the tale of balen-第5章

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Wild　king　brought　lowest　of　men。

And　ere　the　wildwood　leaves　were　stirred
With　song　or　wing　of　wakening　bird；
In　Camelot　was　Merlin's　word
With　joy　in　joyous　wonder　heard
That　told　of　Arthur's　bitterest　foe
Diskingdomed　and　discomfited。
〃By　whom？〃　the　high　king　smiled　and　said。
He　answered：　　〃Ere　the　dawn　wax　red；
To…morrow　bids　you　know。

〃Two　knights　whose　heart　and　hope　are　one
And　fain　to　win　your　grace　have　done
This　work　whereby　if　grace　be　won
Their　hearts　shall　hail　the　enkindling　sun
With　joy　more　keen　and　deep　than　day。〃
And　ere　the　sundawn　drank　the　dew
Those　brethren　with　their　prisoner　drew
To　the　outer　guard　they　gave　him　to
And　passed　again　away。

And　Arthur　came　as　toward　his　guest
To　greet　his　foe；　and　bade　him　rest
As　one　returned　from　nobler　quest
And　welcome　from　the　stormbright　west；
But　by　what　chance　he　fain　would　hear。
〃The　chance　was　hard　and　strange；　sir　king；〃
Quoth　Ryons；　bowed　in　thanksgiving。
〃Who　won　you？〃　Arthur　said：　　〃the　thing
Is　worth　a　warrior's　ear。〃

The　wild　king　flushed　with　pride　and　shame；
Answering：　　〃I　know　not　either　name
Of　those　that　there　against　us　came
And　withered　all　our　strength　like　flame：
The　knight　that　bears　two　swords　is　one；
And　one　his　brother：　　not　on　earth
May　men　meet　men　of　knightlier　worth
Nor　mightier　born　of　mortal　birth
That　hail　the　sovereign　sun。〃

And　Arthur　said：　　〃I　know　them　not
But　much　am　I　for　this；　God　wet；
Beholden　to　them：　　Launcelot
Nor　Tristram；　when　the　war　waxed　hot
Along　the　marches　east　and　west；
Wrought　ever　nobler　work　than　this。〃
〃Ah；〃　Merlin　said；　〃sore　pity　it　is
And　strange　mischance　of　doom；　I　wis；
That　death　should　mar　their　quest。

〃Balen；　the　perfect　knight　that　won
The　sword　whose　name　is　malison；
And　made　his　deed　his　doom；　is　one：
Nor　hath　his　brother　Balan　done
Less　royal　service：　　not　on　earth
Lives　there　a　nobler　knight；　more　strong
Of　soul　to　win　men's　praise　in　song；
Albeit　the　light　abide　not　long
That　lightened　round　his　birth。

〃Yea；　and　of　all　sad　things　I　know
The　heaviest　and　the　highest　in　woe
Is　this；　the　doom　whose　date　brings　low
Too　soon　in　timeless　overthrow
A　head　so　high；　a　hope　so　sure。
The　greatest　moan　for　any　knight
That　ever　won　fair　fame　in　fight
Shall　be　for　Balen；　seeing　his　might
Must　now　not　long　endure。〃

〃Alas；〃　King　Arthur　said；　〃he　hath　shown
Such　love　to　me…ward　that　the　moan
Made　of　him　should　be　mine　alone
Above　all　other；　knowing　it　known
I　have　ill　deserved　it　of　him。〃　　〃Nay；〃
Said　Merlin；　〃he　shall　do　for　you
Much　more；　when　time　shall　be　anew；
Than　time　hath　given　him　chance　to　do
Or　hope　may　think　to　say。

〃But　now　must　be　your　powers　purveyed
To　meet；　ere　noon　of　morn　be　made
To…morrow；　all　the　host　arrayed
Of　this　wild　foe's　wild　brother；　laid
Around　against　you：　　see　to　it　well；
For　now　I　part　from　you。〃　　And　soon；
When　sundawn　slew　the　withering　moon；
Two　hosts　were　met　to　win　the　boon
Whose　tale　is　death's　to　tell。

A　lordly　tale　of　knights　and　lords
For　death　to　tell　by　count　of　swords
When　war's　wild　harp　in　all　its　chords
Rang　royal　triumph；　and　the　hordes
Of　hurtling　foemen　rocked　and　reeled
As　waves　wind…thwarted　on　the　sea；
Was　told　of　all　that　there　might　be；
Till　scarce　might　battle　hear　or　see
The　fortune　of　the　field。

And　many　a　knight　won　fame　that　day
When　even　the　serpent　soul　of　Kay
Was　kindled　toward　the　fiery　play
As　might　a　lion's　be　for　prey；
And　won　him　fame　that　might　not　die
With　passing　of　his　rancorous　breath
But　clung　about　his　life　and　death
As　fire　that　speaks　in　cloud；　and　saith
What　strong　men　hear　and　fly。

And　glorious　works　were　Arthur's　there；
That　lit　the　battle…darkened　air：
But　when　they　saw　before　them　fare
Like　stars　of　storm　the　knight　that　bare
Two　swords　about　him　girt　for　fray；
Balen；　and　Balan　with　him；　then
Strong　wonder　smote　the　souls　of　men
If　heaven's　own　host　or　hell's　deep　den
Had　sent　them　forth　to　slay。

So　keen　they　rode　across　the　fight；
So　sharp　they　smote　to　left　and　right；
And　made　of　hurtling　darkness　light
With　lightning　of　their　swords；　till　flight
And　fear　before　them　flew　like　flame；
That　Arthur's　self　had　never　known；
He　said；　since　first　his　blast　was　blown；
Such　lords　of　war　as　these　alone
That　whence　he　knew　not　came。

But　while　the　fire　of　war　waxed　hot
The　wild　king　hearkened；　hearing　not；
Through　storm　of　spears　and　arrow…shot；
For　succour　toward　him　from　King　Lot
And　all　his　host　of　sea…born　men；
Strong　as　the　strong　storm…baffling　bird
Whose　cry　round　Orkney's　headlands　heard
Is　as　the　sea's　own　sovereign　word
That　mocks　our　mortal　ken。

For　Merlin's　craft　of　prophecy；
Who　wist　that　one　of　twain　must　die；
Put　might　in　him　to　say　thereby
Which　head　should　lose　its　crown；　and　lie
Stricken；　though　loth　he　were　to　know
That　either　life　should　wane　and　fail；
Yet　most　might　Arthur's　love　avail；
And　still　with　subtly　tempered　tale
His　wile　held　fast　the　foe。

With　woven　words　of　magic　might
Wherein　the　subtle　shadow　and　light
Changed　hope　and　fear　till　fear　took　flight；
He　stayed　King　Lot's　fierce　lust　of　fight
Till　all　the　wild　Welsh　war　was　driven
As　foam　before　the　wind　that　wakes
With　the　all…awakening　sun；　and　breaks
Strong　ships　that　rue　the　mirth　it　makes
When　grace　to　slay　is　given。

And　ever　hotter　lit　and　higher；
As　fire　that　meets　encountering　fire；
Waxed　in　King　Lot　his　keen　desire
To　bid　revenge　within　him　tire
On　Arthur's　ravaged　fame　and　life：
Across　the　waves　of　war　between
Floated　and　flashed；　unseen　and　seen；
The　lustrous　likeness　of　the　queen
Whom　shame　had　sealed　his　wife。

But　when　the　woful　word　was　brought
That　while　he　tarried；　doubting　nought；
The　hope　was　lost　whose　goal　he　sought
And　all　the　fight　he　yearned　for　fought；
His　heart　was　rent　for　grief　and　shame；
And　half　his　hope　was　set　on　flight
Till　word　was　given　him　of　a　knight
Who　said：　　〃They　are　weary　and　worn　with　fight；
And　we　more　fresh　than　flame。〃

And　bright　and　dark　as　night　and　day
Ere　either　find　the　unopening　way
Clear；　and　forego　the　unaltering　sway；
The　sad　king's　face　shone；　frowning：　　〃Yea；
I　would　that　every　knight　of　mine
Would　do　his　part　as　I　shall　do；〃
He　said；　〃till　death　or　life　anew
Shall　judge　between　us　as　is　due
With　wiser　doom　than　thine。〃

Then　thundered　all　the　awakening　field
With　crash　of　hosts　that　clashed　and　reeled；
Banner　to　banner；　shield　to　shield；
And　spear　to　splintering　spear…shaft；　steeled
As　heart　against　high　heart　of　man；
As　hope　against　high　hope　of　knight
To　pluck　the　crest　and　crown　of　fight
From　war's　clenched　hand　by　storm's　wild　light；
For　blessing　given　or　ban。

All　hearts　of　hearkening　men　that　heard
The　ban　twin…born　with　blessing；　stirred
Like　springtide　waters；　knew　the　word
Whereby　the　steeds　of　storm　are　spurred
With　ravenous　rapture　to　destroy；
And　laughed　for　love　of　battle；　pierced
With　passion　of　tempestuous　thirst
And　hungering　hope　to　assuage　it　first
With　draughts　of　stormy　joy。

But　sheer　ahead　of　the　iron　tide
That　rocked　and　roared　from　side　to　side
Rode　as　the　lightning's　lord　might　ride
King　Lot；　whose　heart　was　set　to　abide
All　peril　of　the　raging　hour；
And　all　his　host　of　warriors　born
Where　lands　by　warring　seas　are　worn
Was　only　by　his　hands　upborne
Who　gave　them　pride　and　power。

But　as　the　sea's　hand　smites　the　shore
And　shatters　all　the　strengths　that　bore
The　ravage　earth　may　bear　no　more；
So　smote　the　hand　of　Pellinore
Charging；　a　knight　of　Arthur's　chief；
And　clove　his　strong　steed's　neck　in　twain；
And　smote　him　sheer　through　brow　and　brain；
Falling：　　and　there　King　Lot　lay　slain；
And　knew　not　wrath　or　grief。

And　all　the　host　of　Orkney　fled；
And　many　a　mother's　son　lay　dead：
But　when　they　raised　the　stricken　head
Whence　pride　and　power　and　shame　were　fled
And　rage　and　anguish　now　cast　out；
And　bore　it　toward　a　kingly　tomb；
The　wife　whose　love　had　wrought　his　doom
Came　thither；　fair　as　morning's　bloom
And　dark　as　twilight's　doubt。

And　there　her　four　strong　sons　and　his；
Gawain　and　Gareth；　Gaherys
And　Agravain；　whose　sword's　sharp　kiss
With　sound　of　hell's　own　serpent's　hiss
Should　one　day　turn　her　life　to　death；
Stood　mourning