Hodain, the greyhound

She heard a cry. "Hark, Hodain finds me here,
With voice I ever loved next to his lord's."
She turned. She saw with wild amaze her hound
Leaping around the man – nor hand, nor brow,
Nor cheek it left unkissed: and then recalled,
Hodain had never left her save for one,
But for that one would ever leave her side, –
He who had given the hound. Nor could she speak,
Nor move, La Belle Isonde: and on her, lo,
The man's eyes opened: knew she wept: and tears
Can cleanse the foulest wound – and at the sight
His soul healed, and his life gat strength – upsprang
Sir Tristram – caught her – pressed her heart to heart.
And voice was gone from both: and best for both
A sobbing silence. — Thus, again, the pair
Came to each other: thus the Spring o' Love
Vanquished the winter in an instant's space.

An hounde ther was biside
That was ycleped Hodain;
The coupe he licked that tide
Tho doun it sett Bringwain.
Thai loved al in lide
And therof were thai fain.
Togider thai gun abide
In joie and ek in pain
For thought.
In ivel time, to sain,
The drink was ywrought.
...
Tristrem in schip lay
With Ysonde ich night;
Play miri he may
With that worthli wight
In boure night and day.
Al blithe was the knight,
He might with hir play.
That wist Brengwain the bright
As tho.
Thai loved with al her might
And Hodain dede also.
...
A forest fled thai tille,
Tristrem and Ysonde the schene.
No hadde thai no won to wille
Bot the wode so grene.
Bi holtes and bi hille
Fore Tristrem and the Quene.
Ysonde of joie hath her fille
And Tristrem, withouten wene,
As thare.
So blithe al bidene
Nar thai never are.
...
Thai hadden al that thai wold
With wille.
For love ich other bihalt,
Her non might of other fille.
...
So bifel bidene
Opon a somers day
Tristrem and the Quen
Stalked to her play