SIR GAWAIN'S STAY IN THE GREEN CASTLE
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

'In goud fayþe,' quoþ Gawayn, 'God yow forelde!
Gret is þe gode gle, and gomen to me huge,
Þat so worþy as e wolde wynne hidere,
And pyne yow with so pouer a mon, as play wyth your knyt
With anyskynnez countenaunce, hit keuerez me ese;
Bot to take þe toruayle to myself to trwluf expoun,
And towche þe temez of tyxt and talez of armez
To yow þat, I wot wel, weldez more slyt
Of þat art, bi þe half, or a hundreth of seche
As I am, oþer euer schal, in erde þer I leue,
Hit were a folé felefolde, my fre, by my trawþe.
I wolde yowre wylnyng worche at my myt,
As I am hyly bihalden, and euermore wylle
Be seruaunt to yourseluen, so saue me Drytyn!'
Þus hym frayned þat fre, and fondet hym ofte,
For to haf wonnen hym to woe, what-so scho þot ellez;
Bot he defended hym so fayr þat no faut semed,
Ne non euel on nawþer halue, nawþer þay wysten
bot blysse.
Þay laed and layked longe;
At þe last scho con hym kysse,
Hir leue fayre con scho fonge
And went hir waye, iwysse.

Then ruþes hym þe renk and ryses to þe masse,
And siþen hor diner watz dyt and derely serued.
Þe lede with þe ladyez layked alle day,
Bot þe lorde ouer þe londez launced ful ofte,
Swez his vncely swyn, þat swyngez bi þe bonkkez
And bote þe best of his brachez þe bakkez in sunder
Þer he bode in his bay, tel bawemen hit breken,
And madee hym mawgref his hed for to mwe vtter,
So felle flonez þer flete when þe folk gedered.
Bot et þe styffest to start bi stoundez he made,
Til at þe last he watz so mat he myt no more renne,
Bot in þe hast þat he myt he to a hole wynnez
Of a rasse bi a rokk þer rennez þe boerne.
He gete þe bonk at his bak, bigynez to scrape,
Þe froþe femed at his mouth vnfayre bi þe wykez,
Whettez his whyte tuschez; with hym þen irked
Alle þe burnez so bolde þat hym by stoden
To nye hym on-ferum, bot nee hym non durst
for woþe;
He hade hurt so mony byforne
Þat al þut þenne ful loþe
Be more wyth his tusches torne,
Þat breme watz and braynwod bothe,

Til þe knyt com hymself, kachande his blonk,
Sy hym byde at þe bay, his burnez bysyde;
He lytes luflych adoun, leuez his corsour,
Braydez out a bryt bront and bigly forth strydez,
Foundez fast þur þe forth þer þe felle bydez.
Þe wylde watz war of þe wye with weppen in honde,
Hef hyly þe here, so hetterly he fnast
Þat fele ferde for þe freke, lest felle hym þe worre.
Þe swyn settez hym out on þe segge euen,
Þat þe burne and þe bor were boþe vpon hepez
In þe wytest of þe water; þe worre hade þat oþer,
For þe mon merkkez hym wel, as þay mette fyrst,
Set sadly þe scharp in þe slot euen,
Hit hym vp to þe hult, þat þe hert schyndered,
And he arrande hym elde, and edoun þe water
ful tyt.
A hundreth houndez hym hent,
Þat bremely con hym bite,
Burnez him brot to bent,
And doggez to dethe endite.

There watz blawyng of prys in mony breme horne,
Hee halowing on hie with haþelez þat myt;
Brachetes bayed þat best, as bidden þe maysterez
Of þat chargeaunt chace þat were chef huntes.
Þenne a wye þat watz wys vpon wodcraftez
To vnlace þis bor lufly bigynnez.
Fyrst he hewes of his hed and on hie settez,
And syþen rendez him al roghe bi þe rygge after,
Braydez out þe boweles, brennez hom on glede,
With bred blent þerwith his braches rewardez.
Syþen he britnez out þe brawen in bryt brode cheldez,
And hatz out þe hastlettez, as hitly bisemez;
And et hem halchez al hole þe haluez togeder,
And syþen on a stif stange stoutly hem henges.
Now with þis ilk swyn þay swengen to home;
Þe bores hed watz borne bifore þe burnes seluen
Þat him forferde in þe forþe þur forse of his honde
so stronge.
Til he se Sir Gawayne
In halle hym pot ful longe;
He calde, and he com gayn
His feez þer for to fonge.