Sir Gawain and The Green Knight
(I, v, 640-712)

And first, he was faultless in his five senses,
                                    Nor found ever to fail in his five fingers,
                                    And all his fealty was fixed upon the five wounds
                                    That Christ got on the cross, as the creed tells;
                                    And whenever this man in melee took part,
                                    His one thought was of this, past all this else,
                                    That all his force was founded on the five joys
                                    That the high Queen of heaven had in her child.
                                    And therefore, as I find, he fittingly had
                                    On the inner part of his shield her image portrayed,
                                    That when his look on it lighted, he never lost heart.
                                    The fifth of the five fives followed by this knight
                                    Were beneficence boundless and brotherly love
                                    And pure mind and manners, that none might impeach,
                                    And compassion most precious-these peerless five
                                    Were forged and made fast in him, foremost of men.
                                    Now all these five fives were conformed in this knight,
                                    And each liked in other, that end there was none,
                                    And fixed to five points, whose force never failed,
                                    Nor assembled all on a side, nor asunder either,
                                    Nor anywhere at an end, but whole and entire
                                    However the pattern proceeded or played out its course.
                                    And so on his shining shield shaped was the knot
                                    Royally in red gold against red gules,
                                    That is the peerless pentangle, prized of old
                                                                                    in lore.
                                                   Now armed is Gawain gay
                                                                        And bears his lance before,
                                                                        And soberly said good day,
                                                                        He thought forevermore.

                                    He struck his steed with the spurs and sped on his way
                                    So fast that the flint-fire flashed from the stones.
                                    When they saw him set forth they were sore aggrieved,
                                    And all sighed softly, and said to each other,
                                    Fearing for their fellow, "Ill fortune it is
                                    That you, man, must be marred, that most are worthy!
                                    His equal on this earth can hardly be found;
                                    To have dealt more discreetly had done less harm,
                                    And have dubbed him a duke, with all due honor.
                                    A great leader of lords he was like to become,
                                    And better so to have been than battered to bits,
                                    Beheaded by an elf-man, for empty pride!
                                    Who would credit that a king could be counseled so,
                                    And caught in a cavil in a Christmas game?"
                                    Many were the warm tears they wept from their eyes
                                    When goodly Sir Gawain was gone from the court
                                                                                  that day.
                                  No longer he abode,
                                                                        But speedily went his way
                                                                        Over many a wandering road,
                                                                        As I heard my author say.

                                    Now he rides in his array through the realm of Logres,
                                    Sir Gawain, God knows, though it gave him small joy!
                                    All alone must he lodge through many a long night
                                    Where the food that he fancied was far from his plate;
                                    He had no mate but his mount, over mountain and plain,
                                    Nor man to say his mind to almighty God,
                                    Till he had wandered well-nigh into North Wales.
                                    All the islands of Anglesey he holds on his left,
                                    And follows, as he fares, the fords by the coast,
                                    Comes over at Holy Head, and enters next
                                    The Wilderness of Wirral--few were within
                                    That had great good will toward God or man.
                                    And earnestly he asked of each mortal he met
                                    If he had ever heard aught of a knight all green,
                                    Or of a Green Chapel, on ground thereabouts,
                                    And all said the same, and solemnly swore
                                    They saw no such knight all solely green
                                                                                    in hue.
                                                                        Over country wild and strange
                                                                        The knight sets off anew;
                                                                        Often his course must change
                                                                        Era the Chapel comes in view.