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Title: The Damsel Of The Wood
Author: George Borrow [
More Titles by Borrow]
The Knight takes hawk, and the man takes hound,
And away to the good green-wood they rambled;
There beasts both great and small they found,
Amid the forest glades that gambol'd.
A hind 'neath a linden tree he spied,
A maid beneath the willows sitting;
The Knight outspread his mantle wide,
Within that spot for love so fitting.
And there throughout the night they lie,
And no one sought their rest to trouble;
The linden tree so charmingly
Conceals them with its foliage noble.
No sooner dawned the morning light,
And early cocks commenced their crowing,
The Damsel pats on his breast the knight:
"Sweet love, you must be up and going.
"Ride o'er the brig at full career,
And o'er the verdant meadows hurry;
My brothers seven you'll meet I fear,
So full of courage, strength, and fury."
"If seven or ten thy brothers be,
Each full of courage, strength, and beauty,
If a comrade good they seek in me
I trust I know a comrade's duty.
"And if me they'll have as a brother dear,
Their brother straight to be I'm willing;
But they shall win the victory ne'er
If bent my youthful blood on spilling."
"O dearest heart, with tears I pray
That thou wilt not go lightly nigh them,
But ride about another way,
Far distant off thou may'st descry them."
"O ne'er at court shall it be said
That I, a knight, for warriors seven,
Or ten times seven, the straight road fled,
To match them all I trust in heaven."
His sword to his side the warrior tied,
And then himself in his acton casing,
A fond adieu to the Damsel cried,
Who sadly stood behind him gazing.
The youth despising all alarms
With spur so keen his courser urges,
Seven knights he meets in burnished arms
From out the wood as he emerges.
"Ha, early met, thou warrior good,
Pray tell us what thou hast been doing!"
"O I have been to the good green-wood,
With hound and hawk the deer pursuing."
"Where is thy hawk and greyhound, say?
Thy silvan spoil, we pray thee show it."
"A good friend came across my way,
And on that friend I did bestow it."
"No knight will part with his prey so light
For which in wood he's toiled and panted;
With a maiden bright you slept last night,
Her brothers' leave nor sought nor granted."
"To chase the dun deer, Sirs, I rode,
Full little of your sister knowing,
The first fair deer itself that showed
I chased with heart and bosom glowing.
"It crouched beneath my scarlet cloak,
It pleased me, Sirs, beyond all measure;
With thanks to heaven the gift I took,
And made me happy with my treasure.
"I let my hounds the wild deer chase,
I thought but little of their capture;
But I took the hind to my embrace,
What moments then of bliss and rapture.
"Of all the world's fair maids was she
The fairest both in face and carriage;
If she, Sir Knights, your sister be,
I beg your sister's hand in marriage.
"A faithful brother I will be,
And in your cause I death will suffer;
And her I'll hold in respect and love,
And nothing more a knight can proffer."
"Thou shalt not get the maid for mate,
But thou shalt die, thou knight enamour'd;
So make thy shrift 'neath the linden straight,
The little birds shall hear it stammer'd.
"Now wilt thou stand, or wilt thou fly
Into the deep wood for protection;
Or guard thy young life valiantly,
To prove thy courage and affection?"
"O I will stand, nor craven fly
Unto the murky wood for cover,
I'll guard my life right valiantly,
And thus I'll prove me worthy of her."
First one he slew, then quickly two,
His knightly courage well display'd he;
But, though his seven foes he slew,
With his own life full dearly paid he.
When the tidings reached the maiden's ear
She let fall briny tears in plenty;
But if for her kin she shed one tear,
She shed I ween for the bold knight twenty.
[The end]
George Borrow's poem: The Damsel Of The Wood
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