[A] "For-þy, goude sir Gawayn, let þe gome one,
& got3 a-way sum oþer gate; vpon Godde3 halue;
2120 [B] Cayre3 bi sum oþer kyth, þer Kryst mot yow spede;
& I schal hy3 me hom a3ayn, & hete yow fyrre,
[C] Þat I schal swere bi God, & alle his gode hal3e3, [Fol. 119b.]
As help me God & þe halydam, & oþe3 in-noghe,
2124 Þat I schal lelly yow layne, & lance neuer tale,
Þat euer 3e fondet to fle, for freke þat I wyst."
"Grant merci;" quod Gawayn, & gruchyng he sayde,
"Wel worth þe wy3e, þat wolde3 my gode,
2128 & þat lelly me layne, I leue wel þou wolde3!
[D] Bot helde þou hit neuer so holde, & I here passed,
Founded for ferde for to fle, in fourme þat þou telle3,
I were a kny3t kowarde, I my3t not[1] be excused.
2132 [E] Bot I wy1 to þe chape1, for chaunce þat may falle,
& talk wyth þat ilk tulk þe tale þat me lyste,
Worþe hit wele, oþer wo, as þe wyrde lyke3
hit hafe;
2136 [F] Þa3e he be a sturn knape,
To sti3tel, &[2] stad with staue,
[G] Ful wel con dry3tyn schape,
His seruaunte3 forto saue."
[Sidenote A: Wherefore, good Sir Gawayne, let this man alone.]
[Sidenote B: Go by some other region,]
[Sidenote C: I swear by God and all His saints, that I will never say that
ever ye attempted to flee from any man."]
[Sidenote D: Gawayne replies that to shun this danger would mark him as a
"coward knight."]
[Sidenote E: To the Chapel, therefore, he will go,]
[Sidenote F: though the owner thereof were a stern knave.]
[Sidenote G: "Full well can God devise his servants for to save."]
[Footnote 1: mot, in MS.]
[Footnote 2: & &, in MS.]
VII.
2140 [A] "Mary!" quod þat oþer mon, "now þou so much spelle3,
Þat þou wylt þyn awen nye nyme to þy-seluen,
& þe lyst lese þy lyf, þe lette I ne kepe;
[B] Haf here þi helme on þy hede, þi spere in þi honde,
2144 & ryde me doun þis ilk rake, bi 3on rokke syde,
[C] Til þou be bro3t to þe boþem of þe brem valay;
[D] Þenne loke a littel on þe launde, on þi lyfte honde,
[E] & þou schal se in þat slade þe self chapel,
2148 & þe borelych burne on bent, þat hit kepe3.
Now fare3 wel on Gode3 half, Gawayn þe noble,
For alle þe golde vpon grounde I nolde go with þe,
Ne bere þe fela3schip þur3 þis fryth on fote fyrre."
2152 [F] Bi þat þe wy3e in þe wod wende3 his brydel,
Hit þe hors with þe hele3, as harde as he my3t,
Lepe3 hym ouer þe launde, & leue3 þe kny3t þere,
al one.
2156 [G] "Bi Godde3 self," quod Gawayn,
"I wyl nauþer grete ne grone,
[H] To Godde3 wylle I am ful bayn,
& to hym I haf me tone."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account