These two things shalt thou do, or thou shalt die.'
And Edyrn answered, 'These things will I do,

For I have never yet been overthrown,
And thou hast overthrown me, and my pride

Is broken down, for Enid sees my fall!'
And rising up, he rode to Arthur's court,

And there the Queen forgave him easily.
And being young, he changed and came to loathe

His crime of traitor, slowly drew himself
Bright from his old dark life, and fell at last

In the great battle fighting for the King.
But when the third day from the hunting-morn

Made a low splendour in the world, and wings
Moved in her ivy, Enid, for she lay

With her fair head in the dim-yellow light,
Among the dancing shadows of the birds,

Woke and bethought her of her promise given
No later than last eve to Prince Geraint--

So bent he seemed on going the third day,
He would not leave her, till her promise given--

To ride with him this morning to the court,
And there be made known to the stately Queen,

And there be wedded with all ceremony.
At this she cast her eyes upon her dress,

And thought it never yet had looked so mean.
For as a leaf in mid-November is

To what it is in mid-October, seemed
The dress that now she looked on to the dress

She looked on ere the coming of Geraint.
And still she looked, and still the terror grew

Of that strange bright and dreadful thing, a court,
All staring at her in her faded silk:

And softly to her own sweet heart she said:
'This noble prince who won our earldom back,

So splendid in his acts and his attire,
Sweet heaven, how much I shall discredit him!

Would he could tarry with us here awhile,
But being so beholden to the Prince,

It were but little grace in any of us,
Bent as he seemed on going this third day,

To seek a second favour at his hands.
Yet if he could but tarry a day or two,

Myself would work eye dim, and finger lame,
Far liefer than so much discredit him.'

And Enid fell in longing for a dress
All branched and flowered with gold, a costly gift

Of her good mother, given her on the night
Before her birthday, three sad years ago,

That night of fire, when Edyrn sacked their house,
And scattered all they had to all the winds:

For while the mother showed it, and the two
Were turning and admiring it, the work

To both appeared so costly, rose a cry
That Edyrn's men were on them, and they fled

With little save the jewels they had on,
Which being sold and sold had bought them bread:

And Edyrn's men had caught them in their flight,
And placed them in this ruin; and she wished

The Prince had found her in her ancient home;
Then let her fancy flit across the past,

And roam the goodly places that she knew;
And last bethought her how she used to watch,

Near that old home, a pool of golden carp;
And one was patched and blurred and lustreless

Among his burnished brethren of the pool;
And half asleep she made comparison

Of that and these to her own faded self
And the gay court, and fell asleep again;

And dreamt herself was such a faded form
Among her burnished sisters of the pool;

But this was in the garden of a king;
And though she lay dark in the pool, she knew

That all was bright; that all about were birds
Of sunny plume in gilded trellis-work;

That all the turf was rich in plots that looked
Each like a garnet or a turkis in it;

And lords and ladies of the high court went
In silver tissue talking things of state;

And children of the King in cloth of gold
Glanced at the doors or gamboled down the walks;

And while she thought 'They will not see me,' came
A stately queen whose name was Guinevere,

And all the children in their cloth of gold
Ran to her, crying, 'If we have fish at all

Let them be gold; and charge the gardeners now
To pick the faded creature from the pool,

And cast it on the mixen that it die.'
And therewithal one came and seized on her,

And Enid started waking, with her heart
All overshadowed by the foolish dream,

And lo! it was her mother grasping her
To get her well awake; and in her hand

A suit of bright apparel, which she laid
Flat on the couch, and spoke exultingly:

'See here, my child, how fresh the colours look,
How fast they hold like colours of a shell

That keeps the wear and polish of the wave.
Why not? It never yet was worn, I trow:

Look on it, child, and tell me if ye know it.'
And Enid looked, but all confused at first,

Could scarce divide it from her foolish dream:
Then suddenly she knew it and rejoiced,

And answered, 'Yea, I know it; your good gift,
So sadly lost on that unhappy night;

Your own good gift!' 'Yea, surely,' said the dame,
'And gladly given again this happy morn.

For when the jousts were ended yesterday,
Went Yniol through the town, and everywhere

He found the sack and plunder of our house
All scattered through the houses of the town;

And gave command that all which once was ours
Should now be ours again: and yester-eve,

While ye were talking sweetly with your Prince,
Came one with this and laid it in my hand,

For love or fear, or seeking favour of us,
Because we have our earldom back again.

And yester-eve I would not tell you of it,
But kept it for a sweet surprise at morn.

Yea, truly is it not a sweet surprise?
For I myself unwillingly have worn

My faded suit, as you, my child, have yours,
And howsoever patient, Yniol his.

Ah, dear, he took me from a goodly house,
With store of rich apparel, sumptuous fare,

And page, and maid, and squire, and seneschal,
And pastime both of hawk and hound, and all

That appertains to noble maintenance.
Yea, and he brought me to a goodly house;

But since our fortune swerved from sun to shade,
And all through that young traitor, cruel need

Constrained us, but a better time has come;
So clothe yourself in this, that better fits

Our mended fortunes and a Prince's bride:
For though ye won the prize of fairest fair,

And though I heard him call you fairest fair,
Let never maiden think, however fair,

She is not fairer in new clothes than old.
And should some great court-lady say, the Prince

Hath picked a ragged-robin from the hedge,
And like a madman brought her to the court,

Then were ye shamed, and, worse, might shame the Prince
To whom we are beholden; but I know,

That when my dear child is set forth at her best,
That neither court nor country, though they sought

Through all the provinces like those of old
That lighted on Queen Esther, has her match.'

Here ceased the kindly mother out of breath;
And Enid listened brightening as she lay;

Then, as the white and glittering star of morn
Parts from a bank of snow, and by and by

Slips into golden cloud, the maiden rose,
And left her maiden couch, and robed herself,

Helped by the mother's careful hand and eye,
Without a mirror, in the gorgeous gown;

Who, after, turned her daughter round, and said,
She never yet had seen her half so fair;

And called her like that maiden in the tale,
Whom Gwydion made by glamour out of flowers

And sweeter than the bride of Cassivelaun,
Flur, for whose love the Roman Caesar first

Invaded Britain, 'But we beat him back,
As this great Prince invaded us, and we,

Not beat him back, but welcomed him with joy
And I can scarcely ride with you to court,

For old am I, and rough the ways and wild;
But Yniol goes, and I full oft shall dream

I see my princess as I see her now,
Clothed with my gift, and gay among the gay.'

But while the women thus rejoiced, Geraint
Woke where he slept in the high hall, and called

For Enid, and when Yniol made report
Of that good mother making Enid gay

In such apparel as might well beseem
His princess, or indeed the stately Queen,

He answered: 'Earl, entreat her by my love,
Albeit I give no reason but my wish,

That she ride with me in her faded silk.'
Yniol with that hard message went; it fell

Like flaws in summer laying lusty corn:
For Enid, all abashed she knew not why,

Dared not to glance at her good mother's face,
But silently, in all obedience,

Her mother silent too, nor helping her,
Laid from her limbs the costly-broidered gift,

And robed them in her ancient suit again,
And so descended. Never man rejoiced

More than Geraint to greet her thus attired;
And glancing all at once as keenly at her

As careful robins eye the delver's toil,
Made her cheek burn and either eyelid fall,

But rested with her sweet face satisfied;
Then seeing cloud upon the mother's brow,

Her by both hands she caught, and sweetly said,
'O my new mother, be not wroth or grieved

At thy new son, for my petition to her.
When late I left Caerleon, our great Queen,

In words whose echo lasts, they were so sweet,
Made promise, that whatever bride I brought,

Herself would clothe her like the sun in Heaven.
Thereafter, when I reached this ruined hall,

Beholding one so bright in dark estate,

• traitor [´treitə] n.叛徒，卖国贼 (初中英语单词)
• prince [´prins] n.王子；亲王；君主 (初中英语单词)
• terror [´terə] n.恐怖；惊骇 (初中英语单词)
• dreadful [´dredful] a.可怕的；讨厌的 (初中英语单词)
• softly [´sɔftli] ad.软化地；柔和地 (初中英语单词)
• costly [´kɔstli] a.昂贵的；费用大的 (初中英语单词)
• charge [tʃɑ:dʒ] v.收费；冲锋 n.费用 (初中英语单词)
• scarce [skeəs, skers] a.缺乏的；稀有的 (初中英语单词)
• unhappy [ʌn´hæpi] a.不幸的；不快乐的 (初中英语单词)
• squire [skwaiə] n.护卫，侍从；乡绅 (初中英语单词)
• maiden [´meidn] n.少女 a.未婚的 (初中英语单词)
• princess [,prin´ses] n.公主；王妃；亲王夫人 (初中英语单词)
• silently [´sailəntli] ad.寂静地；沉默地 (初中英语单词)
• keenly [´ki:nli] ad.敏锐地；强烈地 (初中英语单词)
• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)
• estate [i´steit] n.财产；庄园；等级 (初中英语单词)
• overthrown [,əuvə´θrəun] overthrow的过去分词 (高中英语单词)
• stately [´steitli] a.庄严的，雄伟的 (高中英语单词)
• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)
• goodly [´gudli] a.适意的；漂亮的 (高中英语单词)
• tissue [´tiʃu:, -sju:] n.织物，薄绢，纸 (高中英语单词)
• apparel [ə´pærəl] n.衣服 vt.给...修饰 (高中英语单词)
• gladly [´glædli] ad.愉快地，高兴地 (高中英语单词)
• plunder [´plʌndə] v.&n.掠夺；盗窃 (高中英语单词)
• sweetly [´swi:tli] ad.甜蜜地；美妙地 (高中英语单词)
• gorgeous [´gɔ:dʒəs] a.华丽的；宜人的 (高中英语单词)
• caesar [´si:zə] n.凯撒；暴君；独裁者 (高中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• petition [pi´tiʃən] n.请愿 vt.向...请愿 (高中英语单词)
• wedded [´wedid] a.(已)结婚的；献身的 (英语四级单词)
• polish [´pəuliʃ] a.波兰(人)的 n.波兰语 (英语四级单词)
• entreat [in´tri:t] vt.恳求，恳请 (英语四级单词)
• eyelid [´ai,lid] n.眼睑；眼皮 (英语四级单词)
• discredit [dis´kredit] n.&vt.不信任；丢(脸) (英语六级单词)
• sumptuous [´sʌmptʃuəs] a.奢侈的；豪华的 (英语六级单词)
• madman [´mædmən] n.疯子；狂人 (英语六级单词)