Had been waiting to see that blow.
And they learned which of them ran fastest, 4250
For they all came running after
The spoils, like dogs at a hunt,
Who chase the fox till they catch him.
Everyone tried to get
To the giant first, there 4255
Where he lay on his face; no one
Held back. And the baron ran,
And everyone in his court ran,
And his daughter ran, and his wife.
And the four brothers, who had suffered 4260
So much, were happy. And everyone
Knew there was nothing they could do
To keep my lord Yvain
There, it was perfectly clear,
But all the same they begged him 4265
To come back, to celebrate, as soon
As he'd done whatever business
He was going off to do.
And he answered that he wouldn't dare
To promise a thing, for how 4270
It might go with him, for good
Or for ill, he could not say.
But he told his host this much:
He and his sons and his daughter
Ought to take the dwarf and go 4275
To my lord Gawain, as soon
As they've heard that Gawain is home,
And tell him the entire tale,
Let him know what was done.
For what use is kindness, if it’s kept 4280
In the dark? It needs to be known.
And they said: “It shouldn't be hidden,
This kindness. That wouldn't be right.
We'll do exactly exactly as you wish.
But tell us, so we can tell him 4285
When we stand in front of him, what
We can say? How can we praise you,
When none of us know your name?”
And he answered: “Tell him this much,
When you stand in front of him. Tell him 4290
That I told you my name was the Knight
Of the Lion. And tell him, too,
I beg you, that I have asked you
To say that he knows me well,
As I know him, even 4295
If he doesn't know he knows.
And say nothing more, I beg you.
And now I'm obliged to leave you,
And nothing worries me more
Than that I may have waited too long, 4300
For surely before it turns noon
I'll have more than enough to do,
If indeed I can get there in time.”
He started, unwilling to delay.
And his host begged him to accept 4305
The handsomest gift he could make,
And take his four sons with him.
Every one of them would try
To serve him, if only he'd let them.
But wanting no one to ride 4310
With him, Yvain left them
Standing where they were, and went off.
And immediately he headed his horse
Straight toward the chapel, spurring him
As fast as he could. The road 4315
Was both good and straight, and he knew
How to keep to the road. But before
He could get to the chapel, they'd dragged out
The girl and gotten the pyre
Ready, piled up the wood 4320
Where they meant to burn her. Totally
Naked, except for her shift,
They had her tied where the fire
Was lit, accused of a crime
That had never crossed her mind. 4325
And then Yvain arrived,
And saw her near the fire, where they'd thrown her,
And his anger flared, as it should have:
Anyone who doubts that knows nothing
Of courtesy, and is devoid of wisdom. 4330
He was very, very angry,
But also perfectly confident
That God and justice would help him,
Would fight at his side. He put
His trust completely in such comrades, 4335
Though he never forgot the lion.
Galloping straight at the crowd
He came, shouting: “Release her!
Release her, you evil people!
There’s no justice in burning someone 4340
At the stake who’s done nothing—nothing!”
And they all pulled back, and made way,
And let him approach. And yet
What he really wanted to see
For himself was she whom his heart 4345
Saw everywhere, wherever she might be.
And he looked until he found her,
And forced his heart to meet
The challenge, held it back, held it in,
As one struggles, finding the strength 4350
To curb a bucking horse.
And still he stared at her eagerly,
Sighing as he watched, but not sighing
Quite so hard as he might have,
So no one would know who he was. 4355
It was hard, but he stifled his pain.
And an immense pity seized him,
Hearing and seeing and understanding
The poor ladies of that court,
Who were moaning and weeping and crying, 4360
“Oh God! You've forgotten us!
We'll be left here hopeless, lost,
If we lose so good a friend,
So good an adviser, and a helper,
So useful for all of us at court! 4365
It was her advice that led
Our lady to give us fine
New dresses. It will all be different,
There'll be no one left to speak for us.
Curses on whoever takes her 4370
Away! Curses for our loss!
It’s going to be awful for us!
There'll be no one to say and suggest:
‘This ermine cloak, this coat,
And this coat, too, my lady, 4375
That worthy woman should have them!
Indeed, what a wonderful thing
It would be to send them to her,
For she needs them so badly, she does.'
Who else will say such things? 4380
There’s no one as generous, as courteous.
Everyone else is always
Asking for herself and not
For others, though they really need nothing.”
And so they were carrying on, 4385
And Yvain, standing among them
And hearing all their complaints,
Knew they were true, not invented.
And seeing Lunette on her knees,
Stripped down to her shift, 4390
Having made her confession and begged
The Lord to forgive her for her sins,
Make her innocent of all guilt,
He who had loved her so dearly
Came toward her, and lifted her up, 4395
And said: “Oh girl! Where
Are those who reproach you, who accuse you?
Here and now, unless
They refuse it, I offer them battle.”
And she, who had not noticed him, 4400
Who had not looked up as he came,
Replied: “Lord! You come
From God, in my hour of need!
Those who've sworn false witness
Are standing here all around me. 4405
Had you come just a little later
They'd have burned me to charcoal and cinders.
And here you are to defend me:
May God give you the power
To succeed in exactly the measure 4410
That I stand innocent of their charges!”
The steward, and the steward’s two brothers,
Heard these words. “Ha!”
They cried. “You creature, miser
Of truth and spendthrift of lies! 4415
He'd have to be crazy to take on
Such a burden for anything you'd said.
And he must be a numbskull, this knight
Who’s come here to die for you.
There’s only one of him 4420
And three of us. I advise him
To run before it’s too late.”
And Yvain answered, furious:
“Let anyone run who’s afraid!
I'm not so worried by three shields 4425
That I'd run from a fight without fighting.
What sort of knight would I be
If I let you hold this field
While I stood healthy and unharmed?
As long as I'm alive and well 4430
I'll never run from your threats.
Let me advise you. Pronounce
This girl, against whom you've hurled
Such slanders, innocent of everything—
For she tells me, and I believe her, 4435
And she swears to me on her faith
And upon her immortal soul
That she’s never betrayed her lady
In word, or in deed, or in thought.
I believe every word she’s spoken, 4440
And I will defend her, if I can.
I believe in the justice of her cause.
And let this truth be known:
Those who stand for justice
Stand with God, who is justice 4445
And right. And with them at my side
I fight with better comrades
Beside me than any of you.”
Then the steward answered, stupidly,
That he'd do what he could to oblige him 4450
In everything, to his heart’s content,
If the lion would leave him alone.
And Yvain answered that he hadn't
Brought the lion as his champion,
And he needed no one’s help, 4455
But if the lion chose to attack him
He'd better defend himself;
He could guarantee nothing. And the steward
Answered: “Your words mean nothing.
Unless you curb your lion 4460
And make him stand aside,
You'd better not linger here,
But leave! It would show good sense,
For everyone here in this country
Knows she’s betrayed her lady, 4465
And it’s right and just that she have
Her reward in flame and fire.”
“The Holy Spirit prevent it!”
Cried Yvain, who knew the truth.
“May God keep me here 4470
Until I've set her free!”
And he ordered the lion to withdraw,
And stay still, and the lion did
Exactly as his master asked.
The lion was safely to one side, 4475
And all the talking between them
Was done, and they got ready to charge.
The three of them pointed their spears,
But he proceeded at a walk,
Determined not to try 4480
For too much at the very first blow.
He let them splinter their lances,
Keeping his own intact,
Letting them use his shield
As a target. And all of them broke 4485
Their spears. And then he rode off,
An acre or more distant,
Not planning to stay there long.
Galloping straight at the steward 4490
He reached him first, and smashed him
So hard with his lance that he knocked him
To the ground, no matter what he did,
And gave him so stunning a blow
That for a long time he lay there 4495
In a daze, unable to bother him.
Then the other two attacked him,
Swords in their hands, and both
Landed good blows, but got
Better ones back. Each 4500
Of his blows was easily worth
Two of theirs. And so
He defended himself so well
There was no advantage in numbers,
Until at last the steward 4505
Rose and did what he could
To hurt him, and the others tried too,
Until they began to beat him.
And the lion, watching all this,
Thought it was time to help, 4510
For his master seemed to need it.
And the ladies, all in one voice,
Deeply devoted to the girl,
Called on God to help him
And prayed with all their hearts 4515
That nothing might bring defeat
Or injury or death to him
Who fought that battle for their friend.
Having no other weapons,
The ladies helped with their prayers. 4520
And the lion brought him different
Assistance, leaping so fiercely
At the steward, who was fighting on foot,
Attacking so furiously that he scattered
The mail from his armor like so much 4525
Straw, and seizing him in his jaws
Dragged him down so viciously
That he ripped the flesh from his shoulder
All along his side.
Whatever he bit at he stripped 4530
Away, till the guts hung out.
But the other two paid him back.
And now the battle was even.
The steward lay dying, death
At his throat, writhing and rolling 4535
In the waves of warm red blood
Flowing out of his body.
And the lion attacked the others—
For nothing Yvain could do
Could drive him off, though he hit him 4540
And threatened him and struggled to do all
He could. Somehow the lion
Seemed to know that his master
Did not truly dislike
His help, but loved him better 4545
For it. He charged against them
Until they had reason to complain,
And slashed him with their weapons, and hurt him.
And seeing his lion wounded
My lord Yvain was angry, 4550
And with reason, and he took such savage
Revenge, attacking with such stunning
Blows that he wore them down,
And unable to defend themselves 4555
They surrendered, crying for mercy.
The lion’s assistance had beaten them,
But the lion was badly hurt,
Wounded all over his body,
With good reason for pain and fear. 4560
And my lord Yvain himself
Was hardly in the best of health,
His body cut and slashed.
But he worried less for himself
Than for his suffering lion. 4565
Now he'd freed the girl,
Exactly as he meant to, and the lady
Had pardoned her servant, completely
And cheerfully. And the fire lit
For Lunette has burned those 4570
Who lit it, intending it for her,
For justice requires that he
Who has wrongly condemned another
Should die precisely the death
He'd meant for a different victim. 4575
And Lunette was smiling, happy
To be at one with her mistress,
Both of them filled with a joy
Greater than anyone had ever
Felt. And everyone pledged 4580
Eternal service to Yvain,
Though no one knew who he was,
Not even the lady, who already
Had his heart without knowing it.
And she begged him to stay there for as long 4585
As it took for both lion and man
To rest and recover.
And he said:
“Lady! It’s out of the question.
I could not stay here unless
My mistress pardoned me, forgave me, 4590
And forgot her anger and displeasure.
And that would end my affliction.”
“Ah,” she said, “that upsets me.
Anyone who thinks ill of you
Can't be a courteous woman. 4595
She couldn't shut her door
On a knight as worthy as you
Unless he'd done her some terrible
Wrong.” “Lady! However
It hurts, it pleases me, if it’s what 4600
She wants. But no more of that!
I'll say nothing of the offense, and nothing
Of the punishment, except to those
Who already know the whole story.”
“Does anyone know it, other than 4605
You two?” “Oh yes, lady!”
“But tell us your name, good sir!
Tell us that much, at least!
And then you're discharged, you can go.”
“Discharged, lady? Oh no. 4610
I owe more than I could pay.
But I owe you at least my name.
If anyone speaks of the Knight
Of the Lion they're speaking of me.
And that is the name I've chosen.” 4615
“Before God, good sir! We've never
Seen you, we've never heard
That name. What does this mean?”
“Lady! I suppose you ought
To conclude that I'm not really 4620
Well known.” And the lady replied:
“Still, if it wouldn't displease you,
I’d like to ask you to stay.”
“My lady! How could I dare,
Not knowing for certain if I'd won 4625
My mistress' goodwill again?”
“Then go with God, good sir!
And if it’s God’s will, may he turn
Your sorrow and suffering to joy!”
“Lady! I pray that He hears you!” 4630
Then he whispered, under his breath:
“Oh lady! you don't know it, but my happiness
Is locked away in a chest,
And you carry the key, only you.”
And then, suffering immensely, 4635
He left. And the only one
Who knew him was Lunette, who rode
A long way at his side. Only
Lunette went with him, and he begged her
Over and over not 4640
To let anyone know who
Her champion had been. “My lord!”
She said. “I'll never tell.”
And then he went on, and asked her
Not to forget him, and to keep 4645
A place for him in his lady’s heart
If she had the chance. And she told him
Not to worry. She could never
Forget him, nor ever be unfaithful
Or stop trying to help. And he thanked her 4650
A thousand times. And he left her,
Worried and sad on account
Of his lion, who had to be carried,