{SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT}
[F 3] {Fitte}
[P 201]
[L 1126]
Ful erly bifore the day the folk up rysen;
Gestes that go wolde hor gromes thay calden, {$grooms$}
And thay busken up bilyve blonkkes to sadel,
Tyffen her takles, trussen her males.
[L 1130]
 Richen hem the rychest, to ryde alle arayde,
Lepen up lyghtly, lachen her brydeles, {$take hold of$}
Uche wyye on his way ther hym wel lyked. {$man; pleased$}
The leve lorde of the londe was not the last {$beloved$}
Arayed for the rydyng, with renkkes ful mony; {$men$}
[L 1135]
 Ete a sop hastyly, when he hade herde masse, {$(he) ate; light meal$}
With bugle to bent-felde he buskes bylyve. {$open field; hastens$}
By that any daylyght lemed upon erthe, {$by (the time that); shone$}
He with his hatheles on hyghe horsses weren. {$men$}
Thenne thise cacheres that couthe cowpled hor houndes,
[L 1140]
 Unclosed the kenel dore and calde hem theroute, 
Blwe bygly in bugles thre bare motes; {$strongly; single notes$}
Braches bayed therfore and breme noyse maked, {$hounds; loud$}
And thay chastysed and charred on chasyng that went,
A hundreth of hunteres, as I haf herde telle,
[L 1145]
 of the best.
To trystors vewters yod,
Couples huntes of kest;
Ther ros for blastes gode
Gret rurd in that forest. {$noise$}
[L 1150]
 At the fyrst quethe of the quest quaked the wylde;
Der drof in the dale, doted for drede, {$fled; went mad$}
Hiyed to the hyghe, bot heterly thay were
Restayed with the stablye, that stoutly ascryed.
[P 202]
Thay let the herttes haf the gate, with the hyghe hedes, {$pass freely$}
[L 1155]
 The breme bukkes also with hor brode paumes; {$fierce; antlers$}
For the fre lorde hade defende in fermysoun tyme
That ther schulde no mon meve to the male dere.
The hindes were halden in with `hay!' and `war!'
The does dryven with gret dyn to the depe slades. {$valleys$}
[L 1160]
 Ther myght mon se, as thay slypte, slentyng of arwes; {$were loosed; glancing$$}
At uche wende under wande wapped a flone,
That bigly bote on the broun with ful brode hedes.
What! thay brayen and bleden, bi bonkkes thay deyen {$scream; die$}
And ay rachches in a res radly hem folwes,
[L 1165]
 Hunteres wyth hyghe horne hasted hem after, {$loud$}
Wyth such a crakkande kry as klyffes haden brusten.
What wylde so atwaped wyyes that schotten
Was al toraced and rent at the resayt,
Bi thay were tened at the hyghe and taysed to the wattres.
[L 1170]
 The ledes were so lerned at the lowe trysteres,
And the grehoundes so grete, that geten hem bylyve
And hem tofylched as fast as frekes myght loke,
ther ryght.
The lorde for blys abloy {$transported$}
[L 1175]
 Ful oft con launce and lyght, {$galloped; dismounted$}
And drof that day wyth joy {$passed$}
Thus to the derk nyght. {$till$}
[V ]
Thus laykes this lorde by lynde-wodes eves,
And Gawayn the god mon in gay bed lyges, {$lies$}
[P 203]
[L 1180]
 Lurkkes quyl the daylyght lemed on the wowes,
Under covertour ful clere, cortyned aboute. {$canopy$}
And as in slomeryng he slode, sleyly he herde
A littel dyn at his dor, and derfly upon;
And he heves up his hed out of the clothes, {$lifts$}
[L 1185]
 A corner of the cortyn he caght up a lyttel, {$raised$}
And waytes warly thiderwarde quat hit be myght.
Hit was the ladi, loflyest to beholde, {$loveliest$}
That drow the dor after hir ful dernly and stylle, {$drew; silently$}
And bowed towarde the bed; and the burne schamed, {$moved; was embarrassed$}
[L 1190]
 And layde hym doun lystyly and let as he slepte.{$artfully; pretended$}
And ho stepped stilly and stel to his bedde, {$softly; stole$}
Kest up the cortyn and creped withinne,
And set hir ful softly on the bed-syde
And lenged there selly longe, to loke quen he wakened. {$stayed; very$}
[L 1195]
 The lede lay lurked a ful longe quyle, {$low$}
Compast in his concience to quat that cace myght
Meve other amount, to mervayle hym thoght.
Bot yet he sayde in hymself: `More semly hit were
To aspye wyth my spelle in space quat ho wolde.'
[L 1200]
 Then he wakenede and wroth and to-hir-warde torned, {$stretched himself$}
And unlouked his yye-lyddes and let as hym wondered,
And sayned hym, as bi his sawe the saver to worthe,
with hande.
Wyth chynne and cheke ful swete,
[L 1205]
 Bothe quit and red in blande, {$together$}
Ful lufly con ho lete,
Wyth lyppes smal laghande. {$laughing$}
[P 204]
`God moroun, Sir Gawayn,' sayde that gay lady, {$morning$}
`Ye ar a sleper unslyye, that mon may slyde hider. {$careless; slip$}
[L 1210]
 Now ar ye tan astyt, bot true uus may schape,
I schal bynde yow in your bedde, that be ye trayst.' {$be sure of that$}
Al laghande the lady lauced tho bourdes. {$made; those jests$}
`Goud moroun, gay,' quoth Gawayn the blythe, {$joyful$}
`Me schal worthe at your wille, and that me wel lykes,
[L 1215]
 For I yelde me yederly and yeye after grace;
And that is the best, be my dome, for me byhoves nede.'
And thus he bourded ayayn with mony a blythe laghter. {$jested; in return$}
`Bot wolde ye, lady lovely, then leve me grante, {$leave$}
And deprece your prysoun and pray hym to ryse, {$release; prisoner$}
[L 1220]
 I wolde bowe of this bed and busk me better, {$leave; dress$}
I schulde kever the more comfort to karp yow wyth.'
`Nay, for sothe, beau sir,' sayd that swete,
`Ye schal not rise of your bedde. I rych yow better:
I schal happe yow here that other half als,
[L 1225]
 And sythen karp wyth my knyght that I kaght have; {$talk; caught$}
For I wene wel, iwysse, Sir Wowen ye are, {$know well; indeed$}
That alle the worlde worchipes, quere-so ye ride.
Your honour, your hendelayk is hendely praysed {$courtesy; nobly$}
With lordes, wyth ladyes, with alle that lyf bere. {$by$}
[L 1230]
 And now ye ar here, iwysse, and we bot oure one; {$by ourselves$}
My lorde and his ledes ar on lenthe faren, {$men; gone far away$}
Other burnes in her bedde, and my burdes als, {$knight; ladies too$}
The dor drawen and dit with a derf haspe. {$fastened; strong$}
And sythen I have in this hous hym that al lykes,
[L 1235]
 I schal ware my whyle wel, quyl hit lastes,
with tale.
[P 205]
Ye ar welcum to my cors, {$body$}
Yowre awen won to wale; {$pleasure; take$}
Me behoves of fyne force {$sheer necessity$}
[L 1240]
 Your servaunt be, and schale.' {$and I will be$}
[V ]
`In god fayth,' quoth Gawayn, `gayn hit me thynkkes, {$an advantage$}
Thagh I be not now he that ye of speken;
To reche to such reverence as ye reherce here {$attain; describe$}
I am wyye unworthy, I wot wel myselven. {$person; know$}
[L 1245]
 Bi God, I were glad and yow god thoght
At sawe other at servyce that I sette myght
To the plesaunce of your prys -- hit were a pure joye.'
`In god fayth, Sir Gawayn,' quoth the gay lady,
`The prys and the prowes that pleses al other, {$excellence$}
[L 1250]
 If I hit lakked other set at lyght, hit were littel daynt<e;
Bot hit ar ladyes innoghe that lever wer nowthe
Haf the, hende, in hor holde, as I the habbe here,
To daly with derely your daynt<e wordes,
Kever hem comfort and colen her cares, 
[L 1255]
 Then much of the garysoun other golde that thay haven.
Bot I louve that ilk lorde that the lyfte haldes,
I haf hit holly in my honde that al desyres, {$wholly$}
thurghe grace.'
Scho made hym so gret chere,
[L 1260]
 That was so fayr of face;
The knyght with speches skere {$pure$}
Answared to uche a cace. {$everything she said$}
[V ]
`Madame,' quoth the myry mon, `Mary yow yelde, {$reward$}
For I haf founden, in god fayth, yowre fraunchis nobele {$generosity$}
[P 206]
[L 1265]
 And other ful much of other folk fongen hor dedes,
Bot the daynt<e that thay delen for my disert nysen.
Hit is the worchyp of yourself that noght bot wel connes.'
`Bi Mary,' quoth the menskful, `me thynk hit another; {$noble lady; other wise$}
For were I worth al the wone of wymmen alyve, {$multitude$}
[L 1270]
 And al the wele of the worlde were in my honde, {$wealth$}
And I schulde chepen and chose to cheve me a lorde,
For the costes that I haf knowen upon the, knyght, here, {$qualities$}
Of bewt<e and debonert<e and blythe semblaunt,
And that I haf er herkkened and halde hit here trwee,
[L 1275]
 Ther schulde no freke upon folde bifore yow be chosen.'
`Iwysse, worthy,' quoth the wyye, `ye haf waled wel better;
Bot I am proude of the prys that ye put on me, {$value$}
And, soberly your servaunt, my soverayn I holde yow,
And yowre knyght I becom, and Kryst yow foryelde! ' {$reward$}
[L 1280]
 Thus thay meled of muchquat til mydmorn paste, {$talked; many things$}
And ay the lady let lyk a hym loved mych;
The freke ferde with defence, and feted ful fayre.
`Thagh I were burde bryghtest,' the burde in mynde hade, {$fairest lady$}
`The lasse luf in his lode' -- for lur that he soght
[L 1285]
 boute hone,
The dunte that schulde hym deve, {$blow; strike down$}
And nedes hit most be done.
The lady thenn spek of leve, {$leaving$}
He granted hir ful sone,
[P 207]
[V ]
[L 1290]
 Thenne ho gef hym god day, and wyth a glent laghed, {$glance$}
And as ho stod ho stonyed hym wyth ful stor wordes: {$astonished; severe$}
`Now he that spedes uche spech this disport yelde yow!
Bot that ye be Gawan, hit gos not in mynde.'
`Querfore?' quoth the freke, and freschly he askes, {$eagerly$}
[L 1295]
 Ferde lest he hade fayled in fourme of his costes.
Bot the burde hym blessed, and bi this skyl sayde: {$said as follows$}
`So god as Gawayn gaynly haden,
And cortaysye is closed so clene in hymselven,
Couth not lyghtly haf lenged so long wyth a lady,
[L 1300]
 Bot he had craved a cosse bi his courtaysye,
Bi sum towch of summe tryfle at sum tales ende.'
Then quoth Wowen: `Iwysse, worthe as yow lykes; {$indeed; let it be$}
I schal kysse at your comaundement, as a knyght falles, {$befits$}
And firre, lest he displese yow, so plede hit no more.'
[L 1305]
 Ho comes nerre with that, and caches hym in armes {$nearer$}
Loutes luflych adoun and the leude kysses.
Thay comly bykennen to Kryst ayther other;
Ho dos hir forth at the dore withouten dyn more;
And he ryches hym to ryse and rapes hym sone, {$prepares; hurries$}
[L 1310]
 Clepes to his chamberlayn, choses his wede, {$calls; raiment$}
Bowes forth, quen he was boun, blythely to masse. {$goes; ready$}
And thenne he meved to his mete that menskly hym keped,
And made myry al day til the mone rysed, {$rose$}
with game.
[P 208]
[L 1315]
 Was never freke fayrer fonge
Bitwene two so dyngne dame, {$such worthy ladies$}
The alder and the yonge; {$older; younger$}
Much solace set thay same.
[V ]
And ay the lorde of the londe is lent on his gamnes, {$has gone$}
[L 1320]
 To hunt in holtes and hethe at hyndes barayne.
Such a sowme he ther slowe bi that the sunne heldet,
Of dos and of other dere, to deme were wonder.
Thenne fersly thay flokked in, folk at the laste, {$eagerly$}
And quykly of the quelled dere a querr<e thay maked. {$slain; heap$}
[L 1325]
 The best bowed therto with burnes innoghe,
Gedered the grattest of gres that ther were, {$fattest$}
And didden hem derely undo as the dede askes.
Serched hem at the asay summe that ther were,
Two fyngeres thay fonde of the fowlest of alle.
[L 1330]
 Sythen thay slyt the slot, sesed the erber,
Schaved wyth a scharp knyf, and the schyre knitten.
Sythen rytte thay the foure lymmes and rent of the hyde,
Then brek thay the bal<e, the boweles out token
Lystily, for laucyng and lere of the knot.
[P 209]
[L 1335]
 Thay gryped to the gargulun, and graythely departed
The wesaunt fro the wynt-hole and walt out the guttes. 
Then scher thay out the schulderes with her scharp knyves,
Haled hem by a lyttel hole, to have hole sydes.
Sithen britned thay the brest and brayden hit in twynne.
[L 1340]
 And eft at the gargulun bigynes on thenne,
Ryves hit up radly ryght to the byght,
Voydes out the avanters, and verayly therafter
Alle the rymes by the rybbes radly thay lauce.
So ryde thay of by resoun bi the rygge bones
[L 1345]
 Evenden to the haunche, that henged alle samen,
And heven hit up al hole and hwen hit of there.
And that thay neme for the noumbles bi nome, as I trowe,
bi kynde.
Bi the byght al of the thyghes
[L 1350]
 The lappes thay lauce bihynde;
To hewe hit in two thay hyyes,
Bi the bakbon to unbynde.
[V ]
Bothe the hede and the hals thay hwen of thenne, {$neck$}
And sythen sunder thay the sydes swyft fro the chyne, {$chine$}
[L 1355]
 And the corbeles fee thay kest in a greve.
Thenn thurled thay ayther thik side thurgh bi the rybbe,
And henged thenne ayther bi hoghes of the fourches,
Uche freke for his fee as falles for to have.
Upon a felle of the fayre best fede thay thayr houndes {$skin; noble beast$}
[L 1360]
 Wyth the lyver and the lyghtes, the lether of the paunches {$lining; stomachs$} 
And bred bathed in blod blende ther-amonges. {$steeped$}
Baldely thay blw prys, bayed thayr rachches;
Sythen fonge thay her flesche folden to home,
Strakande ful stoutly mony stif motes.
[P 210]
[L 1365]
 Bi that the daylyght was done, the douthe was al wonen {$company; come$}
Into the comly castel, ther the knyght bides {$stays$}
ful stille, {$quietly$}
With blys and bryght fyr bette.
The lorde is comen thertylle;
[L 1370]
When Gawayn wyth hym mette,
Ther was bot wele at wylle. {$joy; unbounded$}