Chapter 3

Sir Galahad, a Christmas Mystery

It is the longest night in all the year,

Near on the day when the Lord Christ was born;

Six hours ago I came and sat down here,

And ponder’d sadly, wearied and forlorn.

The winter wind that pass’d the chapel¹ door,

Sang out a moody² tune³, that went right well

With mine own thoughts: I look’d down on the floor,

Between my feet, until I heard a bell

Sound a long way off through the forest deep,

And toll⁴ on steadily⁵; a drowsiness⁶

Came on me, so that I fell half asleep,

As I sat there not moving: less and less

I saw the melted snow that hung in beads⁷

Upon my steel-shoes; less and less I saw

Between the tiles the bunches of small weeds:

Heartless and stupid, with no touch of awe⁸

Upon me, half-shut eyes upon the ground,

I thought: O Galahad! the days go by,

Stop and cast up now that which you have found,

So sorely you have wrought⁹ and painfully.

Night after night your horse treads down alone

The sere¹⁰ damp fern, night after night you sit

Holding the bridle¹¹ like a man of stone,

Dismal¹², unfriended: what thing comes of it?

And what if Palomydes also ride,

And over many a mountain and bare heath

Follow the questing beast with none beside?

Is he not able still to hold his breath

With thoughts of Iseult? doth he not grow pale

With weary striving, to seem best of all

To her, ‘as she is best,’ he saith? to fail

Is nothing to him, he can never fall.

For unto such a man love-sorrow is

So dear a thing unto his constant heart,

That even if he never win one kiss,

Or touch from Iseult, it will never part.

And he will never know her to be worse

Than in his happiest dreams he thinks she is:

Good knight¹³, and faithful, you have ‘scaped the curse

In wonderful-wise; you have great store of bliss¹⁴.

Yea, what if Father Launcelot ride out,

Can he not think of Guenevere’s arms, round

Warm and lithe¹⁵, about his neck, and shout

Till all the place grows joyful¹⁶ with the sound?

And when he lists can often see her face,

And think, ‘Next month I kiss you, or next week,

And still you think of me’: therefore the place

Grows very pleasant, whatsoever¹⁷ he seek.

But me, who ride alone, some carle shall find

Dead in my arms in the half-melted snow,

When all unkindly with the shifting wind,

The thaw¹⁸ comes on at Candlemas: I know

Indeed that they will say: ‘This Galahad

If he had lived had been a right good knight;

Ah! poor chaste¹⁹ body!’ but they will be glad,

Not most alone, but all, when in their sight

That very evening in their scarlet²⁰ sleeves

The gay-dress’d minstrels sing; no maid will talk

Of sitting on my tomb, until the leaves,

Grown big upon the bushes of the walk,

East of the Palace-pleasaunce, make it hard

To see the minster therefrom: well-a-day!

Before the trees by autumn were well bared,

I saw a damozel with gentle play,

Within that very walk say last farewell

To her dear knight, just riding out to find

(Why should I choke to say it?) the Sangreal,

And their last kisses sunk into my mind,

Yea, for she stood lean’d forward on his breast,

Rather, scarce stood; the back of one dear hand,

That it might well be kiss’d, she held and press’d

Against his lips; long time they stood there, fann’d

By gentle gusts²¹ of quiet frosty wind,

Till Mador de la porte a-going by,

And my own horsehoofs roused them; they untwined,

And parted like a dream. In this way I,

With sleepy face bent²² to the chapel floor,

Kept musing²³ half asleep, till suddenly

A sharp bell rang from close beside the door,

And I leapt up when something pass’d me by,

Shrill²⁴ ringing going with it, still half blind

I stagger’d after, a great sense of awe

At every step kept gathering²⁵ on my mind,

Thereat I have no marvel²⁶, for I saw

One sitting on the altar as a throne,

Whose face no man could say he did not know,

And though the bell still rang, he sat alone,

With raiment half blood-red, half white as snow.

Right so I fell upon the floor and knelt,

Not as one kneels in church when mass is said,

But in a heap, quite nerveless, for I felt

The first time what a thing was perfect dread²⁷.

But mightily²⁸ the gentle voice came down:

‘Rise up, and look and listen, Galahad,

Good knight of God, for you will see no frown

Upon my face; I come to make you glad.

For that you say that you are all alone,

I will be with you always, and fear not

You are uncared for, though no maiden²⁹ moan

Above your empty tomb; for Launcelot,

He in good time shall be my servant too,

Meantime, take note whose sword first made him knight,

And who has loved him alway, yea, and who

Still trusts him alway, though in all men’s sight,

He is just what you know, O Galahad,

This love is happy even as you say,

But would you for a little time be glad,

To make ME sorry long, day after day?

Her warm arms round his neck half throttle³⁰ ME,

The hot love-tears burn deep like spots of lead,

Yea, and the years pass quick: right dismally³¹

Will Launcelot at one time hang his head;

Yea, old and shrivell’d he shall win my love.

Poor Palomydes fretting³² out his soul!

Not always is he able, son, to move

His love, and do it honour: needs must roll

The proudest destrier sometimes in the dust,

And then ’tis weary work; he strives beside

Seem better than he is, so that his trust

Is always on what chances may betide;

And so he wears away, my servant, too,

When all these things are gone, and wretchedly

He sits and longs to moan for Iseult, who

Is no care now to Palomydes: see,

O good son Galahad, upon this day,

Now even, all these things are on your side,

But these you fight not for; look up, I say,

And see how I can love you, for no pride

Closes your eyes, no vain lust³³ keeps them down.

See now you have ME always; following

That holy vision, Galahad, go on,

Until at last you come to ME to sing

In Heaven always, and to walk around

The garden where I am.’ He ceased, my face

And wretched body fell upon the ground;

And when I look’d again, the holy place

Was empty; but right so the bell again

Came to the chapel-door, there entered

Two angels first, in white, without a stain,

And scarlet wings, then, after them, a bed

Four ladies bore, and set it down beneath

The very altar-step, and while for fear

I scarcely dared to move or draw my breath,

Those holy ladies gently came a-near,

And quite unarm’d me, saying: ‘Galahad,

Rest here awhile and sleep, and take no thought

Of any other thing than being glad;

Hither the Sangreal will be shortly brought,

Yet must you sleep the while it stayeth here.’

Right so they went away, and I, being weary,

Slept long and dream’d of Heaven: the bell comes near,

I doubt it grows to morning. Miserere!

Enter Two Angels in white, with scarlet wings; also, Four Ladies in gowns of red and green; also an Angel, bearing in his hands a surcoat of white, with a red cross.
AN ANGEL.

O servant of the high God, Galahad!

Rise and be arm’d: the Sangreal is gone forth³⁴

Through the great forest, and you must be had

Unto the sea that lieth on the north:

There shall you find the wondrous³⁵ ship wherein

The spindles of King Solomon are laid,

And the sword that no man draweth without sin,

But if he be most pure: and there is stay’d,

Hard by, Sir Launcelot, whom you will meet

In some short space upon that ship: first, though,

Will come here presently that lady sweet,

Sister of Percival, whom you well know,

And with her Bors and Percival: stand now,

These ladies will to arm you.
FIRST LADY, putting on the hauberk.

Galahad,

That I may stand so close beneath your brow,

I, Margaret of Antioch, am glad.
SECOND LADY, girding him with the sword.

That I may stand and touch you with my hand,

O Galahad, I, Cecily, am glad.
THIRD LADY, buckling³⁶ on the spurs.

That I may kneel while up above you stand,

And gaze at me, O holy Galahad,

I, Lucy, am most glad.
FOURTH LADY, putting on the basnet.

O gentle knight,

That you bow down to us in reverence³⁷,

We are most glad, I, Katherine, with delight

Must needs fall trembling.
ANGEL, putting on the crossed surcoat.

Galahad, we go hence,

For here, amid the straying of the snow,

Come Percival’s sister, Bors, and Percival.

[The Four Ladies carry out the bed, and all go but Galahad.
GALAHAD.

How still and quiet everything seems now:

They come, too, for I hear the horsehoofs fall.

Enter Sir Bors, Sir Percival, and his Sister.

Fair friends and gentle lady, God you save!

A many marvels³⁸ have been here to-night;

Tell me what news of Launcelot you have,

And has God’s body ever been in sight?
SIR BORS.

Why, as for seeing that same holy thing,

As we were riding slowly side by side,

An hour ago, we heard a sweet voice sing,

And through the bare twigs³⁹ saw a great light glide⁴⁰,

With many-colour’d raiment, but far off;

And so pass’d quickly: from the court nought⁴¹ good;

Poor merry Dinadan, that with jape and scoff⁴²

Kept us all merry, in a little wood

Was found all hack’d and dead: Sir Lionel

And Gauwaine have come back from the great quest,

Just merely shamed; and Lauvaine, who loved well

Your father Launcelot, at the king’s behest

Went out to seek him, but was almost slain⁴³,

Perhaps is dead now; everywhere

The knights⁴⁴ come foil’d from the great quest, in vain;

In vain they struggle for the vision fair.

1 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

2 moody   

adj.心情不稳的，易怒的，喜怒无常的

参考例句：

• He relapsed into a moody silence.他又重新陷于忧郁的沉默中。
• I'd never marry that girl.She's so moody.我决不会和那女孩结婚的。她太易怒了。

3 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

6 drowsiness   

n.睡意；嗜睡

参考例句：

• A feeling of drowsiness crept over him. 一种昏昏欲睡的感觉逐渐袭扰着他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This decision reached, he finally felt a placid drowsiness steal over him. 想到这，来了一点平安的睡意。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子

7 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

8 awe   

n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧

参考例句：

• The sight filled us with awe.这景色使我们大为惊叹。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

9 wrought   

v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的

参考例句：

• Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。
• It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

10 sere   

adj.干枯的；n.演替系列

参考例句：

• The desert was edged with sere vegetation.沙漠周围零星地长着一些干枯的植被。
• A sere on uncovered rock is a lithosere.在光秃岩石上的演替系列是岩生演替系列。

11 bridle   

n.笼头，束缚；vt.抑制，约束；动怒

参考例句：

• He learned to bridle his temper.他学会了控制脾气。
• I told my wife to put a bridle on her tongue.我告诉妻子说话要谨慎。

12 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

13 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

14 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

15 lithe   

adj.(指人、身体)柔软的，易弯的

参考例句：

• His lithe athlete's body had been his pride through most of the fifty - six years.他那轻巧自如的运动员体格，五十六年来几乎一直使他感到自豪。
• His walk was lithe and graceful.他走路轻盈而优雅。

16 joyful   

adj.欢乐的，令人欢欣的

参考例句：

• She was joyful of her good result of the scientific experiments.她为自己的科学实验取得好成果而高兴。
• They were singing and dancing to celebrate this joyful occasion.他们唱着、跳着庆祝这令人欢乐的时刻。

17 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

18 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

19 chaste   

adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的

参考例句：

• Comparatively speaking,I like chaste poetry better.相比较而言，我更喜欢朴实无华的诗。
• Tess was a chaste young girl.苔丝是一个善良的少女。

20 scarlet   

n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的

参考例句：

• The scarlet leaves of the maples contrast well with the dark green of the pines.深红的枫叶和暗绿的松树形成了明显的对比。
• The glowing clouds are growing slowly pale,scarlet,bright red,and then light red.天空的霞光渐渐地淡下去了，深红的颜色变成了绯红，绯红又变为浅红。

21 gusts   

一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作

参考例句：

• Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
• Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。

22 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

23 musing   

n. 沉思，冥想 adj. 沉思的, 冥想的 动词muse的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• "At Tellson's banking-house at nine," he said, with a musing face. “九点在台尔森银行大厦见面，”他想道。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记
• She put the jacket away, and stood by musing a minute. 她把那件上衣放到一边，站着沉思了一会儿。

24 shrill   

adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫

参考例句：

• Whistles began to shrill outside the barn.哨声开始在谷仓外面尖叫。
• The shrill ringing of a bell broke up the card game on the cutter.刺耳的铃声打散了小汽艇的牌局。

25 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

26 marvel   

vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事

参考例句：

• The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
• The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。

27 dread   

vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧

参考例句：

• We all dread to think what will happen if the company closes.我们都不敢去想一旦公司关门我们该怎么办。
• Her heart was relieved of its blankest dread.她极度恐惧的心理消除了。

28 mightily   

ad.强烈地；非常地

参考例句：

• He hit the peg mightily on the top with a mallet. 他用木槌猛敲木栓顶。
• This seemed mightily to relieve him. 干完这件事后，他似乎轻松了许多。

29 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

30 throttle   

n.节流阀，节气阀，喉咙；v.扼喉咙，使窒息，压

参考例句：

• These government restrictions are going to throttle our trade.这些政府的限制将要扼杀我们的贸易。
• High tariffs throttle trade between countries.高的关税抑制了国与国之间的贸易。

31 dismally   

adv.阴暗地，沉闷地

参考例句：

• Fei Little Beard assented dismally. 费小胡子哭丧着脸回答。 来自子夜部分
• He began to howl dismally. 它就凄凉地吠叫起来。 来自辞典例句

32 fretting   

n. 微振磨损 adj. 烦躁的, 焦虑的

参考例句：

• Fretting about it won't help. 苦恼于事无补。
• The old lady is always fretting over something unimportant. 那位老妇人总是为一些小事焦虑不安。

33 lust   

n.性(淫)欲；渴(欲)望；vi.对…有强烈的欲望

参考例句：

• He was filled with lust for power.他内心充满了对权力的渴望。
• Sensing the explorer's lust for gold, the chief wisely presented gold ornaments as gifts.酋长觉察出探险者们垂涎黄金的欲念，就聪明地把金饰品作为礼物赠送给他们。

34 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

35 wondrous   

adj.令人惊奇的，奇妙的；adv.惊人地；异乎寻常地；令人惊叹地

参考例句：

• The internal structure of the Department is wondrous to behold.看一下国务院的内部结构是很有意思的。
• We were driven across this wondrous vast land of lakes and forests.我们乘车穿越这片有着湖泊及森林的广袤而神奇的土地。

36 buckling   

扣住

参考例句：

• A door slammed in the house and a man came out buckling his belt. 房子里的一扇门砰地关上，一个男子边扣腰带边走了出来。
• The periodic buckling leaves the fibre in a waved conformation. 周期性的弯折在纤维中造成波形构成。

37 reverence   

n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• We reverence tradition but will not be fettered by it.我们尊重传统，但不被传统所束缚。

38 marvels   

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 )

参考例句：

• The doctor's treatment has worked marvels : the patient has recovered completely. 该医生妙手回春，病人已完全康复。 来自辞典例句
• Nevertheless he revels in a catalogue of marvels. 可他还是兴致勃勃地罗列了一堆怪诞不经的事物。 来自辞典例句

39 twigs   

细枝，嫩枝( twig的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some birds build nests of twigs. 一些鸟用树枝筑巢。
• Willow twigs are pliable. 柳条很软。

40 glide   

n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝

参考例句：

• We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
• So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。

41 nought   

n.／adj.无，零

参考例句：

• We must bring their schemes to nought.我们必须使他们的阴谋彻底破产。
• One minus one leaves nought.一减一等于零。

42 scoff   

n.嘲笑，笑柄，愚弄；v.嘲笑，嘲弄，愚弄，狼吞虎咽

参考例句：

• You are not supposed to scoff at religion.你不该嘲弄宗教。
• He was the scoff of the town.他成为全城的笑柄。

43 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

44 knights   

骑士； （中古时代的）武士( knight的名词复数 )； 骑士； 爵士； （国际象棋中）马

参考例句：

• stories of knights and fair maidens 关于骑士和美女的故事
• He wove a fascinating tale of knights in shining armour. 他编了一个穿着明亮盔甲的骑士的迷人故事。