Erec and Enide

Chretien de Troyes

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9780429534485
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Literary Criticism
• Index: Literature

Published in 1987: Erec and Enide, the first of five surviving Arthurian romantic poems by a twelfth-century French poet, narrates a vivid chapter from the legend of King Arthur.

Erec and Enide

Erec et Enide

Li vilains dit an son respit [la]
que tel chose a l'an an despit *
qui molt valt mialz que l'an ne cuide;
por ce fet bien qui son estuide
5 atorne a sens quel que il l'ait,
car qui son estuide antrelait,
tost i puet tel chose teisir
qui molt vandroit puis a pleisir.
Por ce dist Crestïens de Troies
10 que reisons est que totevoies
doit chascuns panser et antandre
a bien dire et a bien aprandre,
et tret d'un conte d'avanture
une molt bele conjointure,
15 par qu'an puet prover et savoir
que cil ne fet mie savoir
qui s'escïence n'abandone
tant con Dex la grasce l'an done.
D'Erec, le fil Lac, est li contes,
20 que devant rois et devant contes
depecier et corronpre suelent
cil qui de conter vivre vuelent.
Des or comancerai l'estoire
qui toz jorz mes iert an mimoire
25 tant con durra crestïantez:
de ce s'est Crestïens vantez.
Au jor de Pasque, au tans novel,
a Quaradigan, son chastel,
ot li rois Artus cort tenue.
30 Einz si riche ne fu veüe,
que molt i ot boens chevaliers,
hardiz et conbatanz et fiers,
et riches dames et puceles,
filles de rois, gentes et beles;
35 mes einçois que la corz fausist,

5. sens PE (san F1909)] bien CBVA = F1890, 1896 (H omits 1-26).

The peasant says in his proverb
that one may hold in contempt something
that is worth much more than one believes;
therefore he does well who makes good use of his learning
5 according to whatever understanding he has,
for he who neglects his learning
may easily keep silent something
that would later give much pleasure.
Therefore Chrétien de Troyes says
10 that it is reasonable
that each person think and strive in every way
to speak well and to teach well,
and from a tale of adventure he draws
a beautifully ordered composition,
15 whereby one may prove and know
that he does not act intelligently
who does not give free rein to his knowledge,
as long as God gives him the grace to do so.
This is the tale of Erec, son of Lac,
20 which, before kings and before counts,
those who try to live by storytelling
customarily mangle and corrupt.
Now I shall begin the story
which evermore will be in memory
25 for as long as Christendom lasts—
of this does Chrétien boast.
On Easter day, in springtime,
at Cardigan, his castle,
King Arthur held court.
30 So rich a one was never seen,
for there were many good knights,
brave and combative and fierce,
and rich ladies and maidens,
daughters of kings, noble and beautiful;
35 but before the court concluded

li rois a ses chevaliers dist
qu'il voloit le blanc cerf charier
por la costume ressaucier.
Mon seignor Gauvain ne plot mie
40 quant il ot la parole oïe:
"Sire," fet il, "de ceste chace
n'avroiz vos ja ne gré ne grace.
Nos savomes bien tuit piece a
quel costume li blans cers a:
45 qui le blanc cerf ocirre puet [lb]
par reison beisier li estuet
des puceles de vostre cort
la plus bele, a que que il tort.
Maus an puet avenir molt granz,
50 qu'ancor a il ceanz cinc cenz
dameiseles de hauz paraiges,
filles de rois, gentes et sages,
n'i a nule qui n'ait ami
chevalier vaillant et hardi,
55 don chascuns desresnier voldroit,
ou fust a tort ou fust a droit,
que cele qui li atalante
est la plus bele et la plus gente."
Li rois respont: "Ce sai ge bien,
60 mes por ce n'an lerai ge rien,
car parole que rois a dite *
ne doit puis estre contredite.
Demain matin a grant deduit
irons chacier le blanc cerf tuit
65 an la forest avantureuse:
ceste chace iert molt mervelleuse."
Ensi est la chace atornee
a l'andemain, a l'anjornee.
L'andemain, lués que il ajorne,
70 li rois se lieve et si s'atorne,
et por aler an la forest
d'une corte cote se vest.
Les chevaliers fet esvellier,
les chaceors aparellier.
75 Lor ars et lor saietes ont;
an la forest chacier s'an vont.
Aprés aus monte la reïne,
ansanble o li une meschine;
pucele estoit, fille de roi,
80 et sist sor un boen palefroi.
Aprés les siust a esperon
uns chevaliers, Erec a non.

58. plust b. C, with expunctuating dot under the t.

63. Initial D in C.

the king said to his knights
that he wanted to hunt the white stag
in order to revive the tradition.
My lord Gawain was not a bit pleased
40 when he heard this:
"Sire," said he, "from this hunt
you will never have either gratitude nor thanks. *
We have all known for a long time
what tradition is attached to the white stag:
45 he who can kill the white stag
by right must kiss
the most beautiful of the maidens of your court,
whatever may happen.
Great evil can come from this,
50 for there are easily five hundred
damsels of high lineage here,
daughters of kings, noble and prudent,
and there is not a one who is not the favorite
of some valiant and bold knight,
55 each of whom would want to contend,
either rightly or wrongly,
that the one who pleases him
is the most beautiful and the most noble."
The king replied: "This I know well,
60 but I will not give up my plan for all that,
for the word of a king
must not be opposed.
Tomorrow morning with great pleasure
we will all go to hunt the white stag
65 in the forest of adventures:
this hunt will be truly wondrous."
Thus was the hunt arranged
for the morrow, at daybreak.
The next day, as soon as it was light,
70 the king arose and made ready;
to go into the forest
he put on a short tunic.
He had the knights awakened,
the hunting-steeds readied.
75 They had their bows and their arrows,
and set off to hunt in the forest.
The queen mounted up after them,
accompanied by an attendant;
she was a maiden, daughter of a king,
80 and sat upon a good palfrey.
A knight came spurring after them:
his name was Erec.

De la Table Reonde estoit;
an la cort molt grant los avoit:
85 de tant com il i ot esté,
n'i ot chevalier si loé,
et fu tant biax qu'an nule terre
n'estovoit plus bel de lui querre.
Molt estoit biax et preuz et genz, [lc]
90 et n'avoit pas vint et cinc anz;
onques nus horn de son aage
ne fu de si grant vaselage.
Que diroie de ses bontez?
Sor un destrier estoit montez,
95 afublez d'un mantel hermin;
galopant vient tot le chemin,
s'ot cote d'un dïapre noble
qui fu fez an Costantinoble. *
Chauces de paile avoit chauciees,
100 molt bien fetes et bien tailliees,
et fu es estriés afichiez,
uns esperons a or chauciez;
n'ot avoec lui arme aportee
fors que tant seulemant s'espee. *
105 La reïne vint ateignant
au tor d'une rue poignant:
"Dame," fet il, "a vos seroie,
s'il vos pleisoit, an ceste voie.
Je ne ving ça por autre afere
110 fors por vos conpaignie fere."
Et la reïne l'an mercie:
"Biax amis, vostre conpaignie
aim je molt, ce saichiez de voir:
je ne puis pas meillor avoir."
115 Lors chevalchent a grant esploit;
an la forest vienent tot droit.
Cil qui devant erent alé
avoient ja le cerf levé:
li un cornent, li autre huïent;
120 li chien aprés le cerf s'esbruient,
corent, angressent et abaient;
li archier espessemant traient.
Devant ax toz chace li rois
sor un chaceor espanois.
125 La reïne Ganievre estoit
el bois, qui les chiens escotoit;
lez li Erec et sa pucele,
qui molt estoit cortoise et bele.
Mes tant d'ax esloignié estoient
130 cil qui le cerf levé avoient

106. d'une rue HBPVA - F] de la rue C.

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Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Series Page
• Original Title
• Original Copyright
• Dedication
• Preface of the General Editors
• Contents
• Introduction
• Editorial Policy for This Text and Translation
• Select Bibliography
• Erec and Enide
• Textual Notes
• Index to Old French Terms
• Appendix A: Line-Number Comparisons with Foerster's and Roques' Editions
• Appendix B: Lines Added to Guiot's Text
• Appendix C: Non-Emendation Changes to Roques' Text