Version 2

Notes de lecture
146

Le texte de base est celui de ldition de Janet Cowen, Penguin Classics (2 vol.).

BOOK VII
CHAPTER 27. How King Arthur went to the tournament with his knights,
and how the lady received him worshipfully,
and how the knights
encountered
1
And then there came with King Arthur Sir Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, his brethren. And then his
nephews Sir Uwain le Blanchemains, and Sir Agloval, Sir Tor, Sir Percival de Wales, and Sir Lamorak de
Wales.
Then came Sir Launcelot du Lake with his brethren, nephews, and cousins, as Sir Lionel, Sir Ector
de Maris, Sir Bors de Ganis, and Sir Galihodin, Sir Galihud, and many more of Sir Launcelots blood, and Sir
Dinadan, Sir La Cote Male Taile, his brother, a good knight, and Sir Sagramore, a good knight; and all the
most part of the Round Table.
Also there came with King Arthur these knights: the King of Ireland, King Agwisance, and the
King of Scotland, King Carados and King Uriens of the land of Gore, and King Bagdemagus and his son
Sir Meliagaunt, and Sir Galahaut the noble prince. All these kings, princes, and earls, barons, and other
noble knights, as Sir Brandiles, Sir Uwain les Avoutres, and Sir Kay, Sir Bedevere, Sir Meliot de Logris,
Sir Petipace of Winchelsea, Sir Godelake: all these came with King Arthur, and more that cannot be rehearsed.
2
Now leave we of these kings and knights, and let us speak of the great array that was made
within the castle and about the castle for both parties. The Lady Dame Lionesse ordained great array
upon her part for her noble knights, for all manner of lodging and victual that came by land and by
water, that there lacked nothing for her party, nor for the other, but there was plenty to be had for
gold and silver for King Arthur and his knights. And then there came the harbingers from King Arthur
for to harbour him, and his kings, dukes, earls, barons, and knights.

And then Sir Gareth prayed Dame Lyonesse and the Red Knight of the Red Launds, and Sir Persant and his brothers1, and Sir Gringamore, that in no wise there should none of them tell not his name,
and make no more of him than of the least knight that there was, for, he said, I will not be known of
neither more nor less, neither at the beginning neither at the ending.
Then Dame Lyonesse said unto Sir Gareth: Sir, I will lend you a ring, but I would pray you as you love
me heartily let me have it again when the tournament is done, for that ring increaseth my beauty much more than
it is of himself. And the virtue of my ring is that, that is green it will turn to red, and that is red it will turn in likeness to green, and that is blue it will turn to likeness of white, and that is white it will turn in likeness to blue, and
so it will do of all manner of colours. Also who that beareth my ring shall lose no blood, and for great love I will give
you this ring.
Gramercy, said Sir Gareth, mine own lady, for this ring is passing meet for me, for it will turn all manner of likeness that I am in, and that shall cause me that I shall not be known.
Then Sir Gringamore gave Sir Gareth a bay courser that was a passing good horse; also he gave
him good armour and sure, and a noble sword that sometime Sir Gringamores father won upon an heathen tyrant. And so thus every knight made him ready to that tournament.
And King Arthur was comen two days tofore the Assumption of our Lady. And there was all manner of royalty of all minstrelsy that might be found. Also there came Queen Guenever and the Queen of
Orkney, Sir Gareths mother. And upon the Assumption Day, when mass and matins were done, there
were heralds with trumpets commanded to blow to the field.
3
And so there came out Sir Epinogris, the kings son of Northumberland, from the castle, and
there encountered with him Sir Sagramore le Desirous, and either of them brake their spears to their
hands. And then came in Sir Palomides out of the castle, and there encountered with him Gawain, and
either of them smote other so hard that both the good knights and their horses fell to the earth. And
then knights of either party rescued their knights. And then came in Sir Safer and Sir Segwarides,
brethren to Sir Palomides; and there encountered Sir Agravain with Sir Safer and Sir Gaheris encountered with Sir Segwarides. So Sir Safer smote down Agravain, Sir Gawains brother; and Sir Segwarides,
Sir Safers brother, smote down sir Gaheris 2. And Sir Malgrin, a knight of the castle, encountered with
Sir Uwain le Blanchemains, and there Sir Uwain gave Sir Malgrin a fall, that he had almost broke his
neck.

Le roi Arthur se rend au tournoi avec ses chevaliers ;

ils sont reus avec tous les honneurs par la dame [Lionne].
Dbut du concours
1
Alors arriva le roi Arthur et sa suite, sire Gauvain et ses frres Agravain et Guerrehet ; ses neveux sire Yvain aux Blanches Mains, sire Agloval, sire Tor, sire Perceval le Gallois et sire Lamorat de
Galles.
Puis arrivrent sire Lancelot du Lac avec ses frres, neveux et cousins, tels que sire Lionel, sire
Ector des Marais, sire Bohort de Ganis, sire Galihodin, sire Galihud, et bien dautres membres de la parentle de sire Lancelot, ainsi que sire Dinadan, sire La Cotte Mal Taille (son frre), valeureux chevalier,
sire Sagremor, autre valeureux chevalier ; en somme, la plupart de ceux de la Table Ronde.
Faisaient aussi partie du train du roi Arthur : le roi dIrlande, le roi Aguisans, et le roi dcosse, le
roi Caradoc, et Urien, roi du pays de Gore, le roi Bademagu et son ls sire Mlagant, et sire Galehaut, le
noble prince. Tous ces rois, princes, comtes et barons, et dautres nobles chevaliers sire Bran de Lis,
sire Yvain le Btard, sire Keu, sire Bdoier, sire Mliot de Logres, sire Petitpas de Winchelsea, sire Godelake , tous furent sous ltendard du roi Arthur, et bien plus encore, dont la liste serait trop longue.

Caxton broder, J. Cowen brother, mais Winchester, folio 139v ligne 8 breerne.
2
Lacune ; jadopte la correction de P.J.C. Field I (2013), 272.32.
1

2
Laissons maintenant ces rois et chevaliers et parlons de la grande organisation mise en place
lintrieur du chteau et aux alentours lintention des deux camps. La matresse des lieux, dame Lionne, avait veill pour sa part la mise en place dune grande organisation destine ses vaillants chevaliers, prvoyant toutes sortes dhbergement et de victuailles arrives par voie de terre ou par voie
deau, rien ne faisant dfaut ni pour ceux de son camp ni pour lautre : le roi Arthur et les siens pouvaient tout se procurer profusion, prix dor ou dargent. Puis vinrent les fourriers du roi Arthur en
vue de son installation et de celle de ses rois, ducs, comtes, barons et chevaliers.
Sire Gahriet pria alors dame Lionne, le Chevalier Rouge des Landes Rouges, sire Persant et ses
frres, et sire Guigemar, de ne rvler son nom en aucune circonstance et de ne pas faire plus de cas de
lui que du premier chevalier venu, car, prcisa-t-il, je veux garder lincognito du dbut la n.
Dame Lionne sadressa alors sire Gahriet : Messire, je veux vous coner un anneau, mais je vous
prierais, sur lamour profond que vous me portez, de me le restituer une fois le tournoi termin car il rehausse ma
beaut : il a la proprit de donner au vert lapparence du rouge, au rouge lapparence du vert, au bleu lapparence
du blanc, au blanc lapparence du bleu, et de mme pour toutes les couleurs. Qui plus est, le porteur de cet anneau
ne saigne pas, et en signe damour, je vous donne cet anneau.
Dieu vous le rende ! dame qui rgnez sur mon cur, lui dit sire Gahriet : cet anneau est juste ce quil
me faut, car il modiera mon apparence et me rendra mconnaissable.
Puis sire Guigemar t prsent sire Gahriet dun coursier bai, excellente monture, dune solide
armure et dune pe de valeur, jadis gagne par le pre de sire Guigemar sur un tyran paen. Et cest
ainsi que chaque chevalier t ses prparatifs en vue du tournoi.
Le roi Arthur tait arriv deux jours avant la fte de lAssomption. Il y eut toutes sortes de magnicence et de rjouissances. Vinrent galement la reine Guenivre et la reine des Orcades, mre de
sire Gahriet. Et le jour de lAssomption, aprs la messe et les matines, les hrauts darmes reurent
lordre dannoncer son de trompe lentre en lice.
3
Alors sortit du chteau sire Espinogr, ls du roi de Northumberland, qui aronta sire Sagremor le Batailleur : les deux lances se rompent la hauteur des mains. Sortit son tour du chteau sire
Palamde, avec face lui Gauvain, et les adversaires y mirent une telle ardeur que les deux braves et
leurs montures mordirent la poussire ; des chevaliers de leurs camps respectifs vinrent dgager leur
champion. Puis entrrent en lice sire Saphar et sire Sgurade, frres de sire Palamde : sire Agravain fut
oppos sire Saphar, sire Guerrehet sire Sgurade ; sire Saphar abattit sire Agravain, frre de sire Gauvain, et sire Sgurade, frre de sire Saphar, abattit sire Guerrehet. Et sire Malagrin, un des chevaliers du
chteau, aronta sire Yvain aux Blanches Mains qui lui t faire une telle chute quil faillit en avoir la
nuque brise.

1 the harbingers from King Arthur for to harbour him

Famille darrire-ban, auberge, harnais, hberger, hraut.
Le sens port de mer ( partir d abri ) pour harbour est secondaire.
2 that ring increaseth my beauty much more than it is of himself renvoie beauty
3 who that beareth my ring shall lose no blood
Cf. volet 38 : Sir, said Merlin, look ye keep well the scabbard of Excalibur, for ye shall lose no
blood while ye have the scabbard upon you, though ye have as many wounds upon you as ye may
have.