Yvain

by Chretien de Troyes

But who knows what keeps him away?

  And truly, he’s never stooped

  To speaking evil or insulting

  You. He’s always been courteous.”

  “My lord!” said Kay. “I'll be quiet. 2215

  I'll say nothing more, today,

  Since I see I've already offended.”

  And the king, wanting to see

  That rain, spilled a whole bowl

  Of water on the magic stone, 2220

  And immediately it began to pour.

  Nor was it much longer before

  My lord Yvain hurried

  To the forest, fully armed,

  Riding faster than a gallop 2225

  On a huge, sleek horse, sturdy

  And strong and exceedingly fast.

  And Kay, seeing him, determined

  That he'd ask for the battle to be his—

  For however it might end, he always 2230

  Wished to begin the fighting:

  If he couldn't be the first to swing

  A sword, he'd fly in a rage.

  Before anyone else could speak

  He begged that the battle might be his. 2235

  “Kay!” said the king, “since you want it,

  And asked before anyone else,

  You shouldn't be refused.” Kay thanked him,

  Then mounted his horse. And my lord

  Yvain was more than happy 2240

  To bring him a bit of disgrace,

  If he could, for he recognized Kay

  At once, from his weapons and armor.

  Holding their shields by the straps

  They rushed at one another, 2245

  Spurring their horses, their spears

  Lowered, held firm in their hands

  And thrust a little forward.

  Holding the leather-covered

  Handles they could strike so hard, 2250

  When they came together, that both

  Spears shattered, splintered

  From the tip right up to their hands.

  And my lord Yvain struck him

  So hard that Kay was swept 2255

  From his saddle, somersaulting to the ground,

  Which he hit helmet first.

  Not wishing to do him more harm,

  My lord Yvain quickly

  Dismounted and caught up his horse. 2260

  And the sight was pleasant to so many

  Of the king’s knights that they said:

  “Ah ha! Now you're lying on the ground,

  You who've insulted so many!

  And still, it’s only right 2265

  To pardon you, at least this time,

  For it’s never happened before.”

  Meanwhile my lord Yvain

  Approached Arthur, leading

  The horse by the bridle, intending 2270

  To surrender it to the king. And he said:

  “My lord! I hand you this horse,

  For it would be wrong of me

  To keep anything of yours.”

  “And who are you?” asked the king. 2275

  “I'd never know, unless

  I heard your name or saw you

  Without your armor.” And then

  My lord Yvain told him

  His name, and Kay was overwhelmed 2280

  With shame, crushed, crestfallen,

  That he'd called Yvain a coward.

  But the others were delighted, deeply

  Pleased by the honor Yvain

  Had won. And even the king 2285

  Was pleased, and my lord Gawain

  Was a hundred times happier than anyone

  Else, for he cherished that friendship

  More than that of any

  Knight he knew. And the king 2290

  Asked Yvain to please

  Tell them, if he would, just how

  This adventure had come about,

  For he found himself immensely

  Curious to understand it all. 2295

  So he urged Yvain to speak.

  And Yvain told them everything,

  All the good will and the help

  The girl had given him, steering

  His way through the entire story, 2300

  Forgetting nothing. And then

  He invited the king, and with him

  All his knights, to come

  To stay at his home. They would do him

  Great honor, and bring him much joy, 2305

  If they'd agree to be his guests.

  And the king said he'd gladly

  Come for an entire week,

  To honor him, and please him, and share

  His company. And Yvain thanked him, 2310

  And they stayed where they were no longer.

  Mounting their horses, they took

  The shortest road to his castle.

  And my lord Yvain sent

  A squire to go before them, 2315

  Carrying a hunting falcon,

  So his lady might not be surprised

  And all their people might make

  Their houses beautiful, for the king’s

  Coming. And the lady, when she heard, 2320

  Was delighted that the king was coming.

  And no one who heard the news

  Was anything less than pleased.

  And the lady sent for them all

  And asked them to go and meet him, 2325

  And they neither quarreled nor grumbled,

  But set out cheerfully, all of them

  Anxious to do as she wished.

  Riding their huge Spanish horses

  They went to meet the British 2330

  King, greeting with great courtesy

  Royal Arthur and then

  Everyone who travelled with him.

  “Welcome,” they cried, “to this party,

  Brave knights all! Blessed 2335

  Be he who leads you here

  And gives us so many good guests!”

  The town rang with happiness

  Because of the king’s coming.

  They brought out their silken sheets 2340

  And hung them in front of their houses,

  And put out tapestries to walk on,

  And hung them along the streets,

  All for the king, as they waited.

  And they readied something else: 2345

  Canopies across their streets

  To keep off the heat of the sun.

  Church bells rang, horns blew,

  And trumpets, making so much noise

  That God’s own thunder could never 2350

  Have been heard. Girls danced for him,

  And flutes and pipes played,

  And tambourines, and cymbals, and drums.

  And elsewhere, nimble young men

  Did their part, dancing and leaping— 2355

  Happiness ruling them all.

  And with this sort of celebration

  They gave the king a fitting

  Welcome. And out came their lady,

  Wearing a queenly gown, 2360

  A dress of brand new ermine,

  And on her head a crown

  Rich with red rubies, and nowhere

  On her face could one see concern,

  But so much happiness and laughter 2365

  That she seems to me to be lovelier

  Than any immortal goddess.

  And her people crowded around her,

  And each and all of them cried:

  “Welcome to the king, the master 2370

  Of all worldly lords and kings!”

  The king had barely begun

  To answer when he saw the lady

  Coming to hold his bridle.

  And thinking he would not wait, 2375

  As soon as he saw her approaching

  He quickly dismounted from his horse.

  And the lady greeted him, and said:

  “A hundred thousand welcomes

  To my lord the king, and blessings 2380

  On his nephew, my lord Gaw
ain.”

  “And to you,” answered the king,

  “Lovely creature, I wish

  Great joy and great good luck!”

  Then the king hugged her to him, 2385

  Nobly and with spirit, and the lady

  Threw her arms around him.

  But how she welcomed them all

  Is hardly worth telling: no one

  Has ever heard of guests 2390

  Granted such a welcome,

  With such honor and so much attention.

  I could describe a good deal of happiness,

  But why waste words? I shall only

  Mention a friendship struck, 2395

  Entirely in private, no one

  To see or to hear, between

  The moon and the sun. And who

  Do you think I mean to refer to?

  He who was lord of all knights 2400

  More famous than any, should certainly

  Be called the sun. I speak,

  Of course, of my lord Gawain,

  Who shed his lustre on the world

  Of chivalry exactly as the sun 2405

  Rising in the morning opens

  His rays and breathes his famous

  Warmth everywhere he’s seen.

  And she I have called the moon

  Could be called nothing else, because 2410

  Of her lofty wisdom, and her courtesy.

  And nevertheless that’s not

  The only reason for calling her

  Moon, for her name was Lunette.

  The girl’s name was Lunette, 2415

  Gracious, brunette, exceedingly

  Wise and knowing and quick.

  The better Gawain knew her

  The better he thought of her, and loved her,

  And declared her his friend, she 2420

  Who had saved his comrade and friend

  From certain death, and he gave her

  A pledge of service and support.

  And she told him how hard it had been

  To get around her mistress, 2425

  To bring her to marrying my lord

  Yvain, and how she had sheltered

  Yvain from the hands of those

  Who would have killed him. He'd been

  Right there, but they couldn't see him. 2430

  And Gawain laughed with delight

  At her story, and said: “My dear

  Young lady, I hereby give you

  Whatever sort of knight

  I may be, for whatever use 2435

  I may be. Don't exchange me for anyone

  Else you think may be better.

  I am yours—and you shall be mine,

  Now and forever.” “I thank you,

  Kind sir!” she agreed. 2440

  And while

  These two were becoming acquainted,

  There were others talking of love.

  There may have been ninety ladies

  In attendance, each of them beautiful,

  And gracious, and well-bred, and clever, 2445

  And wise, and all well-born.

  It was easy to find entertainment,

  Hugging and kissing and talking

  And simply watching, and sitting

  Beside them at night. That much 2450

  Was easy, and that much they had.

  And Yvain was immensely happy,

  Having the king as his guest.

  And the lady so honored everyone,

  Separately and all together, 2455

  That fools might have thought it was love

  Drawing her on, and love

  She offered them all. They're simple

  Idiots, and deserve the name,

  Thinking a lady is in love 2460

  Because she is gracious and polite

  To some blockhead, and makes him happy,

  And hugs him. It’s fools who are happy

  With pretty words. There’s nothing

  Difficult about fooling a fool. 2465

  A week went by, spent

  In pleasure and delight. The woods

  And the river opened their arms

  To anyone who wanted to enjoy them.

  And those who wished to see 2470

  The lands my lord Yvain

  Had conquered, that came with the lady

  He'd won, could easily amuse

  Themselves at one of the neighboring

  Castles, a mile or two off. 2475

  And the king, when he'd made his visit

  And wished to stay no longer,

  Got ready to say his farewells.

  But his courtiers had spent the week

  Determined, if they could, to take 2480

  My lord Yvain home

  With them. They'd begged and argued

  And worked as hard as they could.

  “What?” said Gawain. “There are men

  Who aren't the men they were 2485

  Once they're married. Not you!

  By Mary, Mother of Heaven,

  The devil with anyone who marries

  And goes slack! A beautiful lady

  Should make us better, as friend 2490

  Or as wife. No one should be loved

  Who isn't worth it. And you,

  Surely you'll regret her love

  If it makes you worthless. For a woman

  Can just as easily fall out 2495

  Of love—and there’s nothing wrong

  In hating anyone who turns worthless

  As soon as he’s lord of the realm.

  It’s now that you need to prove

  Yourself! Take the bit in your teeth: 2500

  We ought to go jousting, you

  And I, so no one can call you

  Jealous. You shouldn't be lazy,

  But throw yourself into tournaments,

  Take on the world, and with pleasure, 2505

  Whatever it costs you! Lying

  Around will change you for the worse.

  Now really, you've got to come,

  For I'll come with you. Be careful,

  My friend, that we don't fall out, 2510

  And cease to be comrades! It won't

  Be any fault of mine.

  I'm here. How strange to fall

  In love with endless ease.

  Things grow sweeter when you're forced 2515

  To delay them, and a little thing

  That we're obliged to wait for is better

  Than some great thing that we always have.

  The pleasures of love, when they come to us

  Late, are like fire in a green 2520

  Log, burning hotter and longer

  And keeping their heat better

  For taking so long to light.

  Habits can grow on us,

  Can get hard to give up. We can want to 2525

  And find that we can't. And surely,

  My comrade, my friend, I have

  No lover like yours, so beautiful,

  So good. By God and all

  The saints in heaven, if I had her 2530

  You couldn't pry me away!

  I'd be her fool and her slave.

  I know: a man can give

  Advice he couldn't follow

  Himself, just like the preachers, 2535

  All of them lying swindlers,

  But teaching what’s right, and speaking it,

  Though they never do it themselves.”

  And Gawain said so much

  And so urgently, and begged him so hard, 2540

  That Yvain agreed, but said

  He needed to speak to his wife,

  To see if she minded his going,

  For whether it was wise or foolish

  He'd never leave her and return 2545

  To Britain without her consent.

  So he took his wife aside

  (Who had no way of knowing

  What he wanted) and said: “Dear lady!

  My very heart and soul, 2550

  My treasure, my joy, and my happines
s,

  For your honor, and also for mine,

  Promise me something!” And the lady

  Immediately agreed, not knowing

  What he meant to ask, and she said: 2555

  “Sweet sir! I am yours to command,

  Whatever the favor may be.”

  And so my lord Yvain

  Asked her to permit him to escort

  Arthur home, and then 2560

  Go tourneying, so no one could call him

  A coward. And she said: “I agree—

  But only till a day we shall fix.

  My love will turn to hate,

  Believe me—for it’s true, and it’s certain— 2565

  If you stay too long and stay past

  The day I shall tell you. And this

  Is the truth: I'll tell you no lies.

  You can break your word. I'll keep mine.

  If you wish to have my love, 2570

  And if you think well of me,

  Make up your mind to be back

  At the very latest a year

  And a week from the feast of Saint John,

  For this is the eighth day since that feast. 2575

  If you're not here with me

  On precisely that day you'll have lost

  My love, like a checkmated king.”

  My lord Yvain wept

  And sighed and found it hard to say, 2580

  “Lady! It’s a long way off.

  If I were a dove I could come

  And be with you as often as I liked,

  And as much as I liked. And I pray

  To God, if it pleases Him, 2585

  Not to keep me too long

  Away from you. Sometimes a man

  Means to hurry, but can't know

  The future. Who knows what will happen?

  I may become ill. I may 2590

  Be held prisoner. Events may detain me.

  I think you're wrong, and unjust,

  Not to exclude at least

  Physical impossibility.”

  “Sir!” she said, “I'll grant that. 2595

  And still, I swear to you, if our Lord

  Keeps you from death, nothing

  Will stand in your way as long

  As you never forget me. Here:

  Put on your finger this ring 2600

  Of mine. I loan it to you.

  And let me tell you exactly

  What sort of stone it is.

  No true and loyal lover

  Can be captured, or lose any blood, 2605

  Nor have any evil come to him,

  As long as he wears it and holds it

  Dear and remembers his beloved.

  He turns as hard as iron.

  It serves him as shield and armor. 2610

  No knight has ever had it

  From my hand. I give it to you

  Only because of my love.”

  And now Yvain had his freedom,

  But wept at the thought of taking it.— 2615

  But the king would not wait for anything,

  No matter what anyone said.

  Indeed, he grew impatient

  To have the horses led in,

  Bridled and ready to leave. 2620