As he goes through the chancel his greeting to give.
Anóther lády her léd by the left hand,
Who of age was the older, an ancient it seem’d,
Escorted by squires with a courtly respect.
But unlike to look on those ladies appear’d,
Fair of youth was the younger, but yellow the other,
In complexion of rose was the younger array’d,
Rough cheeks and wrinkled hung on the ancient;
Kerchiefs on the one, with clear-white pearls,
(Her breast and her bright throat all bare display’d,)
Like the sheen snow shone, that is shed upon hills;
The elder had a gorget94 gear’d o’er her throat,
A chin full swart, in a chalk-white chimble,95
Fórehead fólden in sílk, her front all muffled,
Turreted and trick’d with trifles and gauds,
So that nothing was bare but the bláck bròws,
The nose and the eyes and the naked lips,
That were unsightly with sores and sorrily blear’d;
A worshipful wight you might wéll call her
fore God!
Her body was short and stout,
Her buttocks round and broad:
A tastier thing, no doubt,
Was she that by her strode.
XL
Gawain glanced on that gay with the gracious mien,
And by leave of the lord, the ladies he greeted;
The ancient he salutes, louting full low,
The lovely one he laps a little in his arms,
Comelily kisses, and knightly bespeaks.
They crave his acquaintance, and quickly he asks
Their sooth servant to be, if só it them please.
Then they took him between them, and, talking the while,
Led to chamber and chimney,96 where spices full choice
They call’d for, that brisk men bustled to bring them,
And the winsome wine therewíth each time.
The lord so lovesome leapt up full oft,
By occasions many he made for them mirth,
Hád off his hood, and hung it on spear,
For any to hold the honour thereof
Who that Christmas—while most weal should waken:
“And I shall try, by my troth, to contend with the best,
Ere any shall help me that hood to forfeit.”
Thus with laughter and jest it lists him to laik,
For to gladden Sir Gawain with games in hall
that night;
’Tis time to end their play,
The lord bids bring the light;
Gawain “God-speed” did say,
And to his bed him dight.
XLI
On the morrow, as men remember the tide
When God for our destiny to die was born,
In ev’ry wone in the world waxes weal for His sake;
So the folk at the court had their festive fare,
Both at mess and at meal-time men full doughty
Daintiest dishes dress’d on the dais.
That ancient of eld at the end of the board,
With the lord at her side, full seemlily sat;
Gawain and the gay burd, together they ate,
Highest in honour, e’en as was meet;
And the rest by rank, as the rule orders,
Were seated on settle and served at table.
There was meat, there was mirth, there was measureless joy
Whereof for to tell were trouble o’ermuch,
Though I pain’d me perchance to point you the tale;
Yet I guess that Gawain and the gay lady
Of their company caught such comfort together
Through the dear dalliance of whisperèd words,
In careless converse, courteous and chaste.
That their play surpass’d any prince’s game,
I trow.
Some the loud trumpet wind,
Some on the shrill pipe blow;
Each man his note did mind
And they two theirs also.
XLII
Much merriment made they that day and the morrow,
And the third day as throng thereupon follow’d,
The jollity of St. John’s day was joyous to hear,
’Twas the last of the laik, those lieges well knew.
There were guests to go on the gray morning,
So with wassail and wine they wake all that night,
And dance uncaring the courtly carols;
At the last, full late their leave they have ta’en,
Each wight that must wend on his way towards home.
Gawain gives good-day to the goodman anon,
And he leads him to chamber, and the chimney beside
Draws him adree97 and dearly him thanks
For the winsome worship that the wight had deign’d him
By honouring his house at the holy tide
And adorning that place with his princely presence:
“And so long as I live, I shall be the better
Since Gawain was my guest at God’s own feast.”
“Gramercy, Sir,” said Gawain, “the gift is from you;
All the honour is my own, the High King reward you!
And therefore I plight me your pleasure to do,
As I am beholden, in high and in low,
by right.”
The lord said he were fain
Longer to keep the Knight
Then answer’d him Gawain
By no way that he might.
XLIII
Then by courtesy craved he to know of Sir Gawain
What dréad deed had driv’n him at that déar tide
From the King and the court so keenly to seek,
Ere the holidays wholly were hied out of town.98
“Forsooth, sir,” he said, “ye say but the truth,
A high errand and a hasty has sped me from home,
For I am summon’d, in sooth, to seek to a place,
That I wot not whither I must wend to find.
But I might not miss it on New-Year’s morn
For all the land in Logrès, so our Lord help me!
Wherefore this point, sir, I put to you presently,
That ye tell me with truth if ye tale ever heard
Of the Green Chapel, where on ground it stands,
And of the Knight its keeper, that of colour is green.
There was stablisht a tryst by statute between us
That I meet him at that mark, if I míght be alive;
Of the Néw-Year he named wants nów but a little,
And I would look on that liege, if God would allow me,
More gladly, by God’s son, than all góod upon earth!
And so, by your will, my way I must wend,
I have now but a bare three days to busy,
And as fain to fall fey as fail of mine errand.”
Said the lord with a laugh, “Now lodge here behoves you—
I shall take you to your tryst by the term of the time,
The Gréen Chapel on ground, let it grieve you no more;
Ye shall bide in your bed and be at your ease,
And the first of the year ye shall fare on your way
To your mark at midmorn, to make what you like
