Lines 1–504

Almyghti god that made mankyn,
He schilde his servandes out of syn,
And mayntene tham, with might and mayne,
That herkens Ywayne and Gawayne :
Thai war knightes of the tabyl rownde,
Tharfore listens a lytel stownde.
Arthur, the kyng of Yyngland,
That wan al Wales with his hand,
And al Scotland, als sayes the buke,
And mani mo, if men will hike,
Of al knightes he bare the pryse,
In werld was non so war ne wise ;
Trew he was in alkyn thing,
Als it byfel to swilk a kyng.
He made a feste, the soth to say,
Opon the Witsononday,
At Kerdyf, that es in Wales,
And, efter mete, thar in the hales,
Ful grete and gay was the assemble,
Of lordes and ladies of that cuntre,
And als of knyghtes war and wyse,
And damisels of mykel pryse ;
Ilkane with other made grete gamin,
And grete solace, als thai war famin ;
Fast thai carped and curtaysly,
Of dedes of armes and of veneri,
And of gude knightes that lyfed then,
And how men might tham kyndeli ken,
By doghtines of thaire gude dede,
On ilka syde wharesum thai yede :
For thai war stif in ilka stowre,
And tharfore gat thai grete honowre.
Thai tald of more trewth tham bitwene,
Than now omang men here es sene ;
For trowth and luf es al bylaft,
Men uses now another craft ;
With worde men makes it trew and stabil,
Bot in thair faith es noght bot fabil ;
With the mowth men makes it hale,
Bot trew trowth es nane in the tale. )
Tharfore her-of now wil i blyn,
Of the kyng Arthur i wil bygin,
And of his curtayse cumpany,
That was the flowr of chevallry ;
Swilk lose thai wan with speres horde,
Over al the werld went the worde.
After mete went the kyng
Into chamber to slepeing,
And also went with him the quene,
That byheld thai al-bydene,
For thai saw tham never so
On high dayes to chamber go ;
Bot sone when thai war went to slepe?
Knyghtes sat the dor to kepe,
Sir Dedyne, and sir Segramore,
Sir Gawayn, and sir Kay, sat thore,
And also sat thar sir Ywaine,
And Colgrevance of mekyl mayn.
This knight that hight Colgrevance
Tald his felows of a chance,
And of a stowr he had in bene,
And al his tale herd the quene ;
The chamber-dore sho has unshet,
And down omang tham scho hir set ;
Sodainli sho sat down right,
Or ani of tham of hir had sight ;
Bot Colgrevance rase up in hy,
And thar-of had syr Kay envy,
For he was of his tong a skalde,
And forto boste was he ful balde.
Ow, Colgrevance, said sir Kay,
Ful light of lepes has thou bene ay,
Thou wenes now that the sal fall,
For to be hendest of us all ;
And the quene sal understand,
That her es none so unkunand ;
Al if thou rase, and we sat styll,
We ne dyd it for none yll,
Ne for no maner of fayntise,
Ne for us denyd noght forto rise,
That we ne had resen had we hyr sene.
Sir Kay, i wote wele, sayd the quene,
And it war gude thou left swilk sawes,
And noght despise so thi felawes.
Madame, he said, by goddes dome,
We ne wist no thing of thi come ;
And if we did noght curtaysly,
Takes to no velany ;
Bot pray ye now this gentil man,
To tel the tale that he bygan.
Colgrevance said to sir Kay,
Bi grete god, that aw this day,
Na mar moves me thi flyt
Than it war a flies byt ;
Ful oft wele better men than i
Has thou desspised desspytusely ;
It es ful semeli, als me think,
A brok omang men forto stynk ;
So it fars by the, syr Kay,
Of weked wordes has thou bene ay,
And sen thi wordes er wikked and fell,
This time tharto na mor i tell,
Bot of the thing that i bygan.
And sone sir Kay him answerd than,
And said ful tite unto the quene,
Madame, if ye had noght her bene,
We sold have herd a selly case,
Now let ye us of our solace ;
Tharfor, madame, we wald yow pray,
That ye cumand him to say, no
And tel forth als he had tyght.
Than answerd that hende knight,
Mi lady es so avyse,
That scho wil noght cumand me,
To tel that towches me to ill,
Scho es noght of so weked will.
Sir Kai said than, ful smertli,
Madame, al hale this cumpani
Praies yow hertly, now omell,
That he his tale forth might tell ;
If ye wil noght for our praying,
For faith ye aw unto the kyng,
Cumandes him his tale to tell,
That we mai her how it byfell.
Than said the quene, Sir Colgrevance,
I prai the tak to no grevance,
This kene karping of syr Kay,
Of weked wordes has he bene ay,
So that none may him chastise,
Tharfor i prai thee, on al wise,
That thou let noght for his sawes,
At tel to me and thi felawes,
Al thi tale how it bytid,
For my luf i the pray and byd.
Sertes, madame, that es me lath,
Bot for i wil noght mak yow wrath,
Yowr cumandment i sal fulfill,
If ye will listen me untill ;
With hertes and eres understandes,
And i sal tel yow swilk tithandes,
That ye herd never none slike
Reherced in no kynges ryke ;
Bot word fares als dose the wind,
Bot if men it in hert bynd ;
And wordes woso trewly tase
By the eres into the hert it gase ;
And in the hert thar es the horde,
And knawing of ilk mans worde.
Herkens, hende, unto my spell,
Trosels sal i yow nane tell,
Ne lesinges forto ger yow lagh,
Bot i sal say right als i sagh.
Now, als this time sex yer,
I rade allane, als ye sal her,
Obout, forto seke aventurs,
Wele armid in gude armurs,
In a frith i fand a strete,
Ful thik and hard, i yow bihete,
With thornes, breres, and moni a quyn,
Ner hand al day i rade thare-yn,
And thurgh i past, with mekyl payn,
Than come i sone into a playn,
Whar i gan se a bretise brade,
And thederward ful fast i rade ;
I saw the walles and the dyke,
And hertly wele it gan me lyke ;
And on the draw-brig saw i stand,
A knight with fawkon on his hand ;
This ilk knight, that be ye balde,
Was lord and keper of that halde.
I hailsed him kindly, als i kowth,
He answerd me mildeli with mowth ;
Mi sterap toke that hende knight,
And kindly cumanded me to lyght,
His cumandment i did onane,
And into hall sone war we tane.
He thanked god, that gude man,
Sevyn sithes or ever he blan,
And the way that me theder broght,
And als the aventurs that i soght.
Thus went we in, god do him mede !
And in his hand he led my stede.
When we war in that fayre palays,
It was fill worthly wroght always,
I saw no man of moder born,
Bot a burde hang us biforn,
Was nowther of yren, ne of tre,
Ne i ne wist whar-of it might be ;
And by that bord hang a mall,
The knyght smate on thar-with-all
Thrise, and by then might men se,
Bifore ham come a fair menye
Curtayse men in worde and dede,
To stabil sone thai led mi stede,
A damisel come unto me,
The semeliest that ever i se,
Lufsumer lifed never in land,
Hendly scho toke me by the hand,
And sone that gentyl creature
Al unlaced myne armure ;
Into a chamber sho me led,
And with a mantil scho me cled ;
It was of purpur, fair and fine,
And the pane of riche ermyne ;
Al the folk war went us fra,
And thare was none than hot we twa ;
Scho served me hendely to hend,
Hir maners might no man amend ;
Of tong sho was trew and renable,
And of hir semblant soft and stabile ;
Ful fain i wald, if that i might,
Have woned with that swete wight :
And when we sold go to sopere,
That lady, with a lufsom chere,
Led me down into the hall,
Thar war we served wele at all.
It nedes noght to tel the mese,
For wonder wele war we at esse.
Byfor me sat the lady bright,
Curtaisly my mete to dyght ;
Us wanted nowther baken ne roste,
And, efter soper, sayd myne oste,
That he cowth noght tel the day
That ani knight are with him lay,
Or that ani aventures soght,
Tharfor he prayed me, if i moght,
On al wise when i come ogayne,
That i sold cum to him sertayne.
I said, Sir, gladly, yf i may,
I had bene shame have said him nay.
That night had i ful gude rest,
And mi stede esed of the best.
Alsone als it was dayes lyght,
Forth to far sone was i dyght ;
Mi leve of mine ost toke i thare,
And went my way with-owten mare,
Aventures for to layt in land.
A fair forest sone i fand,
Me thoght mi hap thare fel ful hard,
For thar was mani a wilde lebard,
Lions, beres, bath bul and bare,
That rewfully gan rope and rare ;
Oway i drogh me, and with that,
I saw sone what a man sat,
On a lawnd, the fowlest wight
That ever yit man saw in syght ;
He was a lathly creatur,
For fowl he was out of mesur ;
A wonder mace in hand he hade,
And sone my way to him i made ;
His hevyd, me-thought, was als grete
Als of a rowncy or a nete.
Unto his belt hang his hare,
And efter that byheld i mare ;
To his forhede byheld i than,
Was bradder than twa large span ;
He had eres als ane olyfant,
And was wele more than geant ;
His face was ful brade and flat ;
His nese was cutted als a cat ;
His browes war like litel buskes ;
And his tethe like bare tuskes ;
A ful grete bulge opon his bak ;
Thar was noght made with-owten lac ;
His chin was fast until his brest ;
On his mace he gan him rest.
Also it was a wonder wede
That the cherle yn yede ;
Nowther of wol, ne of line,
Was the wede that he went yn.
When he me sagh, he stode up-right,
I frayned him if he wolde fight,
For tharto was i in gude will,
Bot als a beste than stode he still ;
I hopid that he no wittes kowth,
No reson forto speke with mowth.
To him i spak ful hardily,
And said, What ertow, belamy ?
He said, ogain, I am a man.
I said, Swilk saw i never nane ;
What ertow ? al sone said he.
I said, Swilk als thou her may se.
I said, What dose thou here allane ?
He said, I kepe thir bestes ilkane.
I said, That es mervaile think me,
For i herd never of man bot the,
In wildernes, ne in forestes,
That kepeing had of wilde bestes,
Bot thai war bunden fast in halde.
He sayd, Of thir es none so balde,
Nowther by day ne bi night,
Anes to pas out of mi sight.
I sayd, How so ? tel me thi scill.
Perfay, he said, gladly i will.
He said, In al this fair foreste
Es thar none so wilde beste,
That renin dar bot stil stand,
When i am to him cumand ;
And ay, when that i wil him fang,
With mi fingers, that er strang,
I ger him cri, on swilk manere,
That al the bestes when thai him here,
Obout me than cum thai all,
And to mi fete fast thai fall,
On thair maner merci to cry ;
Bot understand now, redyli,
Olyve es thar lifand no ma,
Bot i, that durst omang tham ga,
That he ne sold sone be al to-rent,
Bot thai er at my comandment ;
To me thai cum, when i tham call,
And i am maister of tham all.
Than he asked, onone right,
What man i was. I said, A knyght,
That soght aventurs in that land,
My body to asai and fande :
And i the pray of thi knownsayle,
Thou teche me to sum mervayle.
He sayd, I can no wonders tell,
Bot her-bisyde es a well,
Wend theder, and do als i say,
Thou passes noght al quite oway.
Folow forth this ilk strete,
And sone sum mervayles sal thou mete,
The well es under fairest tre,
That ever was in this cuntre ;
By that well hinges a bacyne,
That es of gold gude and fyne,
With a cheyne, trewly to tell,
That wil reche into the well.
Thare es a chapel ner thar-by,
That nobil es, and ful lufely,
By the well standes a stane,
Tak the bacyn sone onane,
And cast on water with thi hand,
And sone thou sal se new tithand.
A storme sal rise, and a tempest,
Al obout by est and west ;
Thou sal here mani thonor blast,
Al obout the blawand fast ;
And there sal cum slik slete and rayne,
That unnese sal thou stand ogayne ;
Of lightnes sal thou se a lowe,
Unnethes thou sal thi-selven knowe ;
And if thou pas with-owten grevance,
Than has thou the fairest chance
That ever yit had any knyght
That theder come to kyth his myght.
Than toke i leve, and went my way,
And rade unto the midday ;
By than i come whare i sold be,
I saw the chapel and the tre ;
Thare i fand the fayrest thorne,
That ever groued sen god was born ;
So thik it was with leves grene,
Might no rayn cum thar-bytwene,
And that grenes lastes ay,
For no winter dere yt may.
I fand the bacyn, als he talde,
And the wel with water kalde,
An amerawd was the stane,
Richer saw i never nane,
On fowr rubyes on heght standand,
Thair light lasted over al the land ;
And when i saw that semely syght,
It made me bath joyful and lyght ;
I toke the bacyn sone onane,
And helt water opon the stane :
The weder wex than wonder blak,
And the thoner fast gan crak.
Thar come slike stormes of hayl and rayn,
Unnethes i might stand thare ogayn :
The store windes blew ful lowd,
So kene come never are of clowd ;
I was drevyn with snaw and slete,
Unnethes i might stand on my fete ;
In my face the levening smate,
I wend have brent, so was it hate.
That weder made me so will of rede,
I hopid sone to have my dede ;
And, sertes, if it lang had last,
I hope i had never thethin past ;
Bot, thorgh his might that tholed wownd,
The storme sesed within a stownde ;
Than wex the weder fayr ogayne,
And tharof was i wonder fayne ;
For best comforth of al thing
Es solace efter myslikeing.
Than saw i sone a mery syght,
Of al the fowles that er in flyght
Lighted so thik opon that tre,
That bogh ne lefe none might i se ;
So merily than gon thai sing.
That al the wode began to ring ;
Ful mery was the melody,
Of thaire sang and of thaire cry ;
Thar herd never man none swilk,
Bot if ani had herd that ilk ;
And when that mery dyn was done
Another noyse than herd i sone,
Als it war of horsmen,
Mo than owther nyen or ten.
Sone than saw i cum a knyght,
In riche armurs was he dight,
And sone when i gan on him loke,
Mi shelde and sper to me i toke ;
That knight to me hied ful fast,
And kene wordes out gan he cast ;
He bad that i sold tel him tite
Whi i did him swilk despite,
With weders wakend him of rest,
And done him wrang in his forest ;
Tharfore, he said, thou sal aby,
And with that come he egerly,
And said, i had, ogayne resowne,
Done him grete destrucciowne,
And might it nevermore amend,
Tharfor he bad i sold me fend ;
And sone i smate him on the shelde,
Mi schaft brae out in the felde,
And then he bar me sone bi strenkith
Out of my sadel my speres lenkith.
I wate that he was largely
By the shuldres mare that i,
And, bi the ded that i sal thole,
Mi stede by his was but a fole ;
For mate i lay down on the grownde,
So was i stonayd in that stownde.
A worde to me wald he noght say,
Bot toke my stede, and went his way.
Ful farily than thare i sat
For wa i wist noght what was what.
With my stede he went in hy,
The same way that he come by,
And i durst folow him no ferr,
For dout me solde bite weir,
And also yit, by goddes dome,
i ne wist whar he bycome.
Than i thoght how i had hight
Unto myne oste, the hende knyght,
And also til his lady bryght,
To com ogayn, if that i myght ;
Mine armurs left i thare ilkane,
For els myght i noght have gane ;
Unto myne in i come by day ;
The hende knight, and the fayre may,
Of my come war thai ful glade,
And nobil semblant thai me made,
In al thinges thai have tham born,
Als thai did the night biforn.
Sone thai wist whare i had bene,
And said, that thai had never sene
Knyght, that ever theder come,
Take the way ogayn home.
On this wise that tyme i wroght,
I fand the folies that i soght.
Now, sekerly, said sir Ywayne,
Thou ert my cosyn jermayne,
Trew luf suld be us bytwene,
Als sold bytwyx biether bene,
Thou ert a fole, at thou ne had are
Tald me of this ferly fare,
For, sertes, i sold onone ryght
Have venged the of that ilk knyght ;
So sal i yit, if that i may.
And than als smertly sayd syr Kay :
He karpet to tham wordes grete :
It es sene now es efter mete,
Mare boste es in a pot of wyne,
Than in a karcas of saynt Martyne ;
Arme the smertly, syr Ywayne,
And sone that thou war cumen ogayne,
Luke thou fil wele thi panele,
And in thi sadel set the wele ;
And when thou wendes, i the pray,
Thi baner wele that thou desplay ;
And rede i, or thou wende,
Thou tak thi leve at ilka frende ;
And if it so bytide this nyght,
That the in slepe dreche ani wight,
Or any dremis mak the rad,
Turn ogayn, and say i bad.
The quene answerd, with milde mode,
And said, Sir Kay, ertow wode ?
What the devyl es the withyn,
At thi tong may never blyn
Thi felows so fowly to shende ?
Sertes, sir Kay, thou ert unhende.
By him that for us sufferd pine,
Syr, and thi tong war myne,
I sold bical it tyte of treson,
And so might thou do by gude reson ;
Thi tong dose the grete dishonowre,
And tharefore is it thi traytowre.
And than alsone syr Ywayne
Ful hendly answerd ogayne ;
Al if men sayd hym velany,
He karped ay ful curtaysly :
Madame, he said unto the quene,
Thare sold na stryf be us bytwene,
Unkowth men wele may he shende,
That to his felows es so unhende ;
And als, madame, men says sertayne,
That woso slites, or turnes ogayne,