“Here am I well honoured and measurelessly happy; and I have a message for thee from the King.”
“What is it?” said Hallblithe; but he deemed that he knew what it would be, and he reddened for the joy of his assured hope.
Said the Sea-eagle: “Joy to thee, O shipmate! I am to take thee to the place where thy beloved abideth, and there shalt thou see her, but not so as she can see thee; and thereafter shalt thou go to the King, that thou mayst tell him if she shall accomplish thy desire.”
Then was Hallblithe glad beyond measure, and his heart danced within him, and he deemed it but meet that the others should be so joyous3 and blithe1 with him, for they led him along without any delay, and were glad at his rejoicing; and words failed him to tell of his gladness.
But as he went, the thoughts of his coming converse4 with his beloved curled sweetly round his heart, so that scarce anything had seemed so sweet to him before; and he fell a-pondering what they twain, he and the Hostage, should do when they came together again; whether they should abide2 on the Glittering Plain, or go back again to Cleveland by the Sea and dwell in the House of the Kindred; and for his part he yearned5 to behold6 the roof of his fathers and to tread the meadow which his scythe7 had swept, and the acres where his hook had smitten8 the wheat. But he said to himself, “I will wait till I hear her desire hereon.”
Now they went into the wood at the back of the King’s pavilion and through it, and so over the hill, and beyond it came into a land of hills and dales exceeding fair and lovely; and a river wound about the dales, lapping in turn the feet of one hill-side or the other; and in each dale (for they passed through two) was a goodly house of men, and tillage about it, and vineyards and orchards9. They went all day till the sun was near setting, and were not weary, for they turned into the houses by the way when they would, and had good welcome and meat and drink and what they would of the folk that dwelt there. Thus anigh sunset they came into a dale fairer than either of the others, and nigh to the end where they had entered it was an exceeding goodly house. Then said the damsel:
“We are nigh-hand to our journey’s end; let us sit down on the grass by this river-side whilst I tell thee the tale which the King would have thee know.”
So they sat down on the grass beside the brimming river, scant11 two bowshots from that fair house, and the damsel said, reading from a scroll12 which she drew from her bosom13:
“O Spearman, in yonder house dwelleth the woman foredoomed to love thee: if thou wouldst see her, go thitherward, following the path which turneth from the river-side by yonder oak-tree, and thou shalt presently come to a thicket14 of bay-trees at the edge of an apple-orchard10, whose trees are blossoming; abide thou hidden by the bay-leaves, and thou shalt see maidens16 come into the orchard, and at last one fairer than all the others. This shall be thy love fore-doomed, and none other; and thou shalt know her by this token, that when she hath set her down on the grass beside the bay-tree, she shall say to her maidens ‘Bring me now the book wherein is the image of my beloved, that I may solace17 myself with beholding18 it before the sun goes down and the night cometh.’”
Now Hallblithe was troubled when she read out these words, and he said: “What is this tale about a book? I know not of any book that lieth betwixt me and my beloved.”
“O Spearman,” said the damsel, “I may tell thee no more, because I know no more. But keep up thine heart! For dost thou know any more than I do what hath befallen thy beloved since thou wert sundered19 from her? and why should not this matter of the book be one of the things that hath befallen her? Go now with joy, and come again blessing20 us.”
“Yea, go, faring-fellow,” said the Sea-eagle, “and come back joyful21, that we may all be merry together. And we will abide thee here.”
Hallblithe foreboded evil, but he held his peace and went his ways down the path by the oak-tree; and they abode22 there by the water-side, and were very merry talking of this and that (but no whit23 of Hallblithe), and kissing and caressing24 each other; so that it seemed but a little while to them ere they saw Hallblithe coming back by the oak-tree. He went slowly, hanging his head like a man sore-burdened with grief: thus he came up to them, and stood there above them as they lay on the fragrant25 grass, and he saying no word and looking so sad and sorry, and withal so fell, that they feared his grief and his anger, and would fain have been away from him; so that they durst not ask him a question for a long while, and the sun sank below the hill while they abided thus.
Then all trembling the damsel spake to the Sea-eagle: “Speak to him, dear friend, else must I flee away, for I fear his silence.”
Quoth the Sea-eagle: “Shipmate and friend, what hath betided? How art thou? May we hearken, and mayhappen amend26 it?”
Then Hallblithe cast himself adown on the grass and said: “I am accursed and beguiled27; and I wander round and round in a tangle28 that I may not escape from. I am not far from deeming that this is a land of dreams made for my beguiling29. Or has the earth become so full of lies, that there is no room amidst them for a true man to stand upon his feet and go his ways?”
Said the Sea-eagle: “Thou shalt tell us of what hath betid, and so ease the sorrow of thy soul if thou wilt30. Or if thou wilt, thou shalt nurse thy sorrow in thine heart and tell no man. Do what thou wilt; am I not become thy friend?”
Said Hallblithe: “I will tell you twain the tidings, and thereafter ask me no more concerning them. Hearken. I went whereas ye bade me, and hid myself in the bay-tree thicket; and there came maidens into the blossoming orchard and made a resting-place with silken cushions close to where I was lurking31, and stood about as though they were looking for some one to come. In a little time came two more maidens, and betwixt them one so much fairer than any there, that my heart sank within me: whereas I deemed because of her fairness that this would be the fore-doomed love whereof ye spake, and lo, she was in nought32 like to my troth-plight maiden15, save that she was exceeding beauteous: nevertheless, heart-sick as I was, I determined33 to abide the token that ye told me of. So she lay down amidst those cushions, and I beheld34 her that she was sad of countenance35; and she was so near to me that I could see the tears welling into her eyes, and running down her cheeks; so that I should have grieved sorely for her had I not been grieving so sorely for myself. For presently she sat up and said ‘O maiden, bring me hither the book wherein is the image of my beloved, that I may behold it in this season of sunset wherein I first beheld it; that I may fill my heart with the sight thereof before the sun is gone and the dark night come.’
“Then indeed my heart died within me when I wotted that this was the love whereof the King spake, that he would give to me, and she not mine own beloved, yet I could not choose but abide and look on a while, and she being one that any man might love beyond measure. Now a maiden went away into the house and came back again with a book covered with gold set with gems36; and the fair woman took it and opened it, and I was so near to her that I saw every leaf clearly as she turned the leaves. And in that book were pictures of many things, as flaming mountains, and castles of war, and ships upon the sea, but chiefly of fair women, and queens, and warriors37 and kings; and it was done in gold and azure38 and cinnabar and minium. So she turned the leaves, till she came to one whereon was pictured none other than myself, and over against me was the image of mine own beloved, the Hostage of the Rose, as if she were alive, so that the heart within me swelled39 with the sobbing40 which I must needs refrain, which grieved me like a sword-stroke. Shame also took hold of me as the fair woman spoke41 to my painted image, and I lying well-nigh within touch of her hand; but she said: ‘O my beloved, why dost thou delay to come to me? For I deemed that this eve at least thou wouldst come, so many and strong as are the meshes42 of love which we have cast about thy feet. Oh come to-morrow at the least and latest, or what shall I do, and wherewith shall I quench43 the grief of my heart? Or else why am I the daughter of the Undying King, the Lord of the Treasure of the Sea? Why have they wrought44 new marvels45 for me, and compelled the Ravagers of the Coasts to serve me, and sent false dreams flitting on the wings of the night? Yea, why is the earth fair and fruitful, and the heavens kind above it, if thou comest not to-night, nor to-morrow, nor the day after? And I the daughter of the Undying, on whom the days shall grow and grow as the grains of sand which the wind heaps up above the sea-beach. And life shall grow huger and more hideous46 round about the lonely one, like the ling-worm laid upon the gold, that waxeth thereby47, till it lies all around about the house of the queen entrapped48, the moveless unending ring of the years that change not.’
“So she spake till the weeping ended her words, and I was all abashed49 with shame and pale with anguish50. I stole quietly from my lair51 unheeded of any, save that one damsel said that a rabbit ran in the hedge, and another that a blackbird stirred in the thicket. Behold me, then, that my quest beginneth again amidst the tangle of lies whereinto I have been entrapped.”
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1
blithe
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| adj.快乐的，无忧无虑的 | |
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2
abide
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| vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受 | |
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joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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converse
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| vi.谈话，谈天，闲聊；adv.相反的，相反 | |
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yearned
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| 渴望，切盼，向往( yearn的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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scythe
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| n. 长柄的大镰刀，战车镰； v. 以大镰刀割 | |
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smitten
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| 猛打，重击，打击( smite的过去分词 ) | |
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orchards
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| （通常指围起来的）果园( orchard的名词复数 ) | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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scant
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| adj.不充分的，不足的；v.减缩，限制，忽略 | |
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12
scroll
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| n.卷轴，纸卷；(石刻上的)漩涡 | |
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bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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14
thicket
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| n.灌木丛，树林 | |
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maiden
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| n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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18
beholding
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| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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19
sundered
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| v.隔开，分开( sunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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joyful
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| adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的 | |
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abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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whit
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| n.一点，丝毫 | |
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caressing
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| 爱抚的，表现爱情的，亲切的 | |
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fragrant
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| adj.芬香的，馥郁的，愉快的 | |
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amend
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| vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿 | |
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27
beguiled
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| v.欺骗( beguile的过去式和过去分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等） | |
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tangle
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| n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱 | |
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beguiling
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| adj.欺骗的，诱人的v.欺骗( beguile的现在分词 )；使陶醉；使高兴；消磨（时间等） | |
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30
wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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lurking
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| 潜在 | |
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nought
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| n.／adj.无，零 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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35
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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36
gems
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| growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长 | |
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warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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38
azure
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| adj.天蓝色的，蔚蓝色的 | |
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39
swelled
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| 增强( swell的过去式和过去分词 )； 肿胀； （使）凸出； 充满（激情） | |
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40
sobbing
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| <主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的 | |
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41
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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42
meshes
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| 网孔( mesh的名词复数 )； 网状物； 陷阱； 困境 | |
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43
quench
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| vt.熄灭，扑灭；压制 | |
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44
wrought
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| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
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45
marvels
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| n.奇迹( marvel的名词复数 )；令人惊奇的事物（或事例）；不平凡的成果；成就v.惊奇，对…感到惊奇( marvel的第三人称单数 ) | |
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46
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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47
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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48
entrapped
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| v.使陷入圈套，使入陷阱( entrap的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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49
abashed
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| adj.窘迫的，尴尬的v.使羞愧，使局促，使窘迫( abash的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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50
anguish
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| n.(尤指心灵上的)极度痛苦，烦恼 | |
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51
lair
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| n.野兽的巢穴；躲藏处 | |
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