XIX.

[A] The grene kny3t vpon grounde grayþely hym dresses, A littel lut with þe hede, þe lere he discouere3, [B] His longe louelych lokke3 he layd ouer his croun. 420 Let þe naked nec to þe note schewe. Gauan gripped to his ax, & gederes hit on hy3t, Þe kay fot on þe folde he be-fore sette, [C] Let hit doun ly3tly ly3t on þe naked, 424 Þat þe scharp of þe schalk schyndered þe bones, [D] & schrank þur3 þe schyire grece, & scade hit in twynne, Þat þe bit of þe broun stel bot on þe grounde. [E] Þe fayre hede fro þe halce hit [felle] to þe erþe, 428 [F] Þat fele hit foyned wyth her fete, þere hit forth roled; Þe blod brayd fro þe body, þat blykked on þe grene; [G] & nawþer faltered ne fel þe freke neuer þe helder, Bot styþly he start forth vpon styf schonkes, 432 [H] & ru[n]yschly he ra3t out, þere as renkke3 stoden, La3t to his lufly hed, & lyft hit vp sone; & syþen bo3e3 to his blonk, þe brydel he cachche3, [I] Steppe3 in to stel bawe & stryde3 alofte, 436 [J] & his hede by þe here in his honde halde3; & as sadly þe segge hym in his sadel sette, As non vnhap had hym ayled, þa3 hedle3 he[1] we[re], in stedde; 440 [K] He brayde his bluk[2] aboute, Þat vgly bodi þat bledde, [Fol. 97.] Moni on of hym had doute, Bi þat his resoun3 were redde.

[Sidenote A: The Green Knight] [Sidenote B: puts his long lovely locks aside and lays bare his neck.] [Sidenote C: Sir Gawayne lets fall his axe] [Sidenote D: and severs the head from the body.] [Sidenote E: The head falls to the earth.] [Sidenote F: Many kick it aside with their feet.] [Sidenote G: The knight never falters;] [Sidenote H: he rushes forth, seizes his head,] [Sidenote I: steps into the saddle,] [Sidenote J: holding the while the head in his hand by the hair,] [Sidenote K: and turns his horse about.] [Footnote 1: MS. ho.] [Footnote 2: blunk (?).]