The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems Part 13

My mother taught me prayers To say when I had need; I have so many cares, That I can take no heed Of many words in them; But I remember this: _Christ, bring me to thy bliss.

Mary, maid withouten wem, Keep me!_ I am lone, I wis, Yet besides I have made this By myself: _Give me a kiss, Dear G.o.d dwelling up in heaven!_ Also: _Send me a true knight, Lord Christ, with a steel sword, bright, Broad, and trenchant; yea, and seven Spans from hilt to point, O Lord!

And let the handle of his sword Be gold on silver, Lord in heaven!

Such a sword as I see gleam Sometimes, when they let me dream._

Yea, besides, I have made this: _Lord, give Mary a dear kiss, And let gold Michael, who looked down, When I was there, on Rouen town From the spire, bring me that kiss On a lily! Lord do this!_

These prayers on the dreadful nights, When the witches plait my hair, And the fearfullest of sights On the earth and in the air, Will not let me close my eyes, I murmur often, mix'd with sighs, That my weak heart will not hold At some things that I behold.

Nay, not sighs, but quiet groans, That swell out the little bones Of my bosom; till a trance G.o.d sends in middle of that dance, And I behold the countenance Of Michael, and can feel no more The bitter east wind biting sore My naked feet; can see no more The crayfish on the leaden floor, That mock with feeler and grim claw.

Yea, often in that happy trance, Beside the blessed countenance Of golden Michael, on the spire Glowing all crimson in the fire Of sunset, I behold a face, Which sometime, if G.o.d give me grace, May kiss me in this very place.

_Evening in the tower._

RAPUNZEL.

It grows half way between the dark and light; Love, we have been six hours here alone: I fear that she will come before the night, And if she finds us thus we are undone.

THE PRINCE.

Nay, draw a little nearer, that your breath May touch my lips, let my cheek feel your arm; Now tell me, did you ever see a death, Or ever see a man take mortal harm?

RAPUNZEL.

Once came two knights and fought with swords below, And while they fought I scarce could look at all, My head swam so; after, a moaning low Drew my eyes down; I saw against the wall

One knight lean dead, bleeding from head and breast, Yet seem'd it like a line of poppies red In the golden twilight, as he took his rest, In the dusky time he scarcely seemed dead.

But the other, on his face, six paces off, Lay moaning, and the old familiar name He mutter'd through the gra.s.s, seem'd like a scoff Of some lost soul remembering his past fame.

His helm all dinted lay beside him there, The visor-bars were twisted towards the face, The crest, which was a lady very fair, Wrought wonderfully, was shifted from its place.

The shower'd mail-rings on the speedwell lay, Perhaps my eyes were dazzled with the light That blazed in the west, yet surely on that day Some crimson thing had changed the gra.s.s from bright

Pure green I love so. But the knight who died Lay there for days after the other went; Until one day I heard a voice that cried: Fair knight, I see Sir Robert we were sent

To carry dead or living to the king.

So the knights came and bore him straight away On their lance truncheons, such a batter'd thing, His mother had not known him on that day,

But for his helm-crest, a gold lady fair Wrought wonderfully.

THE PRINCE.

Ah, they were brothers then, And often rode together, doubtless where The swords were thickest, and were loyal men,

Until they fell in these same evil dreams.

RAPUNZEL.

Yea, love; but shall we not depart from hence?

The white moon groweth golden fast, and gleams Between the aspens stems; I fear, and yet a sense

Of fluttering victory comes over me, That will not let me fear aright; my heart, Feel how it beats, love, strives to get to thee; I breathe so fast that my lips needs must part;

Your breath swims round my mouth, but let us go.

THE PRINCE.

I, Sebald, also, pluck from off the staff The crimson banner; let it lie below, Above it in the wind let gra.s.ses laugh.

Now let us go, love, down the winding stair, With fingers intertwined: ay, feel my sword!

I wrought it long ago, with golden hair Flowing about the hilts, because a word,

Sung by a minstrel old, had set me dreaming Of a sweet bow'd down face with yellow hair; Betwixt green leaves I used to see it gleaming, A half smile on the lips, though lines of care

Had sunk the cheeks, and made the great eyes hollow; What other work in all the world had I, But through all turns of fate that face to follow?

But wars and business kept me there to die.

O child, I should have slain my brother, too, My brother, Love, lain moaning in the gra.s.s, Had I not ridden out to look for you, When I had watch'd the gilded courtiers pa.s.s

From the golden hall. But it is strange your name Is not the same the minstrel sung of yore; You call'd it Rapunzel, 'tis not the name.

See, love, the stems shine through the open door.

_Morning in the woods._

RAPUNZEL.

O love! me and my unknown name you have well won; The witch's name was Rapunzel: eh! not so sweet?

No! but is this real gra.s.s, love, that I tread upon?

What call they these blue flowers that lean across my feet?

THE PRINCE.

Dip down your dear face in the dewy gra.s.s, O love!

And ever let the sweet slim harebells, tenderly hung, Kiss both your parted lips; and I will hang above, And try to sing that song the dreamy harper sung.

_He sings._

'Twixt the sunlight and the shade Float up memories of my maid: G.o.d, remember Guendolen!

Gold or gems she did not wear, But her yellow rippled hair, Like a veil, hid Guendolen!

'Twixt the sunlight and the shade, My rough hands so strangely made, Folded Golden Guendolen.

Hands used to grip the sword-hilt hard, Framed her face, while on the sward Tears fell down from Guendolen.

Guendolen now speaks no word, Hands fold round about the sword: Now no more of Guendolen.