1  Comparing Psaki (1991) and Roche-Mahdi (2007)

Here, you can compare the previous verse translations of this passage by Regina Psaki and Sarah Roche-Mahdi. Florence Bouchet has also produced a complete translation of Le Roman de Silence into Modern French (Bouchet 2000), but her translation has not been included here because it is written in prose.

Notice the different translation choices that Psaki and Roche-Mahdi make. For example when Nature addresses Silence, the language of the text is ambiguous enough that each translator can choose different pronouns and gendered terms to refer to Silence (see especially vv. 2500-2501, 2539, & 2542-2546). Psaki elaborates on her and Roche-Mahdi’s translation styles in her article “Verse versus poetry: translating medieval narrative verse” (2007).

Line	Psaki (1991) Translation	Roche-Mahdi (2007) Translation
2439	When the child had learned enough	When the child was old enough
	to understand that he was a girl,	to understand he was a girl
	his father had a talk with him,	his father sat down to reason with him
	and told him the reason	and explain the circumstances
	they concealed and hid him.	which had led them to conceal his identity this way.
2444	“If King Ebain knew what	“If, dear son, King Evan knew
	we have done with you, dear son,	what we are doing with you,
	your portion of what we have on earth	your share of our earthly possessions
	would be very small indeed;	would be very small indeed.
	for the king, fair son, has disinherited	For the king, dear son, disinherited
2449	all the women in England,	all the women of England
	all because of a war	on account of the death of two counts
	between two counts who died	in battle they fought
	Because of two twins who lived then.	over twin heiresses they had married.
	Fair dear son, it is not for ourselves	Dear sweet precious son, we are not doing this
2454	that we do this; it is for you.	for ourselves, but for you.
	You now know the entire reason, son.	Now, son, you know the whole situation.
	As you hold our honor dear,	As you cherish honor,
	conceal yourself from everyone.”	you will continue to conceal yourself from everyone.”
	And the child answered sweetly	And he replied very sweetly,
2459	and quickly, like a good child:	briefly, as befits a well-bred child,
	“Do not fear anything at all,	“Don’t worry the least little bit.
	for if it please God I will indeed	So help me God, I will do it.
	conceal myself from everyone.”	I will conceal myself from everyone.”
	His father admonished him often,	The father gave him much good advice,
2464	and so did his mother,	as did the mother often,
	the seneschal, and the nurse.	and the seneschal and the nurse;
	Everyone urged him to do right.	they all urged him to be good.
	He possessed such understanding	He was receptive to their teaching
	that he believed their instruction fully.	and heeded their admonitions well.
2469	The seneschal, to improve the child	In order to build up his endurance
	and to teach him to ride,	and teach him to ride, the seneschal
	took him to the woods and streams,	took him through woods and streams,
	of which there were many in that country.	which were plentiful in the countryside.
	He took him most often out in the sun,	He took him out often in the scorching heat,
2474	to make him look more like a boy.	in order to make a man of him.
	The child was so used to masculine ways,	He was so used to men’s usage
	and had so refused the feminine,	and had so rejected women’s ways
	that he very nearly was a boy;	that little was lacking for him to be a man.
	what could be seen of him was entirely male.	Whatever one could see was certainly male!
2479	But he had other than masculine qualities in his makeup,	But there’s more to this than meets the eye —
	for he was, beneath his clothes, a girl.	the he’s a she beneath the clothes.
	In the early years the seneschal	The seneschal watched the child closely
	guarded him well, above all things.	during his early years,
	The more the child grew in size,	but the older he grew,
2484	the more his abilities improved.	the easier that seneschal’s task became.
	When one cannot commit folly,	When one could find no folly in him,
	why should anyone restrain him?	what was the use of restraining him?
	The fact that he feared to lose his birthright	What they thought would cause him to be unsteady
	made him stick even closer to wisdom.	only caused him to adhere more closely to discretion.
2489	His own heart taught him	His heart itself schooled him
	to avoid foolish behavior.	to eschew foolish behavior.
	Thus he had sufficient inclination,	Because of this, he was given a good deal of freedom.
	and by the time he was eleven,	And by the time was in his twelfth year,
	there was no one more adept than he:	none was his master any more.
2494	when they played at jousting,	When they practiced wrestling,
	at tilting, or at swords,	jousting or skirmishing,
	he alone made all his peers tremble.	he alone made all his peers tremble.
	Silence improved at these immensely,	Silence was deeply disturbed about this,
	for his heart taught him	for her conscience told her
2499	to do so for concealment’s sake.	that she was practicing deception by doing this.
	After twelve years, Nature came to him,	In her twelfth year, Nature appeared,
	talking with him and reproaching him sternly.	grumbling and complaining and blaming her.
	She told him, “Here is a strange thing,	She said to her, “This is a fine state of affairs,
	that you behave like a boy,	you conducting yourself like a man,
2504	going out in the wind and the sun,	running about in the wind and scorching sun
	when I had a special mold from which	when I used a special mold for you,
	I formed you with my own two hands.	when I created you with my own hands,
	And the beauty I saved up for so long	when I heaped all the beauty I had stored up
	I concentrated all in you.	upon you alone!
2509	A thousand people consider me stingy	There are a thousand people who think I’m stingy
	in beauty, of which you are full;	because of the beauty I stuffed you with,
	for I withheld beauty from a thousand others,	for I extracted the beauty of a thousand
	which I used to make you.	to create your lovely appearance!
	There are a thousand women in this life	And there are a thousand women in this world
2514	who will greatly desire you	who are madly in love with you
	for the beauty they will see in you,	because of the beauty they see in you —
	and because they will think to find in you	you don’t suppose they think something’s there
	something that is not there at all.	that was never part of your equipment at all?
	And one woman may be your good friend now,	There are those who love you now
2519	who would hate you with all her heart	who would hate you with all their hearts
	if she knew your real nature;	if they knew what you really are!
	for she would consider herself deceived	They would consider themselves misused,
	because her hope failed.	Having their hopes so cruelly dashed.
	Certainly you do me great wrong	It’s a very nasty thing you’re doing to me,
2524	when you follow such an upbringing.	leading this sort of life.
	You must not travel the woods,	You have no business going off into the forest,
	throw, or shoot, or hunt.	jousting, hunting, shooting off arrows.
	Get away from here!” said Nature.	Desist from all of this!” said Nature.
	“Stay in the side-chambers,	“Go to a chamber and learn to sew!
2529	for nature demands this!	That’s what Nature’s usage wants of you!
	You are not Silentius!”	You are not Silentius!”
	He answered, “I never heard such a thing!	and he replied, “I never hear that before!
	Silentius! Who am I then?	Not Silentius? Who am I then?
	My name is Silentius, I think,	Silentius is my name, I think,
2534	or I am someone else than I was.	or I am other than who I was.
	But this I know well, by my right hand,	But this I know well, upon my oath,
	that I cannot be any other!	that I cannot be anybody else!
	So I am Silentius,	Therefore, I am Silentius,
	it seems to me, or I am no one.”	As I see it, or I am no one.”
2539	He thought to himself	But then she convinced herself
	that Nature was speaking in sophistries;	that Nature’s spurious argument was plausible:
	because the -us was against natural law,	That because the -us was contrary to usage,
	his name was not Silentius.	her name was not Silentius.
	He wanted to stay in the chamber	She wanted to go and learn to sew,
2544	as Nature had entreated him to,	just as Nature demanded of her;
	because neither for a fief nor an inheritance	she should not cultivate such savage ways
	should he keep up such a barbarous usage.	for fief or inheritance.
	At this point Nurture arrived,	But then Nurture arrived on the scene
	and saw Silence speaking to Nature.	and saw that he was talking to Nature
2549	She asked him, “Whatever are you doing here?”	and said to him, “Hey! What are you doing here?”
	He answered, “Nature is quarreling with me.	He said, “Nature is scolding me,
	And in faith, it is not wrong	and she’s right, in fact,
	for her to show me and acquaint me with	to get me accustomed
	the usage that is lawful,	to appropriate habits,
2554	for this one is not natural.	for this behavior is unnatural.
	Truly, no woman of my lineage	Truly, no woman of my lineage
	ever led such a life as this,	ever behaved in such a way,
	nor will I lead it any longer:	nor wil[l] I do so any longer!
	I will adopt the behavior of a woman.	I will keep to women’s ways.
2559	I do not want to cut my hair short,	I won’t cut my hair short any more,
	disguise my clothing, wear breeches,	wear slit garments and breeches
	nor live like a boy any more,	And live like a boy
	hunting with bow and quiver.	with bow and quiver.
	It never happened to any woman,	Did anything like this ever happen to anyone?
2564	ever! And when I get dressed	Never! Now, when I get dressed,
	to withdraw from some game	and don’t participate
	such as boys often play,	in the kinds of games that boys are used to,
	then all my companions say,	all my companions jeer,
	‘This one will have a treacherous heart,	‘This one will be a terrible coward,
2569	if he lives long here and now.’	if he lives that long!’
	But they don’t know how it is with me.	But they don’t know how it is with me.
	If my garment opens by chance	Whenever I happen to get undressed,
	I’m afraid my sex will show.	I am afraid my sex will be discovered.
	I want to act differently now.	My idea of fun is very different.
2574	I used to frequent the court;	I have been spending my time at court,
	but all this I have put behind me,	but I will put all this behind me
	and will live in peace.	and live very quietly from now on.
	The Almighty Who gave me life	The good Lord who created me
	can take care of me and feed me:	will be my shepherd and my guide.
2579	for have I not heard it said	Haven’t I heard it said
	that He is of such great goodness	that in his great goodness
	that He gives to all His creatures	he dispenses of his bounty to each creature
	what their natures need?	according to its nature?
	Was ever a woman so tormented	Was any female ever so tormented
2584	and deceived by base treachery?	or deceived by such vile fraud
	To act out of greed	as to do what I did out of greed?
	I cannot tolerate in any way.”	I certainly never heard of one!”
	When Nurture heard this,	When Nurture heard this,
	do you think she was happy about it?	do you think she was overjoyed?
2589	Not at all! Indeed, she shuddered and raged.	Hardly! on the contrary, she quivered and scolded.
	She got angry with Nature	She was furious with Nature.
	and looked at her bitterly.	She looked her straight in the eye
	Then she told her very harshly,	and said most severely,
	“Curse you, Nature,	“Nature, leave my nursling alone,
2594	leave my nursling alone.	or I will put a curse on you!
	I have completely denatured her.	I have completely dis-natured her.
	She will never succumb to you.	She will always resist you.
	If you do not leave off these visits	If you don’t stop haunting her,
	you will be able to boast only	you’ll have small reason for vanity left,
2599	that through environment I can make	if I make a thousand people
	a thousand people work against nature.	work against their nature through nurture.
	All in all, I easily train	I have succeeded very well
	a noble child into a bad man.	in turning a noble child into a defective male.
	I will undo all your speech.	I will undo all your work.
2604	Nature, begone, and take the child’s shame away with you.”	Nature, begone in disgrace!”
	When Nature had gone away,	When Nature had gone away
	descending the rock where	and descended from the rock
	Nurture had so argued,	where Nurture had attacked her so,
	behold the struggle begun again	the battle for Silence began again,
2609	over Silence: for Reason	as you shall hear, for Reason
	showed her and told him why	stated her case, citing examples
	it would be very nearly death to him	as to why, if she abandoned her nurture
	to study and desire	to take up the habits of nature,
	to abandon his upbringing	it would be almost as bad
2614	in order to do as Nature wished:	as killing herself.
	“Believe my advice, friend Silence,	“Believe what I say, friend Silence,
	and embrace abstinence.	and forbear!
	Make your heart a fortress.	Fortify your heart,
	If Nature, who torments you now,	for if Nature, who is now pressing you so hard,
2619	takes you to her, in truth	takes it from you, believe me,
	You will never be a boy again.	you will never train for knighthood afterwards.
	You will lose both horse and cart.	You will lose your horse and chariot.
	Do not think that the king will give you	Do not think the king will go back on his word
	your fief for having lied,	and acknowledge you as rightful heir,
2624	if he perceives your true nature.”	when he finds out your true nature.”
	Reason stayed with him	Reason stayed with him for so long
	And admonished him until	and admonished him so severely
	Silence understood clearly	that Silence understood very well
	that he had believed foolish advice	he had listened to bad advice
2629	when he considered putting off	ever to think of doing away
	and denying his good old custom	with his good old ways
	to take up that of a woman.	to take up female habits.
	Then he began to remember	Then he began to consider
	the games people play in private,	the pastimes of a woman’s chamber —
2634	which he had often heard described,	which he had often heard about —
	and he weighed in his heart	and weighed in his heart of hearts
	the woman’s role against his own,	all female customs against his current way of life,
	and saw that a man’s life is better	and saw, in short, that a man’s life
	than a woman’s, all things considered.	was much better than that of a woman.
2639	“Truly,” he said, “in an evil hour	“Indeed,” he said, “it would be too bad
	will I go underneath, when I am on top.	to step down when I’m on top.
	I am on top now, and I would have to go beneath.	If I’m on top, why should I step down?
	Now I am most valorous and strong,	Now I am honored and valiant.
	but I wouldn’t be any longer; rather, in faith,	No I’m not, upon my word — I’m a disgrace
2644	I’d be shamed if I wanted to be like the women.	if I want to be one of the women.
	I thought of it for my own pleasure.	I was trying to make life easy for myself,
	I have a mouth too hard for kissing,	but I have a mouth too hard for kisses,
	and arms too rough for embracing.	and arms too rough for embraces.
	I would quickly be beaten	One could easily make a fool of me
2649	at the game people play under the covers,	in any game played under the covers,
	for I am a boy, and not a girl at all.	for I’m a young man, not a girl.
	I don’t want to lose my great honor,	I don’t want to lose my high position;
	nor exchange it for a lesser one.	I don’t want to exchange it for a lesser,
	I don’t want to give the lie to my father;	and I don’t want to prove my father a liar.
2654	may God let me suffer death sooner.	I would rather have God strike me dead!
	No matter what Nature can do	Whatever Nature may do,
	I will not reveal my secret.”	I will never betray the secret!”
	This is the truth, according to the story	If what the story that keeps alive
	which preserves the memory of Silence,	the memory of Silence tell us
2659	for never was there such self-control	is true, you never heard of such forbearance
	as you may hear about Silence.	as was to be found in Silence.
	I won’t say that he didn’t think	I’m not saying that he didn’t
	variously about his dilemma, that conflicting	go through periods of hesitation
	reflections didn’t war within him,	and inner conflict,
2664	as one of such birth might have,	as might be expected in a young person who came of such good stock,
	or as someone who must observe	but who was also a tender child
	such a custom might incline to.	who had to force herself to live that way.
	The heart is a marvelous creature,	And the human heart is a creature
	with a very strange nature:	that has a strange and peculiar nature:
2669	for it thinks very diversely, in truth,	it thinks a great deal,
	turning and returning often	turns the deep thoughts it harbors
	to the various thoughts it considers,	over and over again, far too often,
	because of which it often grieves.	and causes itself a great deal of grief.
	And so I say of Silence,	And that is why I say that Silence
2674	whose restraint was so great,	showed such great forbearance,
	that his thoughts tormented him,	for his thoughts tormented him,
	and he felt it and suffered from it.	and he felt this and suffered from it.
	Every day he had to do the opposite	He was always ready to go against
	of what his heart wanted to do;	what his heart wanted him to do,
2679	and he who works contrary	and whoever works against his will
	to his own will must often grieve.	finds himself often in a state of unhappiness.
	Silence’s heart was divided.	Silence’s heart was divided against itself.
	This was his twelfth winter:	It was the twelfth winter;
	the twelfth year had arrived	The twelfth year had begun
2684	since he was first engendered.	since he first came into being.
	He was stern, and fair, and valiant,	The winter was cruel; he was lovely and noble,
	generous, courtly, loved by everyone.	generous, courteous, beloved by everyone.
	Two or three days he lived with his father,	He would spend two or three days with his father
	When he wished, and with his mother.	whenever he wishes, or with his mother.