were parting from their daughter; they wept for no other reason. They knew full well that in the end they would be honoured as a result. At parting they wept greatly; weeping they commended one another to God. Then they left, delaying there no more.
Erec left his host, for he was extremely impatient to return to the court of the king. He rejoiced at his adventure and was delighted in it, for he had an extremely beautiful lady, wise and courtly and well-bred. He could notgaze at her enough; the more he looked at her, the more she pleased him. He could not keep from kissing her; eagerly he drew near to her. Looking at her restored and delighted him; he kept looking at her blonde hair, her laughing eyes and unclouded brow, her nose and face and mouth; and from this a great affection touched his heart. He admired everything, down to her hips: her chin and her white throat, her flanks and sides, her arms and hands.
But the damsel, for her part, looked at the knight no less than he looked at her, with favourable eye and loyal heart, in eager emulation. They would not have accepted a ransom to leave off looking at one another. They were very well and evenly matched in courtliness, in beauty, and in great nobility. They were so similar, of one character and of one essence, that no one wanting to speak truly could have chosen the better one or the more beautiful or the wiser. They were very equal in spirit and very well suited to one another. Each of them stole the otherâs heart; never were two such beautiful figures brought together by law or by marriage.
They rode together until, right at noon, they approached the castle of Cardigan, where they were both expected. In order to catch sight of them, the worthiest barons of the court had gone up to the windows. Queen Guinevere ran there and the king himself came, with Kay and Perceval the Welshman, 4 and then my lord Gawain, and Cor, the son of King Arés; Lucan, the wine-steward, was there; and there were many excellent knights. They watched Erec as he approached with his lady, whom he was escorting; they all clearly recognized him, as soon as he came into sight. The queen was overjoyed at this; the whole court was elated in anticipation of his arrival, for he was well loved by all.
As soon as Erec arrived in front of the hall the king came down to meet him, as did the queen; everyone invoked Godâs protection on him. They welcomed him and his maiden; they praised and made much of her great beauty. And the king himself, who always behaved very properly, took her and set her down from her palfrey. On that occasion he was very joyful and greatly honoured the maiden: he led her by the hand up into the great stone hall.
Then Erec and the queen went up together hand in hand, and he said to her: âMy lady, I bring you my maiden and my lady-love clad in poor garments; I bring her to you just as she was given to me. She is the daughter of a poor vavasour. Poverty abases many men: her father is noble and courtly, but he has no substantial wealth, and her mother is a very noble lady, for she has a rich count as her brother. Neither beauty nor lineagewould be cause for me to disdain marriage with this maiden. Poverty has made her wear this white dress so often that both sleeves are worn through at the elbows. And yet, if I had been willing, she would have had plenty of fine clothes, for a maiden, her cousin, wanted to give her an ermine dress, with silken fabric, trimmed with vair or miniver. But I was totally opposed to her being dressed in any other clothes until you had seen her. My sweet lady, now consider this; for, as you can see, she has need of a fine and fitting dress.â
And the queen answered him at once: âYou have acted very properly; it is right that she should have one of mine, and I shall immediately give her an elegant and beautiful, brand-new one.â
The queen promptly led her to her private chamber and at once had brought to her the new tunic and
Erec left his host, for he was extremely impatient to return to the court of the king. He rejoiced at his adventure and was delighted in it, for he had an extremely beautiful lady, wise and courtly and well-bred. He could notgaze at her enough; the more he looked at her, the more she pleased him. He could not keep from kissing her; eagerly he drew near to her. Looking at her restored and delighted him; he kept looking at her blonde hair, her laughing eyes and unclouded brow, her nose and face and mouth; and from this a great affection touched his heart. He admired everything, down to her hips: her chin and her white throat, her flanks and sides, her arms and hands.
But the damsel, for her part, looked at the knight no less than he looked at her, with favourable eye and loyal heart, in eager emulation. They would not have accepted a ransom to leave off looking at one another. They were very well and evenly matched in courtliness, in beauty, and in great nobility. They were so similar, of one character and of one essence, that no one wanting to speak truly could have chosen the better one or the more beautiful or the wiser. They were very equal in spirit and very well suited to one another. Each of them stole the otherâs heart; never were two such beautiful figures brought together by law or by marriage.
They rode together until, right at noon, they approached the castle of Cardigan, where they were both expected. In order to catch sight of them, the worthiest barons of the court had gone up to the windows. Queen Guinevere ran there and the king himself came, with Kay and Perceval the Welshman, 4 and then my lord Gawain, and Cor, the son of King Arés; Lucan, the wine-steward, was there; and there were many excellent knights. They watched Erec as he approached with his lady, whom he was escorting; they all clearly recognized him, as soon as he came into sight. The queen was overjoyed at this; the whole court was elated in anticipation of his arrival, for he was well loved by all.
As soon as Erec arrived in front of the hall the king came down to meet him, as did the queen; everyone invoked Godâs protection on him. They welcomed him and his maiden; they praised and made much of her great beauty. And the king himself, who always behaved very properly, took her and set her down from her palfrey. On that occasion he was very joyful and greatly honoured the maiden: he led her by the hand up into the great stone hall.
Then Erec and the queen went up together hand in hand, and he said to her: âMy lady, I bring you my maiden and my lady-love clad in poor garments; I bring her to you just as she was given to me. She is the daughter of a poor vavasour. Poverty abases many men: her father is noble and courtly, but he has no substantial wealth, and her mother is a very noble lady, for she has a rich count as her brother. Neither beauty nor lineagewould be cause for me to disdain marriage with this maiden. Poverty has made her wear this white dress so often that both sleeves are worn through at the elbows. And yet, if I had been willing, she would have had plenty of fine clothes, for a maiden, her cousin, wanted to give her an ermine dress, with silken fabric, trimmed with vair or miniver. But I was totally opposed to her being dressed in any other clothes until you had seen her. My sweet lady, now consider this; for, as you can see, she has need of a fine and fitting dress.â
And the queen answered him at once: âYou have acted very properly; it is right that she should have one of mine, and I shall immediately give her an elegant and beautiful, brand-new one.â
The queen promptly led her to her private chamber and at once had brought to her the new tunic and
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