Sir Orfeo Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis
Rhyme Scheme: AABBCCDDEEFF GGHHEEII JJEE DDDDKKDDDDEELLMMNNDD EEHHOOHHEEPP QQHHHHRRDDBB EERRSSTTSSUUDD DDVVDDDDDDDDEE DDDDEEDDNNDDWWCCEEX YYSSZZEEA2 B2B2E DDDDEEB EEDDEEHHEEDDTTDDDDDD HHA2ODDEEDDSSEEN DDZ V EEWWDDDDSSQQDD CCC2C2DDDDKKJJEERREE EEDDE JJJWe often read and written find | A |
as learned men do us remind | A |
that lays that now the harpers sing | B |
are wrought of many a marvellous thing | B |
Some are of weal and some of woe | C |
and some do joy and gladness know | C |
in some are guile and treachery told | D |
in some the deeds that chanced of old | D |
some are of jests and ribaldry | E |
and some are tales of Fa rie | E |
Of all the things that men may heed | F |
'tis most of love they sing indeed | F |
- | |
In Britain all these lays are writ | G |
there issued first in rhyming fit | G |
concerning adventures in those days | H |
whereof the Britons made their lays | H |
for when they heard men anywhere | E |
tell of adventures that there were | E |
they took their harps in their delight | I |
and made a lay and named it right | I |
- | |
Of adventures that did once befall | J |
some can I tell you but not all | J |
Listen now lordings good and true | E |
and 'Orfeo' I will sing to you | E |
- | |
Sir Orfeo was a king of old | D |
in England lordship high did hold | D |
valour he had and hardihood | D |
a courteous king whose gifts were good | D |
His father from King Pluto came | K |
his mother from Juno king of fame | K |
who once of old as gods were named | D |
for mighty deeds they did and claimed | D |
Sir Orfeo too all things beyond | D |
of harping's sweet delight was fond | D |
and sure were all good harpers there | E |
of him to earn them honour fair | E |
himself he loved to touch the harp | L |
and pluck the strings with fingers sharp | L |
He played so well beneath the sun | M |
a better harper was there none | M |
no man hath in this world been born | N |
who would not hearing him have sworn | N |
that as before him Orfeo played | D |
to joy of Paradise he had strayed | D |
and sound of harpers heavenly | E |
such joy was there and melody | E |
This king abode in Tracience | H |
a city proud of stout defence | H |
for Winchester 'tis certain then | O |
as Tracience was known to men | O |
There dwelt his queen in fairest bliss | H |
whom men called Lady Heurodis | H |
of ladies then the one most fair | E |
who ever flesh and blood did wear | E |
in her did grace and goodness dwell | P |
but none her loveliness can tell | P |
- | |
It so did chance in early May | Q |
when glad and warm doth shine the day | Q |
and gone are bitter winter showers | H |
and every field is filled with flowers | H |
on every branch the blossom blows | H |
in glory and in gladness grows | H |
the lady Heurodis the queen | R |
two maidens fair to garden green | R |
with her she took at drowsy tide | D |
of noon to stroll by orchard side | D |
to see the flowers there spread and spring | B |
and hear the birds on branches sing | B |
- | |
There down in shade they sat all three | E |
beneath a fair young grafted tree | E |
and soon it chanced the gentle queen | R |
fell there asleep upon the green | R |
Her maidens durst her not awake | S |
but let her lie her rest to take | S |
and so she slept till midday soon | T |
was passed and come was afternoon | T |
Then suddenly they heard her wake | S |
and cry and grievous clamour make | S |
she writhed with limb her hands she wrung | U |
she tore her face till blood there sprung | U |
her raiment rich in pieces rent | D |
thus sudden out of mind she went | D |
- | |
Her maidens two then by her side | D |
no longer durst with her abide | D |
but to the palace swiftly ran | V |
and told there knight and squire and man | V |
their green it seemed was sudden mad | D |
'Go and restrain her ' they them bade | D |
Both knights and ladies thither sped | D |
and more than sixty damsels fled | D |
to the orchard to the queen they went | D |
with arms to lift her down they bent | D |
and brought her to her bed at last | D |
and raving there they held her fast | D |
but ceaselessly she still would cry | E |
and ever strove to rise and fly | E |
- | |
When Orfeo heard these tidings sad | D |
more grief than ever in life he had | D |
and swiftly with ten knights he sped | D |
to bower and stood before her bed | D |
and looking on her ruefully | E |
'Dear life ' he said 'what troubles thee | E |
who ever quiet hast been and sweet | D |
why dost thou now so shrilly greet | D |
Thy body that peerless white was born | N |
is now by cruel nails all torn | N |
Alas thy cheeks that were so red | D |
are now as wan as thou wert dead | D |
thy fingers too so small and slim | W |
are stained with blood their hue is dim | W |
Alas thy lovely eyes in woe | C |
now stare on me as on a foe | C |
A lady mercy I implore | E |
These piteous cries come cry no more | E |
but tell me what thee grieves and how | X |
and say what may thee comfort now ' | - |
- | |
Then lo at last she lay there still | Y |
and many bitter tears did spill | Y |
and thus unto the king she spake | S |
'Alas my lord my heart will break | S |
Since first together came our life | Z |
between us ne'er was wrath nor strife | Z |
but I have ever so loved thee | E |
as very life and so thou me | E |
Yet now we must be torn in twain | A2 |
and go I must for all thy pain ' | - |
- | |
'Alas ' said he 'then dark my doom | B2 |
Where wilt thou go and go to whom | B2 |
But where thou goest I come with thee | E |
and where I go thou shalt with me ' | - |
- | |
'Nay nay sir words avail thee naught | D |
I will tell thee how this woe was wrought | D |
as I lay in the quiet noontide | D |
and slept beneath our orchard side | D |
there came two noble knights to me | E |
arrayed in armour gallantly | E |
'We come ' they said 'thee swift to bring | B |
to meeting with our lord and king ' | - |
Then answered I both bold and true | E |
that dared I not and would not do | E |
They spurred then back on swiftest steed | D |
then came their king himself with speed | D |
a hundred knights with him and more | E |
and damsels too were many a score | E |
all riding there on snow white steeds | H |
and white as milk were all their weeds | H |
I saw not ever anywhere | E |
a folk so peerless and so fair | E |
The king was crowned with crown of light | D |
not of red gold nor silver white | D |
but of one single gem 'twas hewn | T |
that shone as bright as sun at noon | T |
And coming straightway he me sought | D |
and would I or no he up me caught | D |
and made me by him swiftly ride | D |
upon a palfrey at his side | D |
and to his palace thus me brought | D |
a dwelling fair and wondrous wrought | D |
He castles showed me there and towers | H |
Water and wild and woods and flowers | H |
and pastures rich upon the plain | A2 |
and then he brought me home again | O |
and to our orchard he me led | D |
and then at parting this he said | D |
'See lady tomorrow thou must be | E |
right here beneath this grafted tree | E |
and then beside us thou shalt ride | D |
and with us evermore abide | D |
If let or hindrance thou dost make | S |
where'er thou be we shall thee take | S |
and all thy limbs shall rend and tear | E |
no aid of man shall help thee there | E |
and even so all rent and torn | N |
thou shalt away with us be borne '' | - |
- | |
When all those tidings Orfeo heard | D |
then spake he many a bitter word | D |
'Alas I had liever lose my life | Z |
than those thee thus my queen and wife ' | - |
He counsel find him help or plan | V |
- | |
On the morrow when the noon drew near | E |
in arms did Orfeo appear | E |
and full ten hundred knights with him | W |
all stoutly armed all stern and grim | W |
and with their queen now went that band | D |
beneath the grafted tree to stand | D |
A serried rank on every side | D |
they made and vowed there to abide | D |
and die there sooner for her sake | S |
than let men thence their lady take | S |
And yet from midst of that array | Q |
the queen was sudden snatched away | Q |
by magic was she from them caught | D |
and none knew whither she was brought | D |
- | |
Then was there wailing tears and woe | C |
the king did to his chamber go | C |
and oft he swooned on floor of stone | C2 |
and such lament he made and moan | C2 |
that nigh his life then came to end | D |
and nothing could his grief amend | D |
His barons he summoned to his board | D |
each mighty earl and famous lord | D |
and when they all together came | K |
'My lords ' he said 'I here do name | K |
my steward high before you all | J |
to keep my realm whate'er befall | J |
to hold my place instead of me | E |
and keep my lands where'er they be | E |
For now that I have lost my queen | R |
the fairest lady men have seen | R |
I wish not woman more to see | E |
Into the wilderness I will flee | E |
and there will live for evermore | E |
with the wild beasts in forests hoar | E |
But when ye learn my days are spent | D |
then summon ye a parliament | D |
and choose ye there a king anew | E |
With all I have now deal ye true ' | - |
- | |
Then weeping was there in the hall | J |
and great lament there made they all | J |
and hardl | J |
Anonymous Olde English
(1)
Poem topics: , Print This Poem , Rhyme Scheme
Submit Spanish Translation
Submit German Translation
Submit French Translation
Write your comment about Sir Orfeo poem by Anonymous Olde English
Best Poems of Anonymous Olde English