Sir Gawain And The Green Knight

Chapter 1: When siege and assault had ceased…

This fair Britain, founded by that famous knight…

The king lay at Camelot one Christmas tide…

With New Year not yet a day old…

Now, Arthur would not eat until all were served…

So he stands, the stern young king…

I’ll say nothing more about the meal…

Green, were both the garments and the grinning man…

Garbed in green was the gallant rider…

And yet he had no helm or hauberk either…

Stunned, the court stared…

From the dais Arthur watched…

‘Fight? Have no worry.’

If he astonished them first…

‘By heaven,’ said Arthur…

‘Grant me grace,’ said Gawain…

The king commanded the courtly knight to stand.

‘By God,’ said the Green Knight…

The Green Knight stood…

For he held the head up high in both his hands…

And yet high-born Arthur was heavy at heart…

Chapter 2: Arthur was granted his gift of adventure…

So comes the summer season…

Yet he lingers till All Hallows…

He dwelt there that day…

Hasped in his armour…

Last they showed him his bright shield…

First he was found faultless…

He struck his steed with his spurs…

Gallant Sir Gawain then in God’s name rode out…

Forsaken he rode far distant from his friends…

More merry in the morning…

Scarcely three times had he signed the holy cross…

So he stayed his steed…

‘Sir,’ said Gawain…

Gawain gazed at the good man…

A chair by the chimney hearth…

Then enquiries came, but questions carefully put…

The Knight, done with his dining…

When Gawain gazed upon that gracious lady…

On that morning when men remember the birth of our dear lord…

That day they made much merriment…

With courteous questions he asked Gawain…

Gladness filled Gawain then…

‘Oh, one thing more’ the master said…

Chapter 3: Long before first light…

At the burst of the baying the forest trembled.

While the lord sought sport among the forest leaves…

‘Good morning, good knight,’ she murmured to Gawain…

‘Good Lord!’ said Gawain…

‘Madam,’ said that debonair man…

She bids him good day…

Still at his sport, the lord spurred his steed…

The head, too, and the neck…

The lord commands his men to meet…

Afterwards in a chamber, by the chimney…

Scenting quarry by a marshy covert…

Pressing close to shoot hunters…

Coming to the curtain, she coyly peeped in…

I would learn from you, my lord,’…

‘Good faith,’ said Gawain then…

Roused from rest, he rose…

At last came the lord…

Then in triumph many bugles blew the prise…

Merry, the lord with loud voice and laughter…

They laid out tables on top of trestles then…

They drank more amid laughter…

After Mass, he and his men down a morsel…

To hear the hounds’ voice was truly heart’s delight…

Out of the deepest darkness of drowsy dreams…

For that precious princess…

‘Such words,’ said the woman…

She offered him a rich ring…

‘Do you refuse this silk now,’…

With a word of farewell she went on her way…

So let him linger there in the lea of their love…

With night setting in…

With mirth and minstrelsy…

Courteous he kissed them…

Chapter 4: So New Year draws near…

He fastened on the finest pieces himself…

Then Gringolet was groomed for him…

The drawbridge was lowered…

I have brought you this far…

‘Good Sir Gawain, let that grim man well alone…’

‘Mary!’ said the servant…

He put spurs to Gringolet…

‘By God, what a desolate spot,’…

Gawain called out then, loud and clear…

‘Gawain,’ said the Green Knight then…

The gallant in green prepared himself…

‘So have at it, by your faith…’

Up, up swiftly went the axe…

The knight stood back and rested on his axe…

‘For that braided belt you wear…’

But the other lord laughed and then said lightly…

‘Truly, no,’ Gawain said…

‘But the belt,’ said Gawain…

‘In this green guise she sent me…’

Our worthy knight went by wild ways…

‘Behold, sir,’ he said…