|
SIR GAWAIN'S STAY IN THE GREEN CASTLE
from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
'In goud fayþe,' quoþ Gawayn, 'God yow for elde!
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 kny t
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 sly t
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 my t,
As I am hy ly bihalden, and euermore wylle
Be seruaunt to yourseluen, so saue me Dry tyn!'
Þus hym frayned þat fre, and fondet hym ofte,
For to haf wonnen hym to wo e, what-so scho þo t ellez;
Bot he defended hym so fayr þat no faut semed,
Ne non euel on nawþer halue, nawþer þay wysten
bot blysse.
Þay la ed 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 dy t 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 my t no more renne,
Bot in þe hast þat he my t 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 ne e hym non durst
for woþe;
He hade hurt so mony byforne
Þat al þu t þenne ful loþe
Be more wyth his tusches torne,
Þat breme watz and braynwod bothe,
Til þe kny t com hymself, kachande his blonk,
Sy hym byde at þe bay, his burnez bysyde;
He ly tes luflych adoun, leuez his corsour,
Braydez out a bry t bront and bigly forth strydez,
Foundez fast þur þe forth þer þe felle bydez.
Þe wylde watz war of þe wy e with weppen in honde,
Hef hy ly 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 wy test 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 bro t to bent,
And doggez to dethe endite.
There watz blawyng of prys in mony breme horne,
He e halowing on hi e with haþelez þat my t;
Brachetes bayed þat best, as bidden þe maysterez
Of þat chargeaunt chace þat were chef huntes.
Þenne a wy e þat watz wys vpon wodcraftez
To vnlace þis bor lufly bigynnez.
Fyrst he hewes of his hed and on hi e 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 bry t brode cheldez,
And hatz out þe hastlettez, as hi tly 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 po t ful longe;
He calde, and he com gayn
His feez þer for to fonge.
Go BACK to main page
|