Lines 3529–4032

Thai stroke their stedes that war kene,
Litel luf was tham bitwene ;
Ful grevosly bigan that gamyn,
With stalworth speres strake thai samen,
And thai had anes togeder spoken,
Had thar bene no speres broken,
Bot in that time bitid it swa,
That aither of tham wald other sla.
Thai drow swerdes, and swang obout,
To dele dyntes had thai no dout ;
Thair sheldes war shiferd, and helms rifen,
Ful stalworth strakes war thar gifen,
Bath on bak and brestes thar,
War bath wounded wonder far,
In many stedes might men ken
The blode out of thair bodies ren.
On helmes thai gaf slike strakes kene,
That the riche stanes albidene,
And other ger that was ful gude,
Was over-covered al in blode.
Thar helmes war evel brusten bath,
And thai also war wonder wrath ;
Thair hauberks als war alto torn,
Both behind and als byforn ;
Thair sheldes lay sheverd on the ground :
Thai rested than a litel stound,
Forto tak thair ande tham till,
And that was with thair bother will.
Bot ful lang rested thai noght,
Til aither of tham on other soght,
A stronge stowr was tham bitwene,
Harder than men never sene,
The king and other that thar war,
Said that thai saw never ar
So nobil knightes in no place
So lang fight bot by goddes grace.
Barons, knightes, squiers, and knaves,
Said, It es no man that haves
So mekil tresor ne nobillay
That might tham quite thair dede this day.
Thir wordes herd the knyghtes twa,
It made tham forto be mor thra.
Knightes went obout gude wane,
To mak the two sisters at ane,
Bot the elder was so unkinde,
In hir thai might no mercy finde,
And the right that the yonger hase
Puttes sho in the kinges grace.
The king himself and als the quene,
And other knightes albidene,
And al that saw that dede that day
Held al with the yonger may,
And to the king al thai bisoght,
Whether the elder wald or noght,
That he sold evin the landes dele,
And gif the yonger damysele
The half, or els sum porciowne,
That sho mai have to warisowne,
And part the two knightes in twyn ;
For sertis, thai said, it war grete syn
That owther of tham sold other sla,
For in the world is noght swilk twa.
When other knightes said thai sold sese,
Tham self wald noght assent to pese.
Al that ever saw that batayl
Of thair might had grete mervayl,
Thai saw never under the hevyn
Twa knightes that war copied so evyn.
Of al the folk was none so wise
That wist whether sold have the prise ;
For thai saw never so stalworth stour ;
Ful der boght thai that honowr.
Grete wonder had sir Gawayn
What he was that faght him ogain,
And sir Ywain had grete ferly
Wha stode ogayns him so stifly.
On this wise lasted that fight
Fra midmorn unto mirk night,
And by that time, i trow thai twa
War ful weri and sare alswa ;
Thai had bled so mekil blode
It was grete ferly that thai stode,
So far thai bet on bak and brest,
Until the sun was gon to rest,
For nowther of tham wald other spar,
For mirk night thai than namar,
Tharfor to rest thai both tham yelde,
Bot, or thai past out of the felde,
Bitwix tham two might men se
Both mekil joy and grete pete.
By speche might no man Gawain knaw,
So was he hase and spak ful law,
And mekil was he out of maght,
For the strakes that he had laght,
And sir Ywain was ful wery,
Bot thus he spekes, and sais in hy :
He said, Syr, sen us failes light,
I hope it be no lifand wight
What wil us blame if that we twin,
For of al stedes i have bene yn
With no man yit never i met
That so wele kowth his strakes set,
So nobil strakes has thou gifen
That my sheld es alto reven.
Sir Gawayn said, Sir, sertanly,
Thou ert noght so weri als i,
For if we langer fightand.wer
I trow I might do the no dere,
Thou ert nothing in my det,
Of strakes that i on the set.
Sir Ywain said, in Cristes name,
Sai me what thou hat at hame.
He said, Sen thou my name wil her,
And covaites to wit what it wer,
My name in this land mani wote,
I hat Gawayn the king son Lote.
Than was sir Ywayn for agast,
His swerde fra him he kast,
He ferd right als he wald wede,
And sone he stirt down of his stede,
He said, her es a fowl mischance,
For defaut of conisance ;
A sir, he said, had i the sene,
Than had her no batel bene,
I had me yolden to the als tite
Als worth i war for discumfite.
What man ertou ? said sir Gawain.
Syr, he sayd, I hat Ywayne,
That lufes the more, by se and sand,
Than any man that es lifand,
For mani dedes that thou me' did,
And curtaysi ye have me kyd :
Tharfor, sir, now in this stour,
I sal do the this honowr
I grant that thou hast me overcumen,
And by strenkyth in batayl nomen.
Sir Gawayn answerd, als curtays,
Thou sal noght do, sir, als thou sais ;
This honowr sal noght be myne,
Bot sertes it aw wele at be thine ;
I gif it the her, withowten hone,
And grantes that i am undone.
Sone thai light, so sais the boke,
And aither other in armes toke,
And kissed so, ful fele sithe,
Than war thai both glad and blithe ;
In armes so thai stode togeder,
Unto the king com ridand theder,
And fast he covait forto her
Of thir knightes what thai wer,
And whi thai made so mekil gamyn
Sen thai had so foghten samyn.
Ful hendli then asked the king
Wha had so sone made saghteling
Betwix tham thai had bene so wrath,
And aither haved done other scath ?
He said, I wend ye wald ful fain
Aither of yow have other slayn,
And now ye er so frendes der.
Sir king, said Gawain, ye sal her;
For unknawing and hard grace,
Thus have we foghten in this place ;
I am Gawayn, yowr awin nevow,
And sir Ywayn faght with me now ;
When we war ner weri, i wys,
Mi name he frayned and i his,
When we were knawin, sone gan we sese ;
Bot, sertes, sir, this es no lese,
Had we foghten forth a stownde,
I wote wele i had gone to grounde,
By his prowes and his mayne,
I wate for soth i had bene slayne.
Thir wordes menged al the mode,
Of sir Ywain als he stode :
Sir, he said, so mot i go,
Ye kn[a]w yowr self it es noght so.
Sir king, he said, withowten fail,
I am overcumen in this batayl.
Nai, sertes, said Gawain, bot am i.
Thus nowther wald have the maistri.
Bifor the king gan aither grant
That himself was recreant ;
Than the king, and hys menye
Had bath joy and grete pete,
He was ful fayn thai frendes wer,
And that thai war so funden in fer.
The kyng said, Now es wele sene
That mekil luf was yow bitwene.
He said, sir Ywain, welkum home,
For it was lang sen he thar come.
He said, I rede ye both assent
To do yow in my jujement,
And i sal mak so gude ane ende,
That ye sal both be halden hende.
Thai both assented sone thartill,
To do tham in the kynges will,
If the may dens wald do so.
Than the king bad knyghtes two
Wend efter the maydens bath,
And so thai did ful swith rath,
Bifor the kyng when thai war broght,
He tald unto tham als him thoght :
" Lystens me now, maydens hende,
Yowr grete debate es broght til ende,
So fer forth now es it dreven
That the dome most nedes be gifen,
And i sal deme yow als i can."
The elder sister answerd than,
Sen ye er king that us sold wer,
I pray yow do to me na der.
He said, I wil let for na saw,
For to do the landes law.
Thi yong sister sal have hir right,
For i se wele that thi knyght,
Es overcumen in this wer.
Thus said he anely hir to fer,
And for he wist hir wilful wele,
That sho wald part with never a dele.
Sir, sho said, sen thus es gan,
Now most i, whether i wil or nane,
Al yowr cumandment fulfill,
And tharfor dose right als ye will.
The king said, Thus sal it fall,
Al yowr landes depart i sail :
Thi wil es wrang, that have i knawin,
Now sal thou have noght bot thin awin,
That es the half of al-bydene,
Than answerd sho, ful tite in tene,
And said, Me think ful grete outrage
To gif hir half myne heritage.
The king said, For yowr bother esse,
In hir land i sal hir sese
And sho sal hald hir land of the,
And to the tharfor mak fewte,
Sho sal the luf als hir lady,
And thou sal kith thi curtaysi,
Luf hir efter thine avenant,
And sho sal be to the tenant.
This land was first, i understand,
That ever was parted in Ingland,
Than said the king, Withowten fail,
For the luf of that batayl,
Al sisters that sold efter bene
Sold part the landes tham bitwene.
Than said the king to sir Gawain,
And als he prayed sir Ywain,
Forto uulace thair riche wede,
And tharto had thai bath grete nede.
Als thai thus-gate stod and spak,
The lyown out of the chamber brak,
Als thai thair armours sold unlace,
Come he rinand to that place,
Bot he had, or he come thar,
Soght his mayster whide-war.
And ful mekil joy he made,
When he his mayster funden hade.
On ilka side than might men se
The folk fast to toun gan fle,
So war thai ferd for the liowne,
When thai saw him theder bown.
Syr Ywain bad tham cum ogayn,
And said, Lordinges, for sertayn,
Fra this beste i sal yow wer,
So that he sal dy yow no der ;
And, sirs, ye sal wele trow mi sawes,
We er frendes and gude felaws ;
He es mine, and i am his,
For na tresor i wald him mys.
When thai saw this was sertain,
Than spak thai al of sir Ywaine :
This es the knight with the liown,
That es halden of so grete renown ;
This ilk knight the geant slogh,
Of dedis he es doghty inogh.
Then said sir Gawayn sone in hi,
Me es bitid grete velani ;
I cri the mercy, sir Ywayne,
That i have trispast the ogayn ;
Thou helped mi sister in hir nede,
Evil have i quit the now thi mede ;
Thou anterd thi life for luf of me,
And als mi sister tald of the ;
Thou said that we, ful fele dawes,
Had bene frendes, and gude felawes ;
Bot wha it was ne wist i noght,
Sethen have i had ful mekil thoght,
And yit for al that i do can
I cowth never her of na man
That me cowth tell, in tour ne toun,
Of the knight with the liown.
When thai had unlaced thair wede,
Al the folk toke ful gode hede
How that beste, his bales to bete,
Likked his maister both hend and fete.
Al the men grete mervail hade
Of the mirth the lyown made.
When the knightes war broght to rest,
The king gert cum sone of the best
Surgiens that our war sene,
For to hele tham both bidene.
Sone so thai war hale and sownd,
Sir Ywain hies him fast to found.
Luf was so in his hert fest,
Night ne day haved he no rest ;
Bot he get grace of his lady,
He most go wode, or for luf dy.
Eul preveli forth gan he wende
Out of the court fra ilka frende ;
He rides right unto the well,
And thar he thinkes forto dwell ;
His gode lyon went with him ay,
He wald noght part fro him oway,
He kest water opon the stane,
The storm rase ful sone onane,
The thoner grisely gan out-brest,
Him thoght als al the grete forest,
And al that obout the well,
Sold have sonken into hell.
The lady was in mekil dout,
For al the kastel walles obout
Quoke so fast that men might think
That al into the erth sold synk ;
Thai trembled fast both bour and hall,
Als thai unto the grund sold fall ;
Was never, in this mydle-erde,
In no kastell folk so ferde.
Bot wha it was wele wist Lunet,
Sho said, Now er we hard byset ;
Madame, i ne wate what us es best,
For her now may we have no rest ;
Ful wele i wate ye have no knight
That dar wende to your wel, and fight.
With him that cumes yow to assaile ;
And if he have her no batayle,
Ne findes none yow to defend,
Yowr lose ben lorn withouten end.
The lady said, sho wald be dede :
" Der Lunet, what es thi rede ?
Wirk i wil by thi kounsail,
For i ne wate noght what mai avail."
Madame, sho said, i wald fill fayn
Kownsail yow if it might gayn,
Bot in this case it war mystere
To have a wiser kownsayler :
And by desait than gan sho say,
Madame, per chance, this ilk day,
Sum of yowr knightes mai cum hame,
And yow defend of al this shame.
A, sho said, Lunet, lat be !
Speke na mor of my menye,
For wele i wate, so god me mend,
I have na knight me mai defend ;
Tharfor my kownsail bus the be,
And i wil wirk al efter the ;
And tharfor help at al thi myght.
Madame, sho said, had we that knyght,
That es so curtais and avenant,
And has slane the grete geant,
And als that the thre knightes slogh,
Of him ye myght be trist inogh ;
Bot forthermar, madame, i wate
He and his lady er at debate,
And has bene so ful many day,
And als i herd hym-selvyn say,
He wald bileve with no lady,
Bot on this kownand utterly,
That thai wald mak sertayn ath
To do thair might and kunyng bath,
Trewly both by day and naght,
To make him and hys lady saght,
The lady answered sone hir tyll,
That wil i do with ful gode will ;
Unto the her mi trowth i plight,
That i sal tharto do mi might.
Sho said, Madame, be ye noght wrath,
I most nedes have of yow an ath,
So that i mai be sertayn.
The lady said, That will i fayn.
Lunet than riche relikes toke,
The chalis and the mes boke,
On knese the lady down hir set,
Wit ye wele than liked Lunet :
Hir hand opon the boke sho laid,
And Lunet alkynsi to hir said :
Madame, sho said, thou salt swer her,
That thou sal do thi power,
Both dai and night, opon al wise,
Withouten alkyns fayntise,
To saghtel the knyght with the liown
And his lady of grete renowne,
So that no faut be funden in the.
Sho said, I grant it sal so be.
Than was Lunet wele paid of this,
The boke sho gert hir lady kys :
Sone a palfray sho bistrade,
And. on hir way fast forth sho rade.
The next way ful sone sho nome,
Until sho to the well come.
Sir Ywain sat under the thorn,
And his lyown lay him byforn ;
Sho knew him wele by his lioun,
And hastily sho lighted downe ;
And als sone als he Lunet sagh
In his hert than list him lagh :
Mekil mirth was when thai met,
Aither other ful fair has gret.
Sho said, I love grete god in trone,
That i have yow fun so sone,
And tithandes tel i yow bifora,
Other sal my lady be manesworn,
On relikes, and bi bokes brade,
Or els ye twa er frendes made.
Sir Ywain than was wonder glad,
Fer the tithandes that he had.
He thanked hir ful fele sith,
That sho wald him slike gudenes kith ;
And sho him thanked mekill mar,
For the dedes that war done ar :
So ather was in other det,
That both thair travail was wele set.
He sais, Talde thou hir oght my name ?
Sho said, Nay, than war i to blame ;
Thi name sho sal noght wit for me,
Til ye have kyssed, and saghteld he.
Than rade thai forth toward the town,
And with tham ran the gude lyoun.
When thai come to the castel-yate,
Al went thai in thareat ;
Thai spak na word to na man born,
Of al the folk thai fand byforn.
Als sone so the lady herd sayn.
Hir damisel was cumen ogayn,
And als the liown and the knight,
Than in hert sho was fill lyght ;
Scho covait ever of al thing
Of him to have knawageing.
Sir Ywain sone on knese him set,
When he with the lady met.
Lunet said to the lady sone,
Take up the knight, Madame, have done,
And, als convenand betwixt us was,
Makes his pese fast or he pas.
Than did the ladi him up-rise,
Sir, sho said, opon al wise
I wil me pain in al thing
Forto mak thi saghtelyng
Bitwix the and thi lady bryght.
Madame, said Lunet, that es right,
For nane bot ye has that powere,
Al the soth now sal ye her.
Madame, sho said, es nought at layn,
This es my lord, sir Ywaine ;
Swilk luf god bitwixt yow send,
Than may last to yowr lives end.
Than went the lady fer obak,
And lang sho stode or that sho spak ;
Sho said, How es this, darnysele ;
I wend thou sold be to me lele,
That makes me whether i wil or noght
Luf tham that me wa has wroght ;
So that me bus be forsworn,
Or luf tham that wald i was lorn ;
Bot, whether it torn to wele or ill,
That i have said i sal fulfill.
Wit ye wele than, sir Ywaine
Of tha wordes was ful fayne.
Madame, he said, i have miswroght
And that i have ful der boght ;
Crete foly i did, the soth to say,
When that i past my terme-hay ;
And series wha so had so bityd,
Thai sold have done right als i dyd,
Bot i sal never, thorgh goddes grace,
At mi migt do mor trispase ;
And what man so wil mercy crave,
By goddes law he sal it have.
Than sho asented saghteling to mak,
And sone in arms he gan hir tak,
And kissed hir ful oft sith,
Was he never ar so blith.
Now has sir Ywain ending made
Of al the sorows that he hade ;
Ful lely lufed he ever hys whyfe,
And sho him als hyr owin life ;
That lasted to thair lives ende ;
And trew Lunet, the maiden hende,
Was honord ever wit aid and ying,
And lifed at hir owin likyng.
Of alkins thing sho has maystri,
Next the lord and the lady ;
Ai honord hir in tour and toun.
Thus the knyght with the liown
Es turned now to syr Ywayn,
And has his lordship al ogayn ;
And so sir Ywain and his wive
In joy and blis thai led thair live ;
So did Lunet, and the liown,
Until that ded haves dreven tham down :
Of tham ha mar have i herd tell,
Nowther in rumance, ne in spell.
Bot Jhesu Criste, for his grete grace,
In hevyn blis grante us a place
To bide in, if his wills be.
Amen, amen, pur charite.