Stanzas 16-18 (ll. 343-416): Gawain Takes up the Challenge

Question 1

“bow”

as in

“Bid me bow fro this bench and stande by yow there,” (l. 344)

Answer 1

“move”

Question 2

“That I withoute vilany”

as in

“That I withoute vilany myght voyde this table,” (l. 345)

Answer 2

“So that I, without discourtesy”

Question 3

“And that my lege lady liked not ille,” (l. 346)

Answer 3

“And if it did not displease my sovereign mistress”

(‘That’ is sometimes conditional)

Question 4

“soth knowen”

as in

“For me think hit not semely, as hit is soth knowen,” (l. 348)

Answer 4

“widely acknowledged”

(Lit. “known for a fact”)

Question 5

“hevened”

as in

“There such an askyng is hevened so high in your sale,” (l. 349)

Answer 5

“raised”

Question 6

“talenttyf”

as in

“Thagh ye yourself be talenttyf, to take hit to yourselven,” (l. 350)

Answer 6

“more than willing”

(Lit. “eager”)

Question 7

“That under heven, I hope, none hawerer of wille,” (l. 352)

Answer 7

“none in the world more courageous, I think,”

(“That” is construed with “bold” from the line above)

Question 8

“Ne better bodyes on bent there baret is rered.”

Answer 8

“Nor [are there] better men on the field where battle is raised”

(Key words: “bent” means field, “baret” means battle [see “baret that lofden” earlier in poem], “rered” means raised.)

Question 9

“I wot”

as in

“I am the wakkest, I wot, and of wyt feblest,” (l. 354)

Answer 9

“I know”

(Note: “wyt” is “wit” in this line)

Question 10

“And lest lur of my life, who laytes the sothe.” (l. 355)

Answer 10

“And my life (would be) the least loss, [if] anyone wants to know the truth.”

Question 11

Bot for as much as ye are myn em I am only to prayse:” (l. 356)

Answer 11

“But I am only to [be] praised insomuch as you are my uncle.”

(Note: “em” is uncle.)

Question 12

“No bounte bot your blod”

as in

“No bounte bot your blod I in my body knowe.” (l. 357)

Answer 12

“No worth but your blood [relationship to me]”

(Note: sentence order should be 357b-357a; reverse the line halves.)

Question 13

“And sithen this note is so nice”

as in

“And sithen this note is so nice that not hit yow falles,”

Answer 13

“And since this affair is so foolish”

(Note: c.f. “nice” with l. 323)

Question 14

“falles”

as in

“And sithen this note is so nice that not hit yow falles,”

Answer 14

“properly befall you”

Question 15

“frayned it at yow”

as in

“And I have frayned it at yow first, foldes hit to me.”

Answer 15

“sought it from you”

Question 16

“Bout blame.” (l. 361)

Answer 16

“[Nevertheless] be blameless.”

Question 17

“Riche togeder con roun,” (l. 362)

Answer 17

“Noble men did whisper together,”

(Note: periphrastic past tense; also adj. for n.)

Question 18

“thay redden all same” (l. 363)

Answer 18

“they all advised the same:”

Question 19

“ryd”

as in

“To ryd the kyng with crowne” (l. 364)

Answer 19

“relieve [of responsibility]”

Question 20

“radly”

as in

“And he ful radly up ros and riched him fayre,” (l. 367)

Answer 20

“promptly”

Question 21

“riched him fayre”

as in

“And he ful radly up ros and riched him fayre,” (l. 367)

Answer 21

“made his way [to Arthur] calmly”

Question 22

“And he luflyly hit him laft”

as in

“And he luflyly hit him laft and lyfte up his hande” (l. 369)

Answer 22

“Which Arthur left to him kindly”

Question 23

“‘kepe thee, cosyn,’ quoth the kyng, ‘that thou on kyrf sette;” (l. 372)

Answer 23

“Make sure, nephew,” says the king, “that you make one cut;”

Question 24

“redes him right” (l. 373)

Answer 24

“give him what he wants”

Question 25

“That thou schal bide the bur that he schal bede after.” (l. 374)

Answer 25

“That you will endure the blow that he delivers after.”

Question 26

“And he baldly him bides, he bayst never the helder” (l. 376)

Answer 26

“And the Knight boldly stands ready; Gawain was no more disconcerted [for that].”

Question 27

“Refourme we our forwardes ere we ferre passe.” (l. 378)

Answer 27

“Let us rehearse the terms of our agreement before we go any further.”

Question 28

“ethe”

as in

“First I ethe thee, hathel, how that thou hattes
That thou me telle truly as I tryst may.” (ll. 379-80)

Answer 28

“First I command you, knight to tell me what you are called; you should tell me truthfully, so that I may trust you.”

(Note: “That” can become conditional)

Question 29

“That bede thee this buffet”

as in

“That bede thee this buffet, whatso befalles after,” (l. 382)

Answer 29

“Who offers you this blow”

Question 30

“With what weppen so thou wilt, and with no wye elles
On lyve.” (ll. 384-85)

Answer 30

“With whatever weapon you please, and from no other man alive.”

Question 31

“so mot I thryve” (l. 387)

Answer 31

“so may I prosper”

(a common asseveration at the time)

Question 32

“As I am ferly fayn
This dint that thou schal drive.” (ll. 388-89)

Answer 32

“because I am wonderfully pleased that you [are the one who] shall deliver this strike.”

Question 33

“fonge at thy fyste”

as in

“That I schal fonge at thy fyste that I have frayst here;” (l. 391)

Answer 33

“receive from your hand”

Question 34

“that I have frayst here”

as in

“That I schal fonge at thy fyste that I have frayst here;” (l. 391)

Answer 34

“that which I have requested here”

Question 35

“And thou has redily rehersed by resoun ful true
Clanly all the covenaunt that I the kyng asked,–” (ll. 392-93)

Answer 35

“And you have appropriately rehearsed, with truthful speech, all the terms of our agreement that I asked the king fully”

Question 36

“siker”

as in

“Save that thou schal siker me, segge by thy trauthe,” (l. 394)

Answer 36

“promise”

(Note: “siker” as adj. means ‘trusty’; as v. it means ‘trust’, or ‘promise’.)

Question 37

“trauthe”

as in

“Save that thou schal siker me, segge by thy trauthe,” (l. 394)

Answer 37

“oath”

Question 38

“sech”

as in

“That thou schal sech me thyself whereso thou hopes” (l. 395)

Answer 38

“seek”

Question 39

“fech thee such wages”

as in

“I may be founde upon folde, and fech thee such wages” (l. 396)

Answer 39

“yourself get [dealt] such promises”

Question 40

“wale”

as in

“‘Where schuld I wale thee?’ Quoth Gawan. ‘Where is thy place?” (l. 398)

Answer 40

“find”

Question 41

“I wot never where thou wones, by Him that me wroghte,” (l. 399)

Answer 41

“I do not know where you reside, by Him that made me,”

Question 42

“how thou hattes”

as in

“Bot tech me truly thereto and tell me how thou hattes,” (l. 401)

Answer 42

“how you are named”

(Note the awkward phrasal structure)

Question 43

“ware”

as in

“And I schal ware all my wit to wynne me thider,–”

Answer 43

“use”

Question 44

“If I thee telle truly, when I the tappe have
And thou me smothely has smyten, smartely I thee teche
Of my house and my home and myn owne name,–” (ll. 406-08)

Answer 44

“If I tell you truly, when I have [taken] the tap and you have fairly struck me, I [will] inform you clearly of my house and my home and my own name,–”

(Note: “tappe” could be used in replacement of “dint” or another common word for alliterative purposes, but it could also suggest that the knight is taking a mocking tone, belittling Gawain to taunt him.)

Question 45

“frayste my fare”

as in

“Then may thou frayste my fare and forewardes holde.” (l. 409)

Answer 45

“seek me out”

Question 46

“forewardes holde”

as in

as in

“Then may thou frayste my fare and forewardes holde.” (l. 409)

Answer 46

“uphold the terms of the agreement.”

(Note the usage of ‘forewardes’ earlier in the poem.)

Question 47

“And if I spende no speche, then spedes thou the better,
For thou may leng in thy londe and layte no ferre.” (ll. 410-11)

Answer 47

“And if I expend no speech, then your luck is all the better, for you may remain in your land and seek no further.”

Question 48

“Bot slokes!” (l. 412)

Answer 48

“But enough!”

Question 49

“Ta now”

as in

“Ta now thy grym tole to thee” (l. 413)

Answer 49

“Now take”

Question 50

“thou cnokes”

as in

“And let se how thou cnokes.” (l. 414)

Answer 50

“you strike”

Question 51

“for sothe”

as in

“Gladly, sir, for sothe,” (l. 415)

Answer 51

“indeed”