There came numerous ships soon sailing over the wide sea, to the king’s folk; the king distributed the folk over the long ships; by thousands and by thousands to the ships they thronged; the father wept on the son, sister on the brother; mother on the daughter, when the host departed.  The weather stood at will, the wind waxed in hand; anchors they up drew, joy was among the folk.  The thanes wondrous blithe wound their way into the wide sea, the ships thereforth pressed, the glee-men there sung; sails there they hoist, ropes there they right; weather they had softest of all, and the sea slept.  For the softness (calm) Arthur gan to sleep; as the king slept a dream he dreamt; marvellous was the dream, the king it alarmed!

When the king him awoke, greatly he was frightened, and began to groan with loud voice.  Was there none so bold knight under Christ, who durst ask the king of his welfare, ere the king himself spake, and discoursed with his barons there, and thus Arthur him said, when he awoke from his sleep:  “Lord governor Christ, ruler of dooms, protector of middle-earth, comforter of men through thy merciful will, ruler of angels; let thou my dream turn to good!” Then spake Angel the king, Scotland’s darling:  “Lord, say us thy dream, for prosperity is given to us” “Blithely,” quoth the king, “to bliss may it turn!  Where I lay in slumber, and I gan for to sleep, methought that in the welkin came a marvellous beast, eastward in the sky, and loathsome to the sight; with lightning and with storm sternly he advanced; there is in no land any bear so loathly.  Then came there westward, winding with the clouds, a burning dragon; burghs he swallowed, with his fire he lighted all this land’s realm; methought in my sight that the sea gan to burn of light and of fire, that the dragon carried.  This dragon and the bear, both together, quickly soon together they came; they smote them together with fierce assaults, flames flew from their eyes as firebrands!  Oft was the dragon above, and eftsoons beneath; nevertheless at the end high he gan rise, and he flew down right with fierce assault, and the bear he smote, so that he fell to the earth; and he there the bear slew, and limbmeal him tore.  When the fight was done, the dragon back went.  This dream I dreamt, where I lay and slept.”

The bishops heard this, and book-learned men; this heard earls, this heard barons; each by his wit said wisdom, and this dream they interpreted, as to them best seemed.  There durst no knight to evil expound no whit, lest he should lose his limbs that were dear to him.  Forth they gan to voyage exceeding quickly; the wind stood to them at will, weather best of all; they had all that to them was need; to land they came at Barbefleot.  To Barbefleot, at Constantin, therein came a mickle multitude, from all the lands that Arthur had in hand.  So soon as they might, out of ship they moved, the king ordered his folk to seek lodging, and the king would rest, until his folk came.