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How Arthur and Gawain went to war and rode into the East.

Arthur eastward   in arms purposed  
his war to wage   on the wild marches,  
over seas sailing   to Saxon lands,  
from the Roman realm   ruin defending.  
Thus the tides of time   to turn backward 5
and the heathen to humble,   his hope urged him,  
that with harrying ships   they should hunt no more  
on the shining shores   and shallow waters  
of South Britain,   booty seeking.  
As when the earth dwindles   in autumn days 10
and soon to its setting   the sun is waning  
under mournful mist,   then a man will lust  
for work and wandering,   while yet warm floweth  
blood sun-kindled,   so burned his soul  
after long glory   for a last assay 15
of pride and prowess,   to the proof setting  
will unyielding   in war with fate.  
So fate fell-woven   forward drave him,  
and with malice Mordred   his mind hardened,  
saying that war was wisdom   and waiting folly. 20
‘Let their fanes be felled   and their fast places  
bare and broken,   burned their havens,  
and isles immune   from march of arms  
or Roman reign   now reek to heaven  
in fires of vengeance!   Fell thy hand is, 25
fortune follows thee – fare and conquer!  
And Britain the blessed,   thy broad kingdom,  
I will hold unharmed   till thy home-coming.  
Faithful hast thou found me.   But what foe dareth  
war here to wake   or the walls assail 30
of this island-realm   while Arthur liveth,  
if the Eastern wolf   in his own forest  
at last embayed   must for life battle?’  
So Mordred spake,   and men praised him,  
Gawain guessed not   guile or treason 35
in this bold counsel;   he was for battle eager,  
in idle ease   the evil seeing  
that had rent asunder   the Round Table.  
  
Thus Arthur in arms   eastward journeyed,  
and war awoke   in the wild regions. 40
Halls and temples   of the heathen kings  
his might assailed   marching in conquest  
from the mouths of the Rhine   o’er many kingdoms.  
Lancelot he missed;   Lionel and Ector,  
Bors and Blamore   to battle came not; 45
yet mighty lords   remained by him:  
Bediver and Baldwin,   Brian of Ireland,  
Marrac and Meneduc   from their mountain-towers;  
Errac, and Iwain   of Urien’s line  
that was king in Reged;   Cedivor the strong 50
and the queen’s kinsman   Cador the hasty.  
Greatest was Gawain,   whose glory waxed  
as times darkened,   true and dauntless,  
among knights peerless   ever anew proven,  
defence and fortress   of a falling world. 55
As in last sortie   from leaguered city  
so Gawain led them.   As a glad trumpet  
his voice was ringing   in the van of Arthur;  
as a burning brand   his blade wielded  
before the foremost   flashed as lightning. 60
  
Foes before them,   flames behind them,  
ever east and onward   eager rode they,  
and folk fled them   as the face of God,  
till earth was empty,   and no eyes saw them,  
and no ears heard them   in the endless hills, 65
save bird and beast   baleful haunting  
the lonely lands.   Thus at last came they  
to Mirkwood’s margin   under mountain-shadows:  
waste was behind them,   walls before them;  
on the houseless hills   ever higher mounting 70
vast, unvanquished,   lay the veiled forest.  
Dark and dreary   were the deep valleys,  
where limbs gigantic   of lowering trees  
in endless aisles   were arched o’er rivers  
flowing down afar   from fells of ice. 75
Among ruinous rocks   ravens croaking  
eagles answered   in the air wheeling;  
wolves were howling   on the wood’s border.  
Cold blew the wind,   keen and wintry,  
in rising wrath   from the rolling forest 80
among roaring leaves.   Rain came darkly,  
and the sun was swallowed   in sudden tempest.  
  
The endless East   in anger woke,  
and black thunder   born in dungeons  
under mountains of menace   moved above them. 85
Halting doubtful   there on high saw they  
wan horsemen wild   in windy clouds  
grey and monstrous   grimly riding  
shadow-helmed to war,   shapes disastrous.  
Fierce grew the blast.   Their fair banners 90
from their staves were stripped.   Steel no longer,  
gold nor silver   nor gleaming shield  
light reflected   lost in darkness,  
while phantom foes   with fell voices  
in the gloom gathered.   Gawain loudly 95
cried as a clarion.   Clear went his voice  
in the rocks ringing   above roaring wind  
and rolling thunder:   ‘Ride, forth to war,  
ye hosts of ruin,   hate proclaiming!  
Foes we fear not,   nor fell shadows 100
of the dark mountains   demon-haunted!  
Hear now ye hills   and hoar forest,  
ye awful thrones   of olden gods  
huge and hopeless,   hear and tremble!  
From the West comes war   that no wind daunteth, 105
might and purpose   that no mist stayeth;  
lord of legions,   light in darkness,  
east rides Arthur!’   Echoes were wakened.  
The wind was stilled.   The walls of rock  
‘Arthur’ answered.  
                                    There evening came 110
with misty moon   moving slowly  
through the wind-wreckage   in the wide heavens,  
where strands of storm   among the stars wandered.  
Fires were flickering,   frail tongues of gold  
under hoary hills.   In the huge twilight 115
gleamed ghostly-pale,   on the ground rising  
like elvish growths   in autumn grass  
in some hollow of the hills   hid from mortals,  
the tents of Arthur.  
                                  Time wore onward. 
Day came darkly,   dusky twilight 120
over gloomy heights   glimmering sunless;  
in the weeping air   the wind perished.  
Dead silence fell.   Out of deep valleys  
fogs unfurling   floated upward;  
dim vapours drowned,   dank and formless, 125
the hills under heaven,   the hollow places  
in a fathomless sea   foundered sunken.  
Trees looming forth   with twisted arms,  
like weeds under water   where no wave moveth,  
out of mist menaced   man forwandered. 130
Cold touched the hearts   of the host encamped  
on Mirkwood’s margin   at the mountain-roots.  
They felt the forest   though the fogs veiled it;  
their fires fainted.   Fear clutched their souls,  
waiting watchful   in a world of shadow 135
for woe they knew not,   no word speaking.  
  
Far and faintly   ere the fall of eve  
they heard a horn   in the hills trembling,  
forlorn and lonely,   like lost voices  
out of night at sea.   Nearer it sounded. 140
Now hoofs they heard,   a horse neighing,  
watchmen calling.   Woe had found them.  
From the West came word,   winged and urgent,  
of war assailing   the walls of Britain.  
Lo! Cradoc was come   the king seeking 145
down perilous ways   their path trailing  
from the mouths of the Rhine   o’er many kingdoms  
grimly riding.   Neither grey shadows  
nor mist stayed him   mighty-hearted.  
Haggard and hungry   by his horse standing 150
to Arthur told he   evil tidings:  
‘Too long my lord   from your land ye tarry!  
While war ye wage   on the wild peoples  
in the homeless East,   a hundred chiefs  
their seahorses   swift and deadly 155
have harnessed in havens   of the hidden islands.  
Dragon-prowed they drive   over dark billows;  
on shores unguarded   shields are gleaming  
and black banners   borne amid trumpets.  
Wild blow the winds   of war in Britain! 160
York is leaguered,   yielded Lincoln;  
unto Kent kindled   the coast blazeth.  
Hither have I hardly   hunted riding  
on the sea pursued   to your side hastened,  
treason to tell you.   Trust not Mordred! 165
He is false to faith,   your foes harbours,  
with lords of Lochlan   league he maketh,  
out of Almain and Angel   allies hireth,  
coveting the kingdom,   to the crown reaching  
hands unholy.   Haste now westward!’ 170

 

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A while then Arthur   white with anger  
there sat in silence.   Thus sudden fortune  
had turned and betrayed him.   In twenty battles  
he had fought and conquered;   his foes were scattered,  
neath his hand were humbled   heathen chieftains. 175
Now from hope’s summit   headlong falling  
his heart foreboded   that his house was doomed,  
the ancient world   to its end falling,  
and the tides of time   turned against him.  
  
Swift then sent he   to summon Gawain 180
bold in counsel.   Bitter words he spake;  
the evil tidings   all he told him.  
‘Now for Lancelot   I long sorely,  
and we miss now most   the mighty swords  
of Ban’s kindred.   Best meseemeth 185
swift word to send,   service craving  
to their lord of old.   To this leagued treason  
we must power oppose,   proud returning  
with matchless might   Mordred to humble.’  
  
Gawain answered   grave and slowly: 190
‘Best meseemeth   that Ban’s kindred  
abide in Benwick   and this black treason  
favour nor further – yet I fear the worse:  
thou wilt find thy friends   as foes meet thee.  
If Lancelot   hath loyal purpose 195
let him prove repentance,   his pride forgoing,  
uncalled coming   when his king needeth!  
But fainer with fewer   faithfulhearted  
would I dare danger,   than with doubtful swords  
and tarnished shields   of truant lieges 200
our muster swell.   Why more need we?  
Though thou legions levy   through the lands of Earth,  
fay or mortal,   from the Forest’s margin  
to the Isle of Avalon,   armies countless,  
never and nowhere   knights more puissant, 205
nobler chivalry   of renown fairer,  
mightier manhood   under moon or sun  
shall be gathered again   till graves open.  
Here free unfaded   is the flower of time  
that men shall remember   through the mist of years 210
as a golden summer   in the grey winter.  
And Gawain hast thou.   May God keep us  
in hope allied,   heart united,  
as the kindred blood   in our bodies courseth,  
Arthur and Gawain!   Evil greater 215
hath fled aforetime   that we faced together.  
Now in haste is hope!   While hate lingers,  
and uncertain counsel   secret ponders,  
as wroth as wind   let us ride westward,  
and sail over sea   with sudden vengeance!’ 220

 

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