Ewain and Eric, and others full many,
Sir Dodinal the Dour, the Duke of Clarence,49
Launcelot, and Lionel, and Lucan the good,
Sir Bors and Sir Bedivere, big men both,
And many another worthy, with Mador of the Port;
Came all this company seeking the King,
With care at their heart, to counsel Sir Gawain;
There was dole very dree that day in the hall
That so worthy as Gawain should wend on that errand,
To endúre a gríevous dínt, and deal nevermore
with brand.
The Knight made ay good cheer,
Said he, “Now grief is bann’d;
’Gainst destiny so drear
What may man do but stand?”
XXV
He dwells all that day and dresses on the morn,
Asks early for his arms, that were all to him brought;
There was raught on the floor a rich red carpet,
And much was the gilt gear that gleamèd thereon.
The stalwart on’t steps, and the steel handles.
All dearly dubb’d in a doublet of Tars
And a crafty capados, closely fitting,
Bounden and lined with a bright ermine.
First, on his soles the sabatons50 they set,
Lápped his légs in gréaves of lovely steelwork
With poleyns51 thereon pight, that were polisht full clean
And were girt round his knees with golden latchets;
Fair cuishes next, that cunningly enclosèd
His great thewèd thighs, and with thongs were fasten’d;
Then the brawden52 byrnie, with its bright steel rings,
That encasèd his body o’er cloth full costly;
Last, on both his arms, a brace well burnisht,
With good cowters53 and gay, and the gloves of plate,
And áll the góodly géar that should gainly serve him
that tide:—
His noble coat-armure,
His golden spurs of pride,
And then his brand full sure,
With silk girt round his side.
XXVI
When he was haspèd in arms, his harness was splendid,
The least latchet or loop was of learning gold;
So arm’d as he was he hearken’d his mass,
Solemnly offer’d at the high altar.
Then he comes to the King and his court-brethren,
Takes kindly his leave of lords and of ladies,
Who kiss and escort him, and to Christ him commend.
By thén was Gríngolet54 gráith and girt with a saddle
That gleam’d full gaily with fringes of gold,
And with nails anew for the nonce was studded;
The bridle with bars of bright gold was striped,
The apparail of the poitrel and its proud trappings,
The crupper and the coverture, accorded with the arsons55—
Rich studs all over, arrangèd on red,
That all glitter’d and gleam’d like the glent of the sun.
Then has he his helmet and eagerly it kisses;
It was stapled for strength, and stuffèd within,
And sat high on his head, well haspèd behind;
A kerchief bright o’er the beaver was bound,
Embroider’d and set with the bravest jewels
On the broad silk band, and birds on the seams,
Painted popinjays56 preening themselves,
Turtles and trueloves57 entailèd58 so thick
Mány a búrd59 had been búsy seven winters about them
in town.
I ween, of greater price
Was the circlet round his crown,
Of diamonds a device
That were both bright and brown.
XXVII
Then they show’d him the shield—’twas of shéer gùles,
With the pentacle60 painted in pure gold on it.
By the baldric he caught it and cast o’er his neck,
And it became well the Knight, that comely armour
Now why it should ’long to the leal Gawain
I am intent to tell you, though my tale may linger;
’Tis a sign that Solomon sometime appointed
To be a tried token of truest fealty,
For ’tis a figure wherein there are five angles
And the lines overlap and lock in each other
Without end, every way: and Englishmen call it
Everywhere, as I hear, the Endless Knot.
For this cause it became the good Kníght to wear it,
For in five ways faithful and five times five
Was Gawain known for good, and as gold refinèd,
Void of all villainy, with virtues endued,
in moat;
So this pentangle new
He bore on shield and coat,
As wight of word most true
And gentlest knight of note.61
XXVIII
First he was found faultless in his fíve wìts,
Nor failèd he ever in his five fingers,
And his affiance on field was in the fíve woùnds
That Christ got on Cross, as the creed tells us;
And whereso this man was in mellay bestead
His thought was on this, above all things else,
That his courage he caught from the five joys
That the high Queen of heaven had in her Child.
For which cause the good Knight becomingly bore
In the úpper hálf of his shíeld Her image depainted,62
That when he glanced on that Fair his force never falter’d.
The fifth five, as I find, that this free usèd
Were fraunchise63 and fellowship before all else,
Cleanness64 and courtesy, known in him ever,
And pity, that passes all—these pure five
Were more happ’d on this athel than on all other knights.
And these thews,65 all five, were so throng upon him,
They ran each into other, nor any end had,
On five points fixt that failèd never,
Along ev’ry line neither link’d nor sunder’d,
But everywhere endless, at each angle alike,
Where the game e’er began, or glode to an end.
Wherefore on his sheen shield was shapen this knot
Royally, with red gold upon réd gùles.
Which the pure pentangle by people is call’d
of lore.
Now graith’d is Gawain gay,
His trusty lance he bore,
He gave them all Good-day,
He deem’d for evermore.
XXIX
He put spurs to his steed and sprang on his way
So fast that the flint-sparks flew out behind him.
All that saw that sire sigh’d in their hearts,
And said to each other (it seemèd but sooth)
Grieving for Gawain, “By God, ’tis a pity
We should lose such a liege, in his life so noble!
To find his fellow on fold, in faith, is not easy.
More warily to have wrought had been wiser, in truth,
And to have dubb’d him, dear man, a duke to become,
A shining light in the land, a leader of men;
So ’twere better he had been than broken to naught,
Beheaded by an elfin, for idle pride.
Who
