Heroines of the French Epic
Page 4
To many lands in service of Teebo.”
“I’ve never heard of you!” replied the rogue:
“And how should I interpret cocks that crow
Before my lord has risen or has robed?
Until he has, this gate is staying closed,
For we’re afraid of William Short-Nose,
Who captured Nîmes by such a cunning stroke!
430 Stay there until I let the Warden know!
I dare not let you in here on my own.”
“Then go at once,” said William the bold,
“With every haste! The Devil take the slow!”
So off he went, the porter, and bestrode
The marble steps to Arragon’s abode.
He found the prince beneath an arch of stone,
His Saracens around him in repose.
The porter said, in most respectful tones:
“My lord, I think there’s something you should know:
440 Three blackamoors are at my gate below,
Who say they serve your father King Teebo.”
“Then let them in, good brother, nothing loath!
I’ll ask them how my father’s journey goes,
And what it is that still delays him so.”
So back he went, the porter, to unbolt
His heavy gate, at which our heroes strolled
Inside Orange as freely as they chose!
Escaping there would take a greater toll:
Before they did they’d pay a wealth of woe!
450 SIR WILLIAM strolled right inside the city,
With Guielin and gallant-hearted Gilbert.
They’d dyed themselves so well with inky pigments
They looked just like those southern heathen villains!
Along the street a couple even whispered
In native tongue, as they observed the trio:
“These men have come from Africa to give us
Good tidings of our monarch and his mission!”
Count William kept walking and continued
Until he reached the palace of King Teebo.
460 Its walls were made of marble, and its windows
And pillars too were finely grained with silver.
A hawk of gold spread massive wings, forbidding
The gusty wind or lusty sun within it.
Said William: “As Jesus is my witness,
I’ve never seen so fine a fort as this one!
Its lord must be the richest ruler living!
I wish to God, Who made all men and women,
Good Bertrand now, my paladin, were bringing
Ten thousand French behind us, strong and willing.
470 The Moors would know their happy days had finished:
Upon my own I’d slay a hundred swiftly!”
On saying this, he reached the very pillar
Where Arragon and all his lords were sitting:
They’ll slaughter him, unless he can outwit them!
I’ll tell you now just how he tried to trick them:
He said: “My lord and Warden of the kingdom,
We greet you in the name of our religion!”
The Prince replied: “Come forward, and deliver
Your journey’s gift, but tell me first the giver!”
480 “Your father – deep in Africa!” said William:
“When yesterday, as soon as dawn had risen,
We entered Nîmes, that strong and worthy city,
We thought to see King Otran with his kinsmen
King Synagon and Harpin – but we didn’t!
Count William had led a French contingent
Inside the town and slaughtered all within it!
When we arrived, he tossed us into prison!
But he’s become so popular a figure
His guard is down, and we escaped the villain,
490 I don’t know how, Mahomet curse the Christian!
Said Arragon: “This man is my affliction!
I tell you all, as Mahom is my witness,
If he were here, and I had him in prison,
I’d torture him and turn him into cinders
For every wind to scatter willy-nilly!”
When this was said, our hero dropped his visage
And wished himself in Sens or Paris, swiftly!
He prayed to God with all the fervour in him:
“Almighty God, the Lord of all the living,
500 Who in the flesh was born as Mary’s Infant
In Bethlehem; Who knew the Magi’s visit,
But grew to bear the cruel Crucifixion
And wear the pain of blighted human vision:
When Longinus the Roman’s spear had pricked You,
You shed Your blood, like water, on his fingers
To flood his eyes and clear them in an instant!
As this is true, I beg You to have pity
Upon us too and guard us with Your spirit
From agony among these blighted sinners!”
510 INSIDE THE HALL Count William had come
In whispered tones, because of where he was,
He thus addressed his two companions:
“We’re trapped in here, with nowhere else to run,
Unless we’re shown by God enthroned above!”
Said Guielin: “Good uncle William,
My noble lord, you came in search of love:
Well, there’s the tower of Gloriette – so come:
Ask where the ladies are, and if they’re up!
Such gallant talk rolls glibly off your tongue!”
520 The Count replied: “My lad, that’s true enough!”
But then they heard the voice of Arragon:
“How long ago were you in Africa?”
“Most honoured lord, no longer than two months.”
“And did you see Teebo of Aragon?”
“Indeed, my lord, inside the town Valdun.
Embracing us, he cautioned you, his son,
To hold Orange and everything he’s won.
Where is his wife? May we behold her, once?”
“Indeed you may, my lords,” said Arragon.
530 “No fairer queen lives underneath the sun!
But now I need my father twice as much:
Our southern forts are being overrun
By William and nephews in his trust.
I swear by good Mahom and Tervagant,
If ever I can catch and lock him up,
I’ll roast his hide and have his ashes flung
Upon the winds to scatter into dust!”
On hearing this, our hero winced at once
And wished himself in Rheims or royal Laon!
540 He prayed again to God our Lord above:
“Dear Jesus, born of Mary’s flesh and blood,
Who saved from death itself St Lazarus,
Deliver us from such imprisonment
And agony as this man plans for us!”
COUNT WILLIAM had entered at his peril!
The Pagans called for water, then assembled
And sat at tables laid by their attendants.
Sir William and Guielin his nephew,
With lowered heads, spoke warily together,
550 In mighty fear of capture in their presence.
Prince Arragon received them well, however,
And saw them served with bread and wine a-plenty,
With crane and goose and peacock plump and tender,
And other foods too numerous to mention,
In quantities enough to surfeit any!
When everyone had wined and dined at leisure,
The tablecloths were clear
ed away directly
By cup-bearers, who brought the Pagans chess-sets.
Our hero heard the palace ring with pleasure,
560 And as its walls of coloured marble echoed
He saw its wealth of bird and lion frescoes:
“Sweet Lord,” he said, “Who bore the Cross’s penance!
Whoever saw a feasting-hall so splendid?
I wish to God, Whose Love is never-ending,
That young Bertrand, my paladin, were present
With armoured ranks of twenty thousand Frenchmen!
This very day we’d end the Pagan menace!
By my own hand some eighty Moors would perish!”
PRINCE ARRAGON called suddenly on William
570 To come and sit beside him by a pillar,
Where to his ear he drew him near and whispered:
“Speak truthfully and tell me, noble kinsman,
What sort of man is William the Christian,
Who captured Nîmes by trickery and killing
King Harpin and his brother in their city?
Did he indeed detain you in his prison?”
Said William: “The truth should not be hidden:
His wealth is such, in power and in riches,
He doesn’t care for shining gold or silver:
580 He set us free, with nothing asked or given,
Except our word, declared on our religion,
To tell you straight what he himself insisted:
That you must flee across the ocean swiftly!
The month of May, he says, will not have finished,
Before he’ll bring some twenty thousand with him
To hunt you down: no soaring fort or pillars
Will save you then, no mighty walls or ditches.
With iron rods he’ll hammer them and split them:
If you are caught, he’ll torture you and kill you,
590 Then hang you high for every wind to whip you!”
Cried Arragon: “Your words are mad and wicked!
I’ll send a man to Africa this minute:
My father there will come with all his princes –
King Desramed, and mighty King Golias,
King Corsolt and his brother King Aciris,
King Clarios and mighty King Atriblis,
Great Sorgalis, the Monarch of Egistra,
King Codruez and Mirman the Egyptian!
King Amiblez will breach the lofty billows
600 Of Sorgremont, with Salubris and Mirman,
And King Borrel, my uncle, and his children:
Some thirty kings of Spain will bring assistance,
A thousand score in every king’s contingent.
When all assault the Frenchman’s walls and ditches,
We’ll see the end of William the brigand:
His nephews too shall perish on the gibbet!”
On hearing this, the Count was truly livid!
Between his teeth he muttered, deep and grimly:
“By Jesus Christ, I swear you lie, you villain!
610 A thousand Moors shall lose their lily livers
Before you own the throne of Nîmes, my city!”
If William had been in arms that instant,
He would have struck the hall and all within it –
For naught at all could stall that hero’s spirit!
SIR WILLIAM was in the marbled keep:
“Prince Arragon,” he said, for all to hear:
“Allow me, lord, to see the noble queen
Who’s so adored by Teebo the emir.”
Said Arragon: “My father’s mad indeed,
620 For he is old, his whiskers white with years,
While she is young and beautiful – indeed
The fairest flower to spring from Pagan seed –
With lovers whom in Gloriette she meets.
She much prefers the Venice count Seguin,
A youthful knight whose beard is new and neat,
Who takes delight in fun and daring feats,
To King Teebo her husband and her liege.
How blind a mind that loves a maid can be!
She cuckolds him, and all but he can see!”
630 Our hero laughed, on hearing this revealed,
And said: “My lord, you love her not, it seems?”
“Indeed I don’t! I curse the air she breathes!
I wish she were a thousand miles from here
At Baudas in the realm of Aumarie!”
3. How William met Orable the Queen
SIR WILLIAM was in the Pagan fold,
Sir Gilbert too and Guielin the bold!
They crossed the hall and passed the Pagan rows,
Led forward by a Moor called ‘Ill-disposed’,
To meet the queen King Teebo cherished so.
640 They should have turned, instead, towards the Rhône
And back to Nîmes, as fast as they could go!
Unless the Lord, from His eternal throne,
Can light the way, they’ll curse their chosen road
Of dark dismay before the day has closed!
To Gloriette they came, the queen’s abode:
Its marble walls and pillars gleamed and glowed.
Its windows shone with silver, and the gold
An eagle shed, whose sculpted wings controlled
The flow of wind and glare of sun below.
650 Her room, in truth, was lovely to behold.
Upon one side, a single pine alone,
Of Pagan kind, with cunning care had grown
So wondrously it was itself a grove!
Its branches - which were many - overflowed
With blossoms ever flowering in shows
Of red and white and blue of indigo.
The queen’s affairs took place in there, I’m told,
Where fragrant air filled everywhere, composed
Of every spice and every perfume known.
660 And there she sat, Orable, on her throne,
In flowing silk, embroidered top to toe,
And every fold drawn artfully to show
The lovely form that lay beneath the folds.
A silver fan was cooling her, controlled
By Rosiane, a niece of Rubion.
Orable’s face was whiter than the snow,
With blushing cheeks like flushes on the rose.
On seeing her, the Count’s expression froze.
Then, greeting her, he said, in gracious tones:
670 “God bless you, queen, in Whom we set our hopes!”
“Come forward, lords,” she answered, nothing loath,
“In Mahom’s name, the lord of all below!”
She bade them sit upon a seat of stone
Set end to end with silver and with gold.
They couldn’t hide the wonder in their souls:
“It’s Paradise!” sighed William Bent-Nose:
“I never saw its peer,” his nephew owned:
“I’d gladly spend my life in here, you know!
I’d never want to leave if this were home!”
680 IN GLORIETTE, the palace of the queen,
Sat William, with Gilbert and Sir Gui,
Beside her maids, beneath their shady tree.
The queen herself, so fair of face to see,
Sat, lounging in an ermine-trimmed pelisse
That framed a silk drawn tightly to reveal
The lovely form that nestled underneath.
Count William was smitten then indeed!
He sighed and said: “It’s Paradise in here!”
“So help me God,” the gallant lad agreed,
690 “If t
his were home, I’d never want to leave.
I wouldn’t want to eat or fall asleep!”
The lovely queen turned straightaway to speak:
“My noble lords, what brings you here to me?”
Said William: “We’ve sailed across the sea
From Teebo’s land, your husband and your liege.
As, yesterday, the light of dawn appeared,
We three approached the lovely town of Nîmes.
We’d planned to see King Harpin and to greet
Both Synagon and Otran, kinsmen dear –
700 But William has slaughtered them, all three!
Then at the city’s gate we three were seized
And hauled before his presence in the keep!
But he’s so rich, in company and means,
He doesn’t care for ransom in the least
And let us go, with nothing sought in fee,
Except a pledge we swore upon our Creed,
To tell you straight what he himself decreed:
That you must flee with speed across the sea!
The April days, he says, will not have ceased
710 Before he’ll come with twenty thousand spears
To hunt you down. No soaring hall or keep
Will save you then, no wall or ditch between:
He’ll break them down with iron rods and steel.
If he should catch Prince Arragon the thief,
Your stepson, whom you cherish and esteem,
He’ll punish him with shameful death indeed:
He’ll roast his flesh or hang him in the breeze!”
On hearing this, Orable sighed with grief.
ON HEARING THIS, she sighed, in great alarm,
720 But then, at once, she looked at them and asked:
“My noble lords, I know the shade he casts!
What kind of man is William of France,
Who’s torn the walls and halls of Nîmes apart,
Who’s killed my men and threatens me with harm?”
The Count replied: “In truth, he’s very hard,
With mighty fists and arms to make you gasp!
No giant lives in all Arabia
Whose armour, let alone his bones, can last
A moment when the Frenchman’s blade is sharp!
730 His graven blade splits gravel, ground and grass!”
The queen replied: “How strong must be his arm!
By good Mahom, he’s worthy of his task!
How happy she on whom he’s set his heart!”
As this was said, a Pagan guard went past
That very soon would cause him more alarm
Than any he’d encountered in the past!