Vanished, and no one at court
Had any idea where he was, 5875
Except the lady he was bound
To fight for. He'd slipped away,
Three or even four leagues
From court, and when he returned
He'd equipped himself so that no one 5880
Could ever have known him, though they'd seen
And heard him every day:
His weapons and armor were so different.
And the lady, whose wrongful conduct
Toward her sister was clearly apparent, 5885
Brought him to court in the sight
Of all, intending to use him
To prevail in a dispute where she had
No right. “Your Majesty!” she said.
“Time passes. Noon will soon 5890
Be gone, and today’s the last day.
You see how I'm ready to assert
My rights. If my sister meant
To return, we'd have no choice
But to await her coming. But I'm thankful 5895
To God on high that she’s never
Coming back. Plainly,
She can't do better than she’s done,
And all her effort’s been wasted.
As for me, I've always been ready— 5900
Down to this very last moment—
To defend what’s rightly mine.
I've won my claim without fighting,
And now it’s mine, and I'll go
And enjoy my inheritance in peace. 5905
I've no need at all to answer
To my sister, not for the rest
Of my life. She can live miserably,
And in sorrow.” And the king, knowing
Quite well that the lady was grossly 5910
Unfair and disloyal to her sister,
Answered: “My friend! In a royal
Court one waits, by God,
As long as the king’s justice
Thinks proper for reaching a verdict. 5915
There'll be nothing fast and loose:
It seems to me there’s still
Plenty of time for your sister
To come.” And as he spoke
The king saw the Knight 5920
Of the Lion, and the girl with him.
They'd come ahead, those two,
Stealing away from the lion,
Who'd remained at their lodging.
And seeing the younger sister, 5925
Whom of course he knew, he was very
Pleased, and even delighted,
That she'd come in time, for he held
Her side of the quarrel, because
He respected justice and right. 5930
And he spoke of his pleasure, as soon
As he found himself able: “Come forward,
Pretty one! May God save you!”
When the other heard him, she started,
And turned, and saw the knight 5935
Her sister had brought with her
To fight for her rights, and her face
Became blacker than the blackest earth.
But everyone welcomed the younger
Sister, who went to the king 5940
And stood before his chair,
And standing in front of him, said:
“God save the king and his court!
Your majesty! If any knight
Can defend my rights and establish 5945
My claims, this knight will accomplish it.
He has followed me here only
Out of pity for my plight. He has much
To occupy him, elsewhere, this gracious,
Generous courtier of high birth. 5950
But he felt so sorry for me
That he’s put aside his other
Concerns in favor of mine.
My dear sister, whom I love
As I love myself, would do 5955
The right and courteous thing
If she let me have what was mine,
Only what was mine, and made peace
Between us. I want nothing that’s hers.”
“And I,” said the other, “want nothing 5960
That’s yours, for that’s what you have
And will have. No preaching will do it,
For preaching will get you nothing.
May your sadness dry you to dust.”
And the other, who knew how 5965
To be pleasant, and was wise as well
As courteous, answered at once:
“Surely,” she said, “it saddens me
That two knights the like of these
Should fight because of us, 5970
And because of so slight a quarrel.
But I can't give up my rights;
My need is far too great.
It would show far more goodwill
If you simply gave me what I deserve.” 5975
“Hah!” said the other. “Anyone
Who listened to you would be stupid.
May I burn in the fires of hell
If I give you anything for your comfort!
The banks of the Seine will come 5980
Together, and morning will be noon,
If I don't make you do battle.”
“May God, in whom I trust
And have trusted all the days of my life,
And trust now, and the right, which is mine, 5985
Give their help to him
Who for charity and noble generosity
Has put himself at my service,
Though he does not know me and I
Know neither his name nor him.” 5990
So they talked till their words had ended,
And then they led their knights
To the middle of the court. And everyone
Came running to see them, as people
Usually come running when they want 5995
To see a fight up close,
And watch the blows. But those
Who were soon to fight could not
Recognize each other, though they'd always
Loved one another dearly. 6000
Did they love one another now?
I could answer you “Yes” or “No,”
And either one would be right,
As I shall proceed to prove.
Truly, Gawain loved 6005
Yvain, and thought him his friend,
As Yvain thought him, had he known
Who he was. Even here, had he known him,
He'd have shown him honor and respect.
He’d have laid down his life for him, 6010
As Gawain would have done for Yvain,
Rather than harm his friend.
Could love be more perfect or finer?
Not a bit. But their hate, on the other
Hand, was just as obvious. 6015
Indeed: it’s perfectly clear
That one would have broken the other’s
Head, and cheerfully, and tried
To do his best to do
The worst he could to disgrace him. 6020
Incredible! What an absolute marvel,
Love and mortal Hate
Found in a single basket.
God! How can two things
So utterly unlike find 6025
Themselves at home together?
Impossible, it seems to me:
They could not share the same roof,
And if they tried living
Together, there'd surely be quarreling 6030
And commotion, as soon as each
Knew the other was there.
And yet the house could have many
Rooms, bedrooms, and galleries,
And it might well be like that: 6035
I suppose Love could hide
In some out-of-the-way room, and Hate
Go up on balconies hung
Over highways and streets, choosing
To exhibit herself in public. 6040
Hate has her bow ready
&
nbsp; To shoot, and she sits in the saddle
And gallops at Love as hard
As she can, and Love doesn't move.
Love! Where are you hiding? 6045
Come out! See what an ally
Your friends' enemies have led
To the field, to battle against you.
These very same men are those enemies,
Loving each other with a saintly 6050
Love, for Love’s never false,
But a precious thing, and holy.
But Love’s gone totally blind,
And Hate’s no better off.
If Love had had any idea 6055
Just who they were, he would have
Forbidden them to harm each other,
To do anything dangerous or hurtful.
So love is blind, but more
Than blind, disconsolate and deluded: 6060
Even seeing them straight on
He can't tell which ones are his.
And Hate hasn't a notion
Why either should hate the other,
But he wants to set them at odds, 6065
Make each one hate with a mortal
Hate. And, of course, no one
Can love a man he longs
To disgrace and wants to kill.
What then? Is Yvain determined 6070
To kill Gawain, his friend?
Yes, and Gawain the same.
Would Gawain want to kill
Yvain with his very own hands,
Or perhaps do worse things still? 6075
Not really: I swear it, on oath.
Neither would really want
To injure or shame the other,
Not for everything God has done
For man, not for all the wealth 6080
Of Rome. But of course I'm lying.
Clearly, as anyone could see,
They were ready to attack each other,
Lances high and ready,
Prepared to slash at each other, 6085
To do all the damage they could,
And nothing held back. Now tell me:
Whoever gets the worst of it,
Whichever one is beaten
In battle, who can he blame? 6090
It worries me, for I'm quite convinced
If they come to blows they'll never
Stop their struggling and fighting
Till someone has won a victory.
Would Yvain be able to say, 6095
If he were the one who lost,
That he'd been hurt and disgraced
By someone who calls him his friend,
Someone who never mentions
His name except in friendship? 6100
And suppose it went the other
Way, and Yvain did the harm,
Would Gawain, who'd then be defeated,
Be able to complain of his friend?
Hardly: he wouldn't know who did it. 6105
But neither knew the other,
And so they drew back, and made ready.
Their lances shattered, when they met,
Good lances, made out of ash wood.
Not a word was spoken, for had 6110
They exchanged as much as a single
Word, they'd have met quite differently.
Then, there'd have been no blows
From spears or swords, but arms
Would be wound in embraces, and kisses 6115
Given, instead of wounds.
And now they went at it for real.
Their swords were hardly improved,
Nor their helmets, nor their shields, all badly
Dented, and split, and their sharpened 6120
Blades chipped and notched,
And considerably blunted, for they struck
At each other, not with the flat
Of their weapons, but the deadly blades,
And they hacked so hard at the other’s 6125
Neck, and nose-guard, and forehead,
And cheeks, that both were purple
And discolored, there under
The skin where the blood had clotted.
And their long coats of mail were torn, 6130
And their shields so broken up
That both of them were wounded.
And they fought so hard, and so fiercely,
That both were panting and short
Of breath, as the battle went on. 6135
Every jewel set
In their helmets was crushed to powder,
Smashed to bits, as the blows
Crashed on their heads, both of them 6140
Stunned, their brains nearly beaten
Out. Their eyes sparkled
As with massive, heavy fists
And powerful muscles, and strong
Bones, they swung at each other 6145
As long as their hands could hold
Their swords, useful tools
For the sort of damage they were doing.
Weary, after a long time,
Their helmets battered in, 6150
Their linked mail-coats coming
Apart from the fierce sword strokes,
Their shields split and half shattered,
They drew back a bit,
Letting their blood cool 6155
And trying to recover their breath.
But not for very long.
And then they fell on each other
Even more furiously than before.
And everyone said that two 6160
More courageous knights had never
Existed. “This is no game.
These two are fighting in earnest.
But how could they ever be paid
What they're worth, and what they deserve?” 6165
And the two friends who were fighting
Heard these words, and heard
How courtiers were trying to make peace
Between the two sisters, but in vain,
For the older sister wanted 6170
No part of any peace.
The younger one said she'd leave it
To the king, and accept his judgment,
Not quibbling whatever he decided,
But the older was so malicious 6175
That even Queen Guinevere
And all the knights and the king
And the ladies and all the townsfolk
Began to favor the younger,
And went to the king, and begged him 6180
To give her at least a third
Or a fourth of their father’s estate,
In spite of the older one’s claim,
And asked him to part the two knights,
Who had shown such wonderful courage. 6185
What a shame it would be, they declared,
If either were seriously hurt
Or deprived of any honor.
But the king said that peace
Was not for him to establish; 6190
The older sister spurned it,
For her spirit was mean. And everything
They said was heard by both
Knights, who had gone on fighting
So savagely that everyone marvelled, 6195
For the battle had gone so evenly
That no one could possibly have said
Who was winner or loser.
And even the two who were fighting,
Earning honor with martyrdom, 6200
Were astonished and unable to grasp it,
For they fought on such equal terms
That each one found it miraculous
For anyone to stand against him
So fiercely and long and well. 6205
They fought so exceedingly long
That day began to turn night,
And each of them fought with weary
Arms and wretched body,
And their overheated blood 6210
Boiled out of many wounds
And ran down their mail-coats.
No wonder they both wanted
; To rest: they had fought magnificently.
So each of them rested a bit, 6215
Thinking to himself that at last
He'd met his match, no matter
How long he'd waited to find it.
They rested longer than they meant to,
Not daring to begin again. 6220
Fighting no longer interested them,
As much for the growing darkness
As for the fear they felt for each other.
Both things kept them apart
And urged them to preserve their new peace. 6225
But before they left that field
They'd find out just who they were,
And both would be happy, and sorry.
Yvain was the first to speak,
Brave and courteous as he was. 6230
But even his friend couldn't tell
It was him, for his voice was weak,
And his words could barely be heard,
Hoarse, and feeble, and low.
All the blows he'd received 6235
Had badly shaken him. “Lord!”
He began. “Night approaches.
No one, I think, will blame
Or reproach us if darkness keeps us
Apart. And I will admit 6240
That I fear and value you immensely.
Never in all my life
Have I fought so painful a battle,
Nor have I ever seen
A knight I so much wanted 6245
To know. You know how to strike
Your blows, and you use them well.
No knight I've ever known
Can fight so punishingly. I had no
Desire to spend this day 6250
Experiencing the blows you've given me.
You've half addled my head.”
“Good lord!” Gawain answered.
“You're no more exhausted and stunned
Than I am, and perhaps even less. 6255
And if I knew you, knight,
I hope you'd not be displeased.
And indeed, if I've given you anything
You’ve paid me back in full,
Principal and interest too. 6260
You were readier to pay me in kind
Than I was anxious to receive it.
But let that be as it will.
And since you've asked me to tell you
The name I go by, I'll not 6265
Keep it hidden. My name
Is Gawain, son of King Lot.”
As soon as Yvain heard him
He was bewildered and deeply disturbed.
Wild with rage, he threw 6270
His blood-covered sword to the ground,
And then his cracked and shattered
Shield after it, and dismounted
From his horse, and approaching on foot
He cried: “Dear God! What bad luck! 6275
What kind of stupid mistake
Brought on this battle, neither
Of us knowing the other.
Had I known who you were, nothing
Could have made me fight with you. 6280
Believe me, I'd have surrendered to you
And never struck a blow.”
Yvain Page 16
