Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

by W. S. Merwin

  Saying things to them that made them laugh.

  He took off his hood, in play, and hung it on a spear,

  Waving it as a prize for whoever was able

  To amuse them most at that Christmas season—

  “And by my faith, I shall match myself with the best

  Before my friends help me to lose this headpiece.”

  So with words and laughter the lord entertains them

  To amuse Sir Gawain among the nobles in the hall, that night.

  Until the lord sent for light

  When it was needed,

  And Gawain said his good night

  And went off to his bed.

  In the morning, as each one thought of the time

  When God was born to die for our destiny,

  Joy welled up in everyone in this world because of him.

  So it did there on that day, with many pleasures,

  The choicest of dishes at every meal,

  An array of the best for the nobles at the high table.

  The ancient woman sits in the highest seat.

  The lord took his place next to her politely, believe me.

  Gawain and the lovely lady sit together

  At the middle of the table, and the meal was properly served,

  Each servant, all through the hall then, bringing

  Bi vche grome at his degré grayþely watz serued

  Þer watz mete, þer watz myrþe, þer watz much ioye, Þat for to telle þerof hit me tene were, And to poynte hit зet I pyned me parauenture.

  Bot зet I wot þat Wawen and þe wale burde 1010

  Such comfort of her compaynye caзten togeder

  Þurз her dere dalyaunce of her derne wordez,

  Wyth clene cortays carp closed fro fylþe,

  Þat hor play watz passande vche prynce gomen, in vayres. 1015

  Trumpez and nakerys,

  Much pypyng þer repayres;

  Vche mon tented hys,

  And þay two tented þayres.

  Much dut watz þer dryuen þat day and þat oþer, 1020

  And þe þryd as þro þronge in þerafter;

  Þe ioye of sayn Jonez day watz gentyle to here,

  And watz þe last of þe layk, leudez þer þoзten.

  Þer wer gestes to go vpon þe gray morne,

  Forþy wonderly þay woke, and þe wyn dronken, 1025

  Daunsed ful dreзly wyth dere carolez.

  At þe last, when hit watz late, þay lachen her leue,

  Vchon to wende on his way þat watz wyзe stronge.

  Gawan gef hym god day, þe godmon hym lachchez,

  Ledes hym to his awen chambre, þe chymné bysyde, 1030

  And þere he draзez hym on dryзe, and derely hym þonkkez

  Of þe wynne worschip þat he hym wayued hade,

  As to honour his hous on þat hyзe tyde,

  And enbelyse his burз with his bele chere:

  ‘Iwysse sir, quyl I leue, me worþez þe better 1035

  Everyone, according to his rank, what he wanted.

  There was food, there was laughter, there was much joy

  So that I would be hard put to tell of it And to describe it even if I did my best to.

  But well I know that Gawain and the fair lady

  Took such comfort in each other's company,

  In courtly conversation privately exchanged,

  Pure polite talk free from any lewdness,

  That their play surpassed every princely pleasure, so much is certain.

  Trumpets and kettledrums

  And many pipes played there.

  Everyone listens

  And those two hear each other.

  Much joy they all had through that day and the next

  And the third one was as crowded with pleasures.

  The joy of Saint John's Day had a gentler sound,

  Since it was the last day of the feast, as they all remembered.

  There were guests who would go away in the gray morning.

  So they stayed up and drank wine far into the night

  And danced without stopping, to the steps of pretty carols.

  At last, when it was late, they took their leave,

  Each sturdy knight setting off on his own way.

  Gawain wishes them good day and his good host takes hold of him

  And leads him to his own chamber, up to the fireplace,

  Where he draws him aside and thanks him warmly

  For the great favor that he had bestowed upon him

  In honoring his house at that high season

  And gracing his castle with his noble spirit.

  “I am sure, sire, while I live, that I shall be the better

  Þat Gawayn hatz ben my gest at Goddez awen fest.'

  ‘Grant merci, sir,’ quoþ Gawayn, ‘in god fayth hit is yowrez,

  Al þe honour is your awen—þe heзe kyng yow зelde!

  And I am wyзe at your wylle to worch youre hest,

  As I am halden þerto, in hyзe and in loзe, bi riзt.' 1040

  Þe lorde fast can hym payne

  To holde lenger þe knyзt;

  To hym answarez Gawayn

  Bi non way þat he myзt. 1045

  Then frayned þe freke ful fayre at himseluen

  Quat derue dede had hym dryuen at þat dere tyme

  So kenly fro þe kyngez kourt to kayre al his one,

  Er þe halidayez holly were halet out of toun.

  ‘For soþe, sir,’ quoþ þe segge, ‘зe sayn bot þe trawþe, 1050

  A heзe ernde and a hasty me hade fro þo wonez,

  For I am sumned myselfe to sech to a place,

  I ne wot in worlde whederwarde to wende hit to fynde.

  I nolde bot if I hit negh myзt on Nw Зeres morne

  For alle þe londe inwyth Logres, so me oure lorde help! 1055

  Forþy, sir, þis enquest I require yow here,

  Þat зe me telle with trawþe if euer зe tale herde Of þe grene chapel, quere hit on grounde stondez,

  And of þe knyзt þat hit kepes, of colour of grene.

  Þer watz stabled bi statut a steuen vus bytwene 1060

  To mete þat mon at þat mere, зif I myзt last;

  And of þat ilk Nw Зere bot neked now wontez, And I wolde

  loke on þat lede, if God me let wolde, Gladloker, bi Goddez sun, þen any god welde!

  Forþi, iwysse, bi зowre wylle, wende me bihoues, 1065

  For having had Gawain as my guest at God's own feast.”

  “My thanks to you, sir,” Gawain said, “and in good faith

  The honor is all your own—may the High King reward you!

  And I pledge myself to your will, to do your bidding,

  As I am bound to, in matters great and small, by right.”

  The lord urges

  The knight to stay

  But Gawain replies

  That it cannot be.

  Then the lord asked him courteously

  What grim deed had driven him, at that season of celebration,

  From the King's court, to set out so boldly, all alone,

  Before the holidays were over in the houses.

  “To tell the truth, sir,” the knight said, “and the plain truth,

  A high and compelling mission called me away,

  For I alone have been summoned to find a place

  I do not know where in the world to look for.

  I would not fail to be there on New Year's morning

  For all the land in Logres, the Lord help me find it!

  To that end, sir, I put this question to you:

  Tell me the truth: have you ever heard

  Of the Green Chapel, where it stands on the earth,

  And of the knight who guards it, who is of a green color?

  There was a solemn appointment settled between us

  For me to meet that man there if I lived that long,

  And now until that New Year there remains almost nothing,

  And I would rather set eyes on that knight, i
f God will let me,

  By God's sun, than have any fine thing.

  And so indeed, with your permission, I must be on my way,

  Naf I now to busy bot bare þre dayez,

  And me als fayn to falle feye as fayly of myyn ernde.'

  Þenne laзande quoþ þe lorde, ‘Now leng þe byhoues,

  For I schal teche yow to þat terme bi þe tymez ende,

  Þe grene chapayle vpon grounde greue yow no more; 1070

  Bot зe schal be in yowre bed, burne, at þyn ese,

  Quyle forth dayez, and ferk on þe fyrst of þe зere,

  And cum to þat merk at mydmorn, to make quat yow likez in spenne.

  Dowellez whyle New Зeres daye, 1075

  And rys, and raykez þenne,

  Mon schal yow sette in waye,

  Hit is not two myle henne.'

  Þenne watz Gawan ful glad, and gomenly he laзed:

  ‘Now I þonk yow þryuandely þurз alle oþer þynge, 1080

  Now acheued is my chaunce, I schal at your wylle

  Dowelle, and ellez do quat зe demen.'

  Þenne sesed hym þe syre and set hym bysyde,

  Let þe ladiez be fette to lyke hem þe better.

  Þer watz seme solace by hemself stille; 1085

  Þe lorde let for luf lotez so myry,

  As wyз þat wolde of his wyte, ne wyst quat he myзt.

  Þenne he carped to þe knyзt, criande loude,

  ‘Зe han demed to do þe dede þat I bidde;

  Wyl зe halde þis hes here at þys onez?' 1090

  ‘Зe, sir, for soþe,’ sayd þe segge trwe,

  ‘Whyl I byde in yowre borзe, be bayn to зowre hest.’

  ‘For зe haf trauayled,’ quoþ þe tulk, ‘towen fro ferre,

  And syþen waked me wyth, зe arn not wel waryst

  Nauþer of sostnaunce ne of slepe, soþly I knowe; 1095

  Since I have barely three days left now to find it,

  And it would be better to die than to fail in my mission.”

  Then the lord said, laughing, “Now you must stay on here,

  For I shall tell you how to find that place before the time is up.

  Grieve no longer over where on earth the Green Chapel is,

  For you will be in your bed, Knight, at your ease

  Well into the day, and ride out on the first of the year

  And come to that spot in mid-morning to do as you please at that place.

  Stay on until New Year's Day

  And rise and take your leave then.

  You will be shown the way.

  It is less than two miles farther on.”

  Then Gawain was glad, and he laughed happily.

  “Now I thank you heartily for this, beyond all the rest.

  Now my quest is accomplished, and I shall stay

  As you wish, and do whatever else you may ask.”

  Then the sire took hold of him and sat beside him

  And sent for the ladies to entertain him.

  There by themselves they lingered at their pleasure.

  The lord talked happily as a friend to a friend,

  Someone not overwatchful in his words,

  And he said to the knight, his voice rising,

  “You have sworn to do whatever I ask.

  Will you keep that promise here and now?”

  The true knight answered, “Truly, sir, I will obey

  Your wishes while I stay in your castle.”

  “Since you have traveled hard,” the lord said, “coming so far,

  And then dined late with me, you are not well restored yet

  Either with food or sleep, I am sure of it.

  Зe schal lenge in your lofte, and lyзe in your ese

  To-morn quyle þe messequyle, and to mete wende

  When зe wyl, wyth my wyf, þat wyth yow schal sitte

  And comfort yow with compayny, til I to cort torne; зe lende, 1100

  And I schal erly ryse,

  On huntyng wyl I wende.'

  Gauayn grantez alle þyse,

  Hym heldande, as þe hende.

  ‘Зet firre,’ quoþ þe freke, ‘a forwarde we make: 1105

  Quat-so-euer I wynne in þe wod hit worþez to yourez,

  And quat chek so зe acheue chaunge me þerforne.

  Swete, swap we so, sware with trawþe,

  Queþer, leude, so lymp, lere oþer better.'

  ‘Bi God,’ quoþ Gawayn þe gode, ‘I grant þertylle, 1110

  And þat yow lyst for to layke, lef hit me þynkes.'

  ‘Who bryngez vus þis beuerage, þis bargayn is maked’:

  So sayde þe lorde of þat lede; þay laзed vchone,

  Þay dronken and daylyeden and dalten vntyзtel,

  Þise lordez and ladyez, quyle þat hem lyked; 1115

  And syþen with Frenkysch fare and fele fayre lotez

  Þay stoden and stemed and stylly speken,

  Kysten ful comlyly and kaзten her leue.

  With mony leude ful lyзt and lemande torches

  Vche burne to his bed watz broзt at þe laste, ful softe. 1125

  To bed зet er þay зede,

  Recorded couenauntez ofte;

  Þe olde lorde of þat leude

  Cowþe wel halde layk alofte. 1125

  You shall stay in your chamber and lie at your ease

  Tomorrow until Mass time, and come for your meals

  When you please, and my wife will sit next to you

  And entertain you with her company until I come home. You stay

  And I shall rise early

  And be off hunting.”

  Gawain grants this completely,

  Politely bowing.

  “Besides, sir,” the lord said, “let us have an agreement,

  Whatever I take in the wood will be yours,

  And in exchange you will give me whatever you may acquire.

  Agree to that, good sir, and let us swear to it,

  Whatever gain or loss may befall us.”

  “In God's name,” good Gawain said, “I will grant you that,

  And I am glad that you are a gambling man.”

  “Let us have a drink to seal our agreement,”

  The lord said to that knight, and both of them laughed.

  They drank and amused each other with their talk,

  Those lords and ladies, at their leisure,

  And then in courtly fashion and with many fine phrases

  They stood lingering, speaking in low voices,

  And kissed courteously and took leave of each other,

  And, escorted by many servants with torches flaming,

  Each knight was lighted at last to his soft bed.

  On their way to bed

  They went over their bargain.

  The castle's old lord

  Knew how to amuse them.

  III

  Ful erly bifore þe day þe folk vprysen,

  Gestes þat go wolde hor gromez þay calden,

  And þay busken vp bilyue blonkkez to sadel,

  Tyffen her takles, trussen her males,

  Richen hem þe rychest, to ryde alle arayde, 1130

  Lepen vp lyзtly, lachen her brydeles,

  Vche wyзe on his way þer hym wel lyked.

  Þe leue lorde of þe londe watz not þe last

  Arayed for þe rydyng, with renkkez ful mony;

  Ete a sop hastyly, when he hade herde masse, 1135

  With bugle to bent-felde he buskez bylyue.

  By þat any daylyзt lemed vpon erþe

  He with his haþeles on hyзe horsses weren.

  Þenne þise cacheres þat couþe cowpled hor houndez,

  Vnclosed þe kenel dore and calde hem þeroute, 1140

  Blwe bygly in buglez þre bare mote;

  Braches bayed þerfore and breme noyse maked;

  And þay chastysed and charred on chasyng þat went,

  A hundreth of hunteres, as I haf herde telle, of þe best. 1145

  To trystors vewters зod,

  Couples
huntes of kest;

  Þer ros for blastez gode

  Gret rurd in þat forest.

  Early, before daybreak, everyone was up.

  The guests who were leaving summoned their servants

  And they hurried to have the horses saddled,

  Get their gear ready and their bags packed.

  Dressed in high attire to ride in their finery,

  They leap up lightly, take hold of their bridles,

  Each heading off the way he wanted to go.

  The belovèd lord of the land was not the last,

  Dressed up for riding, many knights with him.

  He eats something quickly when he has heard Mass.

  With bugles blowing he hurries to the hunt.

  By the time the daylight shone over the earth

  He and his knights were on their tall horses.

  The dog handlers skillfully leashed the hounds in pairs,

  Unlocked the kennel door and called them out,

  Blew loud on the bugles three bare notes

  To start the hounds baying and raising a wild din,

  And they whipped them in as they went off to the hunt,

  A hundred hunters of the best, is the way I have heard it.

  Handlers went to their stations,

  Unleashed the paired hounds.

  The loud horns

  Filled the forest with their sounds.

  At þe fyrst quethe of þe quest quaked þe wylde; 1150

  Der drof in þe dale, doted for drede,

  Hiзed to þe hyзe, bot heterly þay were

  Restayed with þe stablye, þat stoutly ascryed.

  Þay let þe herttez haf þe gate, with þe hyзe hedes,

  Þe breme bukkez also with hor brode paumez; 1155

  For þe fre lorde hade defende in fermysoun tyme

  Þat þer schulde no mon meue to þe male dere.

  Þe hindez were halden in with hay! and war!

  Þe does dryuen with gret dyn to þe depe sladez;

  Þer myзt mon se, as þay slypte, slentyng of arwes— 1160

  At vche wende vnder wande wapped a flone—

  Þat bigly bote on þe broun with ful brode hedez.

  What! þay brayen, and bleden, bi bonkkez þay deзen,

  And ay rachches in a res radly hem folзes,

  Hunterez wyth hyзe horne hasted hem after 1165

  Wyth such a crakkande kry as klyffes haden brusten.

  What wylde so atwaped wyзes þat schotten

  Watz al toraced and rent at þe resayt,

  Bi þay were tened at þe hyзe and taysed to þe wattrez;

  Þe ledez were so lerned at þe loзe trysteres, 1170