Yvain

  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.”