First a rug of rare cloth was unrolled on the floor,

heaped with gear which glimmered and gleamed,

and onto it he stepped to receive his armoured suit. 570

He tries on his tunic of extravagant silk,

then the neatly cut cloak, closed at the neck,

its lining finished with a layer of white fur.

Then they settled his feet into steel shoes

and clad his calves, clamped them with greaves,

then hinged and highly polished plates

were knotted with gold thread to the knight’s knees.

Then leg-guards were fitted, lagging the flesh,

attached with thongs to his thick-set thighs.

Then comes the suit of shimmering steel rings 580

encasing his body and his costly clothes:

well burnished braces to both of his arms,

good elbow guards and glinting metal gloves,

all the trimmings and trappings of a knight tricked out

to ride:

a metal suit that shone;

gold spurs which gleam with pride;

a keen sword swinging from

the silk belt to his side.

Fastened in his armour he seemed fabulous, famous, 590

every link looking golden to the very last loop.

Yet for all that metal he still made it to Mass,

honoured the Almighty before the high altar.

After which he comes to the king and his consorts

and asks to take leave of the ladies and lords;

they escort and kiss him and commend him to Christ.

Now Gringolet is rigged out and ready to ride

with a saddle which flickered with fine gold fringes

and was set with new studs for the special occasion.

The bridle was bound with stripes of bright gold, 600

the apparel of the panels was matched in appearance

to the colour of the saddle-bows and cropper and cover,

and nails of red gold were arrayed all around,

shining splendidly like splintered sunlight.

Then he holds up his helmet and kisses it without haste;

it was strongly stapled and its lining was stuffed,

and sat high on his head, fastened behind

with a colourful cloth to cover his neck

embroidered and bejewelled with brilliant gems

on the broad silk border, and with birds on the seams 610

such as painted parrots perched among periwinkles

and turtle doves and true-love-knots, tightly entwined

as if women had worked at it seven winters

at least.

The diamond diadem

was greater still. It gleamed

with flawless, flashing gems

both clear and smoked, it seemed.

Then they showed him the shining scarlet shield

with its pentangle painted in pure gold. 620

He seized it by its strap and slung it round his neck;

he looked well in what he wore, and was worthy of it.

And why the pentangle was appropriate to that prince

I intend to say, though it will stall our story.

It is a symbol that Solomon once set in place

and is taken to this day as a token of fidelity,

for the form of the figure is a five-pointed star

and each line overlaps and links with the last

so is ever-eternal, and when spoken of in England