stowing the love-lace safely aside,

hiding it away from all hands and eyes.

Then he went at once to the chapel of worship,

privately approached the priest and implored him

to allow his confession, and to lead him in life

so his soul might be saved when he goes to his grave.

Then fully and frankly he spoke of his sins, 1880

no matter how small, always seeking mercy,

calling on that counsellor to clear his conscience.

The priest declares him so clean and so pure

that the Day of Doom could dawn in the morning.

Then in merrier mood he mingled with the ladies,

carolling and carousing and carrying on

like never before, until nightfall. Folk feel

and hear

and see his boundless bliss

and say, ‘Such charm and cheer; 1890

he’s at his happiest

since his arrival here.’

And long let him loiter there, looked after by love.

Now the lord of the land was still leading his men,

finishing off the fox he had followed for so long.

He vaults a fence to flush out the victim,

hearing that the hounds are harrying hard.

Then Reynard scoots from a section of scrub

and the rabble of the pack rush right at his heels.

Aware of its presence the wary lord waits, 1900

then bares his bright sword and swishes at the beast,

which shirks from its sharpness, and would have shot away

but a hound flew forward before it could flee

and under the hooves of the horses they have him,

worrying their quarry with woeful wailing.

The lord hurtles from his horse and heaves the fox up,

wrestles it from the reach of those ravenous mouths,

holds it high over head and hurrahs manfully

while the bloodthirsty bloodhounds bay and howl.

And the other huntsmen hurried with their horns 1910

to catch sight of the slaughter and celebrate the kill.

And when the company of clansmen had come together

the buglers blew with one mighty blast,

and the others hallooed with open throats.

A human could not hear a headier music

than the roaring which was raised for the soul of Reynard

who croaked!

By way of a reward

the hounds are soothed and stroked.

Then red fur rips – Reynard 1920

is cut out of his coat.

Then with night drawing near they headed homeward,

blaring their bugles with the fullness of their breath.

And at last the lord lands at his lovely home,

to find, by the heat of the fireside, his friend

the good Sir Gawain, in glad spirits

on account of the company he had kept with the ladies.

His blue robe flowed as far as the floor,

his soft-furred surcoat suited him well,

and the hood which echoed it hung from his shoulders. 1930

Both hood and coat were edged in ermine.

He meets the master in the middle of the room,

greets him graciously, with Gawain saying:

‘I shall first fulfil our formal agreement

which we fixed in words when the drink flowed freely.’