of all.
The heart he cleft a-two.

6.
He had not the deer i-flaw
Ne half out of the hide,
There came a shrewd arrow out of the west
That felled Robert's pride.

7.
Gandeleyn looked him east and west,
By every side:
'Who hath my master slain?
Who hath done this deed?
Shall I never out of greenwood go
Till I see his sides bleed.'

8.
Gandeleyn looked him east and west,
And sought under the sun;
He saw a little boy.
They clepen Wrennok of Donne.

9.
A good bow in his hand,
A broad arrow therein,
And four and twenty good arrows
Trussed in a thrum.
'Beware thee, ware thee, Gandeleyn,
Hereof thou shalt have some.

10.
'Beware thee, ware thee, Gandeleyn,
Hereof thou gettest plenty.'
'Ever one for another,' said Gandeleyn;
'Misaunter have they shall flee.

11.
'Whereat shall our mark be?'
Saide Gandeleyn.
'Everich at otheres heart,'
Said Wrennok again.

12.
'Who shall give the first shot?'
Saide Gandeleyn.
'And I shall give thee one before,'
Said Wrennok again.

13.
Wrennok shot a full good shot,
And he shot not too high;
Through the sanchothes of his breek,
It touched neither thigh.

14.
'Now hast thou given me one before';
All thus to Wrennok said he;
'And through the might of our Lady
A better I shall give thee.'

15.
Gandeleyn bent his good bow,
And set therein a flo;
He shot through his green kirtle,
His heart he cleft on two.

16.
'Now shalt thou never yelp, Wrennok,
At ale ne at wine,
That thou hast slaw good Robin
And his knave Gandeleyn.

17.
'Now shalt thou never yelp, Wrennok,
At wine ne at ale,
That thou hast slaw good Robin
And Gandeleyn his knave.'

[Annotations:
1.1: 'carping' = talking, tale.
1.5: This line is the burden: it is repeated at the end in the MS.
2.1: 'wern' = were (plural termination as in 'wenten,' etc.);
'children,' young fellows, as in 'Child Roland,' etc.
5.2: 'flo,' arrow.
6.1: 'i-flaw' = flayed. Cp. 'slaw,' 16.3.
8.1: MS. reads 'and lokyd west.'
8.4: 'clepen,' name, call.
9.4: _i.e._, laced in a thrum, or warp.
10.4: 'Misaunter [= misadventure] have' was used in imprecations:
cf. in the _Merlin_ romance, 'Mysauenture haue that it kepeth eny
counseile.'
11.3: 'Each at the other's heart.'
13.3