417
The
grene
knyȝt
vpon
grounde
ground
grayþely
readily
hym
himself
dresses,
takes his stand
The Green Knight
418
A
littel
lut with
bent
þe
hede,
head
þe
lere
flesh
he
discouereȝ,
uncover
419
His
longe
louelych
fair
lokkeȝ
locks
he
layd
ouer
his
croun.
crown of the head
puts his long lovely locks aside and lays bare his neck.
420
Let
þe
naked
nec
neck
to
for
þe
note
readiness
schewe.
appear
421
Gauan
Gawain
gripped
lay hold
to
of
his
ax,
axe
&
gederes
lifts (with both hands)
hit
on hyȝt,
aloft
422
Þe
kay
left
fot
foot
on
þe
folde
ground
he
be-fore
sette,
set
423
Let
hit
doun
lyȝtly
swiftly
lyȝt
come down
on
þe
naked,
bare flesh
Sir Gawayne lets fall his axe
424
Þat
so that
þe
scharp
sharp blade
of
þe
schalk
man
schyndered
cleaved
þe
bones,
425
&
schrank
sank
þurȝ
through
þe
schyire
fair
grece,
flesh
&
scade
severed
hit
in
twynne,
two
and severs the head from the body.
426
Þat
so that
þe
bit
blade
of
þe
broun
shining
stel
steel
bot on
cut into
þe
grounde.
427
Þe
fayre
hede
head
fro
from
þe
halce
neck
hit
fell
[felle] to
þe
erþe,
earth
The head falls to the earth.
428
Þat
so that
fele
many
hit
foyned
kicked
wyth
her
their
fete,
feet
þere
where
hit
forth
roled;
rolled
Many kick it aside with their feet.
429
Þe
blod
blood
brayd
spurted
fro
from
þe
body,
þat
which
blykked
shone
on
þe
grene;
430
&
nawþer
neither
faltered
staggered
ne
nor
fel
fell
þe
freke
knight
neuer
none
þe
helder,
the more for that
The knight never falters;
431
Bot
but
styþly
undismayed
he
start
sprang
forth
vpon
styf
unweakened
schonkes,
legs
432
&
ru[n]yschly
fiercely
he
raȝt
reached
out,
þere as
where
renkkeȝ
knights
stoden,
stood
he rushes forth, seizes his head,
433
Laȝt to
seized
his
lufly
fair
hed,
head
&
lyft
lifted
hit
vp
sone;
at once
434
&
syþen
then
boȝeȝ
turns
to
his
blonk,
horse
þe
brydel
he
cachcheȝ,
catches
435
Steppeȝ
steps
in to
stel bawe
stirrup-iron
&
strydeȝ
strides
alofte,
on horseback
steps into the saddle,
436
&
his
hede
head
by
þe
here
hair
in
his
honde
hand
haldeȝ;
holds
holding the while the head in his hand by the hair,
437
&
as
sadly
firmly
þe
segge
man
hym
himself
in
his
sadel
sette,
seated
438
As
non
no
vnhap
mishap
had
hym
ayled,
troubled
þaȝ
though
hedleȝ
headless
he[1]
we[re],
439
in stedde;
there
440
He
brayde
twisted
his
bluk[2]
trunk
aboute,
and turns his horse about.
97
441
Þat
vgly
gruesome
bodi
þat
bledde,
bled
442
Moni
many a
on
one
of
hym
had
doute,
fear
443
Bi þat
by the time that
his
resounȝ
speech
were
redde.
declared
The Green Knight then prepared himself, bowed down a little, and discovered his face, and his long and lovely locks flowing about his head and he bared his neck for the business in hand. Gawain gripped the axe and held it up aloft. He put his left foot forward, then he let the axe fall lightly down on the naked neck so that it sundered the bones, pierced through the flesh, so that the point of the steel bit into the ground, and the head of the Green Knight fell to the earth. And many kicked it with their feet as it rolled there, and blood rushed forth from the body and shone red on the green garments. Yet not a whit did the Green Knight falter nor fall, but started strongly forward on stiff shanks where the men were standing, and caught hold of his head and lifted it up. Then he went to his horse, seized the bridle, stepped into the saddle, and striding aloft, he held his head by the hair, and as gravely he sat in the saddle as though no evil had befallen him and he were not headless
in that stead.
He swayed his trunk about,
The ugly body that bled;
Many of him had doubt
By the time his reasons were said.
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.