قراءة كتاب The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems
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اللغة: English
الصفحة رقم: 7
her coming, as he lay
On Arthur's head, till some of her long hair
Brush'd on the new-cut stone: 'Well done! to pray
For Arthur, my dear Lord, the greatest king
That ever lived.' 'Guenevere! Guenevere!
Do you not know me, are you gone mad? fling
Your arms and hair about me, lest I fear
That ever lived.' 'Guenevere! Guenevere!
Do you not know me, are you gone mad? fling
Your arms and hair about me, lest I fear
You are not Guenevere, but some other thing.'
'Pray you forgive me, fair lord Launcelot!
I am not mad, but I am sick; they cling,
God's curses, unto such as I am; not
'Pray you forgive me, fair lord Launcelot!
I am not mad, but I am sick; they cling,
God's curses, unto such as I am; not
Ever again shall we twine arms and lips.'
'Yea, she is mad: thy heavy law, O Lord,
Is very tight about her now, and grips
Her poor heart, so that no right word
'Yea, she is mad: thy heavy law, O Lord,
Is very tight about her now, and grips
Her poor heart, so that no right word
Can reach her mouth; so, Lord, forgive her now,
That she not knowing what she does, being mad,
Kills me in this way; Guenevere, bend low
And kiss me once! for God's love kiss me! sad
That she not knowing what she does, being mad,
Kills me in this way; Guenevere, bend low
And kiss me once! for God's love kiss me! sad
Though your face is, you look much kinder now;
Yea once, once for the last time kiss me, lest I die.'
'Christ! my hot lips are very near his brow,
Help me to save his soul! Yea, verily,
Yea once, once for the last time kiss me, lest I die.'
'Christ! my hot lips are very near his brow,
Help me to save his soul! Yea, verily,
Across my husband's head, fair Launcelot!
Fair serpent mark'd with V upon the head!
This thing we did while yet he was alive,
Why not, O twisting knight, now he is dead?
Fair serpent mark'd with V upon the head!
This thing we did while yet he was alive,
Why not, O twisting knight, now he is dead?
Yea, shake! shake now and shiver! if you can
Remember anything for agony,
Pray you remember how when the wind ran
One cool spring evening through fair aspen-tree,
Remember anything for agony,
Pray you remember how when the wind ran
One cool spring evening through fair aspen-tree,
And elm and oak about the palace there,
The king came back from battle, and I stood
To meet him, with my ladies, on the stair,
My face made beautiful with my young blood.'
The king came back from battle, and I stood
To meet him, with my ladies, on the stair,
My face made beautiful with my young blood.'
'Will she lie now, Lord God?' 'Remember too,
Wrung heart, how first before the knights there came
A royal bier, hung round with green and blue,
About it shone great tapers with sick flame.
Wrung heart, how first before the knights there came
A royal bier, hung round with green and blue,
About it shone great tapers with sick flame.
And thereupon Lucius, the Emperor,
Lay royal-robed, but stone-cold now and dead,
Not able to hold sword or sceptre more,
But not quite grim; because his cloven head
Lay royal-robed, but stone-cold now and dead,
Not able to hold sword or sceptre more,
But not quite grim; because his cloven head
Bore no marks now of Launcelot's bitter sword,
Being by embalmers deftly solder'd up;
So still it seem'd the face of a great lord,
Being mended as a craftsman mends a cup.
Being by embalmers deftly solder'd up;
So still it seem'd the face of a great lord,
Being mended as a craftsman mends a cup.
Also the heralds sung rejoicingly
To their long trumpets; Fallen under shield,
Here lieth Lucius, King of Italy,
Slain by Lord Launcelot in open field.
To their long trumpets; Fallen under shield,
Here lieth Lucius, King of Italy,
Slain by Lord Launcelot in open field.
Thereat the people shouted: Launcelot!
And through the spears I saw you drawing nigh,
You and Lord Arthur: nay, I saw you not,
But rather Arthur, God would not let die,
And through the spears I saw you drawing nigh,
You and Lord Arthur: nay, I saw you not,
But rather Arthur, God would not let die,
I hoped, these many years; he should grow great,
And in his great arms still encircle me,
Kissing my face, half blinded with the heat
Of king's love for the queen I used to be.
And in his great arms still encircle me,
Kissing my face, half blinded with the heat
Of king's love for the queen I used to be.
Launcelot, Launcelot, why did he take your hand,
When he had kissed me in his kingly way?
Saying: This is the knight whom all the land
Calls Arthur's banner, sword, and shield to-day;
When he had kissed me in his kingly way?
Saying: This is the knight whom all the land
Calls Arthur's banner, sword, and shield to-day;
Cherish him, love. Why did your long lips cleave
In such strange way unto my fingers then?
So eagerly glad to kiss, so loath to leave
When you rose up? Why among helmed men
In such strange way unto my fingers then?
So eagerly glad to kiss, so loath to leave
When you rose up? Why among helmed men
Could I always tell you by your long strong arms,
And sway like an angel's in your saddle there?
Why sicken'd I so often with alarms
Over the tilt-yard? Why were you more fair
And sway like an angel's in your saddle there?
Why sicken'd I so often with alarms
Over the tilt-yard? Why were you more fair
Than aspens in the autumn at their best?
Why did you fill all lands with your great fame,
So that Breuse even, as he rode, fear'd lest
At turning of the way your shield should flame?
Why did you fill all lands with your great fame,
So that Breuse even, as he rode, fear'd lest
At turning of the way your shield should flame?
Was it nought then, my agony and strife?
When as day passed by day, year after year,
I found I could not live a righteous life!
Didst ever think queens held their truth for dear?
When as day passed by day, year after year,
I found I could not live a righteous life!
Didst ever think queens held their truth for dear?
O, but your lips say: Yea, but she was cold
Sometimes, always uncertain as the spring;
When I was sad she would be overbold,
Longing for kisses. When war-bells did ring,
Sometimes, always uncertain as the spring;
When I was sad she would be overbold,
Longing for kisses. When war-bells did ring,
The back-toll'd bells of noisy Camelot.
'Now, Lord God, listen! listen, Guenevere,
Though I am weak just now, I think there's not
A man who dares to say: You hated her,
'Now, Lord God, listen! listen, Guenevere,
Though I am weak just now, I think there's not
A man who dares to say: You hated her,
And left her moaning while you fought your fill
In the daisied meadows! lo you her thin hand,
That on the carven stone can not keep still,
Because she loves me against God's command,
In the daisied meadows! lo you her thin hand,
That on the carven stone can not keep still,
Because she loves me against God's command,
Has often been quite wet with tear on tear,
Tears Launcelot keeps somewhere, surely not
In his own heart, perhaps in Heaven, where
He will not be these ages.' 'Launcelot!
Tears Launcelot keeps somewhere, surely not
In his own heart, perhaps in Heaven, where
He will not be these ages.' 'Launcelot!
Loud lips, wrung heart! I say when the bells rang,
The noisy back-toll'd bells of Camelot,
There were two spots on earth, the thrushes sang
In the lonely gardens where my love was not,
The noisy back-toll'd bells of Camelot,
There were two spots on earth, the thrushes sang
In the lonely gardens where my love was not,
Where I was almost weeping; I dared not
Weep quite
Weep quite