Sir Gawain and the Green Knight/Pearl/Sir Orfeo

by Unknown, J.R.R. Tolkien (Translator), Christopher Tolkien (Introduction)

Originally published: London: George Allen & Unwin, 1975.

Genres: Fantasy, Poetry, Classics, Fiction, Arthurian, Medieval, Mythology

214 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1975

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Unknown" when the author or editor (as applicable) is not known and cannot be discovered. If at all possible, list at least one actual author or editor for a book instead of using "Unknown".

Books whose authorship is purposefully withheld should be attributed instead to Anonymous.

Reviews

[Lee (the Book Butcher) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to two versions of Sir Gawain and the green knight. one was the one feature here translated by the great scholar J.R.R Tolkien. The other was an easy-to-follow version translated by Jessie L. Weston. Tolkien's version is a very high brow scholarly with his own interpretation on what the stories means. to be sure the about as accurate translation as can be found. Unfortunately, it's translated in such a florid language that it is hard to follow. The second is just the sir Gawain story told in modern language even a butcher from Georgia can understand. I liked Weston translation better because I'm a uneducated moron.

The Sir Gawain story is a fun Arthurian tale. I've heard the synopsis before but never the fully tale. The green Knight swaggers up to Camelot and challenges the round table court. Sir Gawain the weakest of the knights nephew of Arther accepts the challenge. his chivalry and the Arthurian court is tested by Morgan Lafaye. a 4 or 5 star story.

Pearl is a very Christian tale. J.R.R thinks it's about a daughter who has died, and the father resolves to meet her in heaven. Thinks is the key word because the translation is quite bad. 1 star!

Sir Orfeo is a familiar type of tale. where the king's wife is taken by fairy folk i think? translation is hard to understand again! Sir Orfeo spends 10 years looking for his wife then returns home with her 3 to 4 stars.

I know it's weird to put down J.R.R. But the translation is meant for scholarly accuracy. this of course is a problem with scholarly pursuits it's not intended for everyone and unfortunately, it's not intended for my pleasure. Weston's translation was so much better!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I confess, sir, here to you
all faulty has been my fare.
Let me gain your grace anew,
and after I will beware."

In 2022, I read the translation of Simon Armitage's Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Then I went and listened to Benedict Flynn's version afterwards. But I still wanted to check out J.R.R. Tolkien's translation.

I liked it well enough, but it is difficult to say whether I like it more or less than Armitage's. However, I don't remember Pearl and Sir Orfeo being included in the latter's translation.

Both of these tales were pleasant enough, more so Sir Orfeo than Pearl. That isn't to say Pearl is inherently bad or anything. Really, it's not! At least, I don't think it's bad. It's just different tone wise compared to its companions. At least, that's how I perceived it.

I have to say, though, Sir Orfeo was my favorite tale from this book.

Overall Ratings
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight ★★★ (3.25 stars)
Pearl ★★★ (3.25 stars)
Sir Orfeo ★★★★★ (5 stars)

[William Gwynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the classic Arthurian texts, and it has had a lot more attention since the release of the recent movie adaptation. I read it originally quite a few years ago, but the details had strayed from my mind, so it was like reading it for the first time again.

This is an awesome Arthurian story in my opinion, with so many aspects of the legend that we know and love today. Gawain has always been one of my favourite characters, and I believe he is far more nuanced in this poem than you would expect from a medieval piece of literature.

“Of all the things that men may heed
'Tis most of love they sing indeed.”

Whilst I would say that there are didactic intentions, with obvious messages contained within this tale and heavy symbolism as well, there is an element of what people would probably think of as modern, in the sense that the message in my opinion is subtle. It is not in your face, it is not constantly alluded to with every other word. It is subtle, and that in my opinion makes it far more powerful. We progress through a linear story, with events feeding into the symbolism and message of the story, but not so obviously as to detract from the ongoing events. With the themes of chivalry, reputation, romance, discipline and honesty sticking out to me, there is so much to discuss that makes this poem engaging and interesting long after you have read and mulled over it for a while.

I would say that it is challenging at parts, but overall fluid and accessible, as it is telling a linear story, with the evolution of plot gradually taking place and just depicting the journey of Sir Gawain's interaction and quest with the Green Knight. It starts with telling the story of the beginning of England, which intertwines with the legend of Troy, but then fairly swiftly places you in Arthur’s chamber with his knights as a feast, shortly before The Green Knight makes his grand and impactful appearance. From then on you have an awesome, quirky and unique quest.

Also, I of course have to mention that I read Tolkien’s translation. Following that, it is not surprising when I say that he did a wonderful job. It is beautiful and conveys the tone and atmosphere, whilst still allowing the text to be accessible to more modern readers.

The Green Knight is such an intriguing and interesting read that is accessible to those far beyond the experienced reader of medieval texts. It is accessible, and I believe most people would ascertain a semblance of enjoyment from this read. Almost everyone enjoys Arthurian legend, and so, almost everyone would enjoy this.

5/5 STARS

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Tolkien's translation of the Middle English poems of the same name of which I shall especially detail the one about Sir Gawain (King Arthur's nephew).

The poem is a late 14th-century chivalric romance. It starts at a New Year's Eve celebration in Camelot where a green knight arrives and offers a game: one of the king's knights shall take his axe and strike him once and in a year and a day that same knight shall come to the green chapel and receive the same blow then.
The rest I shall discuss in spoiler brackets because while all of the events are important, it might be too spoilery for some potential readers:
Arthur himself wants to accept since no knight comes forward, but Sir Gawain accepts in his uncle's place. He then beheads the green knight. But that doesn't kill him. Rather, he takes his head and rides off.
A year later, Gawain goes off to the green chapel to honor the promise. Nearby is a castle and the lord and his wife welcome him there. Since it's a few days until the appointment, Gawain stays at the castle and agrees to a pact with the lord: everything the lord catches in the forest during his daily hunts in exchange for whatever Gawain is "given" during the same day. It's an odd bargain but it soon becomes clear that there might be a plan behind it because the lady of the castle visits Gawain every night, trying to seduce him. He never lets it go farther than a kiss or three and dutifully kisses the lord in exchange for the game the next day. However, on the last night, the lady hands Gawain a sash that supposedly makes him invulnerable. Nervous of the blow he is to receive the next day, he accepts the sash and doesn't tell the lord about it before going off to the chapel. There, the green knight appears and swings the axe twice before dealing what would be a killing blow. Thanks to the sash, it's only a nick and that only because the supposedly noble knight wasn't truthful but cheated regarding the bargain. Humiliated and humbled, Gawain is told that the whole affair was a trick played on him and Arthur by Morgan le Fay and that he shouldn't be too hard on himself. He returns home and tells the king as well as the other knights who, from now on, wear green sashes as a reminder to always be honest.

The poem thus deals with the themes of honor, integrity, honesty and - let's face it - intelligence. Oh, and seduction (temptation, actually, in different forms).

I liked how the knights were NOT ideal here. Gawain is the youngest of the knights at the Round Table and I get why he was forgiven in the end. Nevertheless, a reminder for the future was definitely necessary.

As for the translation itself, it was brilliant. I mean, Tolkien was a linguist so I expected nothing less, but I was really surprised how he managed to simultaneously make it understandable to modern readers and yet also keep the style of these old romances. He really was a master.

The same goes for the other two poems in this book that were equally interesting, adventurous and full of moral lessons (without appearing too preachy).

Moreover, this edition is a wonderful gem on the shelf. It doesn't have any illustrations apart from the illuminations at the beginning of each poem, but it still gives you that certain feeling when picking it up.

[David Sarkies · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Struggle Against Nature
28 September 2011

This middle English poem is said by some to be the greatest poem of Middle English literature, however it does have to compete with The Canterbury Tales for that title, something that I am not going to go into since I have not have the chance to read Chaucer's work at this stage. However while the earliest copy of this poem exists on a manuscript dating back to 1400 AD, it was probably circulating much earlier than than. We don't actually know who the author of this poem is (and my suspicion is that it is like The Odyssey - it was an oral poem what was written down at a later date, and copied, and the version that we have is the earliest version of this copied text). The manuscript also contains two other poems, the Pearl and Sir Orfeo (both of which Tolkien translates as well).

While the poem begins in King Arthur's court, during a feast, the opening stanza goes back to the founding of England - Troy. It appears (and I noted that Holinshed, the English Chronicler from whom Shakespeare used as a source for some of his plays) also puts the origin of the British people to Troy. The story is that after Troy fell, Aeneas fled to Italy where he founded a colony and from that colony Romulus and Remus arose and went on to found the city of Rome (or at least Romulus, since since he killed Remus). However, one of Aeneas' general's, Brutus, was not happy with the location, so he left with some followers, sailed to Britain, defeated the Giants, and founded a colony that eventually, after millennia, went on to rule the world. This of course is all legend and there is no historical or archeological evidence to support this ever actually happening (though it does make a ripping yarn).

Anyway, that is beside the point. The poem itself was quite popular and tells the story of Sir Gawain who, at the feast, decides to take the Green Knight's challenge, which is that if somebody where to strike him then they must meet him at the Green Chapel in a year and a day and also be struck. Sir Gawain decides that sounds like a bit of fun and proceeds to lop off his head. However the Green Knight simply picks it up (his head that is) and walks out, telling him that he will see him in a year and a day. So Sir Gawain travels the land and arrives at the castle of Sir Bertilak. Bertilak then heads out out on a hunting trip but before he goes he tells Sir Gawain that if he gives Gawain the proceeds of the hunt, Sir Gawain must give him whatever he got that day. So, while Bertilak is out his wife attempts to seduce Gawain, who resists the temptations, and the first two times he is given a kiss, and the last time he is given a girdle which will protect him from harm. Gawain honours his agreement to Bertilak (with the exception of the Girdle) and then goes out to meet the Green Knight. After the battle, it turns out that the Green Knight is Bertilak.

This poem carries a lot of symbolism which will simply take way too long to explore the subtleties (and for those who are interested, I'll simply refer you to Wikipedia). However, one of the major themes in this poem is chivalry, which is a medieval code of honour for knights. One of the major aspects is honesty and keeping one's words. Gawain does demonstrate his honour by keeping his word to Bertilak (and the Green Knight) however he does fail with handing over the girdle. This is interesting because he keeps the girdle for protection when he meets the Green Knight without actually knowing that he has already met the Green Knight. We also notice that he honours the marriage vows by resisting Bertilak's wifes advances, even though each advance becomes progressively stronger. Some have suggested that the advances of Bertilak's wife reflects Bertilak's hunting trips, as the animals Bertilak hunts become progressively more aggressive.

Another aspect is nature verses civilisation with the Green Knight (and in turn Bertilak) representing nature and Camelot representing civilisation. The Green Knight's entrance to the feast is a reflection of the chaos of nature bursting into the order of civilisation, and Sir Gawain takes the challenge in an attempt to tame nature. However, considering the time this poem was written (the Dark Ages) it is also looking back to a more civilised time (despite doubts as to the actual existence of King Arthur's court). The time in which this poem was composesd was a time of lack of law and there is, in a way the hearers were no doubt longing for the better times.

In this particular work, there are two other poems which I will briefly mention. The first is The Pearl, which is an allegorical dialogue between a knight and a woman about the kingdom of heaven. This poem has a lot of biblical images (which includes the Pearl, a symbol that Christ uses in one of his parables to describe the beauty and value of the kingdom of heaven). The Knight had the pearl, but lost it, and is worried that in losing the pearl he has also lost access to the kingdom of heaven. Some have suggested that the Pearl is probably representing a loved one, such as a child, but I think the allegory in this poem is deeper than that.

The final poem, Sir Orfeo, is a retelling of the Greek story of Orpheus in the underworld (and this is very clear in that Sir Orfeo is a form of Orpheus). The poem is set in Winchester, however in the poem it is also called Thrace (the location in Greece of the original Orpheus myth). In this poem, though, instead of travelling to the underworld to rescue is beloved, he travels to the Faerie world where his beloved has disappeared. However, in all forms, this poem is the same as the Greek legend.

[Nikola Pavlovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retko kada, ili gotovo upste, nekoj Tolkinovoj knjizi ne dajem ocenu manju od 5 zvezdica.
Ipak jedino sto mi u ovoj kompilaciji prevoda kvari utisak je delo Pearl. Necu objasnjavati zasto, neka to ostane ostane mala tajna i upitnik za one koji se odluce da procitaju ovu knjigu. Zato Sir Gawain and the Green Knight i Sir Orfeo zasluzuju dosta pohvala. I mada su to dva moze se reci plaha, koliritna, gotovo dela za razbibrigu bogat jezik i prelepa rima cine ih veoma prvlacnim za citanje i u mom sada vec secanju mame sirok osmeh.

[Phil J · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the Green Knight story, although I feel like the GK was a bit unfair to Gawain. Even though I am a Tolkien fan, I have to warn you away from his translation in favor of Simon Armitage's. Here's a sample of Tolkien's translation:

'If I tell thee the truth of it, when I have taken the knock,
and thou hast handily hit me, if in haste I announce then
my house and my home and mine own title,
then thou canst call and enquire and keep the agreement;
and if I waste not a word, thou'lt win better fortune,
for thou mayst linger in thy land and look no further-

but stay!
To thy grim tool now take heed, sir!
Let us try thy knocks today!'
'Gladly,' said he, 'Indeed, sir!'
and his axe he stroked in play.

Here is Armitage's comment on the Tolkien translation: "I read Tolkien's translation when I was in my mid-20s; not surprisingly for someone who had studied and decoded the original text, his is a highly faithful rendition. But I never really responded to the antique diction and syntax - it struck me at times as even older than the original."

Here is Armitage's version of the same passage:

'I could tell you the truth once you've taken the blow;
if you smite me smartly I could spell out the facts
of my house and home and my name, if it helps,
then you'll pay me a visit and vouch for our pact.
Or if I keep quiet you might cope much better,
loafing and lounging here, looking no further. But
you stall!

Now grasp that gruesome axe
and show your striking style.'
He answered, 'Since you ask,'
and touched the tempered steel.

This looks like a pretty clear case of Tolkien being more faithful and Armitage being more readable. Generally, Armitage's alliteration is less hokey than Tolkien's, and that's what I responded to.

What else is in this volume? Stuff you could probably do without. "Pearl" is a very dry narrative about a guy who has a long metaphorical dream about Heaven. It largely rehashes portions of the Bible, mainly from Revelations. "Sir Orfeo" is more interesting- basically a take on the Orpheus legend- but not anything ground-breaking.

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avventura, cavalleria, miti arturiani, esoterismo, misticismo, amore e morte in tre poemetti medioevali (4 con il breve Congedo di Sir Gawain alla fine, prime strofe di un altro poema che con il cavaliere nulla avevano a che fare ma che si prestavano al fabbisogno dell'autore) che attirarono l'attenzione di Sir John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, il quale non si limitò ad una semplice traduzione, ma ne ha di fatto rielaborato completamente il testo secondo il proprio gusto letterario, arricchendolo senza tradirne lo spirito, e rendendolo accessibile al lettore comune.
Ma attenzione, si tratta comunque pur sempre di testi destinati alla declamazione in pubblico più che alla lettura a casa seduti in poltrona: mentre il Sir Galvano ed il Cavaliere Verde è un appassionante capolavoro di letteratura cavalleresca che ho adorato, provando a leggere la sera Perla e Sir Orfeo sono crollato addormentato dopo appena poche righe... ma sicuramente è una questione di gusti personali.

[Laurel Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a lovely collection of fourteenth century gems! Sir Gawain is a delight, of course, as is this version of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, but it is Pearl that has swept me away.

I've heard about the Pearl Poet since high school, but for some strange reason had never read the Pearl Poet's Pearl. I'm reading it as a father's (or mother's) consolatory thoughts after losing a toddler daughter to death. The narrator runs his mind through the Scriptures, starting in Matthew and then going back to Genesis and on to Isaiah and Revelation, gaining knowledge and comfort along the way. The little allegories within are beautiful, especially the little girl as the Pearl of Great Price. In the background always seems to be King David's consolation that though his dead son can not come back to him, he will go to the son. I like all the Anglo-Saxon-based words that Tolkien uses, with the addition of a scattering of Latin and French. Now I plan to read John Steinbeck's The Pearl, which was inspired by his studies of the fourteenth-century manuscript.

[Celestria]

I've decided to officially dnf this one. I don't want to waste time forcing myself to read something I'm not at all enjoying, especially since this isn't Tolkien’s original work–he just translated it. I'm still going to keep this book for my collection though.

[Christopher Febles]

Tolkien translated these ancient works long ago, and were edited by his son years later. No one’s sure who the poet is, but they resemble works of Chaucer. One is something of a “tryst” tale involving a knight of the RT, one is a tale of a lord disgraced, and one is I don’t really know what. All told in medieval verse, some very beautiful.

Hard to judge something way outside my comfort zone, and some of which I didn’t understand at all. Poetry just isn’t my thing: I prefer someone just telling me what he/she means, giving me simple language to understand the story. “Gawain” also went into massive detail about dress and ornate living, and “Pearl” was something of a theological thing. I think I liked “Orfeo” most of all: short, sweet, easy to follow.

Finally, after “Gawain” there was a fifty-page lecture on the prior text. I can’t imagine how long that would’ve taken to hear it in person, and there are a zillion places I’d rather have been than at a three-hour talk about poetry. Also, and here’s again why I’m such a knucklehead: over and over I couldn’t stop thinking of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Especially when one of the characters gets his head lopped off…and tucks it under his arm and rides off. “All right…we’ll call it a draw…”

But hey: I’m judging something that I don’t understand, thick-headed troglodyte that I am. Fans of medieval lit and grad students with oodles more patience than me will love it.

[Ганна Кузьо · Rating 4 out of 5]

Поезія - то не моє. Але оцінка стосується більше краси видання, перекладу. Скажу чесно - купила “Сер Ґавейн” лише тому, що дивилася нещодавно однойменний фільм, який видався мені не дуже зрозумілим, тому захотілося перечитати цю історію, яка виявилася досить повчальною та цікавою. Фільм принагідно теж раджу переглянути.

Середньовічна легенда про одного з лицарів Круглого столу - сера Ґавейна. Я лиш не зрозуміла, чому його в тексті називають іноді Вавейном. Ну, менше з тим. Оповідь про те, як древнє божество у вигляді Зеленого лицаря приходить на застілля Короля Артура в Різдво й пропонує своєрідну “гру”. Хто вступить з ним в поєдинок та завдасть удар, той отримає рівно через рік такий же удар в храмі де проживає цей Зелений Лицар - в зеленій Каплиці. Сер Ґавейн юнак, який прагне звитяги й слави, вступає у гру, рубає голову цьому Лицарю і змушений наступного року вирушити у мандрівку, щоб з честю винести такий же удар по собі.
Вся історія сповнена символізму, багато християнської моралі, але не тільки. Історія цікава. Оригінальний текст та сюжет фільму відрізняються, проте обидва цікаві по-своєму.

Як на мене, книга показує мораль, вихваляє честь та безстрашність, смирення прийняти свою долю й дотримати слова. А фільм більше показує пригоди лицаря, які переважно зображаються бравадно й героїчно, з іншого боку. Наче висвітлює іншу сторону такого лицарського життя - приреченість, смертність, невідворотність. Тобто замість романтики й пригод, депресивність і халепи.

Але я от подумала. Якщо уявити, що Зелений Лицар символізує древні сили природи, а Лицарський Стіл - цивілізацію, то може йде про цікаве протистояння людини й природи. Природи, яка насправді не хоче завдавати смертельного удару, але людина перша обирає свій хід і замість легкого удару одразу стинає голову Зеленому Лицарю. Тож людство чекає такий самий вирок, на який ми прирекли природу. Якось так. Теж цікаво виходить)

Окремо заслуговує уваги історія із володарем замку та його дружини, що неодноразово хоче спокусити лицаря Ґавейна. А потім виявиться, що… Не буду спойлерити, ця частина історії мені дуже сподобалася і якраз у фільмі її якось не так гарно зобразили, як воно читається у текстах.

[Genni · Rating 5 out of 5]

”through many marshes and mires, a man all alone,
troubled lest a truant at that time he should prove
from the service of the sweet Lord, who on that selfsame night
of a maid became man our mourning to conquer.”

Christmas is the backdrop of this wonderful tale. It has all the qualities of a good story. The plot is good in and of itself. And who doesn’t love a knight in shining armor? It is insightful, commenting on man’s flaws yet encouraging him in them. It takes a minute to get used to the constant alliteration, I think, but it is so worth the effort.

Sir Gawain is eating dinner with King Arthur, when in marches a green knight. The knight challenges everyone in the hall, but only Gawain, the smallest, most witless of knights, answers the challenge. The whole scene reminded me of David and Goliath, from the challenge, to the point where Gawain cuts off the knight’s head. I could not have been more wrong, though. What happens when Goliath simply picks up his head and strides out of the camp? David’s search for Goliath will change him. It strikes at the heart of what it meant to be a knight, what it means to go on a quest, what it means to be flawed, and what it means to be sought and found.

This particular edition also contains the poems “Pearl” and “Sir Orfeo”. I was not as enthralled with either of these. In particular, I was looking forward to an English rendering of the Orpheus myth. However, the author changed the ending. In my opinion, this caused it to lack the punch of the original tale. So, 5 stars for Sir Gawain, and not as many for the other two. ☺

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the incredible trailer for The Green Knight! I knew I wanted to get my head around the story before I saw the film, so I dove into the source material. I enjoyed it and really love Tolkien's translation.

I won't lie, I skimmed Pearl and Sir Orfeo because poetry isn't my thing. Oops!

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is JRR Tolkien’s translation of a 14th century medieval poem about Gawain, a Knight of the Round Table and nephew of King Arthur himself, being put to the test in a deathly wager. I had already seen the movie version, but now I’ll probably need to give that another look.

Naturally, there is much more going on beneath the surface of this story that cannot be appreciated from a single cursory read, but there follows an illuminating lecture by Tolkien which is fascinating and marvelous. It’s extraordinary to be able to experience what it might have been like to have attended one his Oxford classes on medieval literature and learn from the genius himself. The knowledge and insight he displays is truly masterful.

Tolkien helps to explain the depth of the moral quandary that Gawain faced. He carefully disentangles the issues of morality from those of the code of honor. Tolkien believes that the poem’s anonymous author understood that the code of chivalric honor and the Christian law of virtue were not exactly synonymous, and the poem cuts to heart of the matter like a double-edged sword piercing even to the division soul and spirit.

Highly recommended.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished the title story only.

[ladydusk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Certainly will revisit. So many ideas and such beautiful stories.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Gawain was one of the books I studied in college that only received the perfunctory attention of desperate, late-night skimming before the class in which it was to be covered. Once I actually sat down to read it, I enjoyed it as the best chivalric romance I have yet to read. Sir Gawain's uncomplicated approach to his knightly duty, and his calm preparations for his certain death - green girdle aside - is beautiful. The translated poetry is pretty, and the adventure part is fun. The poem is also a gem in terms of revealing medieval Catholic spirituality; great importance is placed on holy days (every significant event happens to fall on a holy day: All Souls' Day, Christmas, the Solemnity of Mary), the severity of failing to avoid the near occasion of sin, Mass and confession play an essential role in Gawain's preparations for his quest and, later, prep for his death, and Mary's role as Mother and intercessor is clearly laid out. I am still slightly confused about just what the Green Knight is running around trying to accomplish (so he is under the power of King Arthur's enemy Morgan la Fey to bring chaos and destruction to...some random people, but also plays the part of a quasi-confessor and judge of sin why exactly?), so I need to either study that aspect of medieval literature a bit more, or just accept that that mysterious part of the Otherworld is best left under-analyzed.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perhaps Tolkien's translation led to deeper enjoyment than my first read, or perhaps I'm biased for anything Tolkien. I enjoyed this and the third story, Sir Orfeo. They both have a story-tale feel and some adult scenes, such as blood squirting from the Green Knights head before he walks to it and picks it up. Sir Orfeo has a scene of a place with deformed and dead people, some missing arms and legs. I found them both entertaining, but Pearl not so much. Maybe I'll come back to that one and try again later.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I had read parts of this in high school or college, so I'm marking this as a 2024 reread. But it was lovely to finally read the entire poem with some commentary. Like reading Chaucer or Shakespeare, one only vaguely knows what's going on (I definitely looked up a summary at the end to find out what I had missed). But Tolkien did a marvelous job with the translation into beautiful language.

Thanks to Amy for gifting me a gorgeous hardcover edition.

[Meghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second read-through, via audiobook on Spotify, which was very good.
Really enjoyed Sir Gawain, forgot how much I love Sir Orfeo, and Pearl was as heart-wrenching and beautiful as I remembered.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to read Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in December because it has the BEST medieval Christmas parties. All the action happens at them: the first half at Arthur's court, and the rest at the Knight's court the following holiday season.

This year I decided to reread Tolkien's translation. He kept the original poetic form, the alliterative one with the second half of each line coordinating with the first half, and then each stanza has a little quatrain he rendered in rhyme. I salute the achievement but don't actually love how it turned out. Tolkien, of course, knew lots of archaic words and he was very happy to use them. The verse overall felt pretty labored and self-conscious.

I think Tolkien's gift is to translate things so they have the ancient feel that someone gets when they, now, go to the original text. And there's definitely fun to be had from that. I would probably rather read a translation that brings across the mood and sense that a contemporary of the original would have gotten, because of course it wasn't old-fashioned yet to them. Old or new, I think the best translations are also good poetry in the new language: that create a new good thing for us to enjoy.

Note: I did not reread Sir Orfeo or Pearl this time. Maybe I will get around to them later.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you will listen to this lay but a little while now,
I will tell it at once as in town I have heard
it told,
as it is fixed and fettered
in story brave and bold,
thus linked and truly lettered,
as was loved in this land of old.

This book collects J.R.R. Tolkien’s translations of three medieval English poems. I have read Sir Gawain before, in the Marie Borroff translation in an anthology of world literature, but the other two poems were new to me.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was written by an anonymous poet from the West Midlands in the late fourteenth century. The poem is in stanzas of alliterative verse, each of which ends with a "bob and wheel," a very short line followed by a four-line rhyming stanza.

During a New Year’s Eve feast at King Arthur’s court, a mysterious figure appears dressed in green and with green skin, holding a bundle of holly in one hand and an enormous axe in the other. He is referred to only as the Green Knight.The Green Knight challenges the men there to a game. He says that he will allow whomever accepts the challenge to strike him with his own axe, on the condition that the challenger meet him at a place called the Green Chapel in a year and a day, on New Year’s morning, to receive a blow in return. At first, no one answers.

What! Is this Arthur’s house, said he thereupon
the rumor of which runs through realms unnumbered?
Where now is your haughtiness , and your high conquests,
your fierceness and fell mood, and your fine boasting ?
Now are the revels and the royalty of the Round Table
overwhelmed by a word by one man ere spoken,
for all blench now abashed ere a blow is offered?

Arthur steps forward to take the challenge, but Gawain volunteers to do it instead. He decapitates the Green Knight and the Green Knight grabs his head and holds it up. The head speaks to remind Gawain of the quest he must undertake when the time is up.

Gawain’s adventures on his journey are briefly described until he arrives at the castle of Sir Bertilak, which turns out to be very close to his destination.

So many a marvel in the mountains he met in those lands
That twould be tedious the tenth part to tell you thereof.
At whiles with worms he wars, and with wolves also,
at whiles with wood-trolls that wandered in the crags,
and with bulls and bears too, at times;
and with ogres that hounded him from the heights of the fells.

Pearl is probably the work of the same poet. In this poem a father mourning the loss of his daughter falls asleep in a garden. He has a dream in which she shows him a vision of the Heavenly City.

Sir Orfeo is a retelling of the story of Orpheus. The Sir Orfeo of the title is an English king (in Winchester, the old capital of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex) rescuing his wife from the king of the fairies. Unlike the other two poems in the book, this poem is told in rhyming couplets. The main difference between the medieval poem and the classical myth is that Sir Orfeo’s rescue is successful.

There often by him he would see
when noon was hot on leaf or tree,
the king of Faerie with his rout
came hunting in the woods about
with blowing far and crying dim
and barking hounds that were with him;
yet never a beast they took nor slew,
and where they went he never knew.

[AP Dwivedi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The David Lowry movie adaptation was my first overall exposure to this story and such a shame that my first literary exposure to it seemed aesthetically and thematically uninteresting. Not to mention that the reading experience of the Tolkien retelling is encumbered by absolutely boring writing that devotes long stretches of verse to articulating irrelevant story elements like the merriment with which Gawain was kept his first few days at the lord’s castle, while spending very little real estate on the gravity and meaning of the green knight to Gawain as he journeys to him.

[Amy Fischer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Gawain...upon rereading you, I still think that the real test you failed was choosing to laze around in bed instead of going on the hunt. Tolkien's translation is masterful. I enjoyed Pearl as well and Sir Orfeo especially with the trip to Faerie.

[David Mosley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in the following years:
2007
2009
2012 August 18-26

[Olivia Wetzel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for Sir Gawain
4 stars for Pearl
5 stars for Sir Orfeo.

[Cori · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a short translation by Tolkien of an old (like Age-of-Arthur old) poem. J.R.R. Tolkien was mesmerized by old fantasy myths and legends, devoting a good deal of his life to translating, preserving, and writing them down in organized fashion so generations to come could enjoy them in their own language. Beowulf and Sir Gawain were two of his great contributions to preserving literary history. I definitely identify, and appreciate, aspects of this poem in particular for the inspiration it gave Tolkien for so much of his work. And while Tolkien is possibly my favorite author, so I have to appreciate the inspiration it gave him, this poem was just kind of there for me. It didn't spark anything magical and deep in my soul. I think I actually liked Beowulf a good deal more.

Also, this book heading lists Pearl and Sir Orfeo which I'm not reviewing at this time. I'll review those separately when I'm finished with the book. I just couldn't find a book heading solely for Sir Gawain by Tolkien (there are translations by other authors) on Goodreads.

I'd rate this a PG for some episodes of peril and some weirdly unsettling flirtation from the Green Lady.

[Wee Lassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome 😎

[Peter Bringe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Tolkien's translations of these English medieval poems/tales, especially "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" and "Sir Orfeo." "Pearl" was a little harder to enjoy, though it had its moments. "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" held the suspense well and made a good point. "Sir Orfeo" read very smoothly and was as you would think a medieval tale should be.

In Britain all these lays are writ,
there issued first in rhyming fit,
concerning adventures in those days
whereof the Britons made their lays;
for when they heard men anywhere
tell of adventures that there were,
they took their harps in their delight
and made a lay and named it right. - "Sir Orfeo"

So many a marvel in the mountains he met in those lands
that 'twould be tedious the tenth part to tell you thereof.
At whiles with worms he wars, and with wolves also,
at whiles with wood-trolls that wandered in the crags,
and with bulls and with bears and boars, too, at times;
and with ogres that hounded him from the heights of the fells.
Had he not been stalwart and staunch and steadfast in God,
he doubtless would have died and death had met often;
for though war wearied him much, the winter was worse,
when the cold clear water from the clouds spilling
froze ere it had fallen upon the faded earth. -"Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"