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Notes de Lecture: 82 Le Texte de Base Est Celui de L'édition de Janet Cowen, (2 Vol.)
Notes de Lecture: 82 Le Texte de Base Est Celui de L'édition de Janet Cowen, (2 Vol.)
Notes de lecture
82
Le texte de base est celui de ldition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.).
BOOK IV
CHAPTER 21. How King Pelleas suered himself to be taken prisoner because he would have a
sight of his lady, and how Sir Gawain promised him to get to him the love of his lady
1
And so he chose her for his sovereign lady, and never to love other but her, but she was so proud that she
had scorn of him, and said that she would never love him though he would die for her. Wherefore all ladies and
gentlewomen had scorn of her that she was so proud, for there were fairer than she, and there was none that was
there but and Sir Pelleas would have proered them love, they would have loved him for his noble prowess. And so
this knight promised the Lady Ettard to follow her into this country, and never to leave her till she loved him. And
thus he is here the most part nigh her, and lodged by a priory, and every week she sendeth knights to ght with
him. And when he hath put them to the worse, then will he suer them wilfully to take him prisoner, because he
would have a sight of this lady. And always she doth him great despite, for sometime she maketh her knights to tie
him to his horses tail, and some to bind him under the horses belly; thus in the most shamefullest wise that she
can think he is brought to her. And all she doth it for to cause him to leave this country, and to leave his loving; but
all this cannot make him to leave, for and he would have fought on foot he might have had the better of the ten
knights as well on foot as on horseback.
Alas, said Sir Gawain, it is great pity of him; and after this night I will seek him tomorrow, in this forest,
to do him all the help I can.
2
So on the morn Sir Gawain took his leave of his host Sir Carados, and rode into the forest; and at
the last he met with Sir Pelleas, making great moan out of measure, so each of them saluted other, and
asked him why he made such sorrow. And as it is above rehearsed, Sir Pelleas told Sir Gawain: But
always I suer her knights to fare so with me as ye saw yesterday, in trust at the last to win her love, for she knoweth well all her knights should not lightly win me, and me list to ght with them to the uttermost. Wherefore and I
loved her not so sore, I had lever die an hundred times, and I might die so oft, rather than I would suer that
despite; but I trust she will have pity upon me at the last, for love causeth many a good knight to suer to have his
intent, but alas I am unfortunate. And therewith he made so great dole and sorrow that unnethe he might
hold him on horseback.
Now, said Sir Gawain, leave your mourning and I shall promise you by the faith of my body to do all
that lieth in my power to get you the love of your lady, and thereto I will plight you my troth.
Ah, said Sir Pelleas, of what court are ye? tell me, I pray you, my good friend.
And then Sir Gawain said, I am of the court of King Arthur, and his sisters son, and King Lot of Orkney
was my father, and my name is Sir Gawain.
3
And then he said, My name is Sir Pelleas, born in the Isles, and of many isles I am lord, and never have I
loved lady nor damosel till now in an unhappy time. And, sir knight, since ye are so nigh cousin unto King Arthur,
and a kings son, therefore betray me not but help me, for I may never come by her but by some good knight, for she
is in a strong castle here, fast by within this four mile, and over all this country she is lady of. And so I may never
come to her presence, but as I suer her knights to take me, and but if I did so that I might have a sight of her, I had
been dead long or this time. And yet fair word had I never of her, but when I am brought tofore her she rebuketh
me in the foulest manner, and then they take my horse and harness and putten me out of the gates, and she will
not suer me to eat nor drink; and always I oer me to be her prisoner, but that she will not suer me, for I would
desire no more, what pains so ever I had, so that I might have a sight of her daily.
Well, said Sir Gawain, all this shall I amend and ye will do as I shall devise: I will have your horse and
your armour, and so will I ride unto her castle and tell her that I have slain you, and so shall I come within her to
cause her to cherish me, and then shall I do my true part that ye shall not fail to have the love of her.
sacr de faire tout ce qui est en mon pouvoir pour vous obtenir lamour de votre dame, et je vous en donne ma
parole dhonneur.
Ah bien, scria sire Pellas ; quelle cour appartenez-vous ? Dites-le moi, je vous prie, mon bon ami.
Et sire Gauvain de rpondre : Jappartiens la cour du roi Arthur, son neveu par sa sur ; Lot, roi des
Orcades, est mon pre et je mappelle sire Gauvain.
3
Son interlocuteur dit alors : Je mappelle sire Pellas, natif des les et seigneur de nombreuses les, et
jamais je navais aim dame ni demoiselle jusqu prsent, heure de malheur. Et, messire chevalier, puisque vous
tes proche parent du roi Arthur et ls de roi, ne trahissez pas ma conance et aidez-moi, car il me sera toujours
impossible de lapprocher si ce nest par lentremise dun brave chevalier : elle demeure dans un chteau forti des
alentours, moins de quatre milles dici, lautre extrmit du territoire sur lequel elle a autorit. Ainsi donc il
mest jamais impossible de me retrouver en sa prsence moins de me laisser capturer par ses chevaliers, et si je
nagissais pas en sorte que je puisse jeter les yeux sur elle, je serais mort depuis belle lurette. Et pourtant je nai
aucun moment eu delle ne serait-ce quun mot aimable, car lorsquon mamne en sa prsence, elle me rabroue
avec la plus extrme rudesse, et quand on me dpouille de mon cheval et de mon armure et quon me chasse hors de
lenceinte [du chteau], elle ne permet pas que je mange ni que je boive ; et chaque occasion, je propose de devenir son prisonnier, mais elle ne veut pas en entendre parler, alors que je ne demanderais rien de plus, quelles que
soient les sourances auxquelles je mexposerais, pour tre mme de lentrevoir chaque jour.
Voyez-vous, assura sire Gauvain, je vais remdier tout cela si vous acceptez dagir mon ide : je
veux disposer de votre cheval et de votre armure et, quip ainsi, je me rendrai son chteau et lui raconterai que
je vous ai tu ; de la sorte, jaurai accs elle et men ferai bien voir. Cest alors que je jouerai mon vritable rle :
vous aurez son amour immanquablement.
1 promised the Lady Ettard to follow her into this country the country and forest of Arroy
IV, 18, volet 79.
2 Sir Gawain took his leave of his host Sir Carados
le personnage est nomm, mais
lindication ne permet pas den savoir plus sur son compte : vieux chevalier, propritaire
dun beau manoir, son sens de lhospitalit fait de lui un guide, une charnire du rcit,
capable de relayer des informations et donc dorienter laction.
3 [Sir Gawain] MET WITH Sir Pelleas, making great moan out of measure, so each of them
saluted other, and ASKED HIM
1re proposition principale, suivie dune participiale explicative (dveloppante secondaire), puis dune conscutive parallle (les sujets ne sont
plus les mmes), coordination et reprise par une 2e principale, ayant mme sujet et
mme objet que la 1re : le style heurt contribue la uidit du rcit.
4 as it is above rehearsed le narrateur tire le lecteur par la manche et se rappelle son
bon souvenir.