Poetry Explorer

Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SIR EGLAMORE by ANONYMOUS

First Line: "SIR EGLAMORE, THAT VALIANT KNIGHT"
Last Line: WITH HIS FA LA LANCTRE
Subject(s): KNIGHTS & KNIGHTHOOD;
SIR EGLAMORE that valiant knight,
With his fa la lanctre down dilly
He fetcht his sword and he went to fight;
With his fa la lanctre ...
As he went over hill and dale
All cloathed in his coat of mail,
With his fa la lanctre ...

A huge great dragon leapt out of his den,
With his fa la lanctre ...
Which had killed, the Lord knows, how many men,
With his fa la lanctre ...
But when he saw Sir Eglamore,
Good lack had you seen how this dragon did roar!
With his fa la lanctre ...

This dragon, he had a plaguey hide,
With his fa la lanctre ...
Which could both sword and spear abide,
With his fa la lanctre ...
He could not enter with hacks and cuts,
Which vexed the knight to the very hearts blood and guts,
With his fa la lanctre ...

All the trees in the wood did shake,
With his fa la lanctre ...
Stars did tremble, and men did quake,
With his fa la lanctre ...
But had you seen how the birds lay peeping,
'Twould have made a man's heart to fall a-weeping,
With his fa la lanctre ...

But it was too late to fear,
With his fa la lanctre ...
For now it was come to fight dog, fight bare,
With his fa la lanctre ...
And as a yawning he did fall,
He thrust his sword in hilt and all,
With his fa la lanctre ...

But now as the knight in choler did burn,
With his fa la lanctre ...
He owed the dragon a shrewd good turn,
With his fa la lanctre ...
In at his mouth his sword he bent,
The hilt appeared at his fundament,
With his fa la lanctre ...

Then the dragon like a coward began to fly,
With his fa la lanctre ...
Unto his den that was hard by,
With his fa la lanctre ...
And there he laid him down and roared,
The knight was vexed for his sword,
With a fa la lanctre ...

The sword that was a good right blade,
With his fa la lanctre ...
As ever Turk or Spaniard made,
With his fa la lanctre ...
I, for my part, do forsake it,
And he that will fetch it, let him take it;
With his fa la lanctre ...

When all this was done, to the ale-house he went,
With his fa la lanctre ...
And by and by his two pence he spent,
With his fa la lanctre ...
For he was so hot with tugging with the dragon
That nothing would quench him but a whole flagon
With his fa la lanctre ...

Now God preserve our king and queen,
With his fa la lanctre ...
And eke in London may be seen,
With his fa la lanctre ...
As many knights, and as many more,
And all so good as Sir Eglamore
With his fa la lanctre ...



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