e strife
until victory be definitely decided. If he is defeated, will Yvain be
justified in saying that he has been harmed and wronged by a man who
counts him among his friends, and who has never mentioned him but by the
name of friend or companion? Or, if it comes about perchance that Yvain
should hurt him in turn, or defeat him in any way, will Gawain have
the right to complain? Nay, for he will not know whose fault it is. In
ignorance of each other's identity, they both drew off and took their
distance. At this first shock, their lances break, though they were
stout, and made of ash. Not a word do they exchange, for if they had
stopped to converse their meeting would have been different. In that
case, no blow would have been dealt with lance or sword; they would have
kissed and embraced each other rather than sought each other's harm. For
now they attack each other with injurious intent. The condition of the
swords is not improved, nor that of the helmets and shields, which are
dented and split; and the edges of the swords are nicked and dulled. For
they strike each other violently, not with the fiat of the swords,
but with the edge, and they deal such blows with the pommels upon the
nose-guards and upon the neck, forehead and cheeks, that they are all
marked black and blue where the blood collects beneath the skin. And
their hauberks are so torn, and their shields so broken in pieces, that
neither one escaped without wounds. Their breath is almost exhausted
with the labour of the strife; they hammer away at each other so lustily
that every hyacinth and emerald set in their helmets is crushed and
smashed. For they give each other such a battering with their pommels
upon the helmets that they are quite stunned, as they almost beat out
each other's brains. The eyes in their heads gleam like sparks, as, with
stout square fists, and strong nerves, and hard bones, they strike each
other upon the mouth as long as they can grip their swords, which are of
great service to them in dealing their heavy blows.

(Vv. 6149-6228.) When they had for a long time strained themselves,
until the helmets were crushed, and the hauberks' meshes were torn
apart with the hammering of the swords, and the shields were split and
cracked, they drew apart a little to give their pulse a rest and to
catch their breath again. However, they do not long delay, but run at
each other again more fiercely than before. And all declare that they
never saw t