Yvain

by Chretien de Troyes

But you'd do better to forget 3840

  You asked, to prefer silence.

  And I prefer not to tell you

  Anything to make you unhappy.

  Just let us grieve as we must,

  And pay no attention.” “Impossible,” 3845

  Yvain answered. “I could never

  See you struck by such sadness

  And not feel it in my heart, too.

  And so I ask you again,

  No matter what sadness it might bring me.” 3850

  “Well then,” was the answer, “I'll tell you.

  I've been deeply afflicted by a giant.

  He wants me to give him my daughter,

  Whose beauty surpasses that

  Of any girl in the world. 3855

  And the name of this monster, may God

  Destroy him, is Harpin of the Mountain.

  And every day he steals

  Anything of mine he can get at.

  No one has a better right 3860

  Than I to complain and be sorrowful.

  I may lose my mind from grief,

  For I had six sons, all knights,

  Handsomer than any in the world,

  And this giant has captured them all. 3865

  He killed two while I watched,

  And tomorrow he'll kill the others

  Unless I can find someone

  To fight him for their freedom, or else

  Hand over my daughter—and he says 3870

  That, once he has her, he intends

  To give her to the vilest, the filthiest

  Knaves he can find in his household,

  For their entertainment. He

  Himself wouldn't stoop so low. 3875

  And this is the grief I wait for,

  Tomorrow, if God does not help me.

  It’s hardly remarkable, my dear

  Good sir, if all of us weep.

  But for your sake, and politeness, we're trying 3880

  As best we can for a moment

  Or two of laughter and delight:

  Anyone who invites a true gentleman

  To visit,-and fails to honor him,

  Is a fool, and you strike me as noble 3885

  Indeed. Now you've heard everything,

  The entire story of our sorrow.

  The giant has left us nothing,

  Neither in this castle nor the town

  Around it, except what you see. 3890

  You may have noticed, yourself,

  As you came here this evening, how he’s left us

  Nothing that might be worth

  An egg, except these walls—

  And they're new, for he levelled the town. 3895

  When he'd stolen everything he wanted,

  He set fire to the rest. And these

  Are the evil things he’s done to me.”

  My lord Yvain listened

  To everything his host told him, 3900

  And when he'd heard him out

  He was happy to answer him: “Sir!”

  He said. “Your troubles distress me,

  And make me exceedingly angry,

  But one thing I find astonishing: 3905

  Tell me, why haven't you sought

  For help at King Arthur’s court?

  No one, no matter how mighty,

  Could come to that court and not find

  Someone willing to test 3910

  Their prowess against his.” And then

  That wealthy baron explained

  That yes, he'd surely have had

  The help he needed, if only

  He'd known where to find Sir Gawain. 3915

  “He'd never have taken it lightly,

  For my wife is his sister by blood.

  But a knight from some strange country,

  Who came to that court seeking her,

  Has taken the king’s wife. 3920

  He could never have led her away,

  To be sure, entirely by himself.

  It was Kay, who so befuddled

  The king that he allowed the queen

  To pass under his protection. 3925

  The king was a fool, and the queen

  Reckless, entrusting herself

  To Kay. But I am the one

  Who truly suffers, and loses,

  For who can doubt that my lord 3930

  Gawain, that noble knight,

  Would have hurried here as fast

  As he could, had he known this was happening,

  Would have saved his niece and his nephews.

  But he knows nothing, which hurts me 3935

  So deeply that my heart is half broken.

  Gawain has gone off hunting

  The villain who stole the queen—

  May God bring him sorrow and shame!”

  Sigh after sigh came 3940

  From Yvain, hearing these words.

  Pity worked in him and made him

  Answer: “My dear good sir!

  I'll be glad to take on this adventure,

  And its dangers, if only the giant 3945

  And your sons come here tomorrow

  Early enough not

  To cause me too much delay,

  Because by noon tomorrow

  I must be somewhere else, 3950

  As I've given my word to be.”

  “Good sir!” exclaimed the baron,

  “I thank you a thousand times,

  And more, for your willingness to help.”

  And all the folk of his household 3955

  Spoke exactly as he had.

  And then his daughter came

  From an inside room, graceful

  And beautiful and pleasing, and exceedingly

  Modest, sad, and silent. 3960

  Her sorrows knew no limit;

  She walked with her head bent low,

  And her mother walked beside her,

  Showing their obedience to their lord,

  The host of that house, who'd sent for them. 3965

  They came with their mantles wrapped

  Around them, to cover their tears,

  And he ordered them to open their mantles

  And raise their heads, saying:

  “You shouldn't be upset because 3970

  I've asked you to come out. God

  And good luck have brought us a kind

  And noble knight, of wonderfully

  Good birth, who promises me

  He'll fight the giant. Don't wait 3975

  Another moment, don't

  Delay: throw yourselves

  At his feet!” “God keep me from any

  Such sight!” said Yvain at once.

  “Now, it would hardly be right 3980

  For my lord Gawain’s sister

  To throw herself at my feet,

  Nor his niece. May God protect me

  From ever feeling such pride

  That I let them lie at my feet! 3985

  Please: I could never forget

  My shame, if I ever permitted it.

  But surely they can allow

  Themselves to be pleased and comforted,

  At least till tomorrow, when they'll know 3990

  If God wishes them to be helped.

  I've no need to ask for anything

  Else, except that the giant

  Come soon, so I won't break my promise.

  For I can't permit anything 3995

  To keep me, tomorrow at noon,

  From the greatest undertaking, truly,

  That I could ever attempt.”

  And so he kept himself

  From promising too much, worried 4000

  That in fact the giant might not

  Come in time to let him

  Reach the girl locked

  In the chapel and be able to help her.

  Still, what he promised was enough 4005

  To make them feel hopeful, and everyone

  Offered him thanks, trusting

  In his prowess, sure of his strength,

 
; Believing he must be a hero

  If he shares his journey with a lion 4010

  Who goes along beside him

  As sweetly as any lamb.

  And the hope he'd brought them gave them

  Such comfort, made them so happy,

  That they completely forgot their sorrow. 4015

  When the hour struck, he was led

  To sleep in a brightly lit room,

  Escorted to his bed by both

  The girl and her mother, for he

  Was already dear to them both, 4020

  And would have been a hundred

  Thousand times more had they truly

  Known his courtesy and the battles

  He had won. And he and the lion

  Lay down together, and slept. 4025

  No one was brave enough

  To sleep with them: indeed, they closed

  The door of the room so tightly

  That they couldn't come out until morning.

  And then, when they'd unlocked the door, 4030

  He rose and heard Mass—and waited.

  And because of his promise he waited

  Until the hour of prime,

  Then called them all together,

  Including his host, and said: 4035

  “My lord! There’s no more time.

  I need to go, with your leave;

  I can't allow myself

  To linger. Believe me, for it’s true,

  That I'd gladly, I'd cheerfully wait 4040

  Even longer, for the sake of Sir Gawain’s

  Nephews, and his niece, for I love him

  Dearly, except that the business

  Awaiting me is desperately urgent,

  And I've very far to go!” 4045

  And then the girl’s mind

  Quivered and reeled with fear,

  And her mother’s, and her father’s too.

  They were so afraid that he'd leave

  That they thought of throwing themselves 4050

  Full length at his feet, until

  They remembered his words and realized

  He'd think it neither good nor proper.

  Then the baron offered to give him

  Anything he owned, land 4055

  Or anything else, whatever

  He wanted, if only he'd wait

  A bit longer. And he answered: “May God

  Protect me from accepting anything

  From you!” And the terrified girl 4060

  Began to weep and moan,

  Begging him to stay. Utterly

  Anguished, totally distraught,

  She begged him by the glorious queen

  Of Heaven, and the angels on high, 4065

  And by God Himself, not to go,

  But to wait a little longer.

  And she begged him by her uncle, who he says

  He knows and loves and thinks well of.

  And an infinite pity seized him, 4070

  Hearing her call on him in the name

  Of the man he loved best in the world,

  And by the mother of Heaven,

  And in God’s own name, to him

  The honey and sweetness of pity. 4075

  And anguish filled him, and he sighed,

  For not by his father’s kingdom

  Could he see her burned at the stake,

  That girl he'd promised to help.

  He'd either go out of his mind, 4080

  Or cut his life short, if he couldn't

  Reach her in time. And yet,

  On the other hand, it pained him

  Even to think of the kindness

  Of Gawain, his friend. And his heart 4085

  Came close to splitting in his body,

  Knowing he could not wait.

  And yet he waited, not moving,

  And lingered, and stayed there longer,

  Till the giant came pounding up, 4090

  Leading along the knights

  He'd captured. A club hung from

  His neck, huge and sharpened,

  And he used it to prod them along.

  And the knights were dressed in clothing 4095

  Worth less than a straw, only

  Dirty, stinking shirts.

  And he'd tied them tight, ropes

  On their feet and hands, and mounted them

  On four stumping packhorses, 4100

  Swaybacked, and skinny, and feeble.

  These horses came riding along

  A wood, and a dwarf, puffed

  Like an ox, had tied their tails

  Together, and walking beside them 4105

  Beat them as he went, with a lash

  With four knots, plainly impressed

  With himself and feeling most brave;

  Indeed, he beat them till they bled.

  And so the giant and the dwarf 4110

  Led those knights, to their shame.

  Stopping in front of the gate,

  In the middle of the plain, the giant

  Shouted to the baron that he'd kill

  His sons, unless he handed 4115

  Over his daughter—and her

  He'd give to his scum, as a slut,

  For he himself no longer

  Cared for her or would bother to take her.

  She'd have a thousand of the scum 4120

  All over her, all the time,

  Filthy, naked scum,

  Kitchen slaves and stablemen,

  All of them wanting their share.

  And the baron was almost out of 4125

  His mind, hearing how they'd use

  His daughter as a whore, if they got her,

  And if they didn't they'd kill

  His four sons in front of his eyes.

  He suffered like someone who'd rather 4130

  Be dead than alive, exclaiming

  “Oh God, I'm miserable!” and weeping

  Bitter tears, and sighing.

  And then my good and gentle

  Lord Yvain spoke to him: 4135

  “Sir! He’s cruel and presumptuous,

  This giant, swaggering out there.

  But God will not suffer him

  To have your daughter in his power!

  He’s full of contempt for her, he'd love 4140

  To shame her, but it would be tragic

  For such a beautiful creature,

  Born of such noble parents,

  To be handed over to scullions.

  My weapons, hurry! and my horse! 4145

  Let down the drawbridge, so I

  Can ride out there! One

  Of us must fall, he

  Or I, I know not which.

  If I can humble that savage 4150

  Beast, that cruel villain,

  Who’s been abusing you,

  And make him surrender your sons,

  And then apologize

  For the shameful words he’s spoken, 4155

  I'd gladly commend you to God

  And go about my business.”

  And so they fetched him his horse,

  And brought him his weapons, and worked

  To get him well armored, quickly 4160

  Equipped for battle, getting him

  Ready as fast as their hands

  Could move, without wasting a moment.

  And when he was armored and ready

  There was nothing left but to lower 4165

  The drawbridge and let him ride out.

  They lowered it, and out he went—

  But the lion had no intention

  Of staying behind. All those

  Who remained in the castle commended 4170

  Yvain to their Lord’s keeping,

  Terribly afraid that the fiend,

  The demon, who'd already killed

  So many good knights in front

  Of their eyes, in that very same place, 4175

  Might be able to do it again.

  They prayed to God to keep death

  From Yvain, to return him alive

&
nbsp; And well, and to let him kill

  The giant. So all of them fervently 4180

  Prayed to God for what all of them

  Wished. And the giant approached him

  Fiercely, and threatened him, saying:

  “By my eyes, whoever sent you

  Out here isn't much of a friend! 4185

  But he couldn't have planned a better

  Way for getting revenge.

  Whatever you did to him, or meant to,

  He'll have a perfect revenge.”

  But Yvain, who felt no fear, 4190

  Answered: “What a lot of noise!

  Do your best, and I'll

  Do mine. Stupid words

  Bore me.” And Yvain charged him,

  Worried that he might be late. 4195

  And he aimed his lance at his chest,

  Protected behind a bearskin.

  And the giant came running at him,

  Beating at Yvain with his club.

  And Yvain struck so hard 4200

  At his chest that he pierced the skin,

  Then having no sauce, dipped

  The tip of his lance in blood.

  And the giant beat him with his club

  Till the knight bent to escape him. 4205

  Then Yvain drew the sword

  He knew how to swing so well,

  And finding the giant unprotected,

  Trusting so much in his strength

  That he scorned the use of armor, 4210

  Went at him with the sharp blade

  And slashed him so well, not bothering

  With the flat side, cut him

  So fiercely, that he sliced a piece

  The size of a steak from his cheek. 4215

  And the giant him so hard

  In return that he bent his head

  Down to the horse’s neck.

  And the lion bristled at this blow,

  Ready to help his master, 4220

  Then leaped angrily, powerfully,

  And seized the giant’s bearskin

  And ripped and tore it like bark,

  And bit out of his hide

  A chunk of his hip, tore it 4225

  Meat and muscle alike.

  And the giant ran, roaring

  And bellowing like a bull, for the lion

  Had hurt him badly. He lifted

  His club with both hands, and tried 4230

  To strike the lion, but missed,

  For the lion jumped back, and the giant

  Wasted his blow. It hit

  The ground, useless, near

  Yvain, touching neither lion 4235

  Nor man. And quickly Yvain

  Swung at him, and again, and hit him,

  And before the giant knew

  What was happening the sword had severed

  His shoulder from his body. And the very 4240

  Next blow ran the length

  Of the sword just under his chest,

  Straight into the liver. And the giant

  Fell, death reaching out

  To take him. I doubt that a giant 4245

  Oak crashing down

  Could topple with a louder sound.

  And all those standing on the walls