Cliges

Ruth Harwood Chretien de Troyes

Publication Year: 2000

<DIV>In this verse translation of <i>Cligès</i>, written by Chrétien de Troyes circa 1176, Ruth Harwood Cline not only preserves the artistry of the original work but also captures the wit, irony, and striking emotional power of Chrétien's stylistic genius and highly structured form.<p>The romance begins with the marriage of Cligès's parents and continues with the clandestine, mutual love of their son and his uncle's bride, Fenice. Cligès and Fenice are finally united after executing a false-death plot aided by black magic.<p>With a thoroughness and clarity that will appeal to students and scholars of medieval literature, Cline's accessible translation effectively conveys the sparkle, pace, and intricate wordplay of Chrétien's love monologues, classic themes, and complex poetic devices. In addition, her introduction sheds new light on the transmission of British history and legend to the French court of Champagne. With themes that echo from the Tristan legend to <i>Romeo and Juliet</i>, <i>Cligès</i> is an exciting romance about young lovers who escape from an arranged match and find true love in marriage.</DIV>

Published by: University of Georgia Press

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Chr�tien de Troyes was not well known to English readers when I began to translate Yvain; or, The Knight with the Lion in 1969.1 was one of a group of native English speakers who had majored in French language and literature and progressed to Old French in graduate school. Chretien was highly esteemed in that circle, but it was not a large one. As a Smith...

INTRODUCTION

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pp. ix-xxvii

Chr�tien de Troyes created the Arthurian romance as a literary genre in the latter part of the twelfth century. He was the first to write long love stories in Old French verse about King Arthur and his knights. Clig�s follows Erec and Enide and was probably written around 1176. These two romances are among Chr�tien's earliest works. Although they are not...