Ciw-restr

The Royal Bed

Llinellau gan Alis (Cyfanswm: 319)

 
(1, 0) 7 The big lantern up there's still going strong.
 
(1, 0) 11 I heard the watch calling midnight as I came here.
(1, 0) 12 Shall I take the crown, ma dame?
 
(1, 0) 14 Wasn't the dancing on the green a delight?
(1, 0) 15 You could see the knights from France were enjoying it all so much …
 
(1, 0) 17 Yes ma dame.
(1, 0) 18 I heard one of the Frenchmen say how strange
(1, 0) 19 It was to see the courtly dances of Aquitaine
(1, 0) 20 Here on a castle green in North Wales.
(1, 0) 21 They didn't realise how you'd brought
(1, 0) 22 The graces and manners of Toulouse
(1, 0) 23 With you to the wilds of Wales.
 
(1, 0) 32 Why didn't you dance, ma dame?
 
(1, 0) 39 But no one can dance the French steps
(1, 0) 40 As beautifully as you.
(1, 0) 41 You'll have to lead the dancing
(1, 0) 42 Come your son's wedding, just as you've done
(1, 0) 43 When all your other children married.
 
(1, 0) 47 Shall I let down your hair now,
(1, 0) 48 And comb it before you go to bed?
 
(1, 0) 54 Le roi Marc était corracié
(1, 0) 55 Vers Tristran, son neveu, irié;
(1, 0) 56 Da se terre le congédia
(1, 0) 57 Pour la reine qu'il ama.
 
(1, 0) 59 It's Marie de France, ma dame.
(1, 0) 60 You taught me the words.
 
(1, 0) 63 She sings the kind of song I understand.
(1, 0) 64 That moves me. Not like our bards.
(1, 0) 65 Their poetry's too cold and too clever
(1, 0) 66 For a country girl like me.
 
(1, 0) 68 En sa contrée en est allé,
(1, 0) 69 En Sud Galles oû il fut né …
 
(1, 0) 72 Was Tristan a Frenchman then?
(1, 0) 73 How was he born in South Wales?
(1, 0) 74 En Sud Galles oû il fut né.
(1, 0) 75 Brecon's young lord, Gwilym Brewys, has French blood then?
(1, 0) 76 When I was looking at him out there tonight I was thinking of Tristan.
 
(1, 0) 78 Oh … ma dame! What did I say?
 
(1, 0) 80 Look in the mirror, ma dame.
(1, 0) 81 You'll see two braids, just like Isault's …
(1, 0) 82 My lip's bleeding where your ring caught me.
 
(1, 0) 85 Didn't you see them as you came here?
 
(1, 0) 88 The doorkeepers sleeping!
(1, 0) 89 Shall I go wake them?
 
(1, 0) 92 It's already May Day.
(1, 0) 93 And already the lads and girls
(1, 0) 94 Are out there in the groves, dancing.
(1, 0) 95 Hands held around the maypole
(1, 0) 96 Then they'll be pairing off, the couples
(1, 0) 97 Creeping away. I don't suppose
(1, 0) 98 That many of them will reappear before dawn.
(1, 0) 99 Oh, those country boys know how to have fun too
(1, 0) 100 Ma dame.
 
(1, 0) 102 Of course. The first time was when I was fifteen.
(1, 0) 103 You've never been out under the maypole?
 
(1, 0) 108 The trees are so still now. I can't even
(1, 0) 109 Hear the sounds of the sea. It's at its far ebb.
(1, 0) 110 If I were a Princess, on a May Day eve like this
(1, 0) 111 I'd put all my duties aside.
 
(1, 0) 116 Good night then. God be with you ma dame.
 
(2, 0) 592 Have you woken ma dame?
 
(2, 0) 594 All night long? Not slept at all?
 
(2, 0) 599 The weight of his disappointment, ma dame.
(2, 0) 600 His disappointment far outweighs his anger.
(2, 0) 601 Does it hurt your leg?
 
(2, 0) 607 The Prince says you're only to stay in chains
(2, 0) 608 Until today is out.
 
(2, 0) 611 I can try to ease your discomfort.
(2, 0) 612 I've brought some wine.
 
(2, 0) 614 Yes. To attend to you, and do your bidding. I'm free
(2, 0) 615 To come and go – the guard's been told.
 
(2, 0) 618 A mute carries no tales.
 
(2, 0) 623 Will you have some wine?
 
(2, 0) 626 The third, yes.
 
(2, 0) 630 No, ma dame. I'm not a princess.
(2, 0) 631 I've never even had a room of my own.
 
(2, 0) 635 But you never were a talkative one, ma dame.
 
(2, 0) 640 The sixth hour.
 
(2, 0) 649 You haven't slept for three days, ma dame.
(2, 0) 650 You haven't eaten any of the food that's been sent
(2, 0) 651 To you. No wonder your mind's agitated.
 
(2, 0) 653 I told you, ma dame.
(2, 0) 654 To see if you needed anything.
 
(2, 0) 656 Yes ma dame. He did. Otherwise
(2, 0) 657 The guard wouldn't have let me pass.
 
(2, 0) 661 I don't know. He mentioned nothing about that.
 
(2, 0) 666 Some military construction – I'm not sure …
 
(2, 0) 669 I didn't pause to get a proper look.
(2, 0) 670 A little more wine, ma dame?
 
(2, 0) 676 It's hard to see properly from this window.
 
(2, 0) 680 Ma dame – don't ask me. Please.
(2, 0) 681 I beg of you, let me leave you now.
 
(2, 0) 684 A gallows, ma dame. A gallows.
 
(2, 0) 690 Not you ma dame. It's not for you.
 
(2, 0) 692 The gibbet … is for Gwilym Brewys.
 
(2, 0) 694 Ma dame? Ma dame?
(2, 0) 695 Oh Ma dame.
 
(2, 0) 697 Take a little more wine.
(2, 0) 698 There we are.
(2, 0) 699 You frightened me, my lady.
 
(2, 0) 701 It's not surprising.
(2, 0) 702 What with not having slept or eaten.
(2, 0) 703 And the shock of …
 
(2, 0) 705 A few seconds. Why?
 
(2, 0) 707 Nothing ma dame.
(2, 0) 708 It only stopped a moment ago.
 
(2, 0) 711 Yes. It's finished.
 
(2, 0) 714 Yesterday. At about mid-day.
(2, 0) 715 The Court was alive with rumours all morning.
(2, 0) 716 Bishop Cadwgan had been summoned by the Prince,
(2, 0) 717 And he'd suggested that the young Lord
(2, 0) 718 Had come into your rooms through witchcraft.
 
(2, 0) 724 Your temple's bleeding, ma dame.
 
(2, 0) 727 The Royal Court was assembled.
 
(2, 0) 729 No. He'd been sent away to Cardigan.
(2, 0) 730 That same morning.
 
(2, 0) 732 It's said that Ednyfed Fychan
(2, 0) 733 Did plead for the young Lord's life,
(2, 0) 734 So as not to antagonise England
(2, 0) 735 And the Marcher lords. That plea failed. The Prince
(2, 0) 736 Wouldn't listen. Not even to a plea
(2, 0) 737 For a beheading rather than a hanging.
(2, 0) 738 He wanted a common thief's execution for Gwilym
(2, 0) 739 In front of a crowd of ghouls, rather than
(2, 0) 740 A death more fitting to a nobleman.
(2, 0) 741 Ednyfed Fychan was shocked by the sentence.
(2, 0) 742 Even when the courtiers filed out
(2, 0) 743 He still sat there, ashen, and silent.
 
(2, 0) 745 Yesterday afternoon, ma dame.
(2, 0) 746 The hanging's set for early morning, now,
(2, 0) 747 Before the hour of mass.
(2, 0) 748 A crowd's been gathering for two hours or more
(2, 0) 749 Outside the fortress gates.
 
(2, 0) 751 Yes.
 
(2, 0) 753 Bishop Cadwgan was with him for an hour
(2, 0) 754 Last night. He's with him again now.
 
(2, 0) 757 No one's allowed near his cell. Not even
(2, 0) 758 Near the dungeon sentries. The knights
(2, 0) 759 Who rode up here with him are also imprisoned.
(2, 0) 760 But last night, ma dame, after the Bishop left his cell,
(2, 0) 761 I walked quietly past the dungeon tower.
(2, 0) 762 I heard him singing.
 
(2, 0) 764 Marie de France.
(2, 0) 765 "La roi Marc était corracié
(2, 0) 766 Vers Tristran, son neveu …"
 
(2, 0) 768 Of course, ma dame. Many times.
(2, 0) 769 Brigands and robbers. Have you?
 
(2, 0) 771 With robbers, it's a big show
(2, 0) 772 Which attracts more people than do fairground fools.
(2, 0) 773 It's best when the man is petrified
(2, 0) 774 And has to be pushed to the top of the ladder.
(2, 0) 775 His hood's pulled down. The priest recites the Ave,
(2, 0) 776 Offers to hear his confession. After that
(2, 0) 777 The hooting and the shouting of the crowd takes over.
(2, 0) 778 I saw a pirate once, in Borth, joking
(2, 0) 779 As he climbed the ladder
(2, 0) 780 And toasting the cheering crowd
(2, 0) 781 Then doing a jig as he dropped
(2, 0) 782 And the rope sprang taut.
 
(2, 0) 784 Some a long time. Others quickly.
(2, 0) 785 Some still twitch after hanging for a full half hour
(2, 0) 786 But it depends how the ladder's thrown
(2, 0) 787 And on how the noose has been knotted.
 
(2, 0) 789 The soldiers or the executioner.
(2, 0) 790 I've heard it said, if the rope is tied very tightly
(2, 0) 791 And the man jumps, he'll kill himself
(2, 0) 792 In a couple of seconds. I never saw that happen.
(2, 0) 793 A girl I knew did. She said the leap
(2, 0) 794 Pushed the tongue back into the throat
(2, 0) 795 And up behind the nostrils. Before the feet stop kicking
(2, 0) 796 The backbone's snapped in two.
(2, 0) 797 But usually you see these robbers swinging wildly
(2, 0) 798 In the noose, and the life's squeezed out of them
(2, 0) 799 Slowly, and the face turns blue.
 
(2, 0) 803 Oh - Ma dame. Your lover's there now …
(2, 0) 804 I never thought I'd see a lord go to the gallows.
(2, 0) 805 He'd come here to give away his daughter's hand
(2, 0) 806 And he's so young, so much living left …
(2, 0) 807 More than once he made me laugh out loud, chucked me under the chin, flirted with a courtly kiss …
(2, 0) 808 In Gwynedd's Court there are many who'll mourn after him.
 
(2, 0) 811 I don't know if I can …
 
(2, 0) 818 The soldiers have formed a guard around the gibbet.
(2, 0) 819 Crowds are no better than herds, or packs
(2, 0) 820 Of mindless animal. Look at those faces.
(2, 0) 821 How the human face changes when demons distort the mind.
(2, 0) 822 The choir and church procession
(2, 0) 823 Are going past now.
 
(2, 0) 829 There are so many in now, it's a crush.
(2, 0) 830 Right back to the fortress walls.
(2, 0) 831 The soldiers are pushing them back, to keep the gallows clear.
 
(2, 0) 833 The Court Officers of Gwynedd are arriving.
(2, 0) 834 Ednyfed Fychan leading them out.
 
(2, 0) 836 The Prince? The great chair's not out on the green
(2, 0) 837 And I can't see him with them.
(2, 0) 838 He can watch it all from his rooms
(2, 0) 839 Up there, out of the rabble's way.
(2, 0) 840 Ednyfed is arranging the ranks of noblemen.
(2, 0) 841 He's taking charge, preparing the stage for the show.
(2, 0) 842 That's why the crowd's quieter now.
 
(2, 0) 844 The soldiers are making a passage, flanking
(2, 0) 845 The condemned man's path.
(2, 0) 846 Each with his spear and shield
(2, 0) 847 Keeping a clear space for the last slow walk.
 
(2, 0) 853 The six French knights who came here
(2, 0) 854 With Gwilym Brewys have been led out
(2, 0) 855 Still manacled. I imagine they'll be allowed
(2, 0) 856 To take the body back to Brecon.
(2, 0) 857 And the Bishop of Bangor is reading the last rites.
(2, 0) 858 Now he – Gwilym Brewys – turns towards the crowd …
 
(2, 0) 860 He's in breeches, a shirt. He's barefoot …
(2, 0) 861 The noose is around his neck …
(2, 0) 862 One of the Prince's stewards is holding the other end …
(2, 0) 863 Like some animal on a tether.
(2, 0) 864 But his arms and hands are free.
 
(2, 0) 868 No … He looks
(2, 0) 869 Strangely untroubled.
(2, 0) 870 The crowd are fascinated by him.
(2, 0) 871 The last minute now … The time's come.
 
(2, 0) 874 He's shaking hands with Ednyfed Fychan and Gwynedd's Council,
(2, 0) 875 One by one – like a lord greeting his guests
(2, 0) 876 At a banquet. He's got a word
(2, 0) 877 For each one, and they're laughing …
(2, 0) 878 Now he's kneeling in front of the Bishop.
(2, 0) 879 The crowd's silent. Astonished.
(2, 0) 880 Even the Court dignitaries are staring in disbelief.
 
(2, 0) 882 No one's moving now – except Gwilym.
(2, 0) 883 He's testing the ladder.
(2, 0) 884 Even feeling the noose …
(2, 0) 885 Easing it around his neck.
(2, 0) 886 He's bowing – a farewell bow. And …
(2, 0) 887 Now he's ascending the ladder, like a ship's
(2, 0) 888 Captain to the prow. He's standing
(2, 0) 889 Confident and unbowed …
 
(2, 0) 891 The executioner's not moving, not laying
(2, 0) 892 A hand on that ladder …
 
(2, 0) 898 But the leap he made, that leap!
(2, 0) 899 The rope whipped taut like a fishing line.
(2, 0) 900 The ladder was knocked sideways
(2, 0) 901 Scattering the councillors …
(2, 0) 902 Now his body's stock still,
(2, 0) 903 Still and limp, hanging there.
(2, 0) 904 The crowd's moving away. Starting to disperse.
(2, 0) 905 For them the show's over. It's been a let down.
(2, 0) 906 What do they care about a widow down in Brecon?
(2, 0) 907 Or a Princess imprisoned here,
(2, 0) 908 Distraught and eaten up by anguish.
(2, 0) 909 Pain's a leprosy.
(2, 0) 910 It cuts off the sufferer from the rest of the tribe.
(2, 0) 911 It's the one dark corner
(2, 0) 912 In their bright and babbling world.
(2, 0) 913 You lot, yes, go dance, go laugh,
(2, 0) 914 Go seek some further entertainment.
(2, 0) 915 Go crowing your Welsh bravado …
 
(2, 0) 917 Ma dame!
 
(3, 0) 929 Sir, my Lord, my mistress is getting ready.
(3, 0) 930 She'll be here with you shortly.
 
(3, 0) 933 Yes, Sir. This is the first time my mistress
(3, 0) 934 Has seen him since his wedding.
 
(3, 0) 936 As well as can be expected, after
(3, 0) 937 A year's imprisonment.
 
(3, 0) 941 Yes. Everything except her freedom.
 
(3, 0) 944 A command, Sir?
 
(3, 0) 946 Your son, Prince Dafydd, got married.
(3, 0) 947 His mother wasn't at the wedding.
(3, 0) 948 She didn't lead the dancing afterwards. All that day
(3, 0) 949 She was left on her own with her thoughts.
 
(3, 0) 954 The wedding dance is only a ceremony.
 
(3, 0) 957 She's changed, my Lord.
 
(3, 0) 962 This whole year gone, she's not struck me once.
 
(3, 0) 965 I don't know Sir.
(3, 0) 966 Striking servants is done from habit, not desserts.
 
(3, 0) 968 My Lord, before her confinement
(3, 0) 969 She was young at heart.
 
(3, 0) 972 I've said all I dare, Sir.
 
(3, 0) 976 That's my worry, Sir. And you did ask me.
 
(3, 0) 979 I'm not a serf or a peasant's daughter.
(3, 0) 980 My father was a freeman.
 
(3, 0) 982 A widow these last three years my Lord.
 
(3, 0) 986 I'd only seen him once before being betrothed to him
(3, 0) 987 And then, after two weeks' marriage, the war …
(3, 0) 988 He went. I never saw him again. And now
(3, 0) 989 It all seems like some young girl's daydream.
 
(3, 0) 993 In the small hours.
(3, 0) 994 I heated him a cup of milk.
(3, 0) 995 Fresh from the goat's teat.
(3, 0) 996 He gave me a milky kiss, we were laughing …
(3, 0) 997 He was still laughing as he joined the other soldiers.
(3, 0) 998 They saddled, mounted, rode away waving.
(3, 0) 999 We were just starting to get to know each other.
 
(3, 0) 1004 Me, Sir?
 
(3, 0) 1006 Did I have a choice?
 
(3, 0) 1011 Even for a prince?
 
(3, 0) 1013 Are you going to say that to the Princess, Sir?
 
(3, 0) 1015 It would help her to hear you say it.
(3, 0) 1016 Making war, laying plans and all the state's affairs
(3, 0) 1017 Lie like some wide walled-off field
(3, 0) 1018 Around a prince. His greatness sets him apart;
(3, 0) 1019 But to us women – yes, even a woman who's queen –
(3, 0) 1020 The mother's instinct is the root of our love.
(3, 0) 1021 And our first born is the man who married us
(3, 0) 1022 When we're girl brides. When the child in that man is lost
(3, 0) 1023 The woman too loses part of her love.
 
(3, 0) 1026 Gwilym Brewys was a child, Sir. A young child.
 
(3, 0) 1029 My Lord, I'm only a maid. You asked me to speak.
(3, 0) 1030 I learnt what I know in these royal halls of Gwynedd.
(3, 0) 1031 I treasure this place, and its lord and lady.
(3, 0) 1032 This lost twelvemonth, this empty husk of a year,
(3, 0) 1033 Has hurt us all.
(3, 0) 1034 The Pope's excommunication would be
(3, 0) 1035 Child's play compared to the inner grief
(3, 0) 1036 All of us have already felt.
 
(3, 0) 1039 So the stories are true?
 
(3, 0) 1041 That you're going to war
(3, 0) 1042 Against the King of England.
 
(3, 0) 1048 Sir – here she is.
 
(3, 0) 1533 My lord?
 
(3, 0) 1536 Here in ma dame's chest.
 
(3, 0) 1539 Ma dame, I do not. I never complain.
 
(3, 0) 1542 Sir, my Lord, for shame on you.