At this time came Sir Tristram, riding at a free pace, shining like to a figure of silver.  Then many saw him and observed him and said to one another:  “Who is this knight, and what party will he join with to do battle?” These had not long to wait to know what side he would join, for immediately Sir Tristram took stand with that party which was the party of the King of an Hundred Knights and the King of Scots, and at that the one party was very glad, and the other party was sorry; for they deemed that Sir Tristram was certes some great champion.

[Sidenote:  Sir Tristram enters the tournament] Then straightway there came against Sir Tristram four knights of the other party, and one of these was Sir Gaheris, and another was Sir Griflet and another was Sir Bagdemagus and another was Sir Kay.  But Sir Tristram was possessed with a great joy of battle, so that in a very short time he had struck down or overthrown all those knights, beginning with Sir Gaheris, and ending with Sir Kay the seneschal.

This Sir Gawaine beheld, and said to Sir Sagramore:  “Yonder is certes a knight of terrible strength; now let us go and see of what mettle he be.”

Therewith Sir Gawaine pushed against Sir Tristram from the one side, and Sir Sagramore came against him on the other side, and so they met him both at once.  Then first Sir Gawaine struck Sir Tristram such a buffet that the horse of Sir Tristram turned twice about with the force of that stroke; and therewith Sir Sagramore smote him a buffet upon the other side so that Sir Tristram wist not upon which side to defend himself.

Then, at those blows Sir Tristram waxed so exceedingly fierce that it was as though a fire of rage flamed up into his brains and set them into a blaze of rage.  So with that he rose up in his stirrups and launched so dreadful a blow upon Sir Gawaine that I believe nothing could have withstood the force of that blow.  For it clave through the shield of Sir Gawaine and it descended upon the crown of his helmet and it clave away a part of his helmet and a part of the epauliere of his shoulder; and with the force of that dreadful, terrible blow, Sir Gawaine fell down upon the ground and lay there as though he were dead.

Then Sir Tristram wheeled upon Sir Sagramore (who sat wonder-struck at that blow he had beheld) and thereafter he smote him too, so that he fell down and lay upon the ground in a swoon from which he did not recover for more than two hours.

Now Sir Palamydes also had beheld those two strokes that Sir Tristram had given, wherefore he said:  “Hah!  Yonder is a very wonderful knight.  Now if I do not presently meet him, and that to my credit, he will have more honor in this battle than I.”

So therewith Sir Palamydes pushed straight against Sir Tristram, and

[Sidenote:  Sir Palamydes rides against Sir Tristram] when Sir Tristram beheld that he was very glad, for he said:  “Now it will either be Sir Palamydes his day, or else it will be mine.”  So he upon his part pushed against Sir Palamydes with good intent to engage him in battle, and then they two met in the midst of the field.