Vnto old Timon he me brought byliue,
2 Old Timon, who in youthly yeares hath beene
In warlike feates th'expertest man aliue,
4 And is the wisest now on earth I weene;
His dwelling is low in a valley greene,
6 Vnder the foot of Rauran mossy hore,
From whence the riuer Dee as siluer cleene
8 His tombling billowes rolls with gentle rore:
There all my dayes he traind me vp in vertuous lore.
1 "To old Timon he me brought belive,
Timon > (The Faery knight of 109.3:8. "Timon" is a Greek personal name meaning "he who is honoured", "he who is held in respect". Plainly Arthur is referring here to Sir Ector, to whom (in Malory) his upbringing was entrusted by Merlin) he > [Merlin] belive > without delay
2 Old Timon, who in youthly years has been 3 In warlike feats the expertest man alive, 4 And is the wisest now on earth, I ween;
ween > believe
5 His dwelling is low in a valley green, 6 Under the foot of Rauran mossy hoar,
Rauran > (Given by Bayley (1966) as Rauran-fawr, a hill in Merioneth, Wales, though this name is not in the Ordnance Survey Gazetteer of Great Britain or the Times Index-Gazetteer of the World. See also note in Hamilton (1980)) mossy > overgrown with moss (if referring to the hill); or: marshy, peaty (if referring to the valley) hoar > {Venerable with age; grey; "mossy hoar" might be read as "mossy and hoar"}
7 From whence the River Dee as silver clean
River Dee > (Rises in Bala Lake, Merioneth, Wales, reaching the sea 70 miles east and north at West Kirby)
8 His tumbling billows rolls with gentle roar: 9 There all my days he trained me up in virtuous lore.