Don Quixote — Chapter 106 in French
By Miguel de Cervantes
Le duc et la duchesse résolurent de donner suite au défi qu’avait porté Don Quichotte à leur vassal pour le motif précédemment rapporté ; et comme le jeune homme était en Flandre, où il s’était enfui plutôt que d’avoir Doña Rodriguez pour belle-mère, ils imaginèrent de mettre à sa place un laquais gascon, appelé Tosilos, en l’instruisant bien à l’avance de tout ce qu’il aurait à faire. The duke and duchess resolved that the challenge Don Quixote had, for the reason already mentioned, given their vassal, should be proceeded with; and as the young man was in Flanders, whither he had fled to escape having Dona Rodriguez for a mother-in-law, they arranged to substitute for him a Gascon lacquey, named Tosilos, first of all carefully instructing him in all he had to do. Au bout de deux jours, le duc dit à Don Quichotte que, dans quatre jours, son adversaire viendrait se présenter en champ clos, armé de toutes pièces, et soutenir que la demoiselle mentait par la moitié de sa barbe, et même par sa barbe entière, si elle persistait à prétendre qu’il lui eût donné parole de mariage. Two days later the duke told Don Quixote that in four days from that time his opponent would present himself on the field of battle armed as a knight, and would maintain that the damsel lied by half a beard, nay a whole beard, if she affirmed that he had given her a promise of marriage. Don Quichotte reçut ces nouvelles avec un plaisir infini, et, se promettant de faire merveille en cette affaire, il regarda comme un grand bonheur qu’il s’offrît une telle occasion de montrer aux seigneurs ses hôtes jusqu’où s’étendait la valeur de son bras formidable. Aussi attendait-il, plein de joie et de ravissement, la fin des quatre jours, qui semblaient, au gré de son désir, durer quatre cents siècles. Don Quixote was greatly pleased at the news, and promised himself to do wonders in the lists, and reckoned it rare good fortune that an opportunity should have offered for letting his noble hosts see what the might of his strong arm was capable of; and so in high spirits and satisfaction he awaited the expiration of the four days, which measured by his impatience seemed spinning themselves out into four hundred ages. Mais laissons-les passer, comme nous avons laissé passer bien d’autres choses, et revenons tenir compagnie à Sancho, qui, moitié joyeux, moitié triste, cheminait sur son âne, venant chercher son maître, dont il aimait mieux retrouver la compagnie que d’être gouverneur de toutes les îles du monde. Let us leave them to pass as we do other things, and go and bear Sancho company, as mounted on Dapple, half glad, half sad, he paced along on his road to join his master, in whose society he was happier than in being governor of all the islands in the world. Or, il arriva qu’avant de s’être beaucoup éloigné de l’île de son gouvernement, car jamais il ne se mit à vérifier si c’était une île, une ville, un bourg ou un village qu’il avait gouverné, il vit venir sur le chemin qu’il suivait six pèlerins avec leurs bourdons, de ces étrangers qui demandent l’aumône en chantant. Arrivés auprès de lui, ces pèlerins se rangèrent sur deux files, et se mirent à chanter en leur jargon ce que Sancho ne pouvait comprendre ; seulement il leur entendit prononcer distinctement le mot aumône, d’où il conclut que c’était l’aumône qu’ils demandaient en leurs chansons ; et comme, à ce que dit Cid Hamet, il était essentiellement charitable, il tira de son bissac le demi-pain et le demi-fromage dont il s’était pourvu, et leur en fit cadeau en leur disant par signes qu’il n’avait pas autre chose à leur donner. Well then, it so happened that before he had gone a great way from the island of his government (and whether it was island, city, town, or village that he governed he never troubled himself to inquire) he saw coming along the road he was travelling six pilgrims with staves, foreigners of that sort that beg for alms singing; who as they drew near arranged themselves in a line and lifting up their voices all together began to sing in their own language something that Sancho could not with the exception of one word which sounded plainly "alms," from which he gathered that it was alms they asked for in their song; and being, as Cide Hamete says, remarkably charitable, he took out of his alforias the half loaf and half cheese he had been provided with, and gave them to them, explaining to them by signs that he had nothing else to give them. Les étrangers reçurent cette charité de bien bon cœur, et ajoutèrent aussitôt : Guelt, guelt ! They received them very gladly, but exclaimed, "Geld! Geld!"
— Je n’entends pas ce que vous me demandez, braves gens, répondit Sancho. "I don't understand what you want of me, good people," said Sancho.
» Alors l’un d’eux tira une bourse de son sein et la montra à Sancho, pour lui faire entendre que c’était de l’argent qu’ils lui demandaient. On this one of them took a purse out of his bosom and showed it to Sancho, by which he comprehended they were asking for money, and putting his thumb to his throat and spreading his hand upwards he gave them to understand that he had not the sign of a coin about him, and urging Dapple forward he broke through them. Mais, au passage, l’un de ces étrangers l’ayant regardé avec attention, se jeta au-devant de lui, le prit dans ses bras par la ceinture, et s’écria d’une voix haute, en bon castillan : « Miséricorde ! But as he was passing, one of them who had been examining him very closely rushed towards him, and flinging his arms round him exclaimed in a loud voice and good Spanish, "God bless me! qu’est-ce que je vois là ? What's this I see? est-il possible que j’aie dans mes bras mon cher ami, mon bon voisin Sancho Panza ? Is it possible that I hold in my arms my dear friend, my good neighbour Sancho Panza? Oui, c’est bien lui, sans aucun doute, car je ne dors ni ne suis ivre à présent. But there's no doubt about it, for I'm not asleep, nor am I drunk just now."
» Sancho fut fort surpris de s’entendre appeler par son nom, et de se voir embrasser de la sorte par le pèlerin étranger. Il le regarda longtemps sans dire un mot, et fort attentivement, mais ne put venir à bout de le reconnaître. Sancho was surprised to hear himself called by his name and find himself embraced by a foreign pilgrim, and after regarding him steadily without speaking he was still unable to recognise him; but the pilgrim perceiving his perplexity cried, "What! Le pèlerin, voyant son embarras : « Comment est-ce possible, frère Sancho Panza, lui dit-il, que tu ne reconnaisses pas ton voisin Ricote le Morisque, mercier de ton village ? and is it possible, Sancho Panza, that thou dost not know thy neighbour Ricote, the Morisco shopkeeper of thy village?"