There was a knight of gallantry
of errantry
of glamoury
And he lived by the sea
of shiny sheen
and waters green.

This knight who lived in days of old
in days of gold
he was so bold
He rode, riding with a ringing song
His hauberk strong
His sword long.

He served a lady, bright and fair
with golden hair
and nought a care
And flower sprang wherever she stood
in Faerie wood
where all is good.

A unicorn, white as cream
of golden sheen
and silver gleam
She rode in woods of Faerie green
under its fair queen
and mossy rocks' lean.

A dragon swooped and came to her
from the land of Mur
it came to her
And bore her away from the knight so bold
in land of old
in land of gold.

The knight was fey and fell,
fierce to tell
at dragon-smell
And he leapt upon his steed and rode
through darkened road
and deserted abode.

Three crones met he upon the trail
their dirge they wail
at his shining mail
At the sight of the knight from the sea
"Why come thee?
Thou must flee!"

But the knight would not fly
though they try
to them he will hie
And they wept for despair
and rent their hair
and smote the air.

"Run away! Run away!
Come no other day
Knight so fey
The dragon will slay thee
rent thee
tear thee."

By a pool they stood
in haunted wood
where flees all good
And in it lay a gory hauberk
a bright mail shirt
stained with death's work.

And the knight from the sea
bereft of glee
who would not flee
Said, "I shall find him still
do as you will
I will him kill."

He turned away from the crones three
who had no glee
under that black tree
And rode through the dragon-march so dark
bereft of lark
or huntsman's mark.

To the dragon-lair he came
free of shame
great in fame
And before the entrance way stood he
he would not flee
woe is he.

And the dragon came to fight
dark as night
spreading fright
And there clashed he and the knight of the sea
woe is he
he would not flee.

They battled across all the land
claw to hand
tooth to brand
For the lovely lady of Faerie
beauteous was she
a sylph born free.

The dragon falls, the earth he breaks
and with claws rakes
and crater makes.
Dying, he claws the knight of the sea
laughing in glee-
for the knight would not flee.

The lady ran to the knight's side,
and long she cried
and soft she sighed
Her healing arts cannot mend
the dragon's rend
against she cannot defend.

One word spoke the knight before he died,
as his lady cried
as he sighed,
"Go back to woods alone
I cannot roam
by the silver foam.

"If three crones on the way you meet
voices not sweet
and dirty feet
Tell them that I still will not flee
do this for me
my fair lady."

His Faerie lady him obeys
she walk the way
the lady fey
And tidings she gives to all she meets
in voice sweet
and unshod feet.

And at last the three sisters she sees
upon their knees
crying out pleas
And she gives them the tidings bad
tidings sad
she is not glad.

And three hags stand by the road still
world's end until
they stand there will
And all who pass will hear the tale
and sad they wail
and smite their mail.

But the Faerie lady from the green wood
where all is good
as it should
walks lonely and lorn by the sea
lifting her plea
for delivery.

And the sea cries for the fallen knight
who had no fright
in all his might
And the gulls wail a dirge on the golden sand
for all the land
to hear as they stand.