Shaft and Wings of the Way It Was Once
by ROLFE HUMPHRIES
LUERIUS, king of the Arverni,
In riding near or far
Had huntsmen, hounds, and harpers
Round his silver-mounted car.
In riding near or far
Had huntsmen, hounds, and harpers
Round his silver-mounted car.
In his high hall, at the head table, there
Was where his high bard fed.
The king’s son gave him bread
And a princess poured his mead.
Was where his high bard fed.
The king’s son gave him bread
And a princess poured his mead.
Twenty-four golden coins he was always given
When a girl wed in the hall,
And a raid conveyed him spoil,
A red bull or black bull.
When a girl wed in the hall,
And a raid conveyed him spoil,
A red bull or black bull.
Stallion or falcon, greyhound, swan, or bow,
Or a book to look upon
Or a bright jewel-stone,
For the asking, were his own.
Or a book to look upon
Or a bright jewel-stone,
For the asking, were his own.
Around him younger men in green linens
With golden torques were seen
Learning to link the tunc
Quietly for the queen.
With golden torques were seen
Learning to link the tunc
Quietly for the queen.
No churl’s son could learn these three professions:
Futile for one to be
Scholar or smith, or essay
The arts of poetry.
Futile for one to be
Scholar or smith, or essay
The arts of poetry.
They trained, the bards, and drank with lighters, rode
On raids by day or by night.
They tripled what they taught.
They fought as well as they wrote.
On raids by day or by night.
They tripled what they taught.
They fought as well as they wrote.
Tough and gay, they had the gift and the knack,
The know of it all, the craft,
The light in the heart, the lift
Of music when they laughed.
The know of it all, the craft,
The light in the heart, the lift
Of music when they laughed.
The wildness of the sea they were in fight,
Fine nets for the love of girls.
So it was once in the world.
What are we, sons of churls?
Fine nets for the love of girls.
So it was once in the world.
What are we, sons of churls?
NOTE: Shaft and wings, paladr and esgyll, respectively, indicate the first couplet and the last of the Welsh verse-form known as the englyn unodl union, of which the pattern of this poem is an approxination