“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
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.”