I HERDE a carpyng of a clerk,
Al at y+oone 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 wold it hem sende.
Al day wentyn tho chylderin too,
And fleych fowndyn he non,
Til it were a-geyn euyn;
THe chylderin wold gon hom.
Half an honderid of fat falyf der
He comyn a-y+oon,
And alle he wern fayr and fat i-now,
But markyd was ther non:
'Be dere God,' seyde gode Robyn,
'Here of we xul haue on.'
Robyn bent his joly bowe,
RRtherin he set a flo;
THe fattest der of alle
THe herte he clef a to.
He hadde not the der i-flawe,
Ne half out of the hyde,
There cam a schrewde arwe out of the west,
RRthatfelde Robertes pryde.
Gandeleyn lokyd hym est and west,
Be euery syde:
'Hoo hat myn mayster slayin?
Ho hat don this dede?
Xal 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 brod arwe ther ine,
And fowre and twenti goode arwys,
Trusyd in a thrumme:
'Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her-of thu xalt han summe.
'Be war the, war the, Gandeleyn,
Her of thu gyst plente:'
'Euer on for an other,' seyde Gandeleyn;
'Mysaunter haue he xal fle.
'Qwer-at xal our marke be?'
Seyde Gandeleyn:
'Eueryche at otheris herte,'
Seyde Wrennok ageyn.
Ho xal y+oeue the ferste schote?'
Seyde Gandeleyn:
'And I xul y+oeue the on be-forn,'
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 y+oouyn me on be-forn,'
Al thus to Wrennok seyde he,
'And throw the myy+ot of our lady
A bettere I xal y+oeue 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 xalt thu neuer y+oelpe, Wrennok,
At ale ne at wyn,
RRthatthu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And his knaue Gandeleyn.
'Now xalt thu neuer y+oelpe, Wrennok,
At wyn ne at ale,
RRthatthu hast slawe goode Robyn,
And Gandeleyn his knaue.'
Robyn lyy+oth in grene wode bowndyn