[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 (?).]