[A] Then frayned þe freke ful fayre at him-seluen,
Quat derne[1] dede had hym dryuen, at þat dere tyme,
1048 So kenly fro þe kynge3 kourt to kayre al his one,
Er þe halidaye3 holly were halet out of toun?
[B] "For soþe sir," quod þe segge, "3e sayn bot þe trawþe
A he3e ernde & a hasty me hade fro þo wone3,
1052 For I am sumned my selfe to sech to a place,
I wot[2] in worlde wheder warde to wende, hit to fynde;
I nolde, bot if I hit negh my3t on nw3eres morne,
For alle þe londe in-wyth Logres, so me oure lorde help!
1056 For-þy, sir, þis enquest I require yow here,
[C] Þat 3e me telle with trawþe, if euer 3e tale herde
Of þe grene chapel, quere hit on grounde stonde3,
& of þe kny3t þat hit kepes, of colour of grene?
1060 Þer wat3 stabled bi statut a steuen vus by-twene,
[D] To mete þat mon at þat mere, 3if I my3t last;
& of þat ilk nw3ere hot neked now wonte3,
& I wolde loke on þat lede, if God me let wolde,
1064 Gladloker, bi Godde3 sun, þen any god welde!
For-þi, I-wysse, bi 3owre wylle, wende me bi-houes,
[E] Naf I now to busy bot bare þre daye3,
& me als fayn to falle feye as fayly of myyn ernde."
1068 [F] Þenne la3ande quod þe lorde, "now leng þe by-houes,
For I schal teche yow to þa[t] terme bi þe tyme3 ende,
Þe grene chapayle vpon grounde, greue yow no more;
Bot 3e schal be in yowre bed, burne, at þyn ese,
1072 Quyle forth dayej, & ferk on pe fyrst of pe 3ere,
& cum to þat merk at mydmorn, to make quat yow like3 [Fol. 105b]
in spenne;
Dowelle3 whyle new 3eres daye,
1076 & rys, & rayke3 þenne,
[G] Mon schal yow sette in waye,
Hit is not two myle henne."
[Sidenote A: He desires to know what had driven Sir Gawayne from Arthur's
court before the end of the Christmas holidays.]
[Sidenote B: The knight replies that "a high errand and a hasty one" had
forced him to leave the court.]
[Sidenote C: He asks his host whether he has ever heard of the Green
Chapel,]
[Sidenote D: for he has to be there on New Year's-day.]
[Sidenote E: He wonld as lief die as fail in his errand.]
[Sidenote F: The prince tells Sir Gawayne that he will teach him the way.]
[Sidenote G: The Green chapel is not more than two miles from the castle.]
[Footnote 1: derue (?).]
[Footnote 2: not (?).]