Yvain

by Chretien de Troyes

  “What?” Gawain exclaimed.

  “Who are you?” “I am Yvain,

  Who loves you better than anyone 6285

  In the world, however far

  It may stretch, for everywhere we've been

  You've always loved me, and honored me.

  And I wish to do you such honor,

  And make you such amends, in this business, 6290

  That I declare myself defeated.”

  “You'd do so much for me?”

  Said my sweet lord Gawain.

  “How insolent I'd be, how presumptuous,

  To accept what you'd give me so freely. 6295

  No such honor shall be mine.

  It belongs to you, it’s yours.”

  “Never, good sir! Never!

  How could I possibly accept it?

  I can't continue. I'm utterly 6300

  Defeated, my wounds are too serious.”

  “Never let that worry you!”

  Cried his friend and companion.

  “It’s I who've been conquered and beaten.

  And there’s no flattery in my words. 6305

  There’s no stranger, anywhere in the world,

  To whom I'd not say as much,

  Rather than endure more fighting.”

  And as he spoke he dismounted,

  And each embraced the other, 6310

  And kissed the other, their arms

  Around each other’s necks,

  Each continuing to insist

  That he'd lost. They were arguing away

  When the king and all the barons 6315

  Came running from all around them,

  Seeing them reconciled,

  All of them anxious to hear

  How it had happened, and who

  Were these happily embracing knights. 6320

  “Gentlemen!” said the king. “Tell us,

  Please, how you've come to such friendship

  And understanding, after

  A day filled with such hatred

  And incredible combat!” And Gawain, 6325

  His nephew, answered the king:

  “Your majesty! Nothing will be kept from you,

  Neither the exceeding bad luck

  Nor the misfortune that brought us

  This battle. And since you've bothered 6330

  To approach us, seeking to know

  The truth, you shall surely hear it.

  I, Gawain, your nephew,

  Did not know my friend and companion,

  My lord Yvain, who this is, 6335

  Until, by the gracious mercy

  Of God, he asked me my name.

  And we told each other our names,

  And knew each other at last,

  But only after we'd fought. 6340

  We fought well. Had

  Our combat gone on just

  A little longer, surely

  It would have gone badly for me,

  For by my head he'd have killed me, 6345

  Both because of his skill

  And because of the wrong I was chosen

  To fight for. I'd rather my friends

  Beat me in battle than killed me.”

  Then Yvain’s blood was up, 6350

  And he answered at once: “My dear

  Friend! So help me God,

  Everything you've said is wrong.

  The king, our lord, should know

  That without a doubt I 6355

  Am the one who was beaten in this combat!”

  “No, I.” “No, I,” they kept saying,

  Both so noble and generous

  That they passed the victory and the crown

  Back and forth, neither of them 6360

  Willing to accept it, each of them

  Trying as hard as he could

  To convince the king and the court

  That he was the one who'd been beaten.

  But after listening a bit, 6365

  The king ended their quarrel,

  Wonderfully pleased by what

  He had heard and seen that day,

  And seeing them embracing each other,

  Though before they'd hurt and wounded 6370

  Each other all over their bodies.

  “Gentlemen!” he declared. “You two

  Love one another. And you show it,

  Each one insisting he was beaten.

  Now leave all this to me! 6375

  I think I can arrange it all

  So neatly that you'll both be honored,

  And the world will praise my solution.”

  Both of them promised to do

  Whatever he directed, exactly 6380

  As he might order. And then

  The king said he'd settle the quarrel

  Fairly and also in good faith.

  “Where,” he asked, “is the lady

  Who forcefully drove her sister 6385

  From her lands, and disinherited her

  By force and evil intent?”

  “Lord!” she said. “I am here.”

  “You're there? Then come here! I saw

  From the very beginning that you 6390

  Were disinheriting her.

  Her rights will not be denied:

  You've just admitted the truth.

  Now give her back what’s hers:

  You have no choice.” “My lord!” 6395

  She said. “If I spoke like a fool,

  If I answered you like a simpleton,

  You shouldn't take me literally.

  Good God, your Majesty! Don't harm me!

  You're a king, you ought to be careful 6400

  About doing wrong and injustice.”

  “Exactly,” said the king, “why I choose

  To render justice to your sister.

  It’s not my custom to be unjust.

  And surely you've heard how both 6405

  Your knight and hers have left

  Everything to my mercy. What

  I shall say will not entirely

  Please you, but everyone knows

  You are wrong. Each knight claims 6410

  Defeat, to honor the other one.

  I've nothing to say about that.

  Since everything’s been left to me,

  You will do exactly as I order

  And in every single respect, 6415

  Without objection, or I proclaim

  My nephew beaten at arms.

  Nothing could be worse for you,

  And I'd contradict my own heart.”

  In fact, he'd never have said it, 6420

  But he spoke in order to frighten her,

  And to see if anything could frighten her

  And oblige her, because of her fear,

  To give back her sister’s inheritance.

  He was well and truly aware 6425

  That nothing he could say would make her

  Give back a thing, and only

  Force or fear could oblige her.

  And she was afraid, and cried out,

  And said: “Good lord! I'm obliged 6430

  To do precisely as you wish,

  Though it grieves me, it breaks my heart.

  But I'll do it, however it hurts,

  And my sister will have what’s hers.

  And as pledge that she'll have her share 6435

  Of our inheritance, I name you,

  So she'll know it will truly be done.”

  “Then give it to her at once!”

  Said the king, “and let her acknowledge

  You as her lady, and honor you! 6440

  Love her as you'd love anyone

  Who serves you, and let her love you

  As her lady and her older sister!”

  And so the king arranged it,

  And the girl took possession of her lands 6445

  And offered him her gratitude. And then

  The king spoke to his nephew,

  That brave and valiant knight,

  And asked that he let them disarm him,


  And spoke to Yvain, and asked 6450

  If he'd mind doing the same,

  For now weapons and armor

  Weren't needed. They laid down their arms,

  And left the field as equals.

  And then, taking off their armor, 6455

  They saw the lion come running,

  Searching everywhere for his master.

  And as soon as he saw Yvain

  He showed how happy he was.

  The crowds melted away; 6460

  Even the bravest left.

  “All of you, stay!” cried Yvain.

  “Why run? No one is chasing you.

  Don't be afraid that that lion

  Has any intention of hurting you! 6465

  Please, believe me: he’s mine,

  As I am his. We two

  Are companions, he and I.”

  Then all of them knew it was true,

  As they'd heard it told, that this 6470

  And no one else was the knight,

  And also the lion, of whom

  It was said that together they'd killed

  The cruel giant. And my lord

  Gawain said to Yvain: 6475

  “My friend, so help me God,

  You've thoroughly shamed me, today!

  How terribly badly I've paid

  You back for the service you rendered me,

  Killing that giant and saving 6480

  My nephews, and saving my niece.

  I've thought a great deal about you,

  Of late, and always with pain,

  For everyone said we were friends

  Who loved one another. I've thought 6485

  Long, and I've thought hard,

  And I never could understand,

  For I'd never heard any talk

  Of a knight I had known, anywhere

  On earth, anywhere I'd been, 6490

  Whose name was the Knight of the Lion.

  I knew no one who used that name.”

  They removed their armor as they spoke,

  And the lion came hurrying up

  Toward his master, seated there, 6495

  And as soon as he stood in front of him

  Greeted him as a dumb beast can.

  Then both knights had to be brought

  To a sick room, for both of them needed

  To have their wounds healed 6500

  By a master surgeon and his plasters.

  King Arthur, who loved them both,

  Arranged it all. He sent for

  A surgeon, who knew the science

  Of healing wounds better 6505

  Than anyone on earth. And the surgeon

  Made it his business to care for them

  Until, in the shortest time possible,

  All of their wounds had been healed.

  And then, when both were cured, 6510

  My lord Yvain, whose heart

  Was irrevocably set on love,

  Saw clearly that he could not go on

  But would have to die for love,

  Unless his lady had mercy 6515

  On him. He would die for her.

  And he thought it best to leave

  The court, all alone, and go

  To her magic spring, and create

  Such a storm of lightning and thunder, 6520

  And such howling winds, and such rain,

  That force and necessity would make her

  Seek peace with him, or else

  The spring would never be able

  To stop churning out winds 6525

  And rain and lightning and storms.

  And as soon as Yvain felt strong

  Again, cured of his wounds,

  He left, and no one knew it.

  But the lion went with him, who meant 6530

  For the rest of his life never

  To leave his companion’s side.

  They rode till they saw the spring,

  And Yvain made the winds and the rain.

  Don't think I'm a liar, please, 6535

  When I tell you he made a storm

  So violent that no one could tell you

  A tenth of it. It seemed that the earth

  Would open and the whole wood fall in.

  And the lady worried for her castle, 6540

  For it seemed that it too might crumble:

  The walls shook, and the towers

  Trembled as if ready to topple.

  The bravest Turk alive

  Would choose a Persian jail 6545

  Rather than stay in those walls.

  And all her people were terrified,

  And cursed their ancestors, and said:

  “Curses on the man who built

  The first house in this country, and anyone 6550

  And everyone who founded this town!

  You couldn't find a more

  Disgusting place anywhere

  In the world. One man can invade us,

  And torment us, and cause us such trouble.” 6555

  “My lady,” said Lunette,

  “You need to seek help! Nor

  Are you likely to find anyone

  Who'll help you, now that you need it,

  Unless you seek it far off. 6560

  I can see we'll never be safe

  In this castle, we'll never dare

  Go near the walls or through

  The gate. You know your soldiers!

  If you brought together all 6565

  Your knights, there isn't one

  Who'd dare come forward, not even

  The very best of them! This

  Is the problem: if there’s no one to protect

  Your spring, you'll be despised, made fun of. 6570

  You'd win eternal honor,

  Wouldn't you, if whoever attacks you

  Gets off without a battle!

  This is a desperate situation,

  Unless you've made some better 6575

  Plan.” “You're wise,” said the lady.

  “Tell me what I can plan on,

  And I'll do whatever you say.”

  “Lady! I would if I could.

  I'd gladly help and advise you. 6580

  But you need, and need most desperately,

  Someone wiser than I am.

  I don't dare interfere.

  I shall endure this wind

  And these rains with everyone else, 6585

  Waiting, if God wills, till I see

  Some brave man come

  To your court, who'll assume the burden

  Of this battle on your behalf.

  I don't believe it will happen 6590

  Today. We've not seen the worst.”

  But the lady answered at once:

  “Girl! Talk of something different!

  Don't tell me about my people,

  For all I expect from them 6595

  Is nothing. None of them dare

  Defend the spring and the stone.

  But, may it please God, let me

  Hear your advice and your wisdom.

  Everyone says that necessity 6600

  Is always friendship’s best test.”

  “My lady! If anyone thought

  He could find the man who killed

  The giant, and conquered three knights,

  It would be well to go and seek him. 6605

  But you heard him. As long as he bears

  His lady’s ill will, and her anger,

  I suspect there’s no one on earth

  He'd follow, neither woman nor man,

  Until someone swore on oath 6610

  That they'd do everything they could

  To end her displeasure, so bitter

  And such a burden to him

  That he’s dying of sorrow and pain.”

  And the lady said: “Before 6615

  You start on this quest: I'm ready

  To swear, and I swear, and you have

  My word, if he'll come to me here,

  Without deception or deceit

&n
bsp; I'll do everything I can 6620

  To bring about this peace.”

  Then Lunette replied: “Lady!

  It won't be easy. You may wish

  To do it, it may please you to try,

  But it’s bound to be difficult. Still, 6625

  If this is your pleasure, and you wish it,

  I can take your oath before

  I start on my journey.” And the lady

  Said: “I have no objection.”

  Lunette, who was always courteous, 6630

  Immediately brought her an immensely

  Precious holy relic,

  And the lady fell to her knees.

  And in all sobriety and courtesy

  Lunette accepted that deceptive 6635

  Oath. She was careful, administering it,

  To omit nothing that might

  Turn out to be useful. “Lady!”

  She said. “Raise your hand!

  I want you not to accuse me 6640

  Of anything, after tomorrow.

  You're doing nothing for me.

  You're doing this for yourself.

  Now swear, if you please, that in order

  To help the Knight of the Lion 6645

  You propose to exert yourself

  In any way you can,

  Until he has his lady’s

  Love again, as completely

  As ever.” The lady raised 6650

  Her right hand, and declared: “I swear it,

  Exactly as you've said: and I say,

  May God and this holy saint

  Help me and keep my heart

  From failing; let me do all I can. 6655

  If I have the strength, and I can,

  I'll help him return to the love

  And the grace he once knew with his lady.”

  Lunette had done her work well.

  There was nothing she'd wanted as badly 6660

  As this, and now she'd done it.

  A horse with an easy gait

  Was already ready. Feeling

  Cheerful, with a smile on her face,

  She mounted and rode off, then found 6665

  Under the pine tree, the man

  She'd hardly expected to find

  Without riding a great deal farther.

  She'd thought it would be distinctly

  A longer and harder journey. 6670

  She recognized the lion,

  Then Yvain, as soon as she saw them,

  And galloped directly toward them,

  And dismounted, and stood on the ground.

  And Yvain had known her as soon 6675

  As he saw her, even far off,

  And greeted her. And she greeted him,

  Saying: “My lord, I'm delighted

  To find you so near at hand.”

  And my lord Yvain answered: 6680

  “Why? Were you looking for me?”

  “Yes! And I’ve never been so pleased

  Since the day I was born. And this

  Is what I've gotten my lady

  To do—unless she perjured 6685

  Herself: as soon as she can

  She'll be your lady and you

  Her husband. I'm telling you the truth.”