Chapter XIII

2284 [A] Bot busk, burne, bi þi fayth, & bryng me to þe poynt,
Dele to me my destiné, & do hit out of honde,
For I schal stonde þe a strok, & start no more,
Til þyn ax haue me hitte, haf here my trawþe."
2288 [B] "Haf at þe þenne," quod þat oþer, & heue3 hit alofte,
& wayte3 as wroþely, as he wode were;
[C] He mynte3 at hym ma3tyly, bot not þe mon ryue3,[1]
With-helde heterly h[i]s honde, er hit hurt my3t.
2292 [D] Gawayn grayþely hit byde3, & glent with no membre,
Bot stode stylle as þe ston, oþer a stubbe auþer,
Þat raþeled is in roche grounde, with rote3 a hundreth.
Þen muryly efte con he mele, þe mon in þe grene,
2296 [E] "So now þou hat3 þi hert holle, hitte me bihou[e]s;
Halde þe now þe hy3e hode, þat Arþur þe ra3t,
& kepe þy kanel at þis kest, 3if hit keuer may."
G: ful gryndelly with greme þenne sayde,
2300 [F] "Wy þresch on, þou þro mon, þou þrete3 to longe,
I hope þat þi hert ar3e wyth þyn awen seluen."
"For soþe," quod þat oþer freke, "so felly þou speke3,
I wyl no lenger on lyte lette þin ernde,
2304 ri3t nowe."
[G] Þenne tas he[2] hym stryþe to stryke,
& frounses boþe lyppe & browe,
No meruayle þa3 hym myslyke,
2308 Þat hoped of no rescowe.

[Sidenote A: Bring me to the point; deal me my destiny at once."] [Sidenote B: "Have at thee, then," says the other.] [Sidenote C: With that he aims at him a blow.] [Sidenote D: Gawayne never flinches, but stands as still as a stone.] [Sidenote E: "Now," says the Green Knight, "I must hit thee, since thy heart is whole."] [Sidenote F: "Thrash on," says the other.] [Sidenote G: Then the Green Knight makes ready to strike.] [Footnote 1: ? ryne3 = touches.] [Footnote 2: he he, in MS.]