III
The King lay at Camelot at Christmastide,
With many a lovesome lord, leal men of the best,
All the royal brethren of the Round Table,
Amid revel full rich and reckless mirths.
There true knights tourney’d, by times, full many,
Jousted right jollily these gentle peers,
Then came to the court their carols9 to dance.
For the feast went on full fifteen days,
With all the meat and mirth that men could avise—
Such gladsome glee glorious to hear,
Merry din by day, and dancing o’ nights,
That all was happiness in hall and in chamber
Among lords and ladies: ’twas the liege king’s pleasure.
With all the weal of the world they wonèd together—
Knights noblest known under Christ himself,
And the loveliest ladies that life ever had,
And he the comeliest King, that the court ruled,
And these fair folk all, in the flower of their age,
so free,
On earth the happiest ay,
And the proudest Prince was he;
Ye might not find today
So brave a company.
IV
The year was yet young, ’twas the day of New Year,
And double (as is due) on the dais was served;
Soon as the King with his knights had come into hall
And the chauntry in the chapel was chanted to an end,
Loud cry was uprais’d by common and clerk,
Who kept Noel anew and named it full oft;
Then hied in the courtiers handsel10 to offer,
Gaily cried Yule-gifts and gave them by hand,
All busily debating about the event—
Ladies laugh’d loud11 although they had lost,
And the winners were not wroth, well may ye trow.
So made they their mirth till meal-time was come,
And when they had wash’d, then went they to table,
And were rangèd by rank, as the rule is in hall.
Queen Guenore full gay was graith’d12 in the midst
On the royal dais, royally array’d
With sendal at the sides, and a ceiling above her,
Tapestries full rich of the red Tars13
Embroider’d and beaten with the bravest gems
That might be provèd priceless, with pennies to buy,
for ay;
Loveliest she look’d of all
With glancing eyes and gray,
The dearest dame in hall,
Might each man soothly say.
V
But Arthur would not eat till all had been served,
He was somewhat childgear’d,14 and gay of his youth,
Life sat on him light, and the less he lovèd
Either too long to lie or too long to sit;
So busied him young blood, and his eager brain.
And another mood moved him: for much did he love
All noble renown, and ne’er would he eat
At such a dear season till someone had told him
Some story of chivalry, stirring and strange,
Some main marvel, that he might believe in,
Of high knightérrantry, or other adventure,
Or till someone besought him of a sickar15 knight
To join him in jousting and jeopardy of arms,
Stake life for life, and each allow other
As fortune should favour advantage to have.
So custom’d the King, where court he e’er held,
On each festive feast-day,16 with his free meiny
in Hall.
Therefore so proud of cheer
Stalwart he stands in stall;
Gaily at that New Year
Much mirth he makes with all.
VI
Thus in stall did he stand, the stalwart Arthur,
And lightly of trifles he talk’d at the table.
Beside Queen Guenore Sir Gawain17 was graith’d,
And Agravain Hard-hand at her other side sat,
That were nephews to the King, and knights full noble;
Bishop Baldwin was above, at the end of the board,
And Urien’s son, Ewain, ate with his Grace.
These were dight on the dais and daintily served,
And many a sickar man sat at the sideboards.
Then came in the course with a crack of the trumpets,
Many banners full bright a-hanging thereby:
The kettledrums next and the noble pipes
Wild notes and shrill with their warbles awaken’d,
So that every heart leapt high at their touches.
Came dainties therewith and dishes full pleasant,
Fresh meats in plenty, on platters so many
That ’twas pain to find place, the people before,
To set all the silver with sews18 thereupon,
on cloth.
A man might serve himself
As list him, nothing loth;
Each two had dishes twelve,
Good beer and bright wine both
VII
Now shall I of their service say you no more,
For well may ye weet, no wánt was among them.
Another note full new was sounded anon,
That the folk might have leave to fall to their vittails.
But the noise of that note had nó while ceas’d
Or the first course in the court full kindly been serv’d,
When there flúng in, on foal, a fearsome master,
His stature the tallest and stoutest on earth,
His body to the waist so broad and so burly,
And his loins and his limbs so long and so great,
Half giant at first they judg’d he might be,
But a man he was truly, the mightiest of mould
And the finest of figure that on foal might ride.
For of back and of breast his body was big,
Yet his waist and his womb were worthily small,
And his members, each one, match’d them in measure,
full clean.
All wonder’d at his hue,
And eke his lordly mien;
He seem’d bold knight and true,
But glow’d all over green.
VIII
All wondrous in green was this wight, and his weeds:
A close-fitting coat19 that clung on his body,
A merry mantle over it, meetly adorn’d
With fair-trimmed fur, a lining full fine
Of blythe ermine bright; and a hood with it bound,
Caught back from his locks and laid on his shoulders;
Neat hose well-haul’d, of that hue all of green,
That closed on his calf, and clean spurs under
Of oright gold, on silk bands, barrèd full richly,
And pointed shoes under shanks, that shone in the stirrup
All his vésture vérily was of verdant sheen,
Both the bars of his belt, and the bright jewels
That were richly arranged o’er the radiant array
Of silken stuffs, on himself and his saddle.
It were tedious to tell of the trifles one half
That were broider’d thereon, of the birds and the flies,
All in gay hues of green, with gold in the midst.
The pendants of his poitrel20 and the proud crupper,
The molains,
