{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/arthur/art146.htm","path":"neu/arthur/art146.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/arthur/art146.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends/Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n An Arthurian Miscellany\n SIR LAUNCELOT AND THE SANCGREAL\n by\n ERNEST RHYS\n \n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Car il 1 n'or \u00e0 nul pech'eour\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Ne compaignie ne amour.\"\n \n \n He found a chamber where the door was shut,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And thereto set his hand to open it;\n And mightily he tried, and still might not:\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And then he heard a voice which sang so sweet,\n It seemed none earthly thing that he heard sing,\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Honour and joy be given\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 To the High King of Heaven!\"\n \n It seemed none earthly thing that sung therein,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So sweet the voice, it near had made him greet,--\n For well he knew his body, stained with sin,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Was for that mystic chamber all unmeet,\n Wherein those voices rang, yes, choired and sang;\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Honour and joy be given\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To the High King of Heaven!\"\n \n For well he knew that there the Sancgreal\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Upon the board was set for sinless souls,\n While the three rays shone sidelong down the wall;\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 While he without did kneel with many a stain,\n And there to that hid noise he joined his voice,\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Pity and grace be given,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To me, lost child of Heaven!\"\n \n With that he saw the chamber door unclose,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And out there shone a clearness and a light\n As all the torches in the world that house\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Had lighted and been borne there burning bright\n About the Sancgreal, while sang they all,\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Honour and joy be given,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To the sweet lord of Heaven!\"\n \n Oh, much he marvelled, and would enter in,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And cried, \"Fair Father Jesu\" in his need,\n Remembering then men's woe and mortal sin\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For which the Christ upon the Cross did bleed,--\n Yes, crying still that prayer, he entered there,--\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Pity and grace be given\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To me, poor knight of Heaven!\"\n \n Right so he entered, where the Sancgreal\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Did shine to greet him; but a gust of fire,\n And a grim smoke, there smote and made him fall;\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It took his body's might, and all desire;\n He had no voice nor will, though they sang still,\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Honour and joy be given,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To the High King of Heaven!\"\n \n Then many hands did raise and bear him out,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And there all night he lay, till morning time;\n And many a day like dead lay Launcelot,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 He heard no bell at matin or at prime:\n Nathless he deem'd did sing, none earthly thing,\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Honour and joy be given,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To the High King of Heaven!\"\n \n Then came a dayspring and a fair white dawn,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And he rose up, yet did not rise the same:\n For all the bitterness and pain were gone:\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For he who sinn'd the sin had borne the shame,\n And seen the Sancgreal, and heard them call,\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Honour and joy be given,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To the High King of Heaven!\"\n \n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 * \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 * \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 * \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 * \n \n Oh now, frail sons of earth, who fell in sin;\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Learn from the piteous deed of this dread knight,\n Beat at the door, and cry, and enter in,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And you shall win the Grail, and see the Light,\n Yes, like none earthly thing, shall hear them sing,\n \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \"Honour and joy be given,\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0To the High King of Heaven!\"\n \n \n 1 i.e. le Gr\u00e9ail.\"\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: The City of Sarras, by Ernest Rhys [1905]","title":"Arthurian Miscellany: Sir Launcelot and the Sancgreal, by Ernest Rhys [1905]","type":"page"}