[Sidenote A: Then the man in green seizes his grim tool.] [Sidenote B: With all his force he raises it aloft.] [Sidenote C: As it came gliding down,] [Sidenote D: Sir Gawayne shrank a little with his shoulders.] [Sidenote E: The other reproved him, saying,] [Sidenote F: "Thou art not Gawayne that is so good esteemed,] [Sidenote G: for thou fleest for fear before thou feelest harm.] [Sidenote H: I never flinched when thou struckest.] [Sidenote I: My head flew to my foot, yet I never fled,] [Sidenote J: wherefore I ought to be called the better man."] [Sidenote K: "I shunted once," says Gawayne, "but will no more.]
XIII.
2284 [A] Bot busk, burne, bi þi fayth, & bryng me to þe poynt, Dele to me my destiné, & do hit out of honde, For I schal stonde þe a strok, & start no more, Til þyn ax haue me hitte, haf here my trawþe." 2288 [B] "Haf at þe þenne," quod þat oþer, & heue3 hit alofte, & wayte3 as wroþely, as he wode were; [C] He mynte3 at hym ma3tyly, bot not þe mon ryue3,[1] With-helde heterly h[i]s honde, er hit hurt my3t. 2292 [D] Gawayn grayþely hit byde3, & glent with no membre, Bot stode stylle as þe ston, oþer a stubbe auþer, Þat raþeled is in roche grounde, with rote3 a hundreth. Þen muryly efte con he mele, þe mon in þe grene, 2296 [E] "So now þou hat3 þi hert holle, hitte me bihou[e]s; Halde þe now þe hy3e hode, þat Arþur þe ra3t, & kepe þy kanel at þis kest, 3if hit keuer may." G: ful gryndelly with greme þenne sayde, 2300 [F] "Wy þresch on, þou þro mon, þou þrete3 to longe, I hope þat þi hert ar3e wyth þyn awen seluen." "For soþe," quod þat oþer freke, "so felly þou speke3, I wyl no lenger on lyte lette þin ernde, 2304 ri3t nowe." [G] Þenne tas he[2] hym stryþe to stryke, & frounses boþe lyppe & browe, No meruayle þa3 hym myslyke, 2308 Þat hoped of no rescowe.
[Sidenote A: Bring me to the point; deal me my destiny at once."] [Sidenote B: "Have at thee, then," says the other.] [Sidenote C: With that he aims at him a blow.] [Sidenote D: Gawayne never flinches, but stands as still as a stone.] [Sidenote E: "Now," says the Green Knight, "I must hit thee, since thy heart is whole."] [Sidenote F: "Thrash on," says the other.] [Sidenote G: Then the Green Knight makes ready to strike.] [Footnote 1: ? ryne3 = touches.] [Footnote 2: he he, in MS.]
XIV.
[A] He lyftes ly3tly his lome, & let hit doun fayre, [B] With þe barbe of þe bitte bi þe bare nek [Fol. 122.] Þa3 he homered heterly, hurt hym no more, 2312 Bot snyrt hym on þat on syde, þat seuered þe hyde; [C] Þe scharp schrank to þe flesche þur3 þe schyre grece, Þat þe schene blod over his schulderes schot to þe erþe. [D] & quen þe burne se3 þe blode blenk on þe snawe, 2316 He sprit forth spenne fote more þen a spere lenþe, Hent heterly his helme, & on his hed cast, Schot with his schuldere3 his fayre schelde vnder, [E] Brayde3 out a bry3t sworde, & bremely he speke3; 2320 Neuer syn þat he wat3 burne borne of his moder, Wat3 he neuer in þis worlde, wy3e half so blyþe:-- [F] "Blynne, burne, of þy bur, bede me no mo; I haf a stroke in þis sted with-oute stryf hent, 2324 [G] & if þow reche3 me any mo, I redyly schal quyte, & 3elde 3ederly a3ayn, & þer to 3e tryst, & foo; [H] Bot on stroke here me falle3, 2328 Þe couenaunt schop ry3t so, [Sikered][1] in Arþure3 halle3, & þer-fore, hende, now hoo!"
[Sidenote A: He let fall his loom on the bare] [Sidenote B: neck of Sir Gawayne.] [Sidenote C: The sharp weapon pierced the flesh so that the blood flowed.] [Sidenote D: When the knight saw the blood on the snow,] [Sidenote E: he unsheathed his sword, and thus spake:] [Sidenote F: "Cease, man, of thy blow.] [Sidenote G: If thou givest me any more, readily shall I requite thee.] [Sidenote H: Our agreement stipulates only one stroke."] [Footnote 1: Illegible.]
XV.
[A] The haþel heldet hym fro, & on his ax rested, 2332 Sette þe schaft vpon schore, & to be scharp lened, [B] & loked to þe leude, þat on þe launde 3ede, How þat do3ty dredles deruely þer stonde3, Armed ful a3le3; in hert hit hym lyke3. 2336 þenn he mele3 muryly, wyth a much steuen, [C] & wyth a r[a]ykande rurde he to þe renk sayde, "Bolde burne, on þis bent be not so gryndel; No mon here vn-manerly þe mys-boden habbe, 2340 Ne kyd, bot as couenaunde, at kynge3 kort schaped; [D] I hy3t þe a strok, & þou hit hat3, halde þe wel payed, I relece þe of þe remnaunt, of ry3tes alle oþer; 3if[1] I deliuer had bene, a boffet, paraunter, 2344 [E] I couþe wroþeloker haf waret, [&] to þe haf wro3t anger.[2] Fyrst I mansed þe muryly, with a mynt one, [F] & roue þe wyth no rof, sore with ry3t I þe profered, For þe forwarde that we fest in þe fyrst ny3t, [Fol. 122b.] 2348 & þou trystyly þe trawþe & trwly me halde3, Al þe gayne þow me gef, as god mon shulde; [G] Þat oþer munt for þe morne, mon, I þe profered, Þou kyssedes my clere wyf, þe cosse3 me ra3te3, 2352 For boþe two here I þe bede bot two bare myntes, boute scaþe; [H] Trwe mon trwe restore, Þenne þar mon drede no waþe; 2356 [I] At þe þrid þou fayled þore, & þer-for þat tappe ta þe.
[Sidenote A: The Green Knight rested on his axe,] [Sidenote B: looked on Sir Gawayne, who appeared bold and fearless,] [Sidenote C: and addressed him as follows: "Bold knight, be not so wroth,] [Sidenote D: I promised thee a stroke and thou hast it, be satisfied.] [Sidenote E: I could have dealt worse with thee.] [Sidenote F: I menaced thee with one blow for the covenant between us on the first night.] [Sidenote G: Another I aimed at thee because thou kissedst my wife.] [Sidenote H: A true man should restore truly, and then he need fear no harm.] [Sidenote I: Thou failedst at the third time, and therefore take thee that tap. (See l. 1861.)] [Footnote 1: uf, in MS.] [Footnote 2: This word is doubtful.]
XVI.
[A] For hit is my wede þat þou were3, þat ilke wouen girdel, Myn owen wyf hit þe weued, I wot wel forsoþe; 2360 [B] Now know I wel þy cosses, & þy costes als, & þe wowyng of my wyf, I wro3t hit myseluen; [C] I sende hir to asay þe, & sothly me þynkke3, On þe fautlest freke, þat euer on fote 3ede; 2364 As perle bi þe quite pese is of prys more, So is Gawayn, in god fayth, bi oþer gay kny3te3. [D] Bot here you lakked a lyttel, sir, & lewte yow wonted, Bot þat wat3 for no wylyde werke, ne wowyng nauþer, 2368 [E] Bot for 3e lufed your lyf, þe lasse I yow blame." Þat oþer stif mon in study stod a gret whyle; So agreued for greme he gryed with-inne, [F] Alle þe blode of his brest blende in his face, 2372 Þat al he schrank for schome, þat þe schalk talked. Þe forme worde vpon folde, þat þe freke meled,-- [G] "Corsed worth cowarddyse & couetyse boþe! In yow is vylany & vyse, þat vertue disstrye3." 2376 [H] Þenne he ka3t to þe knot, & þe kest lawse3, Brayde broþely þe belt to þe burne seluen: "Lo! þer þe falssyng, foule mot hit falle! [I] For care of þy knokke cowardyse me ta3t 2380 To a-corde me with couetyse, my kynde to for-sake, Þat is larges & lewte, þat longe3 to kny3te3. [J] Now am I fawty, & falce, & ferde haf ben euer; Of trecherye & vn-trawþe boþe bityde sor3e 2384 & care! [K] I bi-knowe yow, kny3t, here stylle, [Fol. 123.] Al fawty is my fare, Lete3 me ouer-take your wylle, 2388 & efle I schal be ware."
[Sidenote A: For my weed (woven by my wife) thou wearest.] [Sidenote B: I know thy kisses and my wife's wooing.] [Sidenote C: I sent her to try thee, and faultless I found thee.] [Sidenote D: But yet thou sinnedst a little,] [Sidenote E: for love of thy life."] [Sidenote F: Gawayne stands confounded.] [Sidenote G: "Cursed," he says, "be cowardice and covetousness both!"] [Sidenote H: Then he takes off the girdle and throws it to the knight.] [Sidenote I: He curses his cowardice,] [Sidenote J: and confesses himself to have been guilty of untruth.] [Sidenote K: ]
XVII.
[A] Thenne lo3e þat oþer leude, & luflyly sayde, "I halde hit hardily[1] hole, þe harme þat I hade; [B] Þou art confessed so clene, be-knowen of þy mysses, 2392 & hat3 þe penaunce apert, of þe poynt of myn egge, [C] I halde þe polysed of þat ply3t, & pured as clene, As þou hade3 neuer forfeted, syþen þou wat3 fyrst borne. [D] & I gif þe, sir, þe gurdel þat is golde hemmed; 2396 For hit is grene as my goune, sir G:, 3e maye Þenk vpon þis ilke þrepe, þer þou forth þrynge3 Among prynces of prys, & þis a pure token [E] Of þe chaunce of þe grene chapel, at cheualrous kny3te3; 2400 [F] & 3e schal in þis nwe 3er a3ayn to my wone3, & we schyn reuel þe remnaunt of þis ryche fest, ful bene." Þer laþed hym fast þe lorde, 2404 & sayde, "with my wyf, I wene, We schal yow wel acorde, Þat wat3 your enmy kene."