elease your sons
and should come and make amends for the insulting words he has spoken
to you, then I would commend you to God and go about my business." Then
they go to get his horse, and hand over to him his arms, striving so
expeditiously that they soon have him quite equipped. They delayed as
little as they could in arming him. When his equipment was complete,
there remained nothing but to lower the bridge and let him go. They
lowered it for him, and he went out. But the lion would by no means
stay behind. All those who were left behind commended the knight to
the Saviour, for they fear exceedingly lest their devilish enemy, who
already had slain so many good men on the same field before their eyes,
would do the same with him. So they pray God to defend him from death,
and return him to them safe and sound, and that He may give him strength
to slay the giant. Each one softly prays to God in accordance with his
wish. And the giant fiercely came at him, and with threatening words
thus spake to him: "By my eyes, the man who sent thee here surely had
no love for thee! No better way could he have taken to avenge himself on
thee. He has chosen well his vengeance for whatever wrong thou hast done
to him." But the other, fearing naught, replies: "Thou treatest of what
matters not. Now do thy best, and I'll do mine. Idle parley wearies me."
Thereupon my lord Yvain, who was anxious to depart, rides at him. He
goes to strike him on the breast, which was protected by a bear's skin,
and the giant runs at him with his stake raised in air. My lord Yvain
deals him such a blow upon the chest that he thrusts through the skin
and wets the tip of his lance in his body's blood by way of sauce. And
the giant belabours him with the stake, and makes him bend beneath the
blows. My lord Yvain then draws the sword with which he knew how to
deal fierce blows. He found the giant unprotected, for he trusted in his
strength so much that he disdained to arm himself. And he who had drawn
his blade gave him such a slash with the cutting edge, and not with the
flat side, that he cut from his cheek a slice fit to roast. Then the
other in turn gave him such a blow with the stake that it made him sing
in a heap upon his horse's neck. Thereupon the lion bristles up, ready
to lend his master aid, and leaps up in his anger and strength, and
strikes and tears like so much bark the heavy bearskin the giant wore,
and he tore away beneath the skin a large piece