The Tournament

By Sidney Lanier

JOUST FIRST

 I

Bright shone the lists, blue bent the skies,

And the knights still hurried amain,

To the tournament under the ladies' eyes,

Where the jousters were Heart and Brain.

II

Flourished the trumpets: entered Heart,

A youth in crimson and gold. Flourished again:

Brain stood apart,

Steel-armored, dark and cold.

Ill

Heart's palfrey caracoled gayly round,

Heart tra-li-ra'd merrily;

But Brain sat still, with never a sound,

So cynical-calm was he.

IV

Heart's helmet-crest bore favors three

From his lady's white hand caught;

While Brain wore a plumeless casque; not he,

Or favor gave or sought.

V

The herald blew; Heart shot a glance,

To find his lady's eye,

But Brain gazed straight ahead, his lance

To aim more faithfully.

VI

They charged, they struck; both fell, both bled,

Brain rose again, ungloved,

Heart, dying, smiled, and faintly said,

"My love to my beloved."

JOUST SECOND

I

A-MANY sweet eyes wept and wept,

A-many bosoms heaved again;

A-many dainty dead hopes slept

With yonder Heart-knight prone o' the plain.

II

 Yet stars will burn through any mists,

And the ladies' eyes, through rains of fate,

Still beamed upon the bloody lists,

And lit the joust of Love and Hate.

III

 O strange! or ere a trumpet blew,

Or ere a challenge-word was given,

A knight leapt down i' the lists; none knew

Whether he sprang from earth or heaven.

IV

His cheek was soft as a lily-bud,

His gray eyes calmed his youth's alarm;

Nor helm nor hauberk nor even a hood

Had he to shield his life from harm.

V

No falchion from his baldric swung,

He wore a white rose in its place.

No dagger at his girdle hung,

But only an olive-branch, for grace.

VI

And "Come, thou poor mistaken knight,"

Cried Love, unarmed, yet dauntless there,

"Come on, God pity thee ! — I fight

Sans sword, sans shield; yet, Hate, beware!"

VII

Spurred furious Hate ; he foamed at mouth,

His breath was hot upon the air,

His breath scorched souls, as a dry drought

Withers green trees and burns them bare.

VIII

Straight drives he at his enemy,

His hairy hands grip lance in rest,

His lance gleams full bitterly,

God! — gleams, true-point, on Love's bare breast!

IX

Love's gray eyes glow with a heaven-heat,

Love lifts his hand in a saintly prayer;

Look! Hate hath fallen at his feet!

Look! Hate hath vanished in the air!

X

Then all the throng looked kind on all;

Eyes yearned, lips kissed, dumb souls were freed;

Two magic maids' hands lifted a pall,

And the dead knight, Heart, sprang on his steed.

XI

Then Love cried, "Break me his lance each knight!

 Ye shall fight for blood-athirst Fame no more !"

And the knights all doffed their mailed might

And dealt out dole on dole to the poor.

 XII

Then dove-flights sanctified the plain,

And hawk and sparrow shared a nest.

And the great sea opened and swallowed Pain,

And out of this water-grave floated Rest!