And said, "Horseman, by heaven thy asking is foolish, And as thou folly hast craved, it behooves that thou find it. I know no man that is aghast at thy great boasting. Give me now thy gisarme, in God's name be it, And I will bestow the boon that thou hast bidden.' Lightly he leaps to him and lays hand on the weapon; Then fiercely the other man on foot alights there. Now has Arthur his axe, and by the handle holds it, And sternly stirs it about, to strike with it thinks he. 331 The stalwart man before him stood at his full height Higher than any in the house by a head and Ther 12 such an askyng is hevened 350 Whil mony so bolde yow aboute upon bench sytten, That under heven, I hope,16 non hagher 17 of wylle, er 18 Ne better bodyes on bent,19 ther 12 baret 20 is I am the wakkest,21 I wot, and of wyt feblest, No bounté 25 bot your blod I in my bodé 27 that noght And sythen this note 26 is so nys 31 not comlyly, let alle this cort Bout 33 blame." 34 Ryche 4 to-geder con roun, 35 And sythen thay redden alle same,3 361 36 3 courteous words Than if any baron on the bench had brought Of wine. Gawain, who sat by the queen, To the king he did encline, XVI 340 "Would you, most gracious lord," quoth "But bid me leave this bench and bide by So that I without rudeness might rise from this table, And that to my liege lady there were lacking no courtesy, I would come to your counsel, before your For methinks it is unseemly, as sage men When such an asking is honoured so high in 350 While about you on bench sit so many bold ones, Nor better bodies in battle when banners are I am the weakest, I wot, and of wit feeblest, And least the loss of my life, if no lie shall be spoken; But forasmuch as you are my uncle I am only of merit No desert but your blood I in my body reckon And since this affair is so foolish that you it befits not, And I have sued for it first, let my suit be granted! And if my conduct is not comely, let all this court judge me 27 foolish 17 37 361 28 becomes 32 judge 33 without 36 and afterwards to set aside the XVII Then kindly the king commanded him to rise; And he came forward quickly and curtsied duly, Kneels down before the king and catches the weapon; And he releases it lovingly and lifts up his hand And gives him God's blessing and gladly bids him 370 That his heart and his hand should both be hardy. "Take care, cousin," said the king, "that thou carve him once, And if thou touchest him tidily, truly I trow That thou canst endure any dint that he will deal thee." Gawain goes to the green man, with gisarme in hand; And he boldly abides him, abashed was he But direct me to thy dwelling and disclose how men call thee, And I shall strive with my strength to steer my steps thither; And that I swear thee surely and by my sacred honour." "That is enough at New Year; no more is needful," Quoth the grim man in green to Gawain the courteous; "If I tell thee truly, when I the tap have taken And thou hast smoothly smitten me, if smartly I teach thee Of my house and my home and how men call me, Then mayst thou enquire my country and hold our covenant. And if I spend then no speech, thou shalt speed the better, 410 And schrank thrugh the schyire grece, and scade hit in twynne,10 9 That the bit of the broun stel bot 11 on the grounde. The fayre hede fro the halce 12 hit 13 to the erthe, That fele 14 hit foyned 15 wyth her fete, there 16 hit forth roled. The blod brayd 17 fro the body, that blykked 18 on the grene; And nawther 19 faltered ne fel the freke 20 never-the-helder,21 430 Bot stythly 22 he start forth upon styf schonkes,23 And runyschly 24 he raght 25 out, there-as 26 renkkez 27 stoden, Laght 25 to his lufly 28 hed, and lyft hit up sone;29 And sythen bowez 30 to his blonk, the brydel he cachchez, 31 |