[Sidenote A: "Mary!" quoth the other, "since it pleases thee to lose thy life,] [Sidenote B: take thy helmet on thy head, and thy spear in thy hand, and ride down this path by yon rock-side,] [Sidenote C: till thou come to the bottom of the valley;] [Sidenote D: look a little to the left,] [Sidenote E: and thou shalt see the Chapel itself and the man that guards it."] [Sidenote F: Having thus spoken the guide takes leave of the knight.] [Sidenote G: "By God's self," says Sir Gawayne, "I will neither weep nor groan.] [Sidenote H: To God's will I am full ready."]
VIII.
2160 [A] Thenne gyrde3 he to Gryngolet, & gedere3 þe rake, [Fol. 120.] Schowue3 in bi a schore, at a scha3e syde, [B] Ride3 þur3 þe ro3e bonk, ry3t to þe dale; & þenne he wayted hym aboute, & wylde hit hym þo3t, 2164 [C] & se3e no syngne of resette, bisyde3 nowhere, Bot hy3e bonkke3 & brent, vpon boþe halue, & ru3e knokled knarre3, with knorned stone3; Þe skwe3 of þe scowtes skayued[1] hym þo3t. 2168 Þenne he houed, & wyth-hylde his hors at þat tyde, & ofte chaunged his cher, þe chapel to seche; [D] He se3 non suche in no syde, & selly hym þo3t, Sone a lyttel on a launde, a lawe as hit we[re]; 2172 [E] A bal3 ber3, bi a bonke, þe brymme by-syde, Bi a for3 of a flode, þat ferked þare; Þe borne blubred þer-inne, as hit boyled hade. [F] Þe kny3t kache3 his caple, & com to þe lawe, 2176 [G] Li3te3 doun luflyly, & at a lynde tache3 Þe rayne, & his riche, with a ro3e braunche; [H] Þen[n]e he bo3e3 to þe ber3e, aboute hit he walke, D[e]batande with hym-self, quat hit be my3t. 2180 Hit hade a hole on þe ende, & on ayþer syde, & ouer-growen with gresse in glodes ay where, & al wat3 hol3 in-with, nobot an olde caue, [I] Or a creuisse of an olde cragge, he couþe hit no3t deme 2184 with spelle, "We,[2] lorde," quod þe gentyle kny3t, "Wheþer þis be þe grene chapelle; [J] He my3t aboute myd-ny3t, 2188 [Þ]e dele his matynnes telle!"
[Sidenote A: Then he pursues his journey,] [Sidenote B: rides through the dale, and looks about.] [Sidenote C: He sees no sign of a resting-place, but only high and steep banks.] [Sidenote D: No chapel could he discern.] [Sidenote E: At last he sees a hill by the side of a stream;] [Sidenote F: thither he goes,] [Sidenote G: alights and fastens his horse to a branch of a tree.] [Sidenote H: He walks around the hill, debating with himself what it might be,] [Sidenote I: and at last finds an old cave in the crag.] [Sidenote J: He prays that about midnight he may tell his matins.] [Footnote 1: skayned (?).] [Footnote 2: wel (?).]
IX.
[A] "Now i-wysse," quod Wowayn, "wysty is here; Þis oritore is vgly, with erbe3 ouer-growen; [B] Wel biseme3 þe wy3e wruxled in grene 2192 Dele here his deuocioun, on þe deuele3 wyse; Now I fele hit is þe fende, in my fyue wytte3, Þat hat3 stoken me þis steuen, to strye me here; [C] Þis is a chapel of meschaunce, þat chekke hit by-tyde, 2196 Hit is þe corsedest kyrk, þat euer i com inne!" With he3e helme on his hede, his launce in his honde, [Fol. 120b.] [D] He rome3 vp to þe rokke of þo ro3 wone3; Þene herde he of þat hy3e hil, in a harde roche, 2200 [E] Bi3onde þe broke, in a bonk, a wonder breme noyse, [F] Quat! hit clatered in þe clyff, as hit cleue schulde, As one vpon a gryndelston hade grounden a syþe; [G] What! hit wharred, & whette, as water at a mulne, 2204 What! hit rusched, & ronge, rawþe to here. Þenne "bi Godde," quod Gawayn, "þat gere as[1] I trowe, Is ryched at þe reuerence, me renk to mete, bi rote; 2208 Let God worche we loo, [H] Hit helppe3 me not a mote, My lif þa3 I for-goo, Drede dot3 me no lote."
[Sidenote A: "Truly," says Sir Gawayne, "a desert is here,] [Sidenote B: a fitting place for the man in green to 'deal here his devotions in devil fashion.'] [Sidenote C: It is most cursed kirk that ever I entered."] [Sidenote D: Roaming about he hears a loud noise,] [Sidenote E: from beyond the brook.] [Sidenote F: It clattered like the grinding of a scythe on a grindstone.] [Sidenote G: It whirred like a mill-stream.] [Sidenote H: "Though my life I forgo," says the knight, "no noise shall terrify me."] [Footnote 1: at, in MS.]
X.
2212 [A] Thenne þe kny3t con calle ful hy3e, [B] "Who sti3tle3 in þis sted, me steuen to holde? [C] For now is gode Gawayn goande ry3t here, If any wy3e o3t wyl wynne hider fast, 2216 Oþer now, oþer neuer, his nede3 to spede." [D] "Abyde," quod on on þe bonke, abouen ouer his hede, "& þou schal haf al in hast, þat I þe hy3t ones." 3et he rusched on þat rurde, rapely a þrowe, 2220 & wyth quettyng a-wharf, er he wolde ly3t; [E] & syþen he keuere3 bi a cragge, & come3 of a hole, Whyrlande out of a wro, wyth a felle weppen, [F] A dene3 ax nwe dy3t, þe dynt with [t]o 3elde 2224 With a borelych bytte, bende by þe halme, Fyled in a fylor, fowre fote large, Hit wat3 no lasse, bi þat lace þat lemed ful bry3t. [G] & þe gome in þe erene gered as fyrst, 2228 Boþe þe lyre & þe legge3, lokke3, & berde, Saue þat fayre on his fote he founde3 on þe erþe, Sette þe stele to þe stone, & stalked bysyde. [H] When he wan to þe watter, þer he wade nolde, 2232 He hypped ouer on hys ax, & orpedly stryde3, Bremly broþe on a bent, þat brode wat3 a-boute, on snawe. [I] Sir Gawayn þe kny3t con mete. [Fol. 121.] 2236 He ne lutte hym no þyng lowe, [J] Þat oþer sayde, "now, sir swete, Of steuen mon may þe trowe."
[Sidenote A: Then cried he aloud,] [Sidenote B: "Who dwells here discourse with me to hold?"] [Sidenote C: Now is the good Gawayne going aright] [Sidenote D: He hears a voice commanding him to abide where he is.] [Sidenote E: Soon there comes out of a hole, with a fell weapon,] [Sidenote F: a Danish axe, quite new,] [Sidenote G: the "knight in green," clothed as before.] [Sidenote H: When he reaches the stream, he hops over and strides about.] [Sidenote I: He meets Sir Gawayne without obeisance.] [Sidenote J: The other tells him that he is now ready for conversation]
XI.
[A] "Gawayn," quod þat grene gome, "God þe mot loke! 2240 I-wysse þou art welcom,[1] wy3e, to my place, [B] & þou hat3 tymed þi trauayl as true[2] mon schulde; [C] & þou knowe3 þe couenaunte3 kest vus by-twene, At þis tyme twelmonyth þou toke þat þe falled, 2244 [D] & I schulde at þis nwe 3ere 3eply þe quyte. [E] & we ar in þis valay, verayly oure one, Here ar no renkes vs to rydde, rele as vus like3; [F] Haf þy[3] helme of þy hede, & haf here þy pay; 2248 Busk no more debate þen I þe bede þenne, "When þou wypped of my hede at a wap one." [G] "Nay, bi God," quod Gawayn, "þat me gost lante, I schal gruch þe no grwe, for grem þat falle3; 2252 Botsty3tel þe vpon on strok, & I schal stonde stylle, & warp þe no wernyng, to worch as þe lyke3, no whare." [H] He lened with þe nek, & lutte, 2256 & schewed þat schyre al bare, & lette as he no3t dutte, [I] For drede he wolde not dare.
[Sidenote A: "God preserve thee!" says the Green Knight,] [Sidenote B: "as a true knight 'thou hast timed thy travel'] [Sidenote C: Thou knowest the covenant between us,] [Sidenote D: that on New Year's day I should return thy blow] [Sidenote E: Here we are alone,] [Sidenote F: Have off thy helmet and take thy pay at once."] [Sidenote G: "By God," quoth Sir Gawayne, "I shall not begrudge thee thy will."] [Sidenote H: Then he shows his bare neck,] [Sidenote I: and appears undaunted.] [Footnote 1: welcon, in MS.] [Footnote 2: truee in MS.] [Footnote 3: MS. þy þy.]
XII.
[A] Then þe gome in þe grene grayþed hym swyþe, 2260 Gedere3 yp hys grymme tole, Gawayn to smyte; [B] With alle þe bur in his body he ber hit on lofte, Munt as ma3tyly, as marre hym he wolde; Hade hit dryuen adoun, as dre3 as he atled, 2264 Þer hade ben ded of his dynt, þat do3ty wat3 euer. Bot Gawayn on þat giserne glyfte hym bysyde, [C] As hit com glydande adoun, on glode hym to schende, [D] & schranke a lytel with þe schulderes, for þe scharp yrne. 2268 Þat oþer schalk wyth a schunt þe schene wythhalde3, [E] & þenne repreued he þe prynce with mony prowde worde3: [F] "Þou art not Gawayn," quod þe gome, "þat is so goud halden, Þat neuer ar3ed for no here, by hylle ne be vale, 2272 [G] & now þou fles for ferde, er þou fele harme3; [Fol. 121b.] Such cowardise of þat kny3t cowþe I neuer here. [H] Nawþer fyked I, ne fla3e, freke, quen þou myntest, Ne kest no kauelacion, in kynge3 hous Arthor, 2276 [I] My hede fla3 to my fote, & 3et fla3 I neuer; & þou, er any harme hent, ar3e3 in hert, [J] Wherfore þe better burne me burde be called þer-fore." 2280 [K] Quod G:, "I schunt one3, & so wyl I no more, Bot pa3 my hede falle on þe stone3, I con not hit restore.