the tale of balen-第11章

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Brother；　hadst　thou　but　slain　in　fight
Me；　and　arisen　unscathed　and　whole；
As　would　to　God　thou　hadst　risen！　though　here
Light　is　as　darkness；　hope　as　fear；
And　love　as　hate：　　and　none　draws　near
Save　toward　a　mortal　goal。〃

Then；　fair　as　any　poison…flower
Whose　blossom　blights　the　withering　bower
Whereon　its　blasting　breath　has　power；
Forth　fared　the　lady　of　the　tower
With　many　a　lady　and　many　a　knight；
And　came　across　the　water…way
Even　where　on　death's　dim　border　lay
Those　brethren　sent　of　her　to　slay
And　die　in　kindless　fight。

And　all　those　hard　light　hearts　were　swayed
With　pity　passing　like　a　shade
That　stays　not；　and　may　be　not　stayed；
To　hear　the　mutual　moan　they　made；
Each　to　behold　his　brother　die；
Saying；　〃Both　we　came　out　of　one　tomb；
One　star…crossed　mother's　woful　womb；
And　so　within　one　grave…pit's　gloom
Untimely　shall　we　lie。〃

And　Balan　prayed；　as　God　should　bless
That　lady　for　her　gentleness；
That　where　the　battle's　mortal　stress
Had　made　for　them　perforce　to　press
The　bed　whence　never　man　may　rise
They　twain；　free　now　from　hopes　and　fears；
Might　sleep；　and　she；　as　one　that　hears；
Bowed　her　bright　head：　　and　very　tears
Fell　from　her　cold　fierce　eyes。

Then　Balen　prayed　her　send　a　priest
To　housel　them；　that　ere　they　ceased
The　hansel　of　the　heavenly　feast
That　fills　with　light　from　the　answering　east
The　sunset　of　the　life　of　man
Might　bless　them；　and　their　lips　be　kissed
With　death's　requickening　eucharist；
And　death's　and　life's　dim　sunlit　mist
Pass　as　a　stream　that　ran。

And　so　their　dying　rites　were　done：
And　Balen；　seeing　the　death…struck　sun
Sink；　spake　as　he　whose　goal　is　won：
〃Now；　when　our　trophied　tomb　is　one；
And　over　us　our　tale　is　writ；
How　two　that　loved　each　other；　two
Born　and　begotten　brethren；　slew
Each　other；　none　that　reads　anew
Shall　choose　but　weep　for　it。

〃And　no　good　knight　and　no　good　man
Whose　eye　shall　ever　come　to　scan
The　record　of　the　imperious　ban
That　made　our　life　so　sad　a　span
Shall　read　or　hear；　who　shall　not　pray
For　us　for　ever。〃　　Then　anon
Died　Balan；　but　the　sun　was　gone；
And　deep　the　stars　of　midnight　shone；
Ere　Balen　passed　away。

And　there　low　lying；　as　hour　on　hour
Fled；　all　his　life　in　all　its　flower
Came　back　as　in　a　sunlit　shower
Of　dreams；　when　sweet…souled　sleep　has　power
On　life　less　sweet　and　glad　to　be。
He　drank　the　draught　of　life's　first　wine
Again：　　he　saw　the　moorland　shine；
The　rioting　rapids　of　the　Tyne；
The　woods；　the　cliffs；　the　sea。

The　joy　that　lives　at　heart　and　home；
The　joy　to　rest；　the　joy　to　roam；
The　joy　of　crags　and　scaurs　he　clomb；
The　rapture　of　the　encountering　foam
Embraced　and　breasted　of　the　boy；
The　first　good　steed　his　knees　bestrode；
The　first　wild　sound　of　songs　that　flowed
Through　ears　that　thrilled　and　heart　that　glowed；
Fulfilled　his　death　with　joy。

So；　dying　not　as　a　coward　that　dies
And　dares　not　look　in　death's　dim　eyes
Straight　as　the　stars　on　seas　and　skies
Whence　moon　and　sun　recoil　and　rise；
He　looked　on　life　and　death；　and　slept。
And　there　with　morning　Merlin　came；
And　on　the　tomb　that　told　their　fame
He　wrote　by　Balan's　Balen's　name；
And　gazed　thereon；　and　wept。

For　all　his　heart　within　him　yearned
With　pity　like　as　fire　that　burned。
The　fate　his　fateful　eye　discerned
Far　off　now　dimmed　it；　ere　he　turned
His　face　toward　Camelot；　to　tell
Arthur　of　all　the　storms　that　woke
Round　Balen；　and　the　dolorous　stroke；
And　how　that　last　blind　battle　broke
The　consummated　spell。

〃Alas；〃　King　Arthur　said；　〃this　day
I　have　heard　the　worst　that　woe　might　say：
For　in　this　world　that　wanes　away
I　know　not　two　such　knights　as　they。〃
This　is　the　tale　that　memory　writes
Of　men　whose　names　like　stars　shall　stand；
Balen　and　Balan；　sure　of　hand；
Two　brethren　of　Northumberland；
In　life　and　death　good　knights。







End