the tale of balen-第9章

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Heavier　than　death　or　night　on　thee；
For　now　this　sword　thou　gavest　me
Shall　set　me　from　thy　bondage　free。〃
And　there　the　man　had　died　self…slain；
But　Balen　leapt　on　him　and　caught
The　blind　fierce　hand　that　fain　had　wrought
Self…murder；　stung　with　fire　of　thought；
As　rage　makes　anguish　fain。

Then；　mad　for　thwarted　grief；　〃Let　go
My　hand；〃　the　fool　of　wrath　and　woe
Cried；　〃or　I　slay　thee。〃　　Scarce　the　glow
In　Balen's　cheek　and　eye　might　show；
As　dawn　shows　day　while　seas　lie　chill；
He　heard；　though　pity　took　not　heed；
But　smiled　and　spake；　〃That　shall　not　need：
What　man　may　do　to　bid　you　speed
I；　so　God　speed　me；　will。〃

And　the　other　craved　his　name；　beguiled
By　hope　that　made　his　madness　mild。
Again　Sir　Balen　spake　and　smiled：
〃My　name　is　Balen；　called　the　Wild
By　knights　whom　kings　and　courts　make　tame
Because　I　ride　alone　afar
And　follow　but　my　soul　for　star。〃
〃Ah；　sir；　I　know　the　knight　you　are
And　all　your　fiery　fame。

〃The　knight　that　bears　two　swords　I　know；
Most　praised　of　all　men；　friend　and　foe；
For　prowess　of　your　hands；　that　show
Dark　war　the　way　where　balefires　glow
And　kindle　glory　like　the　dawn's。〃
So　spake　the　sorrowing　knight；　and　stood
As　one　whose　heart　fresh　hope　made　good：
And　forth　they　rode　by　wold　and　wood
And　down　the　glimmering　lawns。

And　Balen　craved　his　name　who　rode
Beside　him；　where　the　wild　wood　glowed
With　joy　to　feel　how　noontide　flowed
Through　glade　and　glen　and　rough　green　road
Till　earth　grew　joyful　as　the　sea。
〃My　name　is　Garnysshe　of　the　Mount；
A　poor　man's　son　of　none　account；〃
He　said；　〃where　springs　of　loftier　fount
Laugh　loud　with　pride　to　be。

〃But　strength　in　weakness　lives　and　stands
As　rocks　that　rise　through　shifting　sands；
And　for　the　prowess　of　my　hands
One　made　me　knight　and　gave　me　lands；
Duke　Hermel；　lord　from　far　to　near；
Our　prince；　and　she　that　loved　meshe
I　love；　and　deemed　she　loved　but　me；
His　daughter；　pledged　her　faith　to　be
Ere　now　beside　me　here。〃

And　Balen；　brief　of　speech　as　light
Whose　word；　beheld　of　depth　and　height；
Strikes　silence　through　the　stars　of　night；
Spake；　and　his　face　as　dawn's　grew　bright；
For　hope　to　help　a　happier　man；
〃How　far　then　lies　she　hence？〃　　〃By　this；〃
Her　lover　sighed　and　said；　〃I　wis；
Not　six　fleet　miles　the　passage　is；
And　straight　as　thought　could　span。〃

So　rode　they　swift　and　sure；　and　found
A　castle　walled　and　dyked　around：
And　Balen；　as　a　warrior　bound
On　search　where　hope　might　fear　to　sound
The　darkness　of　the　deeps　of　doubt；
Made　entrance　through　the　guardless　gate
As　life；　while　hope　in　life　grows　great；
Makes　way　between　the　doors　of　fate
That　death　may　pass　thereout。

Through　many　a　glorious　chamber；　wrought
For　all　delight　that　love's　own　thought
Might　dream　or　dwell　in；　Balen　sought
And　found　of　all　he　looked　for　nought；
For　like　a　shining　shell　her　bed
Shone　void　and　vacant　of　her：　　thence
Through　devious　wonders　bright　and　dense
He　passed　and　saw　with　shame…struck　sense
Where　shame　and　faith　lay　dead。

Down　in　a　sweet　small　garden；　fair
With　flowerful　joy　in　the　ardent　air；
He　saw；　and　raged　with　loathing；　where
She　lay　with　love…dishevelled　hair
Beneath　a　broad　bright　laurel　tree
And　clasped　in　amorous　arms　a　knight；
The　unloveliest　that　his　scornful　sight
Had　dwelt　on　yet；　a　shame　the　bright
Broad　noon　might　shrink　to　see。

And　thence　in　wrathful　hope　he　turned；
Hot　as　the　heart　within　him　burned；
To　meet　the　knight　whose　love；　so　spurned
And　spat　on　and　made　nought　of；　yearned
And　dreamed　and　hoped　and　lived　in　vain；
And　said；　〃I　have　found　her　sleeping　fast；〃
And　led　him　where　the　shadows　cast
From　leaves　wherethrough　light　winds　ran　past
Screened　her　from　sun　and　rain。

But　Garnysshe；　seeing；　reeled　as　he　stood
Like　a　tree；　kingliest　of　the　wood；
Half　hewn　through：　　and　the　burning　blood
Through　lips　and　nostrils　burst　aflood：
And　gathering　back　his　rage　and　might
As　broken　breakers　rally　and　roar
The　loud　wind　down　that　drives　off　shore；
He　smote　their　heads　off：　　there　no　more
Their　life　might　shame　the　light。

Then　turned　he　back　toward　Balen；　mad
With　grief；　and　said；　〃The　grief　I　had
Was　nought：　　ere　this　my　life　was　glad：
Thou　hast　done　this　deed：　　I　was　but　sad
And　fearful　how　my　hope　might　fare：
I　had　lived　my　sorrow　down；　hadst　thou
Not　shown　me　what　I　saw　but　now。〃
The　sorrow　and　scorn　on　Balen's　brow
Bade　silence　curb　him　there。

And　Balen　answered：　　〃What　I　did
I　did　to　hearten　thee　and　bid
Thy　courage　know　that　shame　should　rid
A　man's　high　heart　of　love　that　hid
Blind　shame　within　its　core：　　God　knows；
I　did；　to　set　a　bondman　free；
But　as　I　would　thou　hadst　done　by　me；
That　seeing　what　love　must　die　to　see
Love's　end　might　well　be　woe's。〃

〃Alas；〃　the　woful　weakling　said；
〃I　have　slain　what　most　I　loved：　　I　have　shed
The　blood　most　near　my　heart：　　the　head
Lies　cold　as　earth；　defiled　and　dead；
That　all　my　life　was　lighted　by；
That　all　my　soul　bowed　down　before；
And　now　may　bear　with　life　no　more：
For　now　my　sorrow　that　I　bore
Is　twofold；　and　I　die。〃

Then　with　his　red　wet　sword　he　rove
His　breast　in　sunder；　where　it　clove
Life；　and　no　pulse　against　it　strove；
So　sure　and　strong　the　deep　stroke　drove
Deathward：　　and　Balen；　seeing　him　dead；
Rode　thence；　lest　folk　would　say　he　had　slain
Those　three；　and　ere　three　days　again
Had　seen　the　sun's　might　wax　and　wane；
Far　forth　he　had　spurred　and　sped。

And　riding　past　a　cross　whereon
Broad　golden　letters　written　shone；
Saying；　〃No　knight　born　may　ride　alone
Forth　toward　this　castle；〃　and　all　the　stone
Glowed　in　the　sun's　glare　even　as　though
Blood　stained　it　from　the　crucified
Dead　burden　of　one　that　there　had　died；
An　old　hoar　man　he　saw　beside
Whose　face　was　wan　as　woe。

〃Balen　the　Wild；〃　he　said；　〃this　way
Thy　way　lies　not：　　thou　hast　passed　to…day
Thy　bands：　　but　turn　again；　and　stay
Thy　passage；　while　thy　soul　hath　sway
Within　thee；　and　through　God's　good　power
It　will　avail　thee：〃　and　anon
His　likeness　as　a　cloud　was　gone；
And　Balen's　heart　within　him　shone
Clear　as　the　cloudless　hour。

Nor　fate　nor　fear　might　overcast
The　soul　now　near　its　peace　at　last。
Suddenly；　thence　as　forth　he　past；
A　mighty　and　a　deadly　blast
Blown　of　a　hunting…horn　he　heard；
As　when　the　chase　hath　nobly　sped。
〃That　blast　is　blown　for　me；〃　he　said；
〃The　prize　am　I　who　am　yet　not　dead；〃
And　smiled　upon　the　word。

As　toward　a　royal　hart's　death　rang
That　note；　whence　all　the　loud　wood　sang
With　winged　and　living　sound　that　sprang
Like　fire；　and　keen　as　fire's　own　fang
Pierced　the　sweet　silence　that　it　slew。
But　nought　like　death　or　strife　was　here：
Fair　semblance　and　most　goodly　cheer
They　made　him；　they　whose　troop　drew　near
As　death　among　them　drew。

A　hundred　ladies　well　arrayed
And　many　a　knight　well　weaponed　made
That　kindly　show　of　cheer：　　the　glade
Shone　round　them　till　its　very　shade
Lightened　and　laughed　from　grove　to　lawn
To　hear　and　see　them：　　so　they　brought
Within　a　castle　fair　as　thought
Could　dream　that　wizard　hands　had　wrought
The　guest　among　them　drawn。

All　manner　of　glorious　joy　was　there：
Harping　and　dancing；　loud　and　fair；
And　minstrelsy　that　made　of　air
Fire；　so　like　fire　its　raptures　were。
Then　the　chief　lady　spake　on　high：
〃Knight　with　the　two　swords；　one　of　two
Must　help　you　here　or　fall　from　you：
For　needs　you　now　must　have　ado
And　joust　with　one　hereby。

〃A　good　knight　guards　an　island　here
Against　all　swords　that　chance　brings　near；
And　there　with　stroke　of　sword　and　spear
Must　all　for　whom　these　halls　make　cheer
Fight；　and　redeem　or　yield　up　life。〃
〃An　evil　custom；〃　Balen　said；
〃Is　this；　that　none　whom　chance　hath　led
Hither；　if　knighthood　crown　his　head；
May　pass　unstirred　to　strife。〃

〃You　shall　not　have　ado　to　fight
Here　save　against　one　only　knight；〃
She　said；　and　all　her　face　grew　bright
As　hell…fire；　lit　with　hungry　light
That　wicked　laughter　touched　with　flame。
〃Well；　since　I　shall　thereto；〃　said　he；
〃I　am　ready　at　heart　as　death　for　me：
Fain　would　I　be　where　death　should　be
And　life　should　lose　its　name。

〃But　travelling　men　whose　goal　afar
Shines　as　a　cloud…constraining　star
Are　often　weary；　and　wearier　are
Th