Unfortunately, we have no traditional tune for this ballad. Even some of the words are missing from Child's version. Apparently some of the pages were used to start a fire some time in the 17th or 18th century. However, there is a woman named Lisa Theriot who sings an adaptation of Child's text to her own tune. It's called "The Marriage of Sir Gawain." It is on her CD The Keys of Canterbury, definitely worth checking out if you are into the medieval period at all, especially the Canterbury Tales. The lyrics are as follows: ^^ THE MARRIAGE OF SIR GAWAIN It fell about Saint Stephen's Day The season of Yuletide King Arthur took himself to horse His forests for to ride And when to Carlisle he returned His face was full of pain And speedily he sought the ear Of his cousin, Sir Gawaine "Oh cousin, now your counsel give My heart is wondrous sore A fearful choice of life and death Now lies your King before A riddle I am sworn to solve Or lose my life instead Shall I lose honor, faith and friend Or shall I lose my head? When I came to Tarn Wadling A Black Knight cried me stand He struck me from my horse And then my sword he did demand 'I've bested you, Oh King,' he said, 'And now I'll have your head And on your throne I'll sit Within the hour that you are dead Or else you may a ransom give Though not in silver paid A riddle you must answer me Or die upon my blade.' I begged a boon for any time The answer for to find For surely one in all my realm Would know the villain's mind 'Give me oath you will return By noontide New Year's Day And answer me this question bold Or with your life you'll pay Bring me word what thing it is That women most desire This shall thy ransom be, O King I'll have no other hire.' As I rode back with heavy heart I came upon a glade And there did sit a loathly beast Was dressed like any maid And there as should have set her mouth Then there was set her eye The other in her forehead fast And both did me espy Her nose was flat as any pig's Her mouth a toothless maw A worse-formed lady than she was No mortal ever saw She raised herself on crooked legs And unto me did speak 'Fear me not, you King Arthur I know the thing you seek The wisest man in all your land Knows not a woman's mind The answer to the Black Knight's charge In truth you will not find But I do see the riddle's end Its answer I know well Give me a knight of Arthur's court In marriage, and I'll tell.' And so," said Arthur, "these three paths My choices are forsooth So shall I break my oath and live In want of faith and truth? Or shall I bid a goodly knight To take this beast to wife? Or shall I to the Black Knight go And offer up my life?" "Oh Sire, be easy," said Gawaine "I'll take this beast to wife Though I may lose some hope of joy You shall not lose your life However foul this lady be I'll wed her with a ring My happiness will be to know How well I serve my King." Gawaine and Arthur took them out The morn of New Year's Day They came upon the fearful hag To her Gawaine did say, "I pledge to take you for my wife And wed you with a ring If you will now the answer give To save my lord, the King" The Black Knight sat upon his steed And saw the King draw nigh "Have you the answer, King Arthur, Or have you come to die?" "I have not come to die" said he, "But to complete my task For I believe that I have solved The riddle that you ask A woman does not lust for gold For gems, or rich attire A woman seeks to have her will This is her chief desire." "I am betrayed!" the Black Knight cried "'Tis treason, by my troth It was my sister told you this The Devil take you both." He turned his horse's head about And rode off through the green And nevermore in Arthur's realm Was that base villain seen. The King at length returned to court And all the tale was told And Guinevere sent for the hag So fearsome to behold And on the arm of Sir Gawaine She came before the throne And knights and ladies cried aloud To see the awful crone. "Dame Ragnall," said Queen Guinevere, (For so the beast was hight) "Be welcome to our court; You shall be married this same night For you have saved the King, my lord And honored shall you be And we will make a wedding feast To cheer thy lord and thee!" At last the feast was over And the court retired to bed And to the bridal chamber went Gawaine with weary tread He greeted Ragnall courteously Then turned to bolt the door And when he turned around again The monster was no more. Where there had stood a loathly hag A maiden had her place With twenty maidens' rightful share Of beauty and of grace. "What sorcery is this?" he cried As he beheld the scene "How is it now you wear a form As comely as a Queen?" "'Tis sorcery indeed," she said "A curse upon me lays And causes me like fiend to walk For half of all my days But you must now my seeming choose Since you took me to wed Shall I be fair by day or night? In court or in your bed?" "Oh lady wife, I cannot judge Wherein the right does lie A beast by day to live in shame Before each noble eye? Or beastly only in our bed Where lovers' arms should twine? What right have I to choose your pain? The choice must needs be thine." And then the lady laughed and cried And said, "You have me won! I shall be fair both night and day The spell you have undone! By giving me my will you win My freedom and my heart I'll henceforth be your lady gay And we shall never part." With what great joy did Arthur's court Receive the wedded pair The bravest knight in all the land Now had a lady fair. And good King Arthur's heart was glad As grass would be of rain And all the bells in Carlisle rang For Ragnall and Gawaine. So men, if you would fair maid win And make your life with her Then take a lesson from Gawaine And to your wife defer A woman crossed is like a beast That e'er your peace will rend But if you let her have her will Your joy shall know no end! This has always been one of my favorite Arthurian stories.
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