Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Anonymous

When the siege and the assault were ceasèd at Troy, / When the burg had been broken, and burnt to ashes, / The wight that the trains of treason there laid / Was tried for his treachery, the truest on earth: 3

It was Éneas4 the Athel5 and his high kindred / Who kingdoms then conquered, and princes became / Of all the wealth, well-nigh, in the West Isles.

Sóon as the róyal Rómulus to Rome made his way, / That burg with great pomp then builded he first / And named it his own name, as now it is called:

Ticius6 in Tuscany townships founded, / Langobard in Lombardy lifted up homes, / And far o'er the French flood Felix Brutus / On many a bank full broad, Britain he set, / well fain.

War and woe and wonder / On that fair land have lain, / And oft both bliss and blunder,7

Time and time again.

II

Now when Britain had been built by Brutus the prince, / Bold men there bred, that lov'd battle and strife / And at times a many wrought teen and trouble; / More wonders, I wis, on this wold have befallen / Than on any other I wot of, since those ancient days.

But of all that here built, that of Britain were kings, / Áy was Árthur the noblest, as I have heard tell; / And so an adventure I essay to show you, / Which many men reckon a main marvel, / All wonders o'ertopping that of the Table are told.

If ye'll listen to my lay but a little while, / I shall tell 't you this tide, as in town I heard it, / with tongue.

Well is it writ for you / In story brave and strong, / Linkèd8 with letters true; / In land has so been long / 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.