English Medieval Literature

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight II

vv. 901 - 1000

Then was spied and spured upon spare

wyse

By prevy poyntes of that prynce put

to himselven,

That he beknew cortaysly of the court

that he were

That athel Arthur the hende holdes

him one

That is the rich ryal kyng of the

Rounde Table,

And hit was Wawayn himself that in

that wone sittes,

Comen to that Cristmasse as case him

then lymped.

When the lord had lerned that he the

lede had,

Loude laghed he therat, so lef hit

him thoght;

(910) And all men in that mote maden

much joy

To apere in his presense prestly that

tyme

That all pris and prowes and

pured thewes

Apendes to his persoun and praysed is

ever -

Before all men upon molde his mensk

is the most.

Uch segge ful softly sayd to his

fere:

"Now schal we semely se slyghtes

of thewes

And the techles termes of talkyng

noble.

Wich spede is in speche unspured may

we lerne,

Syn we have fonged that fyne fader of

nurture.

(920) God has geven us his grace

goodly for sothe,

That such a gest as Gawayn grauntes

us to have

When burnes blithe of his burthe

schal sitte

And syng.

In menyng of maneres mere

This burn now schal us bryng.

I hope that may him here

Schal lern of luf-takyng."

By that the diner was done and the

dere up

Hit was negh at the night neghed the

tyme.

(930) Chaplaynes to the chapeles

chosen the gate,

Rungen ful richly right as thay

schulden,

To the hersum evensong of the high

tyde.

The lord loutes therto and the lady

als;

Into a comly closet quayntly ho

entres.

Gawayn glydes ful gay and gos thider

sone.

The lord laches him by the lappe and

ledes him to sitte

And couthly him knowes and calles him

his name

And sayd he was the welcomest wye of

the worlde;

And he him thonked throly, and ayther

halched other

(940) And seten soberly samen the

servyce whyle.

Then lyst the lady to loke on the

knight;

Then come ho of hir closet with mony

clere burdes.

Ho was the fayrest in felle, of

flesche and of lere

And of compas and colour and costes,

of all other,

And wener then Wenore, as the wye

thoght.

Ho ches thrugh the chaunsel to

cheryse that hende.

Another lady hir lad by the lyft

hande

That was older then ho, an auncian

hit semed,

And highly honoured with hatheles

aboute.

(950) Bot unlyke on to loke tho

ladies were,

For if the yong was yep, yolwe was

that other.

Rich red on that one rayled aywhere;

Rogh ronkled chekes that other on

rolled.

Kerchofes of that one with mony clere

perles

Hir brest and hir bryght throte bare

displayed,

Schon schyrer then snowe that shedes

on hilles;

That other with a gorger was gered

over the swyre,

Chymbled over hir blake chyn with

chalkwhyte vayles,

Hir frount folden in silk, enfoubled

aywhere,

(960) Toret and treleted with trifles

aboute,

That noght was bare of that burde bot

the blake browes,

The twayne yen and the nase, the

naked lyppes,

And those were soure to se and

sellyly blered.

A mensk lady on molde mon may hir

calle,

For Gode.

Hir body was schort and thik,

Hir buttokes balwe and brode;

More lykkerwys on to lyk

Was that scho had on lode.

(970) When Gawayn glyght on that gay

that graciously loked,

With leve laght of the lord he lent

hem ayaynes.

The older he haylses heldande ful

lowe,

The loveker he lappes a littel in

armes.

He kysses hir comlyly and knightly he

meles.

Thay callen him of aquoyntaunce, and

he hit quik askes

To be her servaunt sothly if hemself

liked.

Thay tan him bitwene hem, with

talkyng him leden

To chamber, to chymny, and chefly

thay asken

Spyces that unsparely men speded hem

to bryng,

(980) And the wynnelych wyne therwith

uch tyme.

The lord lovely aloft lepes ful oft,

Mynned mirthe to be made upon mony

sythes,

Hent highly of his hode and on a

spere henged,

And wayned hem to wynne the worschyp

therof,

That most mirthe myght meve that

Cristmasse whyle,

"And I schal fonde, by my fayth,

to fylter with the best

Ere me wont the wede, with help of my

frendes."

Thus with laghande lotes the lord hit

tayt makes

For to glade Sir Gawayn with games in

halle

(990)

That night,

Til that hit was tyme

The lord comaunded light.

Sir Gawayn his leve con nyme

And to his bed him dight.

On the morn, as uch mon mynnes that

tyme

That Dryghtyn for uore destiny to

deye was born,

Wele waxes in uch a wone in worlde

for his sake.

So did hit there on that day thrugh

dayntyes mony,

Both at messe and at mele messes ful

quaynt,

(1000) Derf men upon dece dressed of

the best.