Espinela 1

By THLaird Colyne Stewart, April AS 50 (2016)

I went to Crown to see his Grace,

Accoutered well with sword and mace,

Upon the field of honour bright,

To God give praise and set to fight,

A man resolved and stern of face.

A clash of steel begins the chase

As armour dents and weapons fly

Beneath the banners blowing high—

The foe defeated falls to ground

And kneeling Duke averts his eye.

This poem was written as an espinela which is a late 16^th century Spanish octosyllabic 10-line stanza rhyming aabba/accdc. This was sometimes augmented by two more lines rhyming ed. This form evolved from the décima and is also known as décima espanela.