XIX.
Reading edition
The Green Knight The grene knyȝt vpon grounde grayþely hym dresses, A littel lut with þe hede, þe lere he discouereȝ, puts his long lovely locks aside and lays bare his neck. His longe louelych lokkeȝ he layd ouer his croun. 420 Let þe naked nec to þe note schewe. Gauan gripped to his ax, & gederes hit on hyȝt, Þe kay fot on þe folde he be-fore sette, Sir Gawayne lets fall his axe Let hit doun lyȝtly lyȝt on þe naked, 424 Þat þe scharp of þe schalk schyndered þe bones, and severs the head from the body. & schrank þurȝ þe schyire grece, & scade hit in twynne, Þat þe bit of þe broun stel bot on þe grounde. The head falls to the earth. Þe fayre hede fro þe halce hit [felle] to þe erþe, Many kick it aside with their feet. 428 Þat fele hit foyned wyth her fete, þere hit forth roled; Þe blod brayd fro þe body, þat blykked on þe grene; The knight never falters; & nawþer faltered ne fel þe freke neuer þe helder, Bot styþly he start forth vpon styf schonkes, he rushes forth, seizes his head, 432 & ru[n]yschly he raȝt out, þere as renkkeȝ stoden, Laȝt to his lufly hed, & lyft hit vp sone; & syþen boȝeȝ to his blonk, þe brydel he cachcheȝ, steps into the saddle, Steppeȝ in to stel bawe & strydeȝ alofte, holding the while the head in his hand by the hair, 436 & his hede by þe here in his honde haldeȝ; & as sadly þe segge hym in his sadel sette, As non vnhap had hym ayled, þaȝ hedleȝ he1 we[re], in stedde; and turns his horse about. 440 He brayde his bluk2 aboute, [Fol. 97.] Þat vgly bodi þat bledde, Moni on of hym had doute, Bi þat his resounȝ were redde. 1 MS. ho. 2 blunk (?).