2284
Bot
busk,
make haste
burne,
knight
bi þi fayth,
on thy honour
&
bryng me to þe poynt,
come to the point with me
Bring me to the point; deal me my destiny at once."
2285
Dele
deal
to
me
my
destiné,
&
do
hit
out of honde,
straight away
2286
For
I
schal
stonde
stand and take from
þe
thee
a
strok,
blow
&
start
flinch
no
more,
2287
Til
þyn
ax
axe
haue
me
hitte,
haf
have
here
my
trawþe.”
plighted word
2288
“Haf at þe
let me get at you (þe=thee)
þenne,”
quod
þat
oþer,
&
heueȝ
lifts
hit
alofte,
up
"Have at thee, then," says the other.
2289
&
wayteȝ
looks
as
wroþely,
fiercely
as
as if
he
wode
mad
were;
2290
He
mynteȝ
aims
at
hym
maȝtyly,
forcibly
bot
not
þe
mon
ryueȝ,[1]
touches
With that he aims at him a blow.
2291
With-helde
checked
heterly
suddenly
h[i]s
honde,
er
before
hit
hurt
wound
myȝt.
could
2292
Gawayn
grayþely
duly
hit
bydeȝ,
waits for
&
glent
flinched
with
no
membre,
limb
Gawayne never flinches, but stands as still as a stone.
2293
Bot
stode
stylle as þe ston,
stock-still
oþer
(...auþer) or else
a
stubbe
stump
auþer,
2294
Þat
raþeled
entwined
is
in
roche
rocky
grounde,
with
roteȝ
roots
a
hundreth.
hundred
2295
Þen
muryly
playfully
efte
again
con
did
he
mele,
speak
þe
mon
in
þe
grene,
2296
“So
now
now that
þou
hatȝ
þi
hert
courage
holle,
whole
hitte
to hit
me
bihou[e]s;
it behoves
"Now," says the Green Knight, "I must hit thee, since thy heart is whole."
2297
Halde þe
may...keep thee
now
þe
thee
hyȝe
high
hode,
order (of knighthood)
þat
Arþur
þe
thee
raȝt,
offered
2298
&
kepe
preserve
þy
kanel
neck
at
þis
kest,
stroke
ȝif
if
hit
keuer
manage
may.”
can
2299
G:
ful
gryndelly
fiercely
with
greme
wrath
þenne
sayde,
2300
“Wy
why
þresch
smite
on,
þou
þro
fierce
mon,
þou
þreteȝ
threatens
to
too
longe,
"Thrash on," says the other.
2301
I
hope
believe
þat
þi
hert
heart
arȝe
is afraid
wyth
of
þyn awen seluen.”
thyself
2302
“For soþe,”
indeed
quod
þat
oþer
freke,
knight
“so
felly
fiercely
þou
spekeȝ,
2303
I
wyl
no
lenger
longer
on lyte
in delay
lette
hinder
þin
ernde,
mission
2304
riȝt
nowe.”
2305
Þenne
tas
takes
he[2]
hym
himself
stryþe
stance
to
stryke,
Then the Green Knight makes ready to strike.
2306
&
frounses
puckers
boþe
lyppe
lip
&
browe,
forehead
2307
No
meruayle
wonder
þaȝ
if
hym
myslyke,
it may displease
2308
Þat
who
hoped
of
for
no
rescowe.
rescue
But hasten thou, and let us come to the point. Deal me my destiny, and do it out of hand, for I will stand thee a stroke, and start aside no more till thine axe hath smitten me: have here my troth.' 'Have at thee then,' quoth that other, and he heaved the axe aloft and looked so angry that he might have been a madman. He struck at him mightily, but withheld his hand suddenly ere it could hurt him. Gawain promptly abided it and shrank in no limb of his body, but stood still as a stone or a tree stock that is rooted in the rocky ground with a hundred roots. Then merrily 'gan he speak, the man in green, 'So now thou hast thy heart whole and while it behoves me to smite. Hold high thy hood that Arthur gave thee, and keep thy neck to thy body lest it get in the way again.' Gawain then answered him full fiercely, and with heart sorrow, 'Strike then, thou bold man; thou dost threaten too long. I hope that thy heart may wax timid.' 'Forsooth,' quoth that other, 'so fiercely thou dost speak, I will no longer hinder thee of thine errand
right now.'
Then took he a stride to strike,
And wrinkled lips and brow,
No marvel it did him mislike,
Who hoped for no rescue now.
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.