Version 1

Notes de lecture
151

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

BOOK VII
CHAPTER 32. How Sir Gareth fought with a knight that held within his castle
thirty ladies, and how he slew him
1
So when they saw that they might not overcome him, they rode from him, and took their counsel to slay his horse; and so they came in upon Sir Gareth, and with spears they slew his horse, and then
they assailed him hard. But when he was on foot, there was none that he raught but he gave him such a
buet that he did never recover. So he slew them by one and one till they were but four, and there they
ed; and Sir Gareth took a good horse that was one of theirs, and rode his way. Then he rode a great
pace till that he came to a castle, and there he heard much mourning of ladies and gentlewomen. So
there came by him a page.
What noise is this, said Sir Gareth, that I hear within this castle?
Sir knight, said the page, here be within this castle thirty ladies, and all they be widows; for here is a
knight that waiteth daily upon this castle, and his name is the Brown Knight without Pity, and he is the periloust
knight that now liveth; and therefore sir, said the page, I rede you ee.
Nay, said Sir Gareth, I will not ee though thou be afeard of him.
And then the page saw where came the Brown Knight. Lo, said the page, yonder he cometh.
Let me deal with him, said Sir Gareth.
And when either of other had a sight they let their horses run, and the Brown Knight brake his
spear, and Sir Gareth smote him throughout the body, that he overthrew him to the ground stark dead.
So Sir Gareth rode into the castle, and prayed the ladies that he might repose him.
Alas, said the ladies, ye may not be lodged here.
Make him good cheer, said the page, for this knight hath slain your enemy.
Then they all made him good cheer as lay in their power. But wit ye well they made him good
cheer, for they might none otherwise do, for they were but poor.
2
And so on the morn he went to mass, and there he saw the thirty ladies kneel, and lay grovelling
upon divers tombs, making great dole and sorrow. Then Sir Gareth wist well that in the tombs lay their
lords.

Fair ladies, said Sir Gareth, ye must at the next feast of Pentecost be at the court of King Arthur, and
say that I, Sir Gareth, sent you thither.
We shall do this, said the ladies.
So he departed, and by fortune he came to a mountain, and there he found a goodly knight that
bad him, Abide sir knight, and joust with me.
What are ye? said Sir Gareth.
My name is, said he, the Duke de la Rowse.
Ah sir, ye are the same knight that I lodged once in your castle; and there I made promise unto your lady
that I should yield me unto you.
Ah, said the duke, art thou that proud knight that proerest to ght with my knights? Therefore make
thee ready, for I will have ado with you.
So they let their horses run, and there Sir Gareth smote the duke down from his horse. But the
duke lightly avoided his horse, and dressed his shield and drew his sword, and bad Sir Gareth alight and
ght with him. So he did alight, and they did great battle together more than an hour, and either hurt
other full sore. At the last Sir Gareth gat the duke to the earth, and would have slain him, and then he
yielded him to him.
Then must ye go, said Sir Gareth, unto Sir Arthur my lord at the next feast, and say that I, Sir Gareth of
Orkney, sent you unto him.
It shall be done, said the duke, and I will do to you homage and fealty with an hundred knights with me;
and all the days of my life to do you service where ye will command me.

Sire Gahriet aronte un chevalier qui retenait trente dames

dans son chteau et le tue
1
Constatant leur incapacit le vaincre, ils se mirent lcart pour tenir un conciliabule, o ils
dcidrent de tuer son cheval ; sur ce, ils attaqurent sire Gahriet, turent son cheval coups de lances, puis livrrent un assaut contre lui. Mais mme rduit ltat de piton, il ny avait aucun adversaire auquel il portt un coup et qui pt sen remettre. Il les tua donc lun aprs lautre jusqu ce quils ne
fussent plus que quatre, et ceux-l trouvrent leur salut dans a fuite ; sire Gahriet choisit alors une
bonne monture [parmi les chevaux rests sans matres] et se remit en route. Aprs avoir chevauch vive
allure, il parvint un chteau et l entendit les gmissements de dames et de leurs suivantes. ce
moment survint un page.
Quel est donc ce bruit, demanda sire Gahriet, qui me parvient du chteau ?
Messire chevalier, expliqua le page, dans ce chteau se trouvent trente dames, toutes veuves ; car il y a
un chevalier qui exerce sur ce chteau une surveillance quotidienne : il sappelle le chevalier Brhus sans Piti et
cest le chevalier le plus redoutable de notre poque. Par consquent, messire, conclut le page, je vous conseille de
prendre le large.
Non, arma sire Gahriet, il nest pas question que je prenne le large, mme si toi tu as peur de lui.
Le page, apercevant le chevalier Brhus qui venait dans leur direction, dit alors : Tenez, le voici
qui arrive.
Laisse-moi men occuper, lui lana sire Gahriet.
Aprs avoir enregistr la prsence lun de lautre, les cavaliers piqurent des deux, le chevalier
Brhus rompit sa lance tandis que sire Gahriet lui transperait le corps, le projetant mort bas de son
cheval. Sire Gahriet pntra alors dans le chteau et pria les dames de lui permettre de prendre du repos.
Hlas ! dplorrent les dames, il est impossible de vous hberger ici.
Rservez-lui un bon accueil, intervint le page, car ce chevalier a tu votre ennemi.
Ds lors, toutes lui rservrent un bon accueil, autant que cela leur tait possible. Mais sachez
surtout quelles lui rent bon visage et gure plus, car elles taient dans le dnuement.
2
Le lendemain matin, donc, il entendit la messe et vit les trente dames sagenouiller et se prosterner sur des tombes, sabandonnant la douleur et au chagrin. Sire Gahriet comprit alors que dans

les tombes se trouvaient les dpouilles de leurs seigneurs.

Chres dames, leur dit sire Gahriet, il faut qu la prochaine fte de la Pentecte vous soyez prsentes
la cour du roi Arthur pour y annoncer que cest moi, sire Gahriet, qui vous y envoie.
Nous ny manquerons pas, rpondirent les dames.
Il partit donc et le sort en dcida ainsi atteignit une montagne o il rencontra un chevalier
courtois qui lui intima : Arrtez, messire chevalier, et joutez avec moi.
Qui tes-vous ? demanda sire Gahriet.
Et lautre de rpondre : Je mappelle le duc de la Rose.
Ah ! messire, vous tes donc le chevalier dans le chteau duquel jai t accueilli une fois et jy ai promis
votre dame de me constituer votre prisonnier.
Vraiment ? se rcria le duc, est-ce toi le chevalier qui a la hardiesse de lancer un d mes chevaliers ?
Dans ce cas, tiens-toi prt car je veux me battre contre toi.
Ils lancrent alors leurs chevaux et sire Gahriet dsaronna le duc, mais ce dernier se dgagea
sans tarder de sa monture, ajusta son bouclier et dgaina son pe, et dit sire Gahriet de mettre pied
terre et de venir se battre ce quil t, et leur arontement violent dura plus dune heure, chacun
des combattants inigeant lautre de nombreuses blessures. Pour nir, sire Gahriet cloua le duc au
sol et se mit en devoir de le tuer, mais le vaincu se rendit.
Dans ce cas, dicta sire Gahriet, il faut vous prsenter mon seigneur messire Arthur lors de la prochaine fte et lui indiquer que cest moi, sire Gahriet des Orcades, qui vous adresse lui.
Je ny manquerai pas, rpondit le duc, et je vous ferai hommage et allgeance, tout comme mes cent
chevaliers, votre service ma vie durant, prt rpondre vos ordres.

1 there was none that he raught

to reach

Vieil-anglais (ge)rcan [(e)ran], prt. rhte ; allemand reichen, nerlandais reiken

Raught est probablement analogique de caught, etc.
Antony and Cleopatra : The hand of death hath raught him (Domitius Enobarbus [s, ris
airain, bronze, cuivre ; barbe rousse ]
2 the Brown Knight Without Pity = Brhus sans Piti

The Arthurian Name Dictionary

Christopher W. Bruce

Dante Gabriel Rossetti,

The Death of Breuze Sans Piti (aquarelle)


stark dead ? mais cela nempche nullement le personnage de rapparatre dans
dautres pisodes [cf. volet 110, Il est des morts quil faut quon tue] sous dautres noms il
nen manque pas (avec variantes graphiques), et comme il fallait choisir pour la traduction, jai prfr Brhus sans Piti (ds le volet 175).
3 art thou that proud knight that proerest to ght with my knights?
Alors que le franais a conserv profrer (hrit du latin), peu attest en moyenanglais avant de sortir de lusage, langlais a toujours to proer, issu de lancien-franais
porofrir (do profrir, et profrer dans les Contes moraliss de Nicole Bozon) : Por ses pechiez Deu
porofrit le guant (Roland). Le sens de provoquer, der ressort bien dans rec et nide :
Li autres nel pot plus sofrir Quant il si lo porofrir De la bataille a tel vertu Lautre ne peut plus
supporter dentendre rec le provoquer au combat avec une telle audace.