SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT

This version prepared by
Roger Hartill
April 2000

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Sithen the siege and the assault was ceased at Troy,
The burg brittened and burnt to brands and ashes,
The tulk that the trams of treason there wrought
Was tried for his treachery, the truest on earth:
It was Ennias the athel , and his high kind,
That sithen depressed provinces, and patrons become
Well nigh of all the weal in the West Isles.
Fro rich Romulus to Rome reaches him swithe,
With great bobbance that burg he bigs upon first,
And nevens it his own name, as it now hat;
Ticius to Tuscan and telds begins,
Langaberd in Lombardy lifts up homes,
And far over the French flood Felix Brutus
On many banks full broad Britain he sets
       with win,
    Where war and wrack and wonder
    By sithes has woned therein,
    And oft both bliss and blunder
    Full skeat has skifted since.

Fitt 2 Lines 20 - 36

And when this Britain was bigged by this burn rich,
Bold bred therein, barrat that loved,
In many turned time teen that wroughten.
More ferlies on this fold have fallen here oft
Then in any other that I wot, since that ilk time.
But of all that here bult, of Britain kings,
Ay was Arthur the hendest, as I have heard tell.
Forthy an adventure in earth I attle to show,
That a selly in sight some men it holden,
And an outrage adventure of Arthur's wonders.
If ye will listen this lay but on little while,
I shall tell it astit, as I in town heard,
       with tongue,
    As it is stad and stocken
    In story stiff and strong,
    With leal letters locken,
    In land so has been long.

Fitt 3 Lines 37 - 59

This king lay at Camelot upon Christmas
With many lovely lords, leuds of the best,
Reckenly of the Round Table all those rich brothers,
With rich revel aright and reckless mirths.
There tourney tulks by times full many,
Jousted full jollily these gentle knights,
Sithen caired to the court carols to make.
For there the feast was ilk full fifteen days,
With all the meat and the mirth that men couth avise;
Such glaum and glee glorious to hear,
Dear din upon day, dancing on nights,
All was hap upon high in halls and chambers
With lords and ladies, as liefest them thought.
With all the weal of the world they woned there samen,
The most kid knights under Christ's selven,
And the loveliest ladies that ever life had,
And he the comeliest king that the court holds;
For all was this fair folk in their first age,
       on sill,
    The hapnest under heaven,
    King highest man of will;
    It were now great nye to neven
    So hardy a here on hill.

Fitt 4 Lines 60 - 84

While New Year was so yep that it was new comen,
That day double on the dais was the douth served.
Fro the king was comen with knights into the hall,
The chantry of the chapel achieved to an end,
Loud cry was there cast of clerks and other,
Nowell naited anew, nevened full oft;
And sithen rich forth runnen to reach handsels,
Yeyed years-gifts on high, yield them by hand,
Debated busily about those gifts;
Ladies laughed full loud, though they lost had,
And he that won was not wrath, that may ye well trow.
All this mirth they maden to the meat time;
When they had washen worthily they wenten to seat,
The best burn ay above, as it best seemed,
Queen Gwenore, full gay, graithed in the midst,
Dressed on the dear dais, dubbed all about,
Small sendal besides, a selure her over
Of tried Toulouse, and Tars tapits enough,
That were embroidered and beten with the best gems
That might be proved of price with pennies to buy,
       in day.
    The comeliest to discry
    There glint with eyen grey,
    A seemlier that ever he saw
    Sooth might no man say.

Fitt 5 Lines 85 - 106

But Arthur would not eat till all were served,
He was so jolly of his joyfulness, and somewhat child geared:
His life liked him light, he loved the less
Either to long lie or to long sit,
So busied him his young blood and his brain wild.
And also another manner moved him eke
That he through nobility had namen, he would never eat
Upon such a dear day ere him devised were
Of some adventurous thing an uncouth tale,
Of some main marvel, that he might trow,
Of elders, of arms, of other adventures,
Other some sedge him besought of some siker knight
To join with him in jousting, in jeopardy to lay,
Lede, life for life, leave each one other,
As fortune would fulsun him, the fairer to have.
This was the king's countenance where he in court were,
At each fairing feast among his free meny
       in hall.
    Therefore of face so fere
    He stightles stiff in stall,
    Full yep in that New Year
    Much mirth he makes withal.

Fitt 6 Lines 107 - 129

Thus there stands in stall the stiff king himselven,
Talking before the high table of trifles full hend.
There good Gawain was graithed Gwenore beside,
And Agravain a la Dure Main on that other side sits,
Both the king's sister sons and full siker knights;
Bishop Baldwin above begins the table,
And Ywain, Uryn son, ate with himselven.
These were dight on the dais and dearworthly served,
And sithen many siker sedge at the side boards.
Then the first course come with cracking of trumps,
With many banner full bright that thereby hanged;
New nackers' noise with the noble pipes,
Wild warbles and wight wakened lote,
That many heart full high heave at their touches.
Dainties driven therewith of full dear meats,
Foison of the fresh, and on so fele dishes
That pine to find the place the people before
For to set the silveren that sere sewes holden
       on cloth.
    Each leud as he loved himselve
    There laught withouten loth;
    Ay two had dishes twelve,
    Good beer and bright wine both.

Fitt 7 Lines 130 - 150

Now will I of their service say you no more,
For each wigh may well wit no want that there were.
Another noise full new nighed belive,
That the leud might have leave lifelode to catch;
For uneath was the noise not a while ceased,
And the first course in the court kindly served,
There hales in at the hall door an awely master,
On the most on the mould on measure high;
From the swire to the swang so square and so thick,
And his linds and his limbs so long and so great,
Half eten in earth I hope that he were,
But man most I algate min him to been,
And that the merriest in his muckle that might ride;
For of back and of breast all were his body stern,
Both his womb and his waist were worthily small,
And all his features following, in form that he had,
       full clean;
    For wonder of his hue men had,
    Set in his semblance seen;
    He fared as freke were fade,
    And overall encre green.

Fitt 8 Lines 151 - 178

And all graithed in green this gome and his weeds:
A strait coat full straight, that steck on his sides,
A merry mantle above, mensked within
With pelure pured apert, the pane full clean
With blithe blaunner full bright, and his hood both,
That was laught from his locks and laid on his shoulders;
Heme well-hauled hose of that same,
That spened on his sparlir, and clean spurs under
Of bright gold, upon silk bords barred full rich,
And soles under shanks where the shalk rides;
And all his vesture verily was clean verdure,
Both the bars of his belt and other blithe stones,
That were richly railed in his array clean
About himself and his saddle, upon silk works.
That were too tor for to tell of trifles the halve
That were embroidered above, with birds and flies,
With gay gaudy of green, the gold ay inmidst.
The pendants of his paitrure, the proud crupper,
His molains, and all the metal enamelled was then,
The stirrups that he stood on stained of the same,
And his arsons all after and his athel skirts,
That ever glimmered and glint all of green stones;
The foal that he ferks on fine of that ilk,
       certain,
    A green horse great and thick,
    A steed full stiff to strain,
    In braiden bridle quick
    To the gome he was full gain.

Fitt 9 Lines 179 - 202

Well gay was this gome geared in green,
And the hair of his head of his horse suite.
Fair fanning fax umbefolds his shoulders;
A much beard as a bush over his breast hangs,
That with his highly hair that off his head reaches
Was evesed all umbetorn above his elbows,
That half his arms thereunder were halched in the wise
Of a king's capados that closes his swire;
The mane of that main horse much to it like,
Well cresped and combed, with knots full many
Folden in with fildore about the fair green,
Ay a herl of the hair, another of gold;
The tail and his topping twinnen of a suite,
And bounden both with a band of a bright green,
Dubbed with full dear stones, as the dock lasted,
Sithen thrawen with a thwong a thwarl knot aloft,
There many bells full bright of brend gold rungen.
Such a foal upon fold, ne freke that him rides,
Was never seen in that sale with sight ere that time,
       with eye.
    He looked as lait so light,
    So said all that him saw;
    It seemed as no man might
    Under his dints dree.

Fitt 10 Lines 203 - 231

Whether had he no helm ne hauberk neither,
Ne no pisan ne no plate that pented to arms,
Ne no shaft neno shield to shove ne to smite,
But in his one hand he had a hollin bob,
That is greatest in green when groves are bare,
And an axe in his other, a huge and unmeet,
A spetos sparth to expound in spell, whoso might.
The length of an ell yard the large head had,
The grain all of green steel and of gold hewn,
The bit burnished bright, with a broad edge
As well shapen to shear as sharp razors,
The steel of a stiff staff the stern it by gripped,
That was wounden with iron to the wand's end,
And all begraven with green in gracious works;
A lace lapped about, that locked at the head,
And so after the helm halched full oft,
With tried tassels thereto tacked enough
On buttons of the bright green braiden full rich.
This hathel helds him in and the hall enters,
Driving to the high dais, dut he no woth,
Hailsed he never one, but high he over looked.
The first word that he warp, 'Where is', he said,
'The governor of this gang? Gladly I would
See that sedge in sight, and with himself speak .'
       reason.'
    To knights he cast his eyess,
    And rolled them up and down;
    He stemmed, and did study
    Who walt there most renown.

Fitt 11 Lines 232 - 249

There was looking on length the leud to behold,
For each man had marvel what it mean might
That a hathel and a horse might such a hue latch,
As grow green as the grass and greener it seemed,
Then green enamel on gold glowing brighter.
All studied that there stood, and stalked him nearer
With all the wonder of the world what he work should.
For fele sellies had they seen, but such never ere;
Forthy for phantom and fairy the folk there it deemed.
Therefore to answer was arue many athel freke,
And all stouned at his steven and stone still seaten
In a swough silence through the sale rich;
As all were slipped upon sleep so slacked their lotes
       in high.
    I deem it not all for dut,
    But some for courtesy;
    But let him that all should lout
    Cast unto that wigh.

Fitt 12 Lines 250 - 278

Then Arthur before the high dais that adventure beholds,
And reckenly him reverenced, for rad was he never,
And said, ' Wigh, welcome iwis to this place,
The head of this hostel Arthur I hat;
Light lovely adown and leng, I thee pray,
And whatso thy will is we shall wit after.'
'Nay, as help me,' quoth the hathel, 'He that on high sits,
To wone any while in this wone, it was not mine errand;
But for the los of thee, leud, is lift up so high,
And thy burg and thy Stiffest under steel-gear on steeds to ride,
The wightest and the worthiest of the world's kind,
Prove for to play with in other pure laiks,
And here is kid courtesy, as I have heard carp,
And that has wained me hither, iwis, at this time.
Ye may be siker by this branch that I bear here
That I pass as in peace, and no plight seek;
For had I founded in fear in fighting wise,
I have a hauberk at home and a helm both,
A shield and a sharp spear, shining bright,
And other weapons to wield, I ween well, also;
But for I would no war, my weeds are softer.
But if thou be so bold as all burns tellen,
Thou will grant me goodly the game that I ask
       by right.'
    Arthur did answer,
    And said, 'Sir courteous knight,
    If thou crave battle bare,
    Here fails thou not to fight.'

Fitt 13 Lines 279 - 300

'Nay, fraist I no fight, in faith I thee tell,
It arn about on this bench but beardless child.
If I were hasped in arms on a high steed,
Here is no man me to match, for mights so weak.
Forthy I crave in this court a Christmas game,
For it is Yule and New Year, and here are yep many:
If any so hardy in this house holds himselven,
Be so bold in his blood, brain in his head,
That dare stiffly strike a stroke for another,
I shall give him of my gift this gisern rich,
This axe, that is heavy enough, to handle as him likes,
And I shall bide the first bur as bare as I sit.
If any freke be so fell to find that I tell,
Leap lightly me to, and latch this weapon,
I quit-claim it for ever, keep it as his own,
And I shall stand him a stroke, stiff on this flet,
Else thou will dight me the doom to deal him another
       barlay,
    And yet give him respite,
    A twelvemonth and a day;
    Now hie, and let see tite
    Dare any herein ought say.'

Fitt 14 Lines 301 - 322

If he them stouned upon first, stiller were then
All the heredmen in hall, the high and the low.
The renk on his rouncy; him rucked in his saddle,
And runishly his red eyen he rolled about,
Bend his bresed brows, blicking green,
Waved his beard for to wait who-so would rise.
When none would keep him with carp he coughed full high,
And rimed him full richly, and right him to speak:
'What, is this Arthur's house,' quoth the hathel,
'That all the rouse runs of through realms so many?
Where is now your surquidry and your conquests,
Your grindlely and your greme, and your great words?
Now is the revel and the renown of the Round Table
Overwalt with a word of one wigh's speech,
For all dares for dread without dint showed!'
With this he laughs so loud that the lord grieved;
The blood shot for shame into his shire face
       and lere;
    He wax as wrath as wind,
    So did all that there were.
    The king as keen by kind
    Then stood that stiff man near,

Fitt 15 Lines 323 - 342

And said, ' Hathel by heaven, thine asking is nice,
And as thou folly has fraist, find thee behoves.
I know no gome that is ghast of thy great words;
Give me now thy gisern, upon God's halve,
And I shall baithen thy boon that thou bidden have.'
Lightly leaps he him to, and laught at his hand.
Then fiercely that other freke upon foot lights.
Now has Arthur his axe, and the helm grips,
And sternly stirs it about, that strike with it thought.
The stiff man him before stood upon height,
Higher then any in the house by the head and more.
With stern shire where he stood he stroked his beard,
And with a countenance dree he drew down his coat,
No more mate ne dismayed for his main dints
Then any burn upon bench had brought him to drink
       of wine.
    Gawain, that sat by the queen,
    To the king he did incline:
    'I beseech now with saws seen
    This melly might be mine.'

Fitt 16 Lines 343 - 365

'Would ye, worthily lord,' quoth Wawain to the king,
'Bid me bow from this bench, and stand by you there,
That I without villainy might void this table,
And that my liege lady liked not ill,
I would come to your counsel before your court rich.
For me think it not seemly, as it is sooth known,
There such an asking is hevened so high in your sale,
Though ye yourself be talentive, to take it to yourselven,
While many so bold you about upon bench sitten,
That under heaven I hope none higher of will,
Ne better bodies on bent where barrat is reared.
I am the weakest, I wot, and of wit feeblest,
And least lur of my life, who laits the sooth
But for as much as ye are mine eme I am only to praise,
No bounty but your blood I in my body know;
And sithen this note is so nice that nought it you falls,
And I have frained it at you first, folds it to me;
And if I carp not comelily, let all this court rich
       bout blame.'
    Rich together did roun,
    And sithen they redden all same
    To rid the king with crown,
    And give Gawain the game.

Fitt 17 Lines 366 - 389

Then commanded the king the knight for to rise;
And he full readily uprose, and rucked him fair,
Kneeled down before the king, and catches that weapon;
And he lovelily it him laft, and lift up his hand,
And gave him God's blessing, and gladly him bids
That his heart and his hand should hardy be both.
'Keep thee, cousin,' quoth the king, 'that thou on carve set,
And if thou redes him right, readily I trow
That thou shall biden the bur that he shall bede after.'
Gawain goes to the gome with gisern in hand,
And he boldly him bides, he baist never the helder.
Then carps to Sir Gawain the knight in the green,
'Reform we our forwards, ere we farrer pass.
First I ethe thee, hathel how that thou hats
That thou me tell truly, as I trust may.'
'In good faith,' quoth the good knight, 'Gawain I hat,
That bede thee this buffet, what-so befalls after,
And at this time twelvemonth take at thee another
With what weapon so thou wilt, and with no wigh else
       on live.'
    That other answers again,
    'Sir Gawain, so might I thrive
    As I am ferly fain
    This dint that thou shall drive.'

Fitt 18 Lines 390 - 416

'By God', quoth the Green Knight, 'Sir Gawain, me likes
That I shall fong at thy fist that I have fraist here.
And thou has readily rehearsed, by reason full true,
Cleanly all the covenant that I the king asked,
Save that thou shall siker me, sedge, by thy troth,
That thou shall seek me thyself, where-so thou hopes
I may be found upon fold, and fetch thee such wages
As thou deals me to-day before this douth rich.'
'Where should I wale thee,' quoth Gawain, 'where is thy place?
I wot never where thou wones, by Him that me wrought,
Ne I know not thee, knight, by court ne thy name.
But teach me truly thereto, and tell me how thou hats,
And I shall ware all my wit to win me thither,
And that I swear thee for sooth, and by my siker troth.'
'That is enough in New Year, it needs no more',
Quoth the gome in the green to Gawain the hend;
'If I thee tell truly, when I the tap have
And thou me smoothly has smitten, smartly I thee teach
Of my house and my home and mine own name,
Then may thou fraist my fare and forwards hold;
And if I spend no speech, then speeds thou the better,
For thou may leng in thy land and lait no farrer
       but slokes!
    Take now thy grim tool to thee,
    And let see how thou knocks.'
    'Gladly, sir, for sooth',
    Quoth Gawain; his axe he strokes.

Fitt 19 Lines 417 - 443

The Green Knight upon ground graithely him dresses,
A little lut with the head, the lere he discovers,
His long lovely locks he laid over his crown,
Let the naked neck to the note show.
Gawain gripped to his axe, and gathers it on height,
The kay foot on the fold he before set,
Let it down lightly light on the naked,
That the sharp of the shalk shindered the bones,
And shrank through the shire grease, and scad it in twain,
That the bit of the brown steel bit on the ground.
The fair head from the hals it to the earth,
That fele it foined with their feet, there it forth rolled;
The blood brayed from the body, that blicked on the green;
And neither faltered ne fell the freke never the helder,
But stithly he start forth upon stiff shanks,
And runishly he raught out, there as renks stooden,
Laught to his lovely head, and lift it up soon;
And sithen bows to his blank, the bridle he catches,
Steps into steelbow and strides aloft,
And his head by the hair in his hand holds;
And as sadly the sedge him in his saddlee sat
As none unhap had him ailed, though headless now
        in stead.
    He brayed his bulk about,
    That ugly body that bled;
    Many one of them had dut,
    By that his reasons were read.

Fitt 20 Lines 444 - 466

For the head in his hand he holds up even,
Toward the dearest on the dais he dresses the face,
And it lift up the eye lids and looked full broad,
And meled thus much with his mouth, as ye may now hear:
'Look, Gawain, thou be graithe to go as thou hets,
And lait as leally till thou me, leud, find,
As thou has het in this hall, hearing these knights;
To the green chapel thou chose, I charge thee, to fot
Such a dint as thou has dealt--deserved thou has
To be yederly yielden on New Year's morn.
The knight of the green chapel men knowen me many;
Forthy me for to find if thou fraists, fails thou never.
Therefore come, other recreant be called thee behoves.'
With a runish rout the reins he turns,
Haled out at the hall door, his head in his hand,
That the fire of the flint flew from foal hooves.
To what kith he become knew none there,
Never more then they wist from whither he was wonnen.
       What then?
    The king and Gawain there
    At that green they laugh and grin,
    Yet breved was it full bare
    A marvel among those men.

Fitt 21 Lines 467 - 490

Though Arthur the hend king at heart had wonder,
He let no semblance be seen, but said full high
To the comely queen with courteous speech,
'Dear dame, to-day dismay you never;
Well becomes such craft upon Christmas,
Laiking of interludes, to laugh and to sing,
Among these kind carols of knights and ladies.
Never the less to my meat I may me well dress,
For I have seen a selly, I may not forsake.'
He glint upon Sir Gawain, and gainly he said,
'Now, sir, hang up thine axe, that has enough hewn';
And it was done above the dais on dosser to hang,
There all men for marvel might on it look,
And by true title thereof to tell the wonder.
Then they bowed to a board these burns together,
The king and the good knight, and keen men them served
Of all dainties double, as dearest might fall;
With all manner of meat and minstrely both,
With weal walt they that day, till worthed an end
       in land.
    Now think well, Sir Gawain,
    For woth that thou ne wond
    This adventure for to frain
    That thou has taken on hand.

Fitt 22 Lines 491 - 515

This handsel has Arthur of adventures on first
In young year, for he yearned yelping to hear.
Though his words were wane when they to seat wenten,
Now are they stocken of stern work, stafful their hand.
Gawain was glad to begin those games in hall,
But though the end be heavy have ye no wonder;
For though men been merry in mind when they have main drink,
A year yerns full yern, and yields never like,
The form to the finishment folds full seldom.
Forthy this Yule overyede, and the year after,
And each season surleaps sued after other:
After Christmas come the crabbed Lenten,
That fraist flesh with the fish and food more simple;
But then the weather of the world with winter it threeps,
Cold clings adown, clouds upliften,
Shire sheds the rain in showers full warm,
Falls upon fair flat, flowers there showen,
Both grounds and the groves green are their weeds,
Birds busken to build, and bremly singen
For solace of the soft summer that sues thereafter
        by bank;
    And blossoms boln to blow
    By rows rich and rank,
    Then notes noble enough
    Are heard in wood so wlonk.

Fitt 23 Lines 516 - 535

After the season of summer with the soft winds
When Zepherus siffles himself on seeds and herbs,
Well win is the wort that waxes there-out,
When the danking dew drops off the leaves,
To bide a blissful blush of the bright sun.
But then hies harvest, and hardens them soon,
Warns them for the winter to wax full ripe;
He drives with drought the dust for to rise,
From the face of the fold to fly full high;
Wrath wind of the welkin wrestles with the sun,
The leaves laucen from the lind and lighten on the ground,
And all greys the grass that green was ere;
Then all ripes and rots that rose upon first,
And thus yerns the year in yesterdays many,
And winter winds again, as the world asks,
       no fage,
    Till Michaelmas moon
    Was comen with winter wage;
    Then thinks Gawain full soon
    Of his anious voyage.

Fitt 24 Lines 536 - 565

Yet while All-hall-day with Arthur he lengs;
And he made a fair on that feast for the freke's sake,
With much revel and rich of the Round Table.
Knights full courteous and comely ladies
All for love of that leud in longing they were,
But never the less ne the later they nevened but mirth:
Many joyless for that gentle japes there maden.
For after meat with mourning he meles to his eme,
And speaks of his passage, and pertly he said,
'Now, liege lord of my life, leave I you ask;
Ye know the cost of this case, keep I no more
To tell you teens thereof never but trifle;
But I am bound to the bur barely to-morn
To seek the gome of the green, as God will me wise.'
Then the best of the burg bowed together,
Awain, and Eric, and other full many,
Sir Dodinal de Savage, the Duke of Clarence,
Lancelot, and Lionel, and Lucan the good,
Sir Bors, and Sir Bedivere, big men both,
And many other menskful, with Mador de la Port.
All this company of court come the king near
For to counsel the knight, with care at their heart.
There was much derve dole driven in the sale
That so worthy as Gawain should wend on that errand,
To dree a doleful dint, and deal no more
        with brand.
    The knight made ay good cheer,
    And said, 'Why should I wond?
    Of destinies derve and dear
    What may man do but fond?'

FITT 25 Lines 566 - 589

He dwells there all that day, and dresses on the morn,
Asks early his arms, and all were they brought.
First a Toulouse tapit tight over the flet,
And much was the gilt gear that glint there aloft;
The stiff man steps thereon, and the steel handles,
Dubbed in a doublet of a dear Tars,
And sithen a crafty capados, closed aloft,
That with a bright blaunner was bounden within.
Then set they the sabatons upon the sedge foots,
His legs lapped in steel with lovely greaves,
With polaines pitched thereto, polished full clean,
About his knees knagged with knots of gold;
Queme cuisses then, that cointly closed
His thick thrawen thighs, with thwongs attached;
And sithen the braiden birny of bright steel rings
Umbeweaved that wigh upon wlonk stuff,
And well burnished brace upon his both arms,
With good couters and gay, and gloves of plate,
And all the goodly gear that him gain should
       that tide;
    With rich coat-armour,
    His gold spurs spend with pride,
    Girt with a brand full sure
    With silk sain umbe his side.

FITT 26 Lines 590 - 618

When he was hasped, his harness was rich:
The least latchet other loop leamed of gold.
So harnessed as he was he hearkens his mass,
Offered and honoured at the high altar.
Sithen he comes to the king and to his court-feres,
Latches lovely his leave at lords and ladies;
And they him kissed and conveyed, bekenned him to Christ.
By that was Gringolet graithe, and girt with a saddle
That gleamed full gaily with many gold fringes,
Ay where nailed full new, for that note riched;
The bridle barred about, with bright gold bounden;
The apparel of the paitrure and of the proud skirts,
The crupper and the coverture, accorded with the arsons;
And all was railed on red rich gold nails,
That all glittered and glint as gleam of the sun.
Then hents he the helm, and hastily it kisses,
That was stapled stiffly, and stuffed within.
It was high on his head, hasped
With a lightly urison over the aventail,
Enbrauden and bounden with the best gems
On broad silken border, and birds on seams,
As popinjays painted preening between,
Tortors and true loves entailed so thick
As many burd thereabout had been seven winter
       in town.
    The circle was more of price
    That umbeclipped his crown,
    Of diamonds a-device
    That both were bright and brown.

FITT 27 Lines 619 - 639

Then they showed him the shield, that was of shire gules
With the pentangle depaint of pure gold hues.
He braids it by the baldric, about the hals casts
That beseemed the sedge seemlily fair.
And why the pentangle appends to that prince noble
I am intent you to tell, though tarry it me should:
It is a sign that Solomon set some while
In betokening of troth, by title that it has,
For it is a figure that holds five points,
And each line umbelaps and locks in other,
And ay where it is endless; and English it callen
Overall, as I hear, the endless knot.
Forthy it accords to this knight and to his clear arms,
For ay faithful in five and sere five sithes
Gawain was for good known, and as gold pured,
Voided of each villainy, with virtues ennourned
       in mote;
    Forthy the pentangle new
    He bore in shield and coat,
    As tulk of tale most true
    And gentlest knight of lote.

Fitt 28 Lines 640 - 669

First he was founden faultless in his five wits,
And eft failed never the freke in his five fingers,
And all his affiance upon fold was in the five wounds
That Christ caught on the cross, as the Creed tells;
And where-so-ever this man in melly was stood,
His throe thought was in that, through all other things,
That all his fierceness he fong at the five joys
That the hend heaven-queen had of her child;
At this cause the knight comely had
In the inner half of his shield her image depainted,
That when he blushed thereto his beld never paired.
The fifth five that I find that the freke used
Was franchise and fellowship forby all thing,
His cleanness and his courtesy crooked were never,
And pity, that passes all points, these pure five
Were harder happed on that hathel than on any other.
Now all these five sithes, for sooth, were fettled on this knight,
And each one halched in other that none end had,
And fixed upon five points, that failed never,
Ne samned never in no side, ne sundered neither,
Withouten end at any nook I nowhere find,
Wherever the game began, or glod to an end.
Therefore on his sheen shield shapen was the knot
Royally with red gold upon red gules,
That is the pure pentangle with the people called
       with lore.
    Now graithed is Gawain gay,
    And laught his lance right there,
    And gave them all good day,
    He weened for evermore.

Fitt 29 Lines 670 - 690

He spurred the steed with the spurs and sprang on his way,
So stiff that the stone-fire struck out thereafter.
All that saw that seemly sighed in heart,
And said soothly all same sedges till other,
Caring for that comely: 'By Christ, it is scathe
That thou, leud, shall be lost, that art of life noble!
To find his fere upon fold, in faith, is not ethe.
Warliker to have wrought had more wit been,
And have dight yonder dear a duke to have worthed;
A lowing leader of leuds in land him well seems
And so had better have been then brittened to nought,
Headed with an elvish man, for angard's pride.
Who knew ever any king such counsel to take
As knights in cavilations on Christmas games!'
Well much was the warm water that waltered of eyen,
When that seemly sire sought from those wones
       that day.
    He made none abode,
    But wightly went his way;
    Many wilesome way he rode,
    The book as I heard say.

Fitt 30 Lines 991 - 712

Now rides this renk through the realm of Logres,
Sir Gawain, on God's halve, though him no gamen thought.
Oft leudless alone he lengs on nights
There he found nought him before the fare that he liked.
Had he no fere but his foal by friths and downs,
Ne no gome but God by gate with to carp,
Till that he nighed full nigh into the North Wales.
All the isles of Anglesey on left half he holds,
And fares over the fords by the forelands,
Over at the Holy Head, till he had eft bank
In the wilderness of Wirral; woned there but lite
That other God other gome with good heart loved.
And ay he frained, as he fared, at frekes that he met,
If they had heard any carp of a knight green,
In any ground thereabout, of the green chapel;
And all nicked him with nay, that never in their live
They saw never no sedge that was of such hues
       of green.
    The knight took gates strange
    In many a bank unbeen,
    His cheer full oft did change
    That chapel ere he might seen.

Fitt 31 Lines 713 - 739

Many cliff he overclamb in countries strange,
Far floten from his friends fremedly he rides.
At each warth other water there the wigh passed
He found a foe him before, but ferly it were,
And that so foul and so fell that fight him behode.
So many marvel by mount there the man finds,
It were too tor for to tell of the tenth dole.
Some while with worms he wars, and with wolves also,
Some while with woodwoes, that woned in the knars,
Both with bulls and bears, and boars other while,
And etens, that him aneled of the high fell;
N'ad he been doughty and dree, and Drighten had served,
Doubtless he had been dead and dreped full oft.
For war wrathed him not so much that winter was worse,
When the cold clear water from the clouds shed,
And fresh ere it fall might to the fale earth;
Near slain with the sleet he slept in his irons
More nights then enough in naked rocks,
There as clattering from the crest the cold bourne runs,
And hanged high over his head in hard icicles.
Thus in peril and pain and plights full hard
By country carries this knight, till Christmas even,
       alone;
    The knight well that tide
    To Mary made his moan,
    That she him rede to ride
    And wise him to some wone.

Fitt 32 Lines 740 - 762

By a mount on the morn merrily he rides
Into a forest full deep, that ferly was wild,
High hills on each a halve, and holt woods under
Of hoar oaks full huge a hundred together;
The hazel and the hawthorn were harled all samen
With rough ragged moss railed ay where,
With many birds unblithe upon bare twigs,
That piteously there piped for pine of the cold.
The gome upon Gringolet glides them under,
Through many misy and mire, man all him one,
Caring for his costs, lest he ne cover should
To see the service of that Sire, that on that self night
Of a burd was born our barrat to quell;
And therefore sighing he said, 'I beseech thee, Lord,
And Mary, that is mildest mother so dear,
Of some harbour there highly I might hear mass,
And thy matins to-morn, meekly I ask,
And thereto prestly I pray my Pater and Ave
       and Creed.'
    He rode in his prayer,
    And cried for his misdeed,
    He sained him in sithes sere,
    And said 'Cross Christ me speed!'

Fitt 33 Lines 763 - 784

N'ad he sained himself, sedge, but three,
Ere he was ware in the wood of a wone in a moat,
Above a laund, on a law, locken under boughs
Of many burly bole about by the ditches:
A castle the comeliest that ever knight aught,
Pitched on a prayer, a park all about,
With a spiked palays pinned full thick,
That umbetey many tree more then two mile.
That hold on that on side the hathel avised,
As it shimmered and shone through the shire oaks;
Then has he hendly off his helm, and highly he thanks
Jesus and Saint Julian, that gentle are both,
That courteously had him kid , and his cry hearkened.
'Now bon hostel,' quoth the burn, 'I beseech you yet!'
Then girds he to Gringolet with the gilt heels,
And he full chancely has chosen to the chief gate,
That brought bremely the burn to the bridge end
       in haste.
    The bridge was breme upbrayed,
    The gates were stocken fast,
    The walls were well arrayed,
    It dut no wind's blast.

Fitt 34 Lines 785 - 810

The burn bode on blank, that on bank hoved
Of the deep double ditch that drove to the place;
The wall wood in the water wonderly deep,
And eft a full huge height it haled upon loft
Of hard hewn stone up to the tables,
Enbaned under the abattlement in the best law;
And sithen garrets full gay geared between,
With many lovely loop that locked full clean:
A better barbican that burn blushed upon never.
And inner more he beheld that hall full high,
Towers telded between, troched full thick,
Fair filioles that fied, and ferlily long,
With carven coprons craftily sly.
Chalk white chimneys there chose he enough
Upon bastel roves, that blinked full white;
So many pinnacle painted was powdered ay where,
Among the castle carnels clambered so thick,
That pared out of paper purely it seemed.
The free freke on the foal it fair enough thought,
If he might cover to come the cloister within,
To harbour in that hostel while holiday lasted,
        avinant.
    He called, and soon there come
    A porter pure pleasant,
    On the wall his errand he name,
  : And hailsed the knight errant.

Fitt 35 Lines 811 - 841

'Good sir,' quoth Gawain, 'would thou go mine errand
To the high lord of this house, harbour to crave?'
'Yea, Peter,' quoth the porter, 'and purely I trow
That ye be, wigh, welcome to wone while you likes.'
Then yede the wigh yern and come again swithe,
And folk freely him with, to fong the knight.
They let down the great draught and dearly out yeden,
And kneeled down on their knees upon the cold earth
To welcome this ilk wigh as worthy they thought;
They yielden him the broad gate, yarked up wide,
And he them raised reckenly, and rode over the bridge.
Sere sedges him seized by saddle, while he light,
And sithen stabled his steed stiff men enough.
Knights and squires comen down then
For to bring this burn with bliss into hall;
When he heave up his helm, there hied enough
For to hent it at his hand, the hend to serven;
His brand and his blazon both they tooken.
Then hailsed he full hendly those hathels each one,
All hasped in his high weed to to hall they him wonnen,
There fair fire upon flet fiercely burnt.
Then the lord of the leud louts from his chamber
For to meet with mensk the man on the floor;
He said, 'Ye are welcome to wone as you likes
That here is; all is your own, to have at your will
        and wield.'
    'Grant mercy,' quoth Gawain,
    'There Christ it you foryield.'
    As frekes that seemed fain
    Either other in arms did fold.

Fitt 36 Lines 842 - 874

Gawain glight on the gome that godly him greet,
And thought it a bold burn that the burg aught,
A huge hathel for the nonce of high eldy;
Broad, bright, was his beard, and all beaver hued,
Stern, stiff on the strithe on stalwart shanks,
Fell face as the fire, and free of his speech;
And well him seemed, for sooth, as the sedge thought,
To lead a lordship in lee of leuds full good.
The lord him charred to a chamber, and chiefly commands
To deliver him a leud, him lowly to serve;
And there were boun at his bid burns enough,
That brought him to a bright bower, there bedding was noble,
Of curtains of clean silk with clear gold hems,
And covertures full curious with comely panes
Of bright blaunner above, embroidered besides,
Ruddles running on ropes, red gold rings,
Tapits tight to the wough of Toulouse and Tars,
And under feet, on the flet, of following suit.
There he was dispoiled, with speeches of mirth,
The burn of his bruny and of his bright weeds.
Rich robes full rad renks him broughten,
For to charge, and to change, and chose of the best.
Soon as he one hent, and happed therein,
That sat on him seemly with sailing skirts,
The ver by his visage verily it seemed
Well nigh to each , hathel all on hues
Lowing and lovely all his limbs under,
That a comelier knight never Christ made
       them thought.
    Whither in world he were,
    It seemed as he might
    Be prince withouten peer
    In field where fell men fought.

Fitt 37 Lines 875 - 900

A chair before the chimney, where charcoal burnt,
Was graithed for Sir Gawain graithely with cloths,
Cushions upon queldepoints that coint were both;
And then a mere mantle was on that man cast
Of a brown bleaunt, embroidered full rich
And fair furred within with fells of the best,
All of ermine in earth, his hood of the same;
And he sat in that settle seemly rich,
And achauffed him chiefly, and then his cheer mended.
Soon was telded up a table on trestles full fair,
Clad with a clean cloth that clear white showed,
Sanap, and cellar, and silveren spoons.
The wigh wash at his will, and went to his meat.
Sedges him served seemly enough
With sere sewes and set, seasoned of the best,
Double-fold, as it falls, and fele kind fishes,
Some baken in bread, some brad on the gledes,
Some seethen, some in sewe savoured with spices,
And ay sauce so sly that the sedge liked.
The freke called it a feast full freely and oft
Full hendly, when all the hathels rehaited him at once
       as hend,
    'This penance now ye take,
    And eft it shall amend.'
    That man much mirth did make,
    For wine in his head that wend.

Fitt 38 Lines 901 - 927

Then was spied and spurred upon spare wise
By privy points of that prince, put to himselven,
That he beknew courteously of the court that he were
That athel Arthur the hend holds him one,
That is the rich royal king of the Round Table,
And it was Wawain himself that in that wone sits,
Comen to that Christmas, as case him then limped.
When the lord had learned that he the leud had,
Loud laughed he thereat, so lief it him thought,
And all the men in that motte maden much joy
To appear in his presence prestly that time,
That all price and prowess and pured thew
Appends to his person, and praised is ever;
Before all men upon mould his mensk is the most.
Each sedge full softly said to his fere:
'Now shall we seemly see sleights of thew
And the tacheless terms of talking noble,
Which speed is in speech unspurred may we learn,
Since we have fonged that fine father of nurture.
God has given us His grace godly for sooth,
That such a guest as Gawain grants us to have,
When burns blithe of His birth shall sit
       and sing.
    In meaning of manners mere
    This burn now shall us bring,
    I hope that may him hear
    Shall learn of love-talking.'

Fitt 39 Lines 928 - 969

By that the dinner was done and the dear up
It was nigh at the night nighed the time.
Chaplains to the chapels chosen the gate,
Rungen full richly, right as they shoulden,
To the heresome evensong of the high tide.
The lord louts thereto, and the lady also,
Into a comely closet cointly he enters.
Gawain glides full gay and goes thither soon;
The lord latches him by the lapel and leads him to sit,
And couthly him knows and calls him his name,
And said he was the wellcomest wigh of the world;
And he him thanked thoroughly, and either halched other,
And sitten soberly samen the service-while.
Then list the lady to look on the knight,
Then come she of her closet with many clear burds.
She was the fairest in fell, of flesh and of lire,
And of compass and colour and costs, of all other,
And weener then Wenore, as the wigh thought.
She chose through the chancel to cherish that hend.
Another lady she led by the left hand,
That was older then she, an ancient it seemed,
And highly honoured with hathels about.
But unlike on to look those ladies were,
For if the young was yep, yellow was that other;
Rich red on that one railed ay where,
Rough wrinkled cheeks that other one rolled;
Kerchiefs of that one, with many clear pearls,
Her breast and her bright throat bare displayed,
Shone shirer then snow that sheds on hills;
That other with a gorger was geared over the swire,
Chimbled over her black chin with chalk white veils,
Her front folden in silk, enfoubled ay where,
Toret and treleted with trifles about,
That nought was bare of that burd but the black brows,
The twain eyen and the nose, the naked lips,
And those were sour to see and sellily bleared;
A mensk lady on mould man may her call,
       for God!
    Her body was short and thick,
    Her buttocks bay and broad,
    More likerwise unto like
    Was that she had on lode.

Fitt 40 Lines 970 - 994

When Gawain glight on that gay, that graciously looked,
With leave laught of the lord he went them against;
The elder he, hailses helding full low
The lovelier he laps a little in arms,
He kisses her comelily, and knightly he meles.
They callen him of acquaintance, and he it quick asks
To be her servant soothly, if themself liked.
They taken him between them, with talking him lead
To chamber, to chimney, and chiefly they asken
Spices, that unsparely men speeded them to bring,
And the winlike wine therewith each time.
The lord lovely aloft leaps full oft,
Minned mirth to be made upon many sithes,
Hent highly off his hood, and on a spear hanged,
And wained him to win the worship thereof,
That most mirth might move that Christmas while
'And I shall find, by my faith, to filter with the best
Ere me want the weed, with help of my friends.'
Thus with laughing lotes the lord it tait makes,
For to glad Sir Gawain with games in hall
       that night,
    Till that it was time
:   The lord commanded light;
    Sir Gawain his leave did nim
    And to his bed him dight.

Fitt 41 Lines 995 - 1019

On the morn, as each man minds that time
That Drighten for our destiny to die was born,
Weal waxes in each a wone in world for His sake;
So did it there on that day through dainties many:
Both at mess and at meal messes full quaint
Derve men upon dais dressed of the best.
The old ancient wife highest she sits,
The lord lovely her by lent, as I trow;
Gawain and the gay burd together they sitten,
Even inmidst, as the mess meetly come,
And sithen through all the sale as them best seemed.
By each groom at his degree graithely was served.
There was meat, there was mirth, there was much joy,
That for to tell thereof it me teen were,
And to point it yet I pained me peradventure.
But yet I wot that Wawain and the wale burd
Such comfort of their company caughten together
Through their dear dalliance of their dern words,
With clean courteous carp closed from filth,
That their play was passing each prince gamen,
        in vairs.
    Trumps and nackers,
    Much piping there repairs;
    Each man tented his,
    And they two tented theirs.

Fitt 42 Lines 1020 - 1045

Much dut was there driven that day and that other,
And the third as throe throng in thereafter;
The joy of Saint John's day was gentle to hear,
And was the last of the laik, leuds there thoughten.
There were guests to go upon the grey morn,
Forthy wonderly they woke, and the wine drunken,
Danced full dreyly with dear carols.
At the last, when it was late, they latchen their leave,
Each one to wend on his way that was wigh strange.
Gawain gave him good day, the good man him latches,
Leads him to his own chamber, the chimney beside,
And there he draws him on dry, and dearly him thanks
Of the win worship that he him waived had,
As to honour his house on that high tide,
And embellish his burg with his belle cheer:
'Iwis sir, while I live, me worths the better
That Gawain has been my guest at God's own feast.'
'Grant mercy, sir,' quoth Gawain, 'in good faith it is yours,
All the honour is your own--the high King you yield!
And I am, wigh, at your will to work your hest,
As I am holden thereto, in high and in low,
        by right.'
    The lord fast did him pain
    To hold longer the knight;
    To him answers Gawain
    By none way that he might.

Fitt 43 Lines 1046 - 1078

Then frained the freke full fair at himselven
What derve deed had him driven at that dear time
So keenly from the king's court to cair all his one,
Ere the holiday wholly were haled out of town.
'For sooth, sir,' quoth the sedge, 'Ye sayen but the truth,
A high errand and a hasty me had from those wones,
For I am summoned myself to seek to a place,
I ne wot in world whither-ward to wend it to find.
I n'ould but if I it nigh might on New Year's morn
For all the land inwith Logres, so me our Lord help!
Forthy, sir, this inquest I require you here,
That ye me tell with truth if ever ye tale heard
Of the green chapel, where it on ground stands,
And of the knight that it keeps, of colour of green.
There was stabled by statute a steven us between
To meet that man at that mere, if I might last;
And of that ilk New Year but necked now wants,
And I would look on that leud, if God me let would,
Gladlier, by God's Son, then any good wield!
Forthy, iwis, by your will, wend me behoves,
N'ave I now to busy but bare three days,
And me also fain to fall fey as fail of mine errand.'
Then laughing quoth the lord, 'Now leng thee behoves,
For I shall teach you to that term by the time's end,
The green chapel upon ground grieve you no more;
But ye shall be in your bed, burn, at thine ease,
While forth days, and ferk on the first of the year,
And come to that mark at mid-morn, to make what you likes
        in span.
    Dwells while New Year's day,
    And rise, and raikes then,
    Man shall you set in way,
    It is not two mile hence.'

Fitt 44 Lines 1079 - 1104

Then was Gawain full glad, and gomenly he laughed:
'Now I thank you thrivingly through all other thing,
Now achieved is my chance, I shall at your will
Dwell, and else do what ye deemen.'
Then ceased him the sire and set him beside,
Let the ladies be fet to like them the better.
There was seem solace by themself still;
The lord let for love lotes so merry,
As wigh that would off his wits, ne wist what he might.
Then he carped to the knight, crying loud,
'Ye have deemed to do the deed that I bid;
Will ye hold this hest here at this once?'
'Yea, sir, for sooth,' said the sedge true,
'While I bide in your burg, be bain to your hest.'
'For ye have travailed,' quoth the tulk, ' towen from far,
And sithen waked me with, ye arn not well warest
Neither of sustenance ne of sleep, soothly I know;
Ye shall leng in your loft, and lie in your ease
To-morn while the mass-while, and to meat wend
When ye will, with my wife, that with you shall sit
And comfort you with company, till I to court turn;
       Ye lend,
    And I shall early rise,
    On hunting will I wend.'
    Gawain grants all these,
    Him helding as the hend.

Fitt 45 Lines 1105 - 1125

'Yet farrer,' quoth the freke, 'a forward we make:
What-so-ever I win in the wood it worths to yours,
And what check so ye achieve change me therefor.
Suite, swap we so, swear with truth,
Whether, leud, so limp, lere other better.'
'By God,' quoth Gawain the good, 'I grant there-till,
And that you list for to laik, lief it me thinks.'
'Who brings us this beverage, this bargain is maked':
So said the lord of that leud; they laughed each one,
They drunken and dallied and stolen untightle,
These lords and ladies, while that them liked;
And sithen with Frankish fare and fele fair lotes
They stooden and stemmed and stilly spoken,
Kissed full comelily and caughten their leave.
With many leud full light and leaming torches
Each burn to his bed was brought at the last,
       full soft.
    To bed yet ere they yede,
    Recorded covenants oft;
    The old lord of that leud
    Couth well hold laik aloft.

Fitt 46 Lines 1126 - 1149

Full early before the day the folk, uprisen
Guests that go would their grooms they callen,
And they busken up belive blanks to saddle,
Tiffen their tackles, trussen their males,
Richen them the richest, to ride all arrayed,
Leapen up lightly, latchen their bridles,
Each wigh on his way where him well liked.
The lief lord of the land was not the last
Arrayed for the riding, with renks full many;
Eat a sop hastily, when he had heard mass,
With bugles to bent field he busks belive.
By that any daylight leamed upon earth,
He with his hathels on high horses were
Then these catchers that couth coupled their hounds,
Unclosed the kennel door and called them there-out,
Blew bigly in bugles three bare motes;
Bratches bayed therefore and breme noise maked;
And they chastised and charred on chasing that went,
A hundred of hunters, as I have heard tell,
       of the best.
    To tristours vewters yode,
    Couples hunts off cast;
    There rose for blasts good
    Great rurd in that forest.

Fitt 47 Lines 1150 - 1177

At the first quethe of the quest quaked the wild;
Deer drove in the dale, doted for dread,
Hied to the high, but hetterly they were
Restayed with the stablie, that stoutly ascried.
They let the harts have the gate, with the high heads,
The breme bucks also with their broad paumes;
For the free lord had defend in fermison time
That there should no man move to the male deer.
The hinds were holden in with hay! and ware!
The does driven with great din to the deep slades;
There might man see, as they slipped, slanting of arrows
At each wend under wand wapped a flone
That bigly bite on the brown with full broad heads.
What! they brayen, and bleeden, by banks they dien,
And ay ratches in a race readly them follows,
Hunters with high horn hasted them after
With such a cracking cry as cliffs had bursten.
What wild so atwapped wighs that shotten
Was all to-raced and rent at the resait,
By they were teened at the high and taised to the waters;
The leuds were so learned at the low tristours,
And the greyhounds so great, that getten them belive
And them to-filched, as fast as frekes might look,
       there-right.
    The lord for bliss abloy
    Full oft did launce and alight,
    And drove that day with joy
    Thus to the dark night.

Fitt 48 Lines 1178 - 1207

Thus laiks this lord by lind-woods eaves,
And Gawain the good man in gay bed lies,
Lurks while the daylight leamed on the woughs,
Under coverture full clear, curtained about;
And as in slumbering he slode, slily he heard
A little din at his door, and derfly upon;
And he heaves up his head out of the clothes,
A corner of the curtain he caught up a little,
And waits warily thitherward what it be might.
It was the lady, loveliest to behold,
That drew the door after her full dernly and still,
And bowed toward the bed; and the burn shamed,
And laid him down listily, and let as he slept;
And she stepped stilly and stole to his bed,
Cast up the curtain and creeped within,
And set her full softly on the bed-side,
And lenged there selly long to look when he wakened.
The leud lay lurked a full long while,
Compassed in his conscience to what that case might
Move other amount, to marvel him thought,
But yet he said in himself, 'More seemly it were
To espy with my spell in space what she would.'
Then he wakened, and wroth, and to her-ward turned,
And unlocked his eye lids, and let as him wondered,
And sained him, as by his saw the safer to worth,
       with hand.
    With chin and cheek full sweet,
    Both white and red in blend,
    Full lovely did she let
    With lips small laughing.

Fitt 49 Lines 1208 - 1240

'Good morn, Sir Gawain,' said that gay lady,
'Ye are a sleeper unsly, that man may slide hither;
Now are ye taken astit! But truce us may shape,
I shall bind you in your bed, that be ye traist':
All laughing the lady lauced those bourds.
'Good morn, gay,' quoth Gawain the blithe,
'Me shall worth at your will, and that me well likes,
For I yield me yederly, and yeye after grace,
And that is the best, by my deem, for me behoves need':
And thus he bourded again with many a blithe laughter.
'But would ye, lady lovely, then leave me grant,
And depress your prison, and pray him to rise,
I would bow off this bed, and busk me better;
I should cover thee more comfort to carp you with.'
'Nay for sooth, beau sir,' said that sweet,
'Ye shall not rise off your bed, I reach you better,
I shall hap you here that other half also,
And sithen carp with my knight that I caught have;
For I ween well, iwis, Sir Wawain ye are,
That all the world worships where-so ye ride;
Your honour, your hendly is hendly praised
With lords, with ladies, with all that life bear.
And now ye are here, iwis, and we but our one;
My lord and his leuds are on length faren,
Other burns in their bed, and my burds also,
The door drawen and dit with a derve hasp;
And sithen I have in this house him that all likes,
I shall wear my while well, while it lasts,
       with tale.
    Ye are welcome to my corps,
    Your own wone to wale,
    Me behoves of fine force
    Your servant be, and shall.'

Fitt 50 Lines 1241 - 1262

'In good faith,' quoth Gawain, 'gain it me thinks,
Though I be not now he that ye of spoken;
To reach to such reverence as ye rehearse here
I am wigh unworthy, I wot well myselven.
By God, I were glad, and you good thought,
At saw other at service that I set might
To the pleasance of your price--it were a pure joy.'
'In good faith, Sir Gawain,' quoth the gay lady,
'The price and the prowess that pleases all other,
If I it lacked other set at light, it were little dainty;
But there are ladies enough that liefer were nowth
Have thee, hend, in their hold, as I thee have here,
To dally with dearly your dainty words,
Cover them comfort and callen their cares,
Then much of the garrison other gold that they haven.
But I love that ilk Lord that the loft holds,
I have it wholly in my hand that all desires,
       through grace.'
    She made him so great cheer,
    That was so fair of face,
    The knight with speeches skere
    Answered to each a case.

Fitt 51 Lines 1263 - 1289

'Madame,' quoth the merry man, 'Mary you yield,
For I have founden, in good faith, your franchise noble,
And other full much of other folk fongen by their deeds,
But the dainty that they dealen, for my desert n'isen,
It is the worship of yourself, that nought but well cons.'
'By Mary,' quoth the menskful, 'me think it another;
For were I worth all the wone of women alive,
And all the weal of the world were in my hand,
And I should cheapen and chose to chieve me a lord,
For the costs that I have knowen upon thee, knight, here,
Of beauty and debonairty and blithe semblance,
And that I have ere hearkened and hold it here true,
There should no freke upon fold before you be chosen.'
'Iwis, worthy,' quoth the wigh, 'ye have waled well better,
But I am proud of the price that ye put on me,
And, soberly your servant, my sovereign I hold you,
And your knight I become, and Christ you foryield.'
Thus they meled of much-what till mid-morn past,
And ay the lady let like as him loved much;
The freke fared with defence, and feated full fair--
'Though I were burd brightest', the burd in mind had.
The less love in his lode for lur that he sought
       bout hone,
    The dint that should him deve,
    And needs it must be done.
    The lady then speak of leave,
    He granted her full soon.

Fitt 52 Lines 1290 - 1318

Then she gave him good day, and with a glint laughed,
And as she stood, she stonied him with full stour words:
'Now He that speeds each speech this disport yield you!
But that ye be Gawain, it goes not in mind.'
'Wherefore?' quoth the freke, and freshly he asks,
Feared lest he had failed in form of his costs;
But the burd him blessed, and 'By this skill' said:
'So good as Gawain gainly is holden,
And courtesy is closed so clean in himselven,
Couth not lightly have lenged so long with a lady,
But he had craved a kiss, by his courtesy,
By some touch of some trifle at some tale's end.'
Then quoth Wawain: 'Iwis, worth as you likes;
I shall kiss at your commandment, as a knight falls,
And farrer, lest he displease you, so plead it no more.'
She comes nearer with that, and catches him in arms,
Louts lovely adown and the leud kisses.
They comely bekennen to Christ either other;
She does her forth at the door withouten din more;
And he reaches him to rise and rapes him soon,
Clepes to his chamberlain, chooses his weed,
Bows forth, when he was boun, blithely to mass;
And then he moved to his meat that menskly him keeped,
And made merry all day, till the moon rised,
       with game.
    Was never freke fairer fong
    Between two so digne dame,
    The older and the young;
    Much solace set they same.

Fitt 53 Lines 1319 - 1352

And ay the lord of the land is lent on his games,
To hunt in holts and heath at hinds barren;
Such a sum he there slew by that the sun helded,
Of does and of held deer, to deem were wonder.
Then fiercely they flocked in folk at the last,
And quickly of the quelled deer a quarry they maked.
The best bowed thereto with burns enough,
Gathered the greatest of grease that there were,
And didden them dearly undo as the deed asks;
Searched them at the assay some that there were,
Two fingers they found of the foulest of all.
Sithen they slit the slot, seized the erber,
Shaved with a sharp knife, and the shire knitten;
Sithen rit they the four limbs, and rent off the hide,
Then break they the belly;, the bowels out taken
Listily for lacing the lere of the knot;
They gripped to the gargulun, and graithely departed
The wesaunt from the wint-hole, and walt out the guts;
Then shear they out the shoulders with their sharp knives,
Haled them by a little hole to have whole sides.
Sithen brittened they the breast and braiden it in twin,
And eft at the gargulun begins on then,
Rives it up readly right to the bight,
Voids out the avanters, and verily thereafter
All the rimes by the ribs readly they lauce;
So ride they off by reason by the ridge bones,
Evenden to the haunch, that hanged all samen,
And heaven it up all whole, and hewn it off there,
And that they nim for the numbles by name, as I trow,
       by kind;
    By the bight all of the thighs
    The laps they lace behind;
    To hew it in two they hies,
    By the backbone to unbind.

Fitt 54 Lines 1352 - 1371

Both the head and the hals they hewen off then,
Sithen sunder they the sides swift from the chine,
And the corbel's fee they cast in a grove;
Then thurled they either thick side through by the rib,
And hanged then either by houghs of the forks,
Each freke for his fee, as falls for to have.
Upon a fell of the fair beast fed they their hounds
With the liver and the lights, the leather of the paunches,
And bread bathed in blood blend there amongst.
Boldly they blew prise, bayed their ratches,
Sithen fong they their flesh, folden to home,
Striking full stoutly many stiff motes.
By that the daylight was done the douth was all wonnnen
Into the comely castle, there the knight bides
        full still,
    With bliss and bright fire bet.
    The lord is comen there till;
    When Gawain with him met
    There was but weal at will.

Fitt 55 Lines 1371 - 1401

Then commanded the lord in that sale to samen all the meny,
Both the ladies on low to light with their burds
Before all the folk on the flet, frekes he bids
Verily his venison to fetch him before,
And all godly in gamen Gawain he called,
Teaches him to the tallies of full tait beasts,
Shows him the shire grease shorn upon ribs.
'How pays you this play? Have I praise wonnen?
Have I thrivingly thank through my craft served?'
'Yea iwis,' quoth that other wigh, 'here is waith fairest
That I saw this seven year in season of winter.'
'And all I give you, Gawain,' quoth the gome then,
'For by accord of covenant ye crave it as your own.'
'This is sooth,' quoth the sedge, 'I say you that ilk:
That I have worthily wonnen this wones within,
Iwis with as good will it worths to yours.'
He hasps his fair hals his arms within,
And hailses him as comelily as he couth avise:
'Takes you there my chievance, I chieved no more;
I vouch it safe finely, though feler it were.'
'It is good,' quoth the good man, 'grant mercy therefore.
It may be such it is the better, and ye me breved would
Where ye won this ilk weal by wit of yourselven.'
'That was not forward,' quoth he, ' fraist me no more.
For ye have taken that you tides, trow none other
        ye may.'
    They laughed, and made them blithe
    With lotes that were to low;
    To supper they yede asswithe,
    With dainties new enough.

Fitt 56 Lines 1402 - 1420

And sithen by the chimney in chamber they sitten,
Wighs the wall wine weighed to them oft,
And eft in their bourding they baithen in the morn
To fill the same forwards that they before maden:
What chance so betides their chievisance to change,
What news so they nome, at night when they metten.
They accorded of the covenants before the court all;
The beverage was brought forth in bourd at that time,
Then they lovely leighten leave at the last,
Each burn to his bed busked belive.
By that the cock had crowen and cackled but thrice,
The lord was leapen of his bed, the leuds each one;
So that the meat and the mass was meetly delivered,
The douth dressed to the wood, ere any day springed,
       to chase;
    High with hunt and horns
    Through plains they pass in space,
    Uncoupled among those thorns
    Ratches that ran on race.

Fitt 57 Lines 1421 - 1453

Soon they call of a quest in a car side,
The hunt rehaited the hounds that it first minged,
Wild words them warp with a wrast noise;
The hounds that it heard hasted thither swithe,
And fellen as fast to the fuit, forty at once;
Then such a glaver and glaum of gathered ratches
Rose, that the rochers rungen about;
Hunters them hardened with horn and with mouth.
Then all in a sembly swayed together,
Between a flash in that frith and a foe crag;
In a knot by a cliff, at the car side,
There as the rough rocher unridely was fallen,
They fared to the finding, and frekes them after;
They umbecasten the knar and the knot both,
Wighs, while they wist well within them it were,
The beast that there breved was with three bloodhounds.
Then they beaten on the bushes, and bade him uprise,
And he unsoundily out sought sedges overthwart;
On the selliest swine swenged out there,
Long sithen from the sounder that sanglier for old,
For he was broth, boar alther greatest,
Full grim when he groaned; then grieved many,
For three at the first thrust he thright to the earth,
And sped him forth good speed bout spite more.
These other halloo'd full high, and hay! hay! cryed,
Hadden horns to mouth, heterly rechaited;
Many was the merry mouth of men and of hounds
That busks after this boar with boast and with noise
       to quell.
    Full oft he bides the bay,
    And maims the moot in melly;
    He hurts of the hounds, and they
    Full yammerly yowl and yell.

Fitt 58 Lines 1454 - 1475

Shalks to shoot at him showen to then,
Haled to him of their arrows, hitten him oft;
But the points paired at the pith that pight in his sheld,
And the barbs of his brow bite none would
Though the shaven shaft shindered in pieces,
The head hipped again were-so-ever it hit.
But when the dints him deared of their dree strokes,
Then, brain wood for bait, on burns he razes,
Hurts them full hetterly there he forth hies,
And many arued thereat, and on lit drawen.
But the lord on a light horse lances him after,
As burn bold upon bent his bugle he blows,
He rechaited, and rode through rones full thick,
Suing this wild swine till the sun shafted.
This day with this ilk deed they driven on this wise,
While our lovely leud lies in his bed,
Gawain graithely at home, in gear full rich
       of hue.
    The lady nought forgat,
    Come to him to salute;
    Full early she was him at
    His mood for to remue.

Fitt 59 Lines 1476 - 1507

She comes to the curtain, and at the knight totes.
Sir Wawain her welcomed worthy on first,
And she him yields again full yern of her words,
Sets her softly by his side, and swithely she laughs,
And with a lovely look she laid him these words:
'Sir, if ye be Wawain, wonder me thinks,
Wigh that is so well wrast always to good,
And cons not of company the costs undertake,
And if man kens you him to know, ye cast him of your mind;
Thou has forgotten yederly that yesterday I taught
By alder-truest token of talk that I could.'
'What is that?' quoth the wigh, ' Iwis I wot never;
If it be sooth that ye breve, the blame is mine own.'
'Yet I kenned you of kissing,' quoth the clear then,
'Where-so countenance is couth quickly to claim;
That becomes each a knight that courtesy uses.'
'Do way,' quoth that derve man, 'My dear, that speech,
For that durst I not do, lest I devayed were;
If I were werned, I were wrong, iwis, if I proffered.'
'Ma fay,' quoth the mere wife, 'ye may not be werned,
Ye are stiff enough to constrain with strength, if you likes,
If any were so villainous that you devay would.'
'Yea, by God,' quoth Gawain, 'good is your speech,
But threat is unthriving in thede where I lend,
And each gift that is given not with good will.
I am at your commandment, to kiss when you likes,
Ye may latch when you list, and leave when you thinks,
       in space.'
    The lady louts adown,
    And comelily kisses his face,
    Much speech they there expound
    Of drury's greme and grace.

Fitt 60 Lines 1508 - 1534

'I would wit at you, wigh,' that worthy there said,
'And you wrathed not therewith, what were the skill
That so young and so yep as ye at this time,
So courteous, so knightly, as ye are known out
And of all chivalry to chose, the chief thing alosed
Is the leal laik of love, the lettrure of arms;
For to tell of this tevelling of this true knights,
It is the titled token and text of their works,
How leuds for their leal love their lives have auntered,
Endured for their drury doleful stounds,
And after venged with their valour and avoided their care,
And brought bliss into bower with bounties their own
And ye are knight comeliest kid of your eld,
Your word and your worship walks aywhere,
And I have sitten by yourself here sere twice,
Yet heard I never of your head held no words
That ever longed to love, less ne more;
And ye, that are so courteous and coint of your hets,
Owe to a young thing yern to show
And teach some tokens of true love crafts.
Why! are ye lewd, that all the los wields?
Other else ye deemen me too dull your dalliance to hearken?
       For shame!
    I come hither single, and sit
    To learn at you some game;
    Do, teach me of your wit,
    While my lord is from home.'

Fitt 61 Lines 1535 - 1557

'In good faith,' quoth Gawain, 'God you foryield!
Great is the good glee, and gamen to me huge,
That so worthy as ye would win hither,
And pine you with so poor a man, as play with your knight
With anyskins countenance, it covers me ease;
But to take the travail to myself to true love expound,
And touch the themes of text and tales of arms
To you that, I wot well, wields more slight
Of that art, by the half, or a hundred of such
As I am, other ever shall, in earth where I live,
It were a folly fele fold, my free, by my troth.
I would your willing work at my might,
As I am highly beholden, and evermore will
Be servant to yourselven, so save me Drighten!'
Thus him frained that free, and founded him oft,
For to have wonnen him to woe, what-so she thought else;
But he defended him so fair that no fault seemed,
Ne none evil on neither halve, neither they wist
       but bliss.
    They laughed and laiked long;
    At the last she did him kiss,
    Her leave fair did she fong
    And went her way, iwis.

Fitt 62 Lines 1558 - 1580

Then ruthes him the renk and rises to the mass,
And sithen their dinner was dight and dearly served.
The leud with the ladies laiked all day,
But the lord over the lands lanced full oft,
Sues his unselly swine, that swings by the banks
And bit the best of his bratches the backs in sunder
There he bode in his bay, till bowmen it breaken,
And made him maugre his head for to mue utter,
So fell flones there fleet when the folk gathered.
But yet the stiffest to start by stounds he made,
Till at the last he was so mate he might no more run,
But in the haste that he might he to a hole wins
Of a rasse by a rock there runs the bourne.
He got the bank at his back, begins to scrape,
The froth foamed at his mouth unfair by the wikes,
Whets his white tushes; with him then irked
All the burns so bold that him by stooden
To nye him on-ferum, but nigh him none durst
        for woth;
    He had hurt so many before
    That all thought then full loath
    Be more with his tushes torn,
    That breme was and brain wood both,

Fitt 63 Lines 1581 - 1600

Till the knight come himself, catching his blank,
Saw him bide at the bay, his burns beside;
He lights lovely adown, leaves his courser,
Braids out a bright brand and bigly forth strides,
Founds fast through the forth there the fell bides.
The wild was ware of the wigh with weapon in hand,
Heave highly the hair, so hetterly he fnast
That fele feared for the freke, lest fell him the worse.
The swine sets him out on the sedge even,
That the burn and the boar were both upon heaps
In the wightest of the water; the worse had that other,
For the man marks him well, as they met first,
Set sadly the sharp in the slot even ,
It him up to the hilt, that the heart shindered,
And he yarring him yield, and yedown the water
        full tit.
    A hundred hounds him hent,
    That bremely did him bite,
    Burns him brought to bent,
    And dogs to death indite.

Fitt 64 Lines 1601 - 1622

There was blowing of prise on many breme horn,
High hallooing on high with hathels that might;
Bratches bayed that beast, as bidden the masters
Of that charging chase that were chief hunts.
Then a wigh that was wise upon wood crafts
To unlace this boar lovely begins.
First he hews off his head and on high sets,
And sithen rends him all rough by the ridge after,
Braids out the bowels, brens them on glede,
With bread blent therewith his bratches rewards.
Sithen he brittens out the brawn in bright broad shelds,
And has out the haslets, as hightly beseems;
And yet them halches all whole the halves together
And sithen on a stiff stang stoutly them hangs.
Now with this ilk swine they swingen to home;
The boar's head was borne before the burn's selven
That him forfeared in the forth through force of his hand
       so strong.
    Till he saw Sir Gawain
    In hall him thought full long;
    He called, and he come gain
    His fees therefor to fong.

Fitt 65 Lines 1623 - 1647

The lord full loud with lote and laughter merry,
When he saw Sir Gawain, with solace he speaks;
The good ladies were gotten, and gathered the meny,
He shows them the sheld, and shapes them the tale
Of the largesse and the length, the litherness also
Of the war of the wild swine in wood where he fled.
That other knight full comely commended his deeds,
And praised it as great price that he proved had,
For such a brawn of a beast, the bold burn said,
Ne such sides of a swine saw he never ere.
Then handled they the hog head, the hend man it praised,
And let lodly thereat the lord for to hear.
'Now, Gawain,' quoth the good man, 'this gamen is your own
By fine forward and fast, faithly ye know.'
'It is sooth,' quoth the sedge, 'and as siker true
All my get I shall you give again, by my troth.'
He hend the hathel about the hals and hendly him kisses,
And eftersoons of the same he served him there.
'Now are we even,' quoth the hathel, 'in this eventide
Of all the covenants that we knit, sithen I come hither,
       by law.'
    The lord said, 'By Saint Giles,
    Ye are the best that I know!
    Ye been rich in a while,
    Such chaffer an ye draw.'

Fitt 66 Lines 1648 - 1667

Then they telded tables trestles aloft,
Casten cloths upon. Clear light then
Wakened by woughs, waxen torches;
Sedges set and served in sale all about;
Much glaum and glee glint up therein
About the fire upon flet, and on fele wise
At the supper and after, many athel songs,
As conduits of Christmas and carols new
With all the mannerly mirth that man may of tell,
And ever our lovely knight the lady beside.
Such semblance to that sedge seemly she made
With still stolen countenance, that stalwart to please,
That all forwondered was the wigh, and wrath with himselven,
But he n'ould not for his nurture nurn her against,
But dealt with her all in dainty, how-so-ever the deed turned
       to-wrast.
    When they had played in hall
    As long as their will them last,
    To chamber he did him call,
    And to the chimney they past.

Fitt 67 Lines 1668 - 1689

And there they drunken, and dealten, and deemed eft new
To nurn on the same note on New Year's even;
But the knight craved leave to cair on the morn,
For it was nigh at the term that he to should.
The lord him letted of that, to leng him restayed,
And said, 'As I am true sedge, I siker my troth
Thou shall chieve to the green chapel thy chores to make,
Leud, on New Year's light, long before prime.
Forthy thou lie in thy loft and latch thine ease,
And I shall hunt in this holt, and hold the touches,
Change with the chievisance, by that I chore hither;
For I have fraisted thee twice, and faithful I find thee.
Now "third time throw best" think on the morn,
Make we merry while we may and min upon joy,
For the lur may man latch when-so man likes.'
This was graithely granted, and Gawain is lenged,
Blithe brought was him drink, and they to bed yeden
        with light.
    Sir Gawain lies and sleeps
    Full still and soft all night;
    The lord that his crafts keeps,
    Full early he was dight.

Fitt 68 Lines 1690 - 1718

After mass a morsel he and his men tooken;
Merry was the morning, his mounture he asks.
All the hathels that on horse should holden him after
Were boun busked on their blanks before the hall gates.
Ferly fair was the fold, for the frost clinged;
In red ruded upon rack rises the sun,
And full clear casts the clouds of the welkin.
Hunters unhardelled by a holt side,
Rochers rungen by rise for rurd of their horns;
Some fell in the fuit where the fox bode,
Trails oft a traverse by trant of their wiles;
A kennet cries thereof, the hunt on him calls;
His fellows fallen him to, that fnasted full thick,
Runnen forth in a rabble in his right fare,
And he fisks them before; they founden him soon,
And when they saw him with sight they sued him fast,
Wraying him full weterly with a wroth noise;
And he trants and turns through many teen grove,
Havilons, and hearkens by hedges full oft
At the last by a little ditch he leaps over a spinney,
Steals out full stilly by a strath rand,
Went have wilt of the wood with wiles from the hounds;
Then was he went, ere he wist, to a wale trister,
There three throe at a thrich threat him at once,
       all grey.
    He blenched again belive
    And stiffly start on-stray,
    With all the woe on life
    To the wood he went away.

Fitt 69 Lines 1719 - 1749

Then was it list upon life to lithen the hounds,
When all the moot had him met, minged together:
Such a sorrow at that sight they set on his head
As all the clambering cliffs had clattered on heaps;
Here he was hallooed, when hathels him metten,
Loud was he yained with yarring speech;
There he was threated and oft thief called,
And ay the titlers at his tail, that tarry he ne might;
Oft he was runnen at, when he out raiked,
And oft reeled in again, so Reynard was wily.
And ye he lead them by lagmon, the lord and his meny,
On this manner by the mounts while mid-over-under
While the hend knight at home wholesomely sleeps
Within the comely curtains, on the cold morn.
But the lady for love let not to sleep,
Ne the purpose to pair that pight in her heart,
But rose her up readly, raiked her thither
In a merry mantle, met to the earth,
That was furred full fine with fells well pured,
No hue good on her head but the hagher stones
Traced about tressour by twenty in clusters;
Her thriven face and her throat throwen all naked,
Her breast bare before, and behind eke.
She comes within the chamber door, and closes it her after,
Waives up a window, and on the wigh calls,
And readly thus rehaited him with her rich words,
       with cheer:
    'Ah! man, how may thou sleep,
    This morning is so clear?'
    He was in drooping deep,
    But then he did her hear.

Fitt 70 Lines 1750 - 1769

In dree drooping of dream dravelled that noble,
As man that was in morning of many throe thoughts,
How that destiny should that day deal him his weird
At the green chapel, when he the gome meets,
And behoves his buffet abide without debate more;
But when that comely he covered his wits,
Swings out of the swevens, and swares with haste.
The lady lovely come laughing sweet,
Fell over his fair face, and featly him kissed;
He welcomes her worthily with a wale cheer.
He saw her so glorious and gaily attired,
So faultless of her features and of so fine hues,
Wight welling joy warmed his heart.
With smooth smiling and smolt they smiten into mirth,
That all was bliss and bonchef that break them between,
       and win.
    They lauced words good,
    Much weal then was therein;
    Great peril between them stood,
    N'if Mary of her knight did min.

Fitt 71 Lines 1770 - 1791

For that princess of price depressed him so thick,
Nurned him so nigh the thread, that need him behoved
Other latchen there her love, other lodly refuse.
He cared for his courtesy, lest craven he were,
And more for his mischief if he should make sin,
And be traitor to that tulk that that teld aught.
'God shield,' quoth the shalk, 'that shall not befall!'
With love-laughing a lit he laid him beside
All the speeches of specialty that sprang of her mouth.
Quoth that burd to the burn, 'Blame ye deserve,
If ye love not that life that ye lie next,
Before all the wighs in the world wounded in heart,
But if ye have a leman, a lover, that you likes better,
And folden faith to that free, fastened so hard
That you loosen ne list--and that I lieve nowth;
And that ye tell me that now truly I pray you,
For all the loves upon life lain not the sooth
       for guile.'
    The knight said, 'By Saint John,'
    And smoothly did he smile,
    'In faith I wield right none,
    Ne none will wield the while.'

Fitt 72 Lines 1792 - 1816

'That is a word,' quoth that wight, 'that worst is of all,
But I am swared for sooth, that sore me thinks.
Kiss me now comely, and I shall catch hither,
I may but mourn upon mould, as maid that much loves.'
Sighing she sway down and seemly him kissed,
And sithen she severs him from, and says as she stands,
'Now, dear, at this departing do me this ease,
Give me somewhat of thy gift, thy glove if it were,
That I may min on thee, man, my mourning to lessen.'
'Now iwis,' quoth that wigh, 'I would I had here
The liefest thing for thy love that I in land wield,
For ye have deserved, for sooth, sellily oft
More reward by reason then I reck might;
But to deal you for drury that dawed but necked,
It is not your honour to have at this time
A glove for a garrison of Gawain's gifts,
And I am here on an errand in earths uncouth,
And have no men with no males with menskful things;
That mislikes me, lady, for thy love at this time,
Each tulk must do as he is taken, take to none ill
       ne pine.'
    'Nay, hend of high honours,'
    Quoth that lovesome under line,
    'Though I had nought of yours,
    Yet should ye have of mine.'

Fitt 73 Lines 1817 - 1845

She raught him a rich ring of red gold works,
With a staring stone standing aloft
That bore blushing beams as the bright sun;
Wit ye well, it was worth weal full huge.
But the renk it renayed, and readily he said,
'I will no gifts, for God, my gay, at this time;
I have none you to nurn, ne nought will I take.'
She bede it him full busily, and he her bid werns,
And swore swift by his sooth that he it seize n'ould,
And she sore that he forsook, and said thereafter,
'If ye renay my ring, too rich for it seems,
Ye would not so highly holden be to me,
I shall give you my girdle, that gains you less.'
She laught a lace lightly that leke umbe her sides,
Knit upon her kirtle under the clear mantle,
Geared it was with green silk and with gold shaped,
Nought but around braiden, beten with fingers;
And that she bede to the burn, and blithely besought,
Though it unworthy were, that he it take would.
And he nay that he n'ould nigh in no wise
Neither gold ne garrison, ere God him grace send
To achieve to the chance that he had chosen there.
'And therefore, I pray you, displease you nought,
And lets be your business, for I baith it you never
       to grant;
    I am dearly to you behold
    Because of your semblance,
    And ever in hot and cold
    To be your true servant.'

Fitt 74 Lines 1845 - 1869

'Now forsake ye this silk,' said the burd then,
'For it is simple in itself? And so it well seems.
Lo! so it is little, and less it is worthy;
But who-so knew the costs that knit are therein,
He would it praise at more price, peradventure;
For what gome so is girt with this green lace,
While he it had hemely halched about
There is no hathel under heaven to-hew him that might,
For he might not be slain for sleight upon earth.'
Then cast the knight, and it come to his heart
It were a jewel for the jeopardy that him judged were:
When he achieved to the chapel his check for to fetch,
Might he have slipped to be unslain, the sleight were noble.
Then he thulged with her threep and tholed her to speak,
And she bore on him the belt and bede it him swithe
And he granted and him gave with a good will
And besought him, for her sake, discover it never,
But to leally lain from her lord; the leud him accords
That never wigh should it wit, iwis, but they twain
        for nought;
    He thanked her oft full swithe,
    Full throe with heart and thought.
    By that on three sithe
    She has kissed the knight so tought.

Fitt 75 Lines 1870 - 1892

Then latches she her leave, and leaves him there,
For more mirth of that man might she not get.
When she was gone, Sir Gawain gears him soon,
Rises and riches him in array noble,
Lays up the love-lace the lady him raught,
Hid it full holdly, there he it eft found.
Sithen chievely to the chapel choses he the way,
Privily approached to a priest, and prayed him there
That he would lift his life and learn him better
How his soul should be saved when he should see hither.
There he shrove him shirely and showed his misdeeds,
Of the more and the min, and mercy beseeches,
And of absolution he on the sedge calls;
And he assoiled him surely and set him so clean
As doomsday should have been dight on the morn.
And sithen he make him as merry among the free ladies,
With comely carols and all kinds joy,
As never he did but that day, to the dark night,
       with bliss.
    Each man had dainty there
    Of him, and said, ' Iwis,
    Thus merry he was never ere,
    Since he come hither, ere this.'

Fitt 76 Lines 1892 - 1921

Now him leng in that lee, there love him betide!
Yet is the lord on the land leading his games.
He has forfaren this fox that he followed long;
As he sprent over a spinney to spy the shrew,
There as he heard the hounds that hasted him swithe,
Reynard come reaching through a rough grove,
And all the rabble in a race right at his heels.
The wigh was ware of the wild, and warily abides,
And braids out the bright brand, and at the beast casts.
And he shunt for the sharp, and should have areared;
A ratch rapes him to, right ere he might,
And right before the horse feet they fell on him all,
And worried me this wily with a wroth noise.
The lord lights belive, and latches him soon,
Raised him full readly out of the ratch mouths,
Holds high over his head, halloos fast,
And there bayen him many brath hounds.
Hunts hied them thither with horns full many,
Ay rehaiting aright till they the renk saw.
By that was comen his company noble,
All that ever bore bugle blowed at once,
And all these other hallooed that had no horns;
It was the merriest mote that ever men heard,
The rich rurd that there was raised for Reynard soul
       with lote.
    Their hounds they there reward,
    Their heads they fawn and frot,
    And sithen they taken Reynard,
    And tirven off his coat.

Fitt 77 Lines 1922 - 1951

And then they helden to home, for it was nigh night,
Stracking full stoutly on their store horns.
The lord is alight at the last at his lief home,
Finds fire upon flet, the freke there-beside,
Sir Gawain the good, that glad was withal,
Among the ladies for love he lead much joy;
He wore a bleaunt of blue that brad to the earth,
His surcoat seemed him well that soft was furred,
And his hood of that ilk hanged on his shoulder,
Blend all of blaunner were both all about.
He meets me this goodman inmidst the floor,
And all with gamen he him greet, and goodly he said,
'I shall fill upon first our forwards nowth,
That we speedily have spoken, there spared was no drink.'
Then accoles he the knight and kisses him thrice,
As saferly and sadly as he him set couth.
'By Christ,' quoth that other knight, 'ye catch much sele
In chievisance of this chaffer, if ye had good cheaps.'
'Yea, of the cheap no charge,' quoth chiefly that other,
'As is pertly paid the cheaps that I aught.'
'Mary,' quoth that other man, 'mine is behind,
For I have hunted all this day, and nought have I gotten
But this foul fox fell--the fiend have the goods!
And that is full poor for to pay for such price things
As ye have thright me here throe, such three kisses
       so good.'
    'Enough,' quoth Sir Gawain,
    'I thank you, by the Rood',
    And how the fox was slain
    He told him as they stood.

Fitt 78 Lines 1951 - 1978

With mirth and minstrelsy, with meats at their will,
They maden as merry as any men mighten
With laughing of ladies, with lotes of bourds
Gawain and the good man so glad were they both
But if the douth had doted, other drunken been other.
Both the man and the meny maden many japes,
Till the season was seyen that they sever must;
Burns to their bed behoved at the last.
Then lowly his leave at the lord first
Fetches this free man, and fair he him thanks:
'Of such a selly sojourn as I have had here,
Your honour at this high feast, the high King you yield!
I gave you me for one of yours, if yourself likes,
For I might needs, as ye wont, move to-morn,
And ye me take some tulk to teach, as ye hight,
The gate to the green chapel, as God will me suffer
To deal on New Year's day the doom of my weirds.'
'In good faith,' quoth the good man, 'with a good will
All that ever I you hight hold shall I ready.'
There assigns he a servant to set him in the way,
And condue him by the downs, that he no dretch had,
For to ferk through the frith and fare at the gainest
        by grove.
    The lord Gawain did thank,
    Such worship he would him waive.
    Then at those ladies wlonk
    The knight has taken his leave.

Fitt 79 Lines 1979 - 1997

With care and with kissing he carps them till,
And fele thriving thanks he threat them to have,
And they yielden him again yeply that ilk;
They bekenned him to Christ with full cold sighings.
Sithen from the meny he menskly departs;
Each man that he met, he made them a thank
For his service and his solace and his sere pine,
That they with busyness had been about him to serve;
And each sedge as sorry to sever with him there
As they had woned worthily with that wlonk ever.
Then with leuds and light he was led to his chamber
And blithely brought to his bed to be at his rest.
If he ne sleep soundly say ne dare I,
For he had much on the morn to min, if he would,
        in thought.
    Let him lie there still,
    He has near that he sought;
    And ye will a while be still
    I shall tell you how they wrought.

Fitt 80 Lines 1998 - 2024

Now nighs the New Year, and the night passes,
The day drives to the dark, as Drighten bids;
But wild weathers of the world wakened there-out,
Clouds casten keenly the cold to the earth,
With nigh enough of the north, the naked to teen;
The snow snittered full snart, that snaiped the wild;
The warbling wind wapped from the high,
And drove each dale full of drifts full great.
The leud listened full well that lay in his bed,
Though he locks his lids, full little he sleeps;
By each cock that crew he knew well the steven.
Deliverly he dressed up, ere the day springed,
For there was light of a lamp that leamed in his chamber;
He called to his chamberlain, that coffly him swared,
And bade him bring him his bruny and his blank saddle;
That other ferks him up and fetches him his weeds,
And graithes me Sir Gawain upon a great wise.
First he clad him in his clothes the cold for to wear,
And sithen his other harness, that holdly was keeped,
Both his paunce and his plates, piked full clean,
The rings rocked of the rust of his rich bruny;
And all was fresh as upon first, and he was fain then
       to thank;
    He had upon each piece,
    Wiped full well and wlonk;
    The gayest into Greece,
    The burn bade bring his blank.

Fitt 81 Lines 2025 - 2046

While the wlonkest weeds he wrap on himselven
His coat with the cognisance of the clear works
Ennourned upon velvet, virtuous stones
About beten and bounden, embroidered seams,
And fair furred within with fair pelures
Yet left he not the lace, the lady's gift,
That forgat not Gawain for good of himselven.
By he had belted the brand upon his balew haunches,
Then dressed he his drury double him about,
Swithe swethled umbe his swang sweetly that knight
The girdle of the green silk, that gay well beseemed,
Upon that royal red cloth that rich was to show.
But weared not this ilk wigh for weal this girdle,
For pride of the pendants, though polished they were,
And though the glittering gold glint upon ends,
But for to saven himself, when suffer him behoved,
To bide bale without debate of brand him to wear
       other knife.
    By that the bold man boun
    Wins there-out belive,
    All the meny of renown
    He thanks oft full rive.

Fitt 82 Lines 2047 - 2068

Then was Gringolet graithe, that great was and huge,
And had been sojourned saferly and in a siker wise,
Him list prick for point, that proud horse then.
The wigh wins him to and waits on his lire,
And said soberly himself and by his sooth swears:
'Here is a meny in this motte that on mensk thinks,
The man them maintains, joy might they have;
The lief lady on life love her betide;
If they for charity cherishen a guest,
And holden honour in their hand, the Hathel them yield
That holds the heaven upon high, and also you all!
And if I might life upon land lead any while,
I should reach you some reward readily, if I might.'
Then steps he into stirrup and strides aloft;
His shalk showed him his shield, on shoulder he it laught,
Girds to Gringolet with his gilt heels,
And he starts on the stone, stood he no longer
       to prance.
    His hathel on horse was then,
     That bore his spear and lance.
    'This castle to Christ I ken':
    He gave it ay good chance.

Fitt 83 Lines 2069 - 2090

The bridge was brayed down, and the broad gates
Unbarred and borne open upon both halves.
The burn blessed him belive, and the boards passed
Praises the porter before the prince kneeled,
Gave him God and good day, that Gawain He save
And went on his way with his wigh one,
That should teach him to turn to that teen place
There the rueful race he should receive.
They bowen by banks where boughs are bare,
They climben by cliffs there clings the cold.
The heaven was up halt, but ugly there-under;
Mist mugged on the moor, melt on the mounts,
Each hill had a hat, a mist- hackle huge.
Brooks boiled and break by banks about,
Shire shattering on shores, there they down shoved.
Wella wild was the way where they by wood shoulden,
Till it was soon season that the sun rises
       that tide.
    They were on a hill full high,
    The white snow lay beside;
    The burn that rode him by
    Bade his master abide.

Fitt 84 Lines 2091 - 2117

'For I have wonnen you hither, wigh, at this time,
And now n'are ye not far from that noted place
That ye have spied and spurred so specially after;
But I shall say you for sooth, sithen I you know,
And ye are a leud upon life that I well love,
Would ye work by my wit, ye worthed the better.
The place that ye press to full perilous is holden;
There wones a wigh in that waste, the worst upon earth,
For he is stiff and stern, and to strike loves,
And more he is then any man upon middle earth,
And his body bigger then the best four
That are in Arthur's house, Hector, either other.
He chieves that chance at the chapel green,
There passes none by that place so proud in his arms
That he ne dings him to death with dint of his hand;
For he is a man methless, and mercy none uses,
For be it churl other chaplain that by the chapel rides,
Monk other mass priest, other any man else,
Him think as queme him to quell as quick go himselven.
Forthy I say thee, as sooth as ye in saddle sit,
Come ye there, ye be killed, may the knight rede,
Trow ye me that truly, though ye had twenty lives
       to spend.
    He has woned here full yore,
    On bent much barrat bend,
    Again his dints sore
    Ye may not you defend.

Fitt 85 Lines 2117 - 2139

' Forthy, good Sir Gawain, let the gome one,
And go away some other gate, upon God's halve!
Cair by some other kith, there Christ might you speed,
And I shall hie me home again, and het you farrer
That I shall swear by God and and all his good hallows
As help me God and the halidom, and oaths enough,
That I shall leally you lain, and lauce never tale
That ever ye founded to flee for freke that I wist.'
'Grant mercy', quoth Gawain, and grutching he said:
'Weal worth thee, wigh, that wouldst my good,
And that leally me lain I lieve well thou wouldst.
But hold thou it never so hold, and I here passed,
Founded for feared for to flee, in form that thou tells,
I were a knight coward, I might not be excused.
But I will to the chapel, for chance that may fall,
And talk with that ilk tulk the tale that me list,
Worth it weal other woe, as the weird likes
       it have.
    Though he be a stern knape
    To stightle, and stad with stave,
    Full well did Drighten shape
    His servants for to save.'

Fitt 86 Lines 2140 - 2159

'Mary!' quoth that other man, 'now thou so much spells,
That thou wilt thine own nye nim to thyselven,
And thee list lose thy life, thee let I ne keep.
Have here thy helm on thy head, thy spear in thy hand,
And ride me down this ilk rake by yon rock side,
Till thou be brought to the bottom of the breme valley;
Then look a little on the laund, on thy left hand,
And thou shall see in that slade the self chapel,
And the burly burn on bent that it keeps.
Now fare well, on God's half, Gawain the noble!
For all the gold upon ground I n'ould go with thee,
Ne bear thee fellowship through this frith on foot farrer.'
By that the wigh in the wood wends his bridle,
Hit the horse with the heels as hard as he might,
Leaps him over the laund, and leaves the knight there
       alone.
    'By God's self,' quoth Gawain,
    'I will neither greet ne groan;
    To God's will I am full bain,
    And to Him I have me tone.'

Fitt 87 Lines 2160 - 2188

Then girds he to Gringolet, and gathers the rake,
Shoves in by a shore at a shaw side,
Rides through the rough bank right to the dale;
And then he waited him about, and wild it him thought,
And saw no sign of reset besides nowhere,
But high banks and burnt upon both halves,
And rough knuckled knars with knorned stones;
The skies of the scouts skained him thought.
Then he hoved, and withheld his horse at that tide,
And oft changed his cheer the chapel to seek:
He saw none such in no side, and selly him thought,
Save, a little on a laund, a law as it were;
A balew barrow by a bank the brim beside,
By a force of a flood that ferked there;
The bourne blubbered therein as it boiled had.
The knight catches his caple, and come to the law,
Alights down lovelily, and at a lind taches
The rein and his rich with a rough branch.
Then he bows to the barrow, about it he walks,
Debating with himself what it be might.
It had a hole on the end and on either side,
And overgrown with grass in glodes aywhere,
And all was hollow inmidst, nobut an old cave,
Or a crevice of an old crag, he couth it not deem
       with spell.
    'Whew! Lord,' quoth the gentle knight,
    'Whether this be the green chapel?
    Here might about midnight
    The devil his matins tell!

Fitt 88 Lines 2189 - 2211

'Now iwis,' quoth Wawain, ' wisty is here;
This oratory is ugly, with herbs overgrown;
Well beseems the wigh wruxled in green
Deal here his devotion on the devil's wise.
Now I feel it is the fiend, in my five wits,
That has stocken me this steven to 'stroy me here.
This is a chapel of mischance, that check it betide!
It is the cursedest kirk that ever I come in!'
With high helm on his head, his lance in his hand,
He roams up to the roof of the rough wones.
Then heard he of that high hill, in a hard rock
Beyond the brook, in a bank, a wonder breme noise,
What! it clattered in the cliff, as it cleave should,
As one upon a ` grind-stone had grounden a scythe.
What! it whirred and whet, as water at a milne;
What! it rushed and rang, rawth to hear.
Then 'By God,' quoth Gawain, 'that gear, as I trow,
Is riched at the reverence me, renk, to meet
       by rote.
    Let God work! "We loo"
    It helps me not a mote.
    My life though I forgo,
    Dread does me no lote.'

Fitt 89 Lines 2212 - 2238

Then the knight did call full high:
'Who stightles in this stead me steven to hold?
For now is good Gawain going right here.
If any wigh ought will, win hither fast,
Other now other never, his needs to speed.'
'Abide', quoth one on the bank above over his head,
'And thou shall have all in haste that I thee hight once.'
Yet he rushed on that rurd rapely a throw.
And with whetting awharf, ere he would light;
And sithen he covers by a crag, and comes of a hole,
Whirling out of a wroe with a fell weapon,
A Dane's axe new dight, the dint with to yield,
With a burly bit bent by the helm,
Filed in a filor, four foot large
It was no less by that lace that leamed full bright--
And the gome in the green geared as first,
Both the lire and the legs, locks and beard,
Save that fair on his foot he founds on the earth,
Set the steel to the stone, and stalked beside.
When he won to the water, there he wade n'ould,
He hopped over on his axe, and orpedly strides,
Bremely broth on a bent that broad was about,
       on snow.
    Sir Gawain the knight did meet,
    He ne lut him nothing low;
    That other said, 'Now, sir sweet,
    Of steven man may thee trow.'

Fitt 90 Lines 2239 - 2258

'Gawain,' quoth that green gome, 'God thee might look!
Iwis thou art welcome, wigh, to my place,
And thou has timed thy travel as true man should,
And thou knows the covenants cast us between:
At this time twelve month thou took that thee falled,
And I should at this New year yeply thee quite.
And we are in this valley verily our one;
Here are no renks us to rid, reel as us likes.
Have thy helm off thy head, and have here thy pay.
Busk no more debate then I thee bid then
When thou wipped off my head at a wap one.'
'Nay, by God,' quoth Gawain, 'that me ghost lant,
I shall grutch thee no grue for greme that falls.
But stightle thee upon on stroke and I shall stand still
And warp thee no werning to work as thee likes,
       nowhere.'
    He leaned with the neck, and lut,
    And showed that shire all bare,
    And let as he not dut;
    For dread he would not dare.

Fitt 91 Lines 2259 - 2283

Then the gome in the green graithed him swithe,
Gathers up his grim tool Gawain to smite;
With all the bur in his body he bore it on loft,
Munt as mightily as mar him he would;
Had it driven adown as dree as he attled,
There had been dead of his dint that doughty was ever.
But Gawain on that gisern glift him beside,
As it come gliding adown on glode him to shend,
And shrank a little with the shoulders for the sharp iron.
That other shalk with a shunt the sheen withholds,
And then reproved he the prince with many proud words:
'Thou art not Gawain,' quoth the gome, 'that is so good holden,
That never arued for no here by hill ne be vale,
And now thou flews for fear ere thou feel harms!
Such cowardice of that knight couth I never hear.
Neither fiked I ne flew, freke, when thou mintest,
Ne cast no cavilation in king's house Arthur.
My head flew to my foot, and yet flew I never;
And thou, ere any harm hent, arues in heart;
Wherefore the better burn me burd be called
       therefore.'
    Quoth Gawain, 'I shunt once,
    And so will I no more;
    But though my head fall on the stones,
    I can not it restore.

Fitt 92 Lines 2284 - 2308

'But busk, burn, by thy faith, and bring me to the point.
Deal to me my destiny, and do it out of hand,
For I shall stand thee a stroke, and start no more
Till thine axe have me hit: have here my troth.'
'Have at thee then!' quoth that other, and heaves it aloft,
And waits as wrothly as he wood were.
He mints at him mightily, but not the man rines,
Withheld hetterly his hand, ere it hurt might.
Gawain graithely it bides, and glint with no member,
But stood still as the stone, other a stub other
That ratheled is in rocky ground with roots a hundred.
Then merrily eft did he mele, the man in the green:
'So, now thou has thy heart whole, it me behoves.
Hold thee now the high hood that Arthur thee raught,
And keep thy cannel at this cast, if it cover may.'
Gawain full grindlely with greme then said:
'Wigh! thresh on, thou throe man, thou threats too long;
I hope that thy heart arue with thine own selven.'
'For sooth,' quoth that other freke, 'so felly thou speaks,
I will no longer on lit let thine errand
       right now.'
    Then takes he him strithe to strike,
    And frownses both lip and brow;
    No marvel though him mislike
    That hoped of no rescue.

Fitt 93 Lines 2309 - 2330

He lifts lightly his lome, and let it down fair
With the barb of the bit by the bare neck;
Though he hammered hetterly, hurt him no more
But snirt him on that one side, that severed the hide.
The sharp shrank to the flesh through the shire grease,
That the sheen blood over his shoulders shot to the earth;
And when the burn saw the blood blink on the snow,
He sprit forth span-foot more then a spear length,
Hent hetterly his helm, and on his head cast,
Shot with his shoulders his fair shield under,
Braids out a bright sword, and bremely he speaks -
Never since that he was burn born of his mother
Was he never in this world wigh half so blithe -
'Blin, burn, of thy bur, bede me no more!
I have a stroke in this stead without strife hent,
And if thou recks me any more, I readily shall quite,
And yield yederly again, and thereto ye trust,
       and foe.
    But one stroke here me falls
    The covenant shape right so,
    Formed in Arthur's halls
    And therefore, hend, now whoa!'

Fitt 94 Lines 2331 - 2357

The hathel helded him from, and on his axe rested
Set the shaft upon shore, and on the sharp leaned,
And looked to the leud that on the laund yede,
How that doughty, dreadless, dervely there stands
Armed, full aweless: in heart it him likes.
Then he meles merrily with a much steven,
And with a ringing rurd he to the renk said:
'Bold burn, on this bent be not so grindle.
No man here unmannerly thee misbidden has,
Ne kid but as covenant at king's court shaped.
I hight thee a stroke and thou it has, hold thee well paid;
I release thee of the remnant of rights all other.
If I deliver had been, a buffet peradventure
I couth wrothlier have wared, to thee have wrought anger.
First I mansed thee merrily with a mint one,
And rove thee with no rof sore, with right I thee proffered
For the forward that we fast in the first night,
And thou trustily the troth and truly me holds,
All the gain thou me gave, as good man should.
That other mint for the morn, man, I thee proffered,
Thou kissed my clear wife thee kisses me raughts.
For both two here I thee bede but two bare mints
       bout scathe.
    True man true restore,
    Then there man dread no wathe.
    At the third thou failed there,
    And therefor that tap take thee.

Fitt 95 Lines 2358 - 2388

'For it is my weed that thou wears, that ilk woven girdle,
Mine own wife it thee weaved, I wot well for sooth.
Now know I well thy kisses, and thy costs also,
And the wooing of my wife: I wrought it myself.
I send her to assay thee, and soothly me thinks
On the fautlest freke that ever on foot yede;
As pearl by the white pease is of price more,
So is Gawain, in good faith, by other gay knights.
But here you lacked a little, sir, and lealty you wanted;
But that was for no wily work, ne wooing neither,
But for ye loved your life; the less I you blame.'
That other stiff man in study stood a great while,
So aggrieved for greme he gried within;
All the blood of his breast blend in his face,
That all he shrank for shame what the shalk talked.
The form word upon fold that the freke meled:
'Cursed worth cowardice and covetise both!
In you is villainy and vice that virtue destroys.'
Then he caught to the knot, and the cast looses,
Brayed brothely the belt to the burn selven:
'Lo! there the falsing, foul might it fall!
For care of thy knock cowardice me taught
To accord me with covetise, my kind to forsake,
That is largess and lealty that belongs to knights.
Now am I faulty and false, and feared have been ever
Of treachery and untruth: both betide sorrow
       and care!
    I beknow you, knight, here still,
    All faulty is my fare;
    Let me overtake your will
    And eft I shall be wary.'

Fitt 96 Lines 2389 - 2406

Then laugh that other leud and lovelily said:
'I hold it hardily whole, the harm that I had.
Thou art confessed so clean, beknowen of thy misses,
And has the penance apert of the point of mine edge,
I hold thee polished of that plight, and pured as clean
As thou had never forfeited sithen thou was first born;
And I give thee, sir, the girdle that is gold-hemmed,
For it is green as my gown. Sir Gawain, ye may
Think upon this ilk threep, there thou forth thringes
Among princes of price, and this a pure token
Of the chance of the green chapel at chivalrous knights.
And ye shall in this New Year again to my wones,
And we shall revel the remnant of this rich feast
       full bene.'
    There lathed him fast the lord
    And said: 'With my wife, I ween,
    We shall you well accord,
    That was your enemy keen.'

Fitt 97 Lines 2407 - 2428

'Nay, for sooth,' quoth the sedge, and seized his helm,
And has it off hendly, and the hathel thanks,
'I have sojourned sadly. Sele you betide,
And He yield it you yare that yarks all mensks!
And commands me to that courtesy, your comely fere,
Both that one and that other, mine honoured ladies,
That thus their knight with their cast have cointly beguiled.
But it is no ferly though a fool made,
And through wiles of women be wonen to sorrow,
For so was Adam in earth with one beguiled,
And Solomon with fele sere, and Samson eftsoons
Delilah dealt him his weird and David thereafter
Was blended with Bathsheba, that much bale tholed.
Now these were wrathed with their wiles, it were a win huge
To love them well, and leave them not, a leud that couth.
For these were forn the freest, that followed all the sele
Excellently of all these other, under heaven rich
       that mused;
    And all they were beguiled
    With women that they used.
    Though I be now beguiled,
    Me think me burd be excused.

Fitt 98 Lines 2429 - 2455

'But your girdle', quoth Gawain, 'God you foryield!
That will I wield with good will, not for the win gold,
Ne the sain, ne the silk, ne the side pendants,
For weal ne for worship, ne for the wlonk works,
But in sign of my surfeit I shall see it oft,
When I ride in renown, remorse to myselven
The fault and the faintise of the flesh crabbed,
How tender it is to entice taches of filth;
And thus, when pride shall me prick for prowess of arms,
The look to this love-lace shall lethe my heart.
But one I would you pray, displeases you never:
Since ye be lord of the yonder land there I have lent in
With you with worship--the Wigh it you yield
That upholds the heaven and on high sits
How norn ye your right name, and then no more?'
'That shall I tell thee truly,' quoth that other then,
'Bertilak de Hautdesert I hat in this land.
Through might of Morgan la Faye, that in my house lengs,
And cointise of clergy, by crafts well learned,
The mysteries of Merlin many has taken
For she has dealt drury full dear sometime
With that connable clerk, that knows all your knights
       at home;
    Morgan the goddess
    Therefore it is her name:
    Wields none so high hautesse
    That she ne did make full tame

Fitt 99 Lines 2456 - 2478

'She wained me upon this wise to your win hall
For to assay the surquidry, if it sooth were
That runs of the great renown of the Round Table;
She wained me this wonder your wits to reave,
For to have grieved Gwenore and gart her to die
With glopning of that ilk gome that ghostly speaked
With his head in his hand before the high table.
That is she that is at home, the ancient lady;
She is even thine aunt, Arthur's half-sister,
The duchess daughter of Tintagel, that dear Uther after
Had Arthur upon, that athel is nowth.
Therefore I ethe thee, hathel, to come to thine aunt,
Make merry in my house; my meny thee loves,
And I will thee as well, wigh, by my faith,
As any gome under God for thy great truth.'
And he nicked him nay, he n'ould by no ways.
They accolen and kissen and kennen either other
To the prince of paradise, and parten right there
       on cold;
    Gawain on blank full bene
    To the king's burg busks bold,
    And the knight in the encre-green
    Whitherward-so-ever he would.

Fitt 100 Lines 2479 - 2504

Wild ways in the world Wawain now rides
On Gringolet, that the grace had getten of his life;
Oft he harboured in house and oft all thereout,
And many adventure in vale, and vanquished oft,
That I ne tight at this time in tale to remain.
The hurt was whole that he had hent in his neck,
And the blicking belt he bear thereabout
Abelef as a baldric bounden by his side,
Locken under his left arm, the lace, with a knot,
In tokening he was taken in tache of a fault.
And thus he comes to the court, knight all in sound.
There wakened weal in that wone when wist the great
That good Gawain was comen; gain it him thought.
The king kisses the knight, and the queen also,
And sithen many siker knight that sought him to hailse,
Of his fare that him frained; and ferlily he tells,
Beknows all the costs of care that he had,
The chance of the chapel, the cheer of the knight,
The love of the lady, the lace at the last.
The nirt in the neck he naked them showed
That he laught for his unloyalty at the leud's hands
       for blame.
    He teened when he should tell,
    He groaned for grief and grame;
    The blood in his face did mell,
    When he it should show, for shame.

Fitt 101 Lines 2505 - 2530

'Lo! lord,' quoth the leud, and the lace handled,
'This is the bend of this blame I bear in my neck,
This is the lathe and the loss that I laught have
Of cowardice and covetise that I have caught there;
This is the token of untruth that I am taken in,
And I must needs it wear while I may last;
For none may hiden his harm, but unhap ne may hit,
For there it once is tached twin will it never.'
The king comforts the knight, and all the court also
Laughen loud thereat, and lovely accorden
That lords and ladies that longed to the Table,
Each burn of the brotherhood, a baldric should have,
A bend abelef him about of a bright green,
And that, for sake of that sedge, in suite to wear.
For that was accorded the renown of the Round Table,
And he honoured that it had evermore after,
As it is breved in the best book of romance.
Thus in Arthur's day this adventure betide,
The Brutus' books thereof bears witness;
Sithen Brutus, the bold burn, bowed hither first,
After the siege and the assault was ceased at Troy,
       iwis,
    Many adventures here-before
    Have fallen such ere this.
    Now that bore the crown of thorn,
    He bring us to His bliss!

AMEN.
HONY SOIT QUI MAL PENSE.

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SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT

This version prepared by Roger Hartill April 2000

This version prepared by
Roger Hartill
April 2000