Now the New-Year nighs, and the night passes, + 

Dáy treads on dark, as deems the Almighty; + 

But weathers full wild in the world awaken, + 

Clouds strike keenly the cold to the earth, + 

With enough of the North the nakèd to teen. + 

The snow shower’d snell and snapèd the wild, + 

The whistling wind from the welkin smote + 

And drove each dale full of drifts very deep. + 

Oft listen’d the leal man that lay in his bed; + 

Though he lock’d his lids, but little he slept, + 

And by each cock that crew he knew well his hour. + 

Full early was he up, ere ány day dawn’d, + 

For there was light from a lamp that leam’d in his chamber; + 

He call’d to his chamberlain (and the call he answer’d), + 

And bade bring his byrnie and saddle his bay; + 

Then his man is afoot and fetches his weeds, + 

And graithes me Sir Gawain in a great fashion. + 

First he clad him in clothes the cold for to temper, + 

And eke in his harness that he had housèd with care, + 

Both his pounce and his plates, polisht full clean, + 

And the rings of his rich mail, scour’d of all rust; + 

All was fresh as at first, and fain was he then + 

to speed. + 

He had on him each piece, + 

Well wiped, from foulness free’d; + 

Gayest from here to Greece, + 

Gawain bade bring his steed. + 