[A] He sperred þe sted with þe spure3, & sprong on his way,
So stif þat þe ston fyr stroke out þer-after;
672 [B] Al þat se3 þat semly syked in hert,
& sayde soþly al same segges til oþer,
Carande for þat comly, "bi Kryst, hit is scaþe,
Þat þou, leude, schal be lost, þat art of lyf noble!
676 [C] To fynde hys fere vpon folde, in fayth is not eþe;
Warloker to haf wro3t had more wyt bene,
& haf dy3t 3onder dere a duk to haue worþed;
[D] A lowande leder of lede3 in londe hym wel seme3,
680 & so had better haf ben þen britned to no3t,
[E] Hadet wyth an aluisch mon, for angarde3 pryde.
Who knew euer any kyng such counsel to take,
As kny3te3 in caueloun3 on cryst-masse gomne3!"
684 [F] Wel much wat3 þe warme water þat waltered of y3en,
When þat semly syre so3t fro þo wone3
þat[1] daye;
He made non abode,
688 Bot wy3tly went hys way,
[G] Mony wylsum way he rode,
Þe bok as I herde say.
[Sidenote A: He spurs his horse and goes on his way.]
[Sidenote B: All that saw that seemly one mourned in their hearts.]
[Sidenote C: They declared that his equal was not to be found upon earth.]
[Sidenote D: It would have been better for him to have been a leader of
men,]
[Sidenote E: than to die by the hands of "an elvish man."]
[Sidenote F: Much was the warm water that poured from eyes that day.]
[Sidenote G: Meanwhile many a weary way goes Sir Gawayne.]
[Footnote 1: MS. þad.]