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Robyn and Gandeleyn

Robyn and Gandeleyn

I HERDE a carpyng of a clerk
Al at yone wodes ende
Of gode Robyn and Gandeleyn;
Was ther non other thynge.
Robynn lyth in grene wode bowndyn,

Stronge theuys wern tho chylderin non
But bowmen gode and hende,
He wentyn to wode to getyn hem fleych
If God weld it hem sende.

Al day wentyn tho chylderin too
And fleych fowndyn he non
Til it were ageyn euyn;
The chylderin wold gon hom.

Half an honderid of fat falyf der
He comyn aghon,
And alle he wern fayr and fat inow
But markyd was per non;
Be dere God, seyde gode Robyn,
Here of we shul haue on.

Robyn bent his joly bowe,
Ther in he set a flo;
The fattest der of alle
The herte he clef a to.

He hadde not the der iflawe
Ne half out of the hyde,
There cam a schrewde arwe out of the west
That felde Robertes pryde.

Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west
Be euery syde:
Hoo hat myn mayster slayin'
Ho hat don this dede?
Shal I neuer out of grene wode go
Til I se <his> sydis blede.

Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and lokyd west,
And sowt vnder the sunne;
He saw a lytil boy
He clepyn Wrennok of Donne.

A good bowe in his hond,
A bred arwe ther ine,
And fowre and twenti goode arwys
Trusyd in a thrumme:
Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her of thu shalt han summe.

Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her of thu gyst plente.
Euer on for an other, seyde Gandeleyn;
Mysaunter haue he shal fle.

Qwer at shal our marke be?
Seyde Gandeleyn:
Eueryche at otheris herte,
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.

Ho shal yeue the ferste schote?
Seyde Gandeleyn:
And I shal yeue the on be fern,
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.

Wrennok schette a ful good schote,
And he schet not to hye;
Throw the sanchothis of his bryk;
It towchyd neyther thye.

Now hast thu youyn me on be forn,
Al thus to Wrennok seyde he,
And throw the mygt of our lady
A bettere I shal yeue the.

Gandeleyn bent his goode bowe
And set ther in a flo;
He schet throw his grene certyl,
His herte he clef on too.

Now shalt thu neuer yelpe, Wrennok,
At ale ne at wyn,
That thu hast slawe goode Robyn
And his knaue Gandeleyn.

Now shalt thu neuer yelpe, Wrennok,
At wyn ne at ale,
That thu hast slawe goode Robyn
And Gandeleyn his knaue.
Robyn lyghth in grene wode bowndyn.

Child #115
From Kinsley, Oxford Book of Ballads
SOF
oct97

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