O maiden Mary, be wary, be wary! And go not down to the river, Lest the kingfisher, your evil wisher, Lure you down to the river, Lest your white feet grow muddy, Your red hair too ruddy With the river-mud so red; But when you are wed Go down to the river. O maiden Mary, be very wary, And dwell among the corn! See, this dame Alice, maiden Mary, Her hair is thin and white, But she is a housewife good and wary, And a great steel key hangs bright From her gown, as red as the flowers in corn; She is good and old like the autumn corn. MAIDEN MARY. This is knight Roland, Father John, Stark in his arms from a field half-won; Ask him if he has seen your son: Roland, lay your sword on the corn, The piled-up sheaves of the golden corn. KNIGHT ROLAND. Why does she kiss me, Father John? She is my true love truly won! Under my helm is room for one, But the molten lead-streams trickle and run From my roof-tree, burning under the sun; No corn to burn, we had eaten the corn, There was no waste of the golden corn. FATHER JOHN. Ho, you reapers, away from the corn, To march with the banner of Father John! THE REAPERS. We will win a house for Roland his son, And for maiden Mary with hair like corn, As red as the reddest of golden corn. OMNES. Father John, you have got a son, Seven feet high when his helm is on Pennon of Roland, banner of John, Star of Mary, march well on. SIR GILES' WAR-SONG _Ho! is there any will ride with me, Sir Giles, le bon des barrieres?_ The clink of arms is good to hear, The flap of pennons fair to see; _Ho! is there any will ride with me, Sir Giles, le bon des barrieres?_ The leopards and lilies are fair to see; St. George Guienne! right good to hear: _Ho! is there any will ride with me, Sir Giles, le bon des barrieres?_ I stood by the barrier, My coat being blazon'd fair to see; _Ho! is there any will ride with me, Sir Giles, le bon des barrieres?_ Clisson put out his head to see, And lifted his basnet up to hear; I pull'd him through the bars to ME, _Sir Giles; le bon des barrieres._ NEAR AVALON A ship with shields before the sun, Six maidens round the mast, A red-gold crown on every one, A green gown on the last. The fluttering green banners there Are wrought with ladies' heads most fair, And a portraiture of Guenevere The middle of each sail doth bear. A ship which sails before the wind, And round the helm six knights, Their heaumes are on, whereby, half blind, They pass by many sights.