

"Welcome, my son, thou art welcome twice,
And thy fair young bride she is welcome thrice.

"I ne'er have seen a bride so pale
Come travelling over hill and dale."

"If pale she be is a wonder slight,
When she has witness'd so hard a fight.

"God grant I may retain my breath
Whilst parting presents I bequeath.

"To my father I give my courser tall,
O mother I pray thee a priest to call.

"And unto my brother, who's standing near,
I give Gulborg whom I love so dear."

"O willingly her to wife I'd take,
If, brother, 'twere not for the black sin's sake."

"May the Lord God me in my trouble aid,
So sure as she is for me a maid.

"'Twas only once that I had the bliss
From her rosy mouth to snatch a kiss."

"O better, better to sink in death,
Than unto two brothers plight my faith."

Ribolt was dead ere the cock did cry,
Gulborg was dead ere the sun was high.

They bore from the Castle corses three,
A handsome corse was each to see.

The one was Ribolt, the other his bride,
His mother the third, of grief she died.

[The end]
George Borrow's poem: Sir Ribolt

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