the tale of balen-第10章

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〃But　travelling　men　whose　goal　afar
Shines　as　a　cloud…constraining　star
Are　often　weary；　and　wearier　are
Their　steeds　that　feel　each　fret　and　jar
Wherewith　the　wild　ways　wound　them：　　yet；
Albeit　my　horse　be　weary；　still
My　heart　is　nowise　weary；　will
Sustains　it　even　till　death　fulfil
My　trust　upon　him　set。〃

〃Sir；〃　said　a　knight　thereby　that　stood；
〃Meseems　your　shield　is　now　not　good
But　worn　with　warrior　work；　nor　could
Sustain　in　strife　the　strokes　it　would：
A　larger　will　I　lend　you。〃　　〃Ay；
Thereof　I　thank　you；〃　Balen　said；
Being　single　of　heart　as　one　that　read
No　face　aright　whence　faith　had　fled；
Nor　dreamed　that　faith　could　fly。

And　so　he　took　that　shield　unknown
And　left　for　treason's　touch　his　own；
And　toward　that　island　rode　alone；
Nor　heard　the　blast　against　him　blown
Sound　in　the　wind's　and　water's　sound；
But　hearkening　toward　the　stream's　edge　heard
Nought　save　the　soft　stream's　rippling　word；
Glad　with　the　gladness　of　a　bird；
That　sang　to　the　air　around。

And　there　against　the　water…side
He　saw；　fast　moored　to　rock　and　ride；
A　fair　great　boat　anear　abide
Like　one　that　waits　the　turning　tide；
Wherein　embarked　his　horse　and　he
Passed　over　toward　no　kindly　strand：
And　where　they　stood　again　on　land
There　stood　a　maiden　hard　at　hand
Who　seeing　them　wept　to　see。

And　〃O　knight　Balen；〃　was　her　cry；
〃Why　have　ye　left　your　own　shield？　why
Come　hither　out　of　time　to　die？
For　had　ye　kept　your　shield；　thereby
Ye　had　yet　been　known；　and　died　not　here。
Great　pity　it　is　of　you　this　day
As　ever　was　of　knight；　or　may
Be　ever；　seeing　in　war's　bright　way
Praise　knows　not　Balen's　peer。〃

And　Balen　said；　〃Thou　hast　heard　my　name
Right：　　it　repenteth　me；　though　shame
May　tax　me　not　with　base　men's　blame；
That　ever；　hap　what　will；　I　came
Within　this　country；　yet；　being　come；
For　shame　I　may　not　turn　again
Now；　that　myself　and　nobler　men
May　scorn　me：　　now　is　more　than　then；
And　faith　bids　fear　be　dumb。

〃Be　it　life　or　death；　my　chance　I　take；
Be　it　life's　to　build　or　death's　to　break：
And　fall　what　may；　me　lists　not　make
Moan　for　sad　life's　or　death's　sad　sake。〃
Then　looked　he　on　his　armour；　glad
And　high　of　heart；　and　found　it　strong：
And　all　his　soul　became　a　song
And　soared　in　prayer　that　soared　not　long；
For　all　the　hope　it　had。

Then　saw　he　whence　against　him　came
A　steed　whose　trappings　shone　like　flame；
And　he　that　rode　him　showed　the　same
Fierce　colour；　bright　as　fire　or　fame；
But　dark　the　visors　were　as　night
That　hid　from　Balen　Balan's　face；
And　his　from　Balan：　　God's　own　grace
Forsook　them　for　a　shadowy　space
Where　darkness　cast　out　light。

The　two　swords　girt　that　Balen　bare
Gave　Balan　for　a　breath's　while　there
Pause；　wondering　if　indeed　it　were
Balen　his　brother；　bound　to　dare
The　chance　of　that　unhappy　quest：
But　seeing　not　as　he　thought　to　see
His　shield；　he　deemed　it　was　not　he；
And　so；　as　fate　bade　sorrow　be；
They　laid　their　spears　in　rest。

So　mighty　was　the　course　they　ran
With　spear　to　spear　so　great　of　span；
Each　fell　back　stricken；　man　by　man；
Horse　by　horse；　borne　down：　　so　the　ban
That　wrought　by　doom　against　them　wrought：
But　Balen　by　his　falling　steed
Was　bruised　the　sorer；　being　indeed
Way…weary；　like　a　rain…bruised　reed；
With　travel　ere　he　fought。

And　Balen　rose　again　from　swoon
First；　and　went　toward　him：　　all　too　soon
He　too　then　rose；　and　the　evil　boon
Of　strength　came　back；　and　the　evil　tune
Of　battle　unnatural　made　again
Mad　music　as　for　death's　wide　ear
Listening　and　hungering　toward　the　near
Last　sigh　that　life　or　death　might　hear
At　last　from　dying　men。

Balan　smote　Balen　first；　and　clove
His　lifted　shield　that　rose　and　strove
In　vain　against　the　stroke　that　drove
Down：　　as　the　web　that　morning　wove
Of　glimmering　pearl　from　spray　to　spray
Dies　when　the　strong　sun　strikes　it；　so
Shrank　the　steel；　tempered　thrice　to　show
Strength；　as　the　mad　might　of　the　blow
Shore　Balen's　helm　away。

Then　turning　as　a　turning　wave
Against　the　land…wind；　blind　and　brave
In　hope　that　dreams　despair　may　save；
With　even　the　unhappy　sword　that　gave
The　gifts　of　fame　and　fate　in　one
He　smote　his　brother；　and　there　had　nigh
Felled　him：　　and　while　they　breathed；　his　eye
Glanced　up；　and　saw　beneath　the　sky
Sights　fairer　than　the　sun。

The　towers　of　all　the　castle　there
Stood　full　of　ladies；　blithe　and　fair
As　the　earth　beneath　and　the　amorous　air
About　them　and　above　them　were：
So　toward　the　blind　and　fateful　fight
Again　those　brethren　went；　and　sore
Were　all　the　strokes　they　smote　and　bore；
And　breathed　again；　and　fell　once　more
To　battle　in　their　sight。

With　blood　that　either　spilt　and　bled
Was　all　the　ground　they　fought　on　red；
And　each　knight's　hauberk　hewn　and　shred
Left　each　unmailed　and　naked；　shed
From　off　them　even　as　mantles　cast：
And　oft　they　breathed；　and　drew　but　breath
Brief　as　the　word　strong　sorrow　saith；
And　poured　and　drank　the　draught　of　death；
Till　fate　was　full　at　last。

And　Balan；　younger　born　than　he
Whom　darkness　bade　him　slay；　and　be
Slain；　as　in　mist　where　none　may　see
If　aught　abide　or　fall　or　flee；
Drew　back　a　little　and　laid　him　down；
Dying：　　but　Balen　stood；　and　said；
As　one　between　the　quick　and　dead
Might　stand　and　speak；　〃What　good　knight's　head
Hath　won　this　mortal　crown？

〃What　knight　art　thou？　for　never　I
Who　now　beside　thee　dead　shall　die
Found　yet　the　knight　afar　or　nigh
That　matched　me。〃　　Then　his　brother's　eye
Flashed　pride　and　love；　he　spake　and　smiled
And　felt　in　death　life's　quickening　flame；
And　answered：　　〃Balan　is　my　name；
The　good　knight　Balen's　brother；　fame
Calls　and　miscalls　him　wild。〃

The　cry　from　Balen's　lips　that　sprang
Sprang　sharper　than　his　sword's　stroke　rang。
More　keen　than　death's　or　memory's　fang；
Through　sense　and　soul　the　shuddering　pang
Shivered：　　and　scarce　he　had　cried；　〃Alas
That　ever　I　should　see　this　day；〃
When　sorrow　swooned　from　him　away
As　blindly　back　he　fell；　and　lay
Where　sleep　lets　anguish　pass。

But　Balan　rose　on　hands　and　knees
And　crawled　by　childlike　dim　degrees
Up　toward　his　brother；　as　a　breeze
Creeps　wingless　over　sluggard　seas
When　all　the　wind's　heart　fails　it：　　so
Beneath　their　mother's　eyes　had　he；
A　babe　that　laughed　with　joy　to　be；
Made　toward　him　standing　by　her　knee
For　love's　sake　long　ago。

Then；　gathering　strength　up　for　a　space；
From　off　his　brother's　dying　face
With　dying　hands　that　wrought　apace
While　death　and　life　would　grant　them　grace
He　loosed　his　helm　and　knew　not　him；
So　scored　with　blood　it　was；　and　hewn
Athwart　with　darkening　wounds：　　but　soon
Life　strove　and　shuddered　through　the　swoon
Wherein　its　light　lay　dim。

And　sorrow　set　these　chained　words　free：
〃O　Balan；　O　my　brother！　me
Thou　hast　slain；　and　I；　my　brother；　thee
And　now　far　hence；　on　shore　and　sea；
Shall　all　the　wide　world　speak　of　us。〃
〃Alas；〃　said　Balan；　〃that　I　might
Not　know　you；　seeing　two　swords　were　dight
About　you；　now　the　unanswering　sight
Hath　here　found　answer　thus。

〃Because　you　bore　another　shield
Than　yours；　that　even　ere　youth　could　wield
Like　arms　with　manhood's　tried　and　steeled
Shone　as　my　star　of　battle…field；
I　deemed　it　surely　might　not　be
My　brother。〃　　Then　his　brother　spake
Fiercely：　　〃Would　God；　for　thy　sole　sake；
I　had　my　life　again；　to　take
Revenge　for　only　thee！

〃For　all　this　deadly　work　was　wrought
Of　one　false　knight's　false　word　and　thought；
Whose　mortal　craft　and　counsel　caught
And　snared　my　faith　who　doubted　nought；
And　made　me　put　my　shield　away。
Ah；　might　I　live；　I　would　destroy
That　castle　for　its　customs：　　joy
There　makes　of　grief　a　deadly　toy；
And　death　makes　night　of　day。〃

〃Well　done　were　that；　if　aught　were　done
Well　ever　here　beneath　the　sun；〃
Said　Balan：　　〃better　work　were　none：
For　hither　since　I　came　and　won
A　woful　honour　born　of　death；
When　here　my　hap　it　was　to　slay
A　knight　who　kept　this　island　way；
I　might　not　pass　by　night　or　day
Hence；　as　this　token　saith。

〃No　more　shouldst　thou；　for　all　the　might
Of　heart　and　hand　that　seals　thee　knight
Most　noble　of　all　that　see　the　light；
Brother；　hadst　thou　but　slain　in　fight
Me；　and　arisen　unscathed　and　whole；
As　would　to　God　thou　ha