[A] Wheþer hade he no helme ne hawb[e]rgh nauþer,
204 Ne no pysan, ne no plate þat pented to armes,
Ne no schafte, ne no schelde, to schwne ne to smyte,
[B] Bot in his on honde he hade a holyn bobbe,
Þat is grattest in grene, when greue3 ar bare,
208 [C] & an ax in his oþer, a hoge & vn-mete,
A spetos sparþe to expoun in spelle quo-so my3t;
Þe hede of an eln3erde þe large lenkþe hade,
Þe grayn al of grene stele & of golde hewen,
212 [D] Þe bit burnyst bry3t, with a brod egge,
As wel schapen to schere as scharp rasores;
Þe stele of a stif staf þe sturne hit bi-grypte,
Þat wat3 wounden wyth yrn to þe wande3 ende, [Fol. 94.]
216 [E] & al bigrauen with grene, in gracios[1] werkes;
A lace lapped aboute, þat louked at þe hede,
& so after þe halme halched ful ofte,
Wyth tryed tassele3 þerto tacched in-noghe,
220 [F] On botoun3 of þe bry3t grene brayden ful ryche.
Þis haþel helde3 hym in, & þe halle entres,
Driuande to þe he3e dece, dut he no woþe,
[G] Haylsed he neuer one, bot he3e he ouer loked.
224 Þe fyrst word þat he warp, "wher is," he sayd,
[H] "Þe gouernour of þis gyng? gladly I wolde
Se þat segg in sy3t, & with hym self speke
raysoun."
228 To kny3te3 he kest his y3e,
& reled hym vp & doun,
[I] He stemmed & con studie,
Quo walt þer most renoun.
[Sidenote A: The knight carried neither spear nor shield,]
[Sidenote B: In one hand was a holly bough,]
[Sidenote C: in the other an axe,]
[Sidenote D: the edge of which was as keen as a sharp razor,]
[Sidenote E: and the handle was encased in iron, curiously "graven with
green, in gracious works."]
[Sidenote F: Thus arrayed the Green Knight enters the hall,]
[Sidenote G: without saluting any one.]
[Sidenote H: He asks for the "governor" of the company,]
[Sidenote I: and looks for the most renowned.]
[Footnote 1: looks like gracons in MS.]