XX.
444 For þe hede in his honde he halde3 vp euen, [A] To-ward þe derrest on þe dece he dresse3 þe face, & hit lyfte vp þe y3e-lydde3, & loked ful brode, [B] & meled þus much with his muthe, as 3e may now here. 448 "Loke, Gawan, þou be grayþe to go as þou hette3, & layte as lelly til þou me, lude, fynde, [C] As þou hat3 hette in þis halle, herande þise kny3tes; [D] To þe grene chapel þou chose, I charge þe to fotte, 452 Such a dunt as þou hat3 dalt disserued þou habbe3, [E] To be 3ederly 3olden on nw 3eres morn; Þe kny3t of þe grene chapel men knowen me mony; [F] For-þi me forto fynde if þou frayste3, fayle3 þou neuer, 456 [G] Þer-fore com, oþer recreaunt be calde þe be-houeus." With a runisch rout þe rayne3 he torne3, [H] Halled out at þe hal-dor, his hed in his hande, Þat þe fyr of þe flynt fla3e fro fole houes. 460 To quat kyth he be-com, knwe non þere, Neuermore þen þay wyste fram queþen. he wat3 wonnen; what þenne? Þe kyng & Gawen þare, 464 [I] At þat grene þay la3e & grenne, 3et breued wat3 hit ful bare, A meruayl among þo menne.
[Sidenote A: The head lifts up its eyelids,] [Sidenote B: and addresses Sir Gawayne; "Look thou, be ready to go as thou hast promised,] [Sidenote C: and seek till thou findest me.] [Sidenote D: Get thee to the Green Chapel,] [Sidenote E: there to receive a blow on New Year's morn.] [Sidenote F: Fail thou never;] [Sidenote G: come, or recreant be called."] [Sidenote H: The Green Knight then rushes out of the hall, his head in his hand.] [Sidenote I: At that green one Arthur and Gawayne "laugh and grin."]
XXI.
[A] Þa3 Arþer þe hende kyng at hert hade wonder, 468 He let no semblaunt be sene, bot sayde ful hy3e To þe comlych quene, wyth cortays speche, [B] "Dere dame, to day demay yow neuer; Wel by-commes such craft vpon cristmasse, 472 Laykyng of enterlude3, to la3e & to syng. Among þise, kynde caroles of kny3te3 & ladye3; [C] Neuer-þe-lece to my mete I may me wel dres, For I haf sen a selly, I may not for-sake." 476 He glent vpon sir Gawen, & gaynly he sayde, [D] "Now sir, heng vp þyn ax, þat hat3 in-nogh hewen." & hit wat3 don abof þe dece, on doser to henge, [Fol. 97b.] Þer alle men for meruayl my3t on hit loke, 480 & bi trwe tytel þer-of to telle þe wonder. [E] Þenne þay bo3ed to a borde þise burnes to-geder, Þe kyng & þe gode kny3t, & kene men hem serued Of alle dayntye3 double, as derrest my3t falle, 484 Wyth alle maner of mete & mynstralcie boþe; Wyth wele walt þay þat day, til worþed an ende, in londe. [F] Now þenk wel, sir Gawan, 488 For woþe þat þou ne wonde, Þis auenture forto frayn, Þat þou hat3 tan on honde.
[Sidenote A: Arthur addresses the queen:] [Sidenote B: "Dear dame, be not dismayed; such marvels well become the Christmas festival;] [Sidenote C: I may now go to meat.] [Sidenote D: Sir Gawayne, hang up thine axe.] [Sidenote E: The king and his knights sit feasting at the board till day is ended.] [Sidenote F: Now beware, Sir Gawayne, lest thou fail to seek the adventure that thou hast taken in hand.]
[FYTTE THE SECOND.]
I.
[A] This hanselle hat3 Arthur of auenturus on fyrst, 492 In 3onge 3er, for he 3erned 3elpyng to here, Tha3 hym worde3 were wane, when þay to sete wenten; Now ar þay stoken of sturne werk staf-ful her hond. Gawan wat3 glad to be-gynne þose gomne3 in halle, 496 Bot þa3 þe ende be heuy, haf 3e no wonder; For þa3 men ben mery in mynde, quen þay han mayn drynk, [B] A 3ere 3ernes ful 3erne, & 3elde3 neuer lyke, Þe forme to þe fynisment folde3 ful selden. 500 For-þi þis 3ol ouer-3ede, & þe 3ere after, & vche sesoun serlepes sued after oþer; [C] After crysten-masse com þe crabbed lentoun, Þat frayste3 flesch wyth þe fysche & fode more symple 504 Bot þenne þe weder of þe worlde wyth wynter hit þrepe3, [D] Colde clenge3 adoun, cloude3 vp-lyften, Schyre schede3 þe rayn in schowre3 ful warme, Falle3 vpon fayre flat, flowre3 þere schewen, 508 [E] Boþe grounde3 & þe greue3 grene ar her wede3, [F] Brydde3 busken to bylde, & bremlych syngen, [G] For solace of þe softe somer þat sues þer after, bi bonk; 512 [H] & blossume3 bolne to blowe, Bi rawe3 rych & ronk, [I] Þen note3 noble in-no3e, Ar herde in wod so wlonk. [Fol. 98]
[Sidenote A: This marvel serves to keep up a brisk conversation in Court.] [Sidenote B: The year passes full quickly and never returns.] [Sidenote C: After Christmas comes the "crabbed Lenten."] [Sidenote D: Spring sets in and warm showers descend;] [Sidenote E: the groves become green,] [Sidenote F: birds build and sing,] [Sidenote G: for joy of the summer that follows;] [Sidenote H: blossoms begin to bloom,] [Sidenote I: and noble notes are heard in the woods]
II.
516 [A] After þe sesoun of somer wyth þe soft wynde3, Quen 3eferus syfle3 hym-self on sede3 & erbe3, [B] Wela-wynne is þe wort þat woxes þer-oute. When þe donkande dewe drope3 of þe leue3, 520 To bide a blysful blusch of þe bry3t sunne. [C] Bot þen hy3es heruest, & hardenes hym sone. Warne3 hym for þe wynter to wax ful rype; [D] He dryues wyth dro3t þe dust for to ryse. 524 Fro þe face of þe folde to fly3e ful hy3e; Wroþe wynde of þe welkyn wrastele3 with þe sunne, [E] Þe leue3 lancen fro þe lynde, & ly3ten on þe grounde, [F] & al grayes þe gres, þat grene wat3 ere; 528 Þenne al rype3 & rote3 þat ros vpon fyrst, & þus 3irne3 þe 3ere in 3isterdaye3 mony, [G] & wynter wynde3 a3ayn, as þe worlde aske3 no sage. 532 Til me3el-mas mone, Wat3 cumen wyth wynter wage; [H] Þen þenkke3 Gawan ful sone, Of his anious uyage.
[Sidenote A: Then the soft winds of summer,] [Sidenote B: beautiful are the flowers wet with dew-drops.] [Sidenote C: But harvest approaches soon,] [Sidenote D: and drives the dust about.] [Sidenote E: The leaves drop off the trees,] [Sidenote F: the grass becomes gray, and all ripens and rots.] [Sidenote G: Winter winds round again,] [Sidenote H: and then Sir Gawayne thinks of his dread journey.]
III.
536 [A] 3et quyl al-hal-day with Arþer he lenges, & he made a fare on þat fest, for þe freke3 sake, With much reuel & ryche of þe rounde table; Kny3te3 ful cortays & comlych ladies, 540 Al for luf of þat lede in longynge þay were, Bot neuer-þe-lece ne þe later þay neuened bot merþe, Mony ioyle3 for þat ientyle iape3 þer maden. [B] For aftter mete, with mournyng he mele3 to his eme, 544 & speke3 of his passage, & pertly he sayde, [C] "Now, lege lorde of my lyf, leue I yow ask; 3e knowe þe cost of þis cace, kepe I no more To telle yow tene3 þer-of neuer bot trifel; 548 [D] Bot I am boun to þe bur barely to morne, To sech þe gome of þe grene, as god wyl me wysse." Þenne þe best of þe bur3 bo3ed to-geder, Aywan, & Errik, & oþer ful mony, 552 Sir Doddinaual de Sauage, þe duk of Clarence, [Fol. 98b.] Launcelot, & Lyonel, & Lucan þe gode, Sir Boos, & sir Byduer, big men boþe, [E] & mony oþer menskful, with Mador de la Port. 556 Alle þis compayny of court com þe kyng nerre, For to counseyl þe kny3t, with care at her hert; [F] Þere wat3 much derue[1] doel driuen in þe sale, Þat so worthe as Wawan schulde wende on þat ernde, 560 To dry3e a delful dynt, & dele no more wyth bronde. Þe kny3t mad ay god chere, & sayde, "quat schuld I wonde, 564 [G] Of destines derf & dere, What may mon do bot fonde?"
[Sidenote A: On All-hallows day Arthur makes a feast for his nephew's sake.] [Sidenote B: After meat, Sir Gawayne thus speaks to his uncle:] [Sidenote C: "Now, liege lord, I ask leave of you,] [Sidenote D: for I am bound on the morn to seek the Green Knight."] [Sidenote E: Many nobles, the best of the court, counsel and comfort him.] [Sidenote F: Much sorrow prevails in the hall.] [Sidenote G: Gawayne declares that he has nothing to fear.] [Footnote 1: derne (?).]
IV.
[A] He dowelle3 þer al þat day, and dresse3 on þe morn, Aske3 erly hys arme3, & alle were þay bro3t 568 [B] Fyrst a tule tapit, ty3t ouer þe flet, & miche wat3 þe gyld gere þat glent þer alofte; [C] Þe stif mon steppe3 þeron, & þe stel hondole3, [D] Dubbed in a dublet of a dere tars, 572 & syþen a crafty capados, closed aloft, Þat wyth a bry3t blaunner was bounden with-inne; [E] Þenne set þay þe sabatoun3 vpon þe segge fote3, His lege3 lapped in stel with luflych greue3, 576 With polayne3 piched þer-to, policed ful clene, Aboute his kne3 knaged wyth knote3 of golde; [F] Queme quyssewes þen, þat coyntlych closed His thik þrawen þy3e3 with þwonges to-tachched; 580 [G] & syþen þe brawden bryne of bry3t stel rynge3, Vmbe-weued þat wy3, vpon wlonk stuffe; [H] & wel bornyst brace vpon his boþe armes, With gode cowters & gay, & gloue3 of plate, 584 & alle þe godlych gere þat hym gayn schulde Þat tyde; [I] Wyth ryche cote armure, [J] His gold spore3 spend with pryde, 588 [K] Gurde wyth a bront ful sure, With silk sayn vmbe his syde.