Sir Gawain and The Green Knight

220 Pages·2011·1.78 MB·English

by  John Gardner

LITERATURE
Thea dventuarnedsc hallenogfeS si rG awainK,i ngA rthurn'esp hew
anda k nighotft heR oundTa blien,c ludhiinsdg u ewli tthh em ysterious
GreeKnn ighatr,ea mongt heo ldeasntd b est-knoAwrnt hurisatno ries.
Heret hed istinguiasuhtehdoa rn dp oeJto hn Gardhnaesc ra pturtehde
humore,l eganacnedr, i chneosfts h eo rigiMniadld lEen gliisnha f lowing
modervne rster anslaotfti hoinls i terary masBteesripdieesc et.oh feS itra le
Gawaiann dt heG reeKnn ightth,i esd itiionnc ludGeasr dnesru'bss tantial
introducttoit ohnew orkosf t heG awain poetw:o rlhvdii se wa ndt he
conventiaonndts r aditfioounnsid n t hep oema,s w elals a na nalyosfih si s
poetfiocr ms.
"ProfeGsasrodrn eirs'I,bs e lietvheeb, e sttr anslaotfti hoensw eo rks."
Speculum
"MrG.a rdnhears t ransliatnetmdoo derEnn gliasnhde ditaet de xotft hese
fivep oemtsh acto uld habredi lmyp rov.e.d.T .h ee ntiwroer ki sp receded
bya v erfiyn ea ndc omplegteen erianlt roducatnidao c nr iticcoamlm entary
one acpho em." Librjaoruyr noanlT ,h eC omplWeotrek osft hGea wain-Poet
(1933-82)
JOHN GARDNER wasa c elebraptoeedtc ,r itpirco,f esessosra,y ist,
andh istorHieaw na.st hea uthoofrs everaaclc laiamneddb est-senlolvienlgs ,
includGirnegn daenldT heS unliDgihatl ogPureisto.roh idse atihna m otorcycle
1982,
accideinnt Gardnfeornu deda ndd irecttheewd ritipnrgo graamtt he
StatUen iversoifNt eyw Y orakt B inghamton.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO PRESS
www.pruecshsi.c ago.edu
ISBN-139:7 8-0-ZZ6-Z8328-9
ISBN-10O:- ZZ6-Z8328-3
COVER IMAGE© MarEyv ans PLiicbtrAualrraeym /y .
COVER DESIGN BAYs hHleeyp burn.
SIR GAWAIN
AND THE
GREEN KNIGHT

SIR GAWAIN
AND THE
GREEN KNIGHT
INA MODERNE NGLISHV ERSIONW ITH
A CRITICAILN TRODUCTIOBNY
JOHN GARDNER
WOODCUTS BY FRITKZR EDEL
THE UNIVERSITYO F CHICAGO PRESS
CHICAGO & LONDON
THEU NIVERSIOTFYC HICAGPOR ESSC,H ICAG6O0 637
TheU niversoifCt hyi caPgroe sLst,d L.o,n don
© zoIi b yT heU niversoifCt hyi cago
PrefaIcnet,r oducatnidCo onm mentaarnyd," SiGra waiann d
theG reeKnn igh©t "I965b yT heU niversoifCt hyi cago
Allr ighrtess ervPeudb.l is2h0eI1d .
PRINTEIDN T HE UNITED STAOTFEA SM ERICA
20I 9I 8I 7I 6I 5I 4I 31 2I I I 2 3 4 5
ISBN-I937:8 -0-226-28(3p28a-p9e r)
ISBN-I0O-:2 26-2832(8p-a3p er)
DESIGNEBDY A DRIANW ILSON
LIBRYA ROFC ONGRESCSA TALGOING-IN-LPIUCBATIDOANT A
Gawaiann dt heG renKen ight.
SiGra waiann dt heG reeKnn igh:it n a m oderEnn glivsehr siIo n
witahc ritiicnatlr oduc[tbiyo]nJ oGhanr dner.
p.e m.
Inclubdiebs liograrpehfiecraeln ces.
ISBN-I937:8 -o-226-28(3p28b:-ka 9. lkp.a per)
ISBN-IoO-:2 26-2832(8p-b3k a.l:k p.a per1.) G awaiann dt heG rene
Knigh2t..E nglipsohe try-MidEdnlgel iIs hI, o5o0-0I3. . G awain
(Legendcahrayr acter)-Ro4m·aK nnciegsh.at nsdk nighthood-Poetry.
5·A rthurrioamna nceIs.G. a rdnJeorh,n I,9 33-I98I2IT..i tle.
PR2065.G334A2 0II
82I'.I-dc22
20II OI5 732
@Thipsa pemre ettsh ree quiremoefAn NtSsI INIzS3O9 .48-I992
(PermaneonfPc aep er).
Form yf athaenrmd o ther
Openy ouery etsh erpefroriecy,ko usurpp i reiatrusa,l
openy our alnaidpp psyl,oy uh re atrhtya,ot mu a ys ee
yourG oid na lclra etumraeysh ,e Hairm p,r aHiisme,
lO'Vaen add oHriem m,a g;nify haonnoHdri ml,e tshte
whowloer rlidas gea iynosut.
-BONAVENTURA
PREFACE
Myo bjientc rta nsalnadt icnogm omenn ttpihoneegshm eas bs e en
tom akgee neraaclcleysa ssmi ubclahesI c ouolftd h tee chnical
inegnuitthmyeu, s tihcne,a rrsautbitvalene vdti yg tohrde,r amatic
powearn,td h sey mbocloimcp lteoxb ieft uoyn idn t hoer iginal
MiddElngel iOsnhke.n obwesof re boengeaiv nesrt srea nsolfa tion
thkiisn tdh oante chaonpnferoom to rteh apna rtsiueacsclIs n.­
evitsaibnlicyite,is m postsoci abrlreoy fa g arlelpa ote etff'esc ts
form olnaen guaagneo tiohnneterfo ,ro i cse dm atkcoeh oiacbeosu t
whatt ok eepa ndw hatt od ismisasn;d r,e ciozgintnhgfio rsm t he
staorntet, e imsp ttobe edg biydn e vifsrooi nnegsa se elotffr uloens
what biems o sittmo p orttopa rnets ewhravte ,mn oesixtmt p ortant,
ansdo o n.B ustu crhu leosf l iatruets laeet,l eatsomt e f,ro w hat
seemmossi tpm ortiaonnn tpe l asceee msi mlpeosristna a nnott her,
andt hieenn o dn hea nsoc hobiuctteol etthp eo ettaroyk nee where
iwti .l clIat nh eorrdeeef sctrhimebe et hod of these translations only
int hfelo lowingge nveteremrarsyl.
Ih avoef tternaa ntsefelrde leyx,a ggetrhapeto ieintmg'a sga ensd
thceo nnoetffaetocifhtv siel s a ngiuonar gdete omr a ke images, puns,
antdh lei ke atvoaar ielaadlbeelfrsema s i ltihaatrnh f euo rteenth­
centrueraydp erre sumablyf roiw nasst hawaniwctkehih,,nu gn,t­
ingce,h sasn,df ue daelt iquIe htatvseeo. m etqiumiedtsre a s-
Vll
ticaalltleyr eidno rlditenorre e sp robdyiu nceedc itreiffoenc ts I
counlodgt e ott herwisoef-c wouhrisceht hmtaehtare ne sa idser
att he moefr cmiyyn t erprtehtraotuigFohonore u xta.m pbly e,
virotfu ept oheet ic cuosnevidenp n rteisoeinn-tstc ionngv entions
nowa lblu ftro gottegna-rtdhoeeran r bionrt hPee awrolu ld
simultasnuegogtueotss hltey poet'asu diimaemg neacdreida ae tne,
bowoefrl ovaen,dg raa veaynaidrwt do ,u bledc oamste h,pe o em
progsreeasss ,y mboofNl a tuirtes, t ehlfefla lgeanr .d( eTnhiiss
nots attyoh aaltml e digeavradlie ann lmsle dipeoveammlus s stu g­
gesttoa lmle dieavuadli etnhcceeo sn tbreatswtNe aetnu arned
PadriasTeh.ec ontirsa scotan ree fuilnrltoyd uacnedd developed
ast hpeo epmr ogsreesTso.g )e t ntehcee shsianrttysh miousfl teity
intthote r ansIlh aatviitenor no,d nuecwe dc bounts iismatgeenrty ,
froi nsttahngeca eti ens s4t,aa indmza eate nofrctihniegd oefat he
gardaesgn r ave.Ey lasredwphaerrtei,ci unPl uaryari nltPdya tience,
Ih ave connsairsrtotewhcneeotd ln yn otoafst oimooefn spt oheet 's
worfdrost hsea koefp resetrhvuein niagtn ycd o heroeftn hcee
poe.mI sna lolft hpeo eomsft hGea wapionet-th,se e tting is the
worolfcd h iv:ta lhOrely Tdes tamfiegnutLr oet a k insi gabh otl,d
baraos nut,r ddyu kteh;pe r opJhoentia ashv assGaold J;oe fr usa­
leims af rotimfeideide cviatwlyi ttho wearnsbd a ttlements and
bridsgpeasn anm ionagIt wf.e stehOeel Tdes tamweonrtl tdh ea s
worolfd Kinga nAidrth tseh ruorme,os d eoalfscs h ivcaolurritce sy,
theirse novtehrsiytn agr itnl iptnohgee tt r'esa tomfte hnBete ati­
tudaesas l legoricPaalt ilfenarocid enia,sen tsc-ei:n
Theasele,li gahrte,h otnhtoehr ast uasw ait
Iwfe w iblullt o tvhee lsaeda ineldsi i vtneh esierr vice­
DamPeo veDratmyPe,i tDya,mP ee natnhcteeh ,i rd,
DamMee eknaenDsdas m Mee rcaynm,de rDraym Cel ean.ne.s.s.
[Prolsot8g.,Iu I2e.9, 2- ]3
Buitwf e l oosuesr e nosfte hm ei lisuecuph,a ssaargjeear sri nAgn.d
soi nt ranswloartwdihsni gcc ahhn a veeih tear stmreidctileyv al
senosrae m orgee nesreanlfsro ee ,x amtphlweeo rddo uwj;hei,c h
camne a"nab nodfr enteariosrs" i mply "Ihp aevgoeep nleer,a"l ly
seletchtmeeo drm ee dimeevaanli ng.
Vlll THEG AWAI-NPOET