Christmas at Camelot

This kyng lay at Camylot upon Kyristmasse
With mony luflych lorde, ledes of the best,
Rekenly of the Rounde Table all tho rich brether,
With rych revel oryght and rechles merthes.
Ther tournayed tulkes by tymes ful mony,
Justed ful jolilé thise gentyle knightes,
Sythen kayred to the court, caroles to make.
For ther the fest was ilyche ful fiften dayes,
With alle the mete and the mirthe that men couthe avyse;
Such glaum ande gle glorious to here
Dere dyn upon day, daunsing on nyghtes;
Al was hap upon heghe in halles and chambres
With lordes and lades, as levest him thoght.
With all the wele of the worlde thay woned ther samen,
The most kyd knights under Krystes selven,
And the lovelokkest ladies that ever lif haden,
And he the comlokest kyng that the court haldes.
Pearl, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, edited by A.C. Cawley (London: Everyman, 1970), l.37-53.

This is part of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, describing the festive atmosphere at Camelot just before the Green Knight so dramatically appears on the scene and puts rather a dampner on things.

Christmas at King Arthur's court must have been rather fun - at least, if it really was anything like that described in the poem. Roughly translated, the lines mean:

This King [Arthur] lay at Camelot at Christmas time
With many noble lords, men of the best,
All courteous brethren of the Round Table,
With rich revelry and carefree [or reckless?] mirth.
There travelled very many knights -
They jousted full jollily, these noble knights,
Then rode to the court, carols to make.
For there the feast was the same full fifteen days,
With all the meat and mirth that men could devise;
Such noise and merriment glorious to hear,
Day upon day, dancing by night;
All was high happiness in the halls and chambers
Among the lords and ladies, as they preferred.
With all the joy of the world they lived there together,
The most renowned knights under Christ Himself,
And the loveliest ladies that ever had life,
And the comeliest king that the court could hold.

 

I doubt this is an authentic medieval Christmas song, but never mind :D via