XC
“Gawain,” said the green one, “may God thee guard! Thou art welcome, I wis, good wight, to my place, And hast timed thy travel as true man should. Thou knowest the covenants we accorded together; At this time twelvemonth thou tookest thy dues, And now at this New-Year thou needs must requite. Today in this dale we shall deal by ourselves, Here is none to say nay, knock as we like. Unhasp now thy helmet, and have here thy pay, And resist me no more than thyself I resisted When thou severedst my head at a single stroke.” “Nay,” quoth Gawain, “by God, that gave to me life, I shall grudge thee not a grain any grame that befalls; But mind thee! one stroke! and quite still shall I stand, Nor resist any wise, work how thou wilt, unfair. He bent his neck and bow’d, And show’d the nape ail bare; He look’d like man uncow’d, For death he had no care.