37
Þis
kyng
lay
was lodged
at
Camylot
vpon
kryst-masse,
Arthur held at Camelot his Christmas feast,
38
With
mony
many a
luflych
fair
lorde,
ledeȝ
men
of
þe
best,
39
Rekenly
worthily
of
þe
rounde
table
alle
þo
those
rich
noble
breþer,
brothers-in-arms
with all the knights of the Round Table,
40
With
rych
reuel
revelry
oryȝt,
fittingly
&
rechles
care-free
merþes;
pleasures
41
Þer
there
tournayed
tourneyed
tulkes
knights
bi-tymeȝ
on occasions
ful
very
mony,
many
42
Iusted
jousted
ful
very
Iolilé
gallantly
þise
these
gentyle
noble
kniȝtes,
knights
43
Syþen
afterwards
kayred
rode
to
þe
court,
caroles
carols (=dance and song)
to
make.
44
For
þer
there
þe
fest
festival
watȝ
was
ilyche
the same
ful
fully
fiften
dayes,
full fifteen days.
45
With
alle
þe
mete
food
&
þe
mirþe
pleasure
þat
men
couþe
could
a-vyse;
devise
46
Such
glaumande
noise of merrymaking and
gle
merriment
glorious
to
here,
hear
47
Dere
pleasant
dyn
noise
vp-on
by
day,
daunsyng
on
at
nyȝtes,
night
48
Al
watȝ
was
hap
happiness
vpon heȝe
to the highest pitch
in
halleȝ
halls
&
chambreȝ,
All was joy in hall and chamber,
49
With
lordeȝ
&
ladies,
as
leuest
most delightful
him
them
þoȝt;
it seemed to
50
With
all
þe
wele
joy
of
þe
worlde
þay
they
woned
lived
þer
there
samen,
together
51
Þe
most
kyd
famous
knyȝteȝ
knights
vnder
kryste seluen,
Christ himself
among brave knights and lovely ladies,
52
&
þe
louelokkest
fairest
ladies
þat
euer
lif
life
haden,
had
53
&
he
þe
comlokest
noblest
kyng
þat
þe
court
haldes;
rules
54
For
al
watȝ
was
þis
fayre
folk
in
her
their
first
age,
55
on
in
sille;
hall
56
Þe
hapnest
most fortunate
vnder
heuen,
heaven
the happiest under heaven.
57
Kyng
hyȝest
greatest
mon
man
of
in
wylle,
temper
58
Hit
it
were[1]
would be
now
gret
nye
difficulty
to
neuen
mention
59
So
hardy
bold
a
here
company
on
hille.
castle-mound
This King Arthur was at Camelot at Christmas with many a lovely lord, and they were all princely brethren of the Round Table, and they made rich revel and mirth, and were free from care. And betimes these gentle knights held full many a tournament, and jousted in jolly fashion, and then returned they to the court to sing the Christmas carols. And the feasting was for fifteen days, and it was with all the meat and mirth that men could devise. And glorious to hear was the noisy glee by day and the dancing by night, and all was joyous in hall and chamber, among the lords and ladies as it pleased them, and they were the most renowned knights under Christ and the loveliest ladies that ever lived, for all these fair folk were in their first age, and great were they
in mirth
The gayest in the land,
The king was of great worth,
I could not name a band
So hardy upon earth.
Text and side-notes from Richard Morris (1869). Interlinear glosses from Brunetti. Translation from Ernest Kirtlan's Sir Gawain and the Green Knight: Rendered Literally Into Modern English.
Sources integrated and rendered by James K. Tauber.