Lancelot (extracts) Translation by Steve Maddux
The text is that established by Karl Uitti and Alfred Foulet (1989), as found at Wikisource (October 2014).
Prologue
| Des que ma dame de Chanpaigne Vialt que romans a feire anpraigne, Je l’anprendrai mout volentiers, Come cil qui est suens antiers De quanqu’il puet el monde feire, 5 Sanz rien de losange avant treire. Mes tex s’an poïst antremetre Qui i volsist losenge metre, Si deïst, et jel tesmoignasse, Que ce est la dame qui passe 10 Totes celes qui sont vivanz, Tant con les funs passe li vanz Qui vante en mai ou en avril. | Since my Lady of Champagne Wants me to undertake to make romances, I will do so willingly, Like him who is hers entirely For anything in the world he can do, Without dragging any flattery in. But such a one might get involved Who wanted to use flattery, And he might say – and I would testify to it – That she is the lady who surpasses All those who are living, As much as the wind that blows In May or April surpasses smoke. |
| Par foi, je ne sui mie cil Qui vuelle losangier sa dame ; 15 Dirai je : “Tant com une jame Vaut de pelles et de sardines, Vaut la Contesse de reïnes” ? Naie, je n’en dirai ja rien, S’est il voirs maleoit gré mien ; 20 | In faith, I am not the kind of fellow Who wants to flatter his lady; Shall I say: “As much as a precious stone Is worth of pearls and onyxes, The Countess is worth of queens”? Why no, I will say nothing of the sort, Although it’s true in spite of me. |
| Mes tant dirai je que mialz oevre Ses comandemanz an cest oevre Que sans ne painne que g’i mete. Del CHEVALIER DE LA CHARRETE Comance Crestïens son livre ; 25 Matiere et san li done et livre La Contesse, et il s’antremet De panser, si que rien n’i met Fors sa painne et s’antancion. Des or comance sa reison. 30 | But this much I will say, that her command Works much more in this work Than any thought or effort I might put into it. Of the Knight of the Cart Chretien begins his book; Matter and meaning were handed him By the Countess, and his function is To elaborate on it, such that he puts in it nothing Except his effort and his application. At this point he begins his account. |
At the Sword-Bridge
When first seen (3021-3030)
| Au pié del pont, qui molt est max, Sont descendu de lor chevax, Et voient l’eve felenesse, Noire et bruiant, roide et espesse, Tant leide et tant espoantable 3025 Con se fust li fluns au deable, Et tant perilleuse et parfonde Qu’il n’est riens nule an tot le monde, S’ele i cheoit, ne fust alee Ausi com an la mer salee. 3030 | At the end of the bridge that is so evil, They have dismounted And see the treacherous water, Dark and noisy, thick and raging, As ugly and as frightful As if it were the devil’s bridge, And so perilous and deep That there is absolutely nothing in the whole world That, if it fell in, would not be carried off Just as it would in the salt sea. |
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