“The Honeysuckle: Chevrefoil” is one of the fifteen Breton lais known to be written by Marie de France. It tells of an Arthurian knight, Tristan, and his love for a Celtic queen, Iseult. Their love is complicated by Iseult’s marriage to Tristan’s uncle, King Mark of Cornwall. As a young man in the service of his uncle, Tristan is asked to travel to Ireland to bring back Iseult, who is to be Mark’s queen.
On the journey back to Cornwall, Tristan and Iseult fall in love because of a love potion that they unwittingly drink. Iseult is married to Mark, but at night her serving maid takes her place; in that way she remains faithful to Tristan. However, rumors of Tristan’s love for the Queen reach Mark, who banishes him. This is the point at which Marie de France’s lai begins. Although “The Honeysuckle: Chevrefoil” was originally written as a Breton lai, the following selection is a Modern English prose translation.
What does it mean to be faithful to somebody you love?
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