In the past two decades a number of translations have appeared in a variety of formats and series. Rhyming translations of all five romances have been produced by Ruth Harwood Cline (Georgia UP, 1975–2000), and a poetic rendering in three-stress, unrhymed verse by Burton Raffel is now complete (Yale UP, 1987–99). Prose translations of Chrétien’s Arthurian romances have appeared by D. D. R. Owen (Dent, 1987) and David Staines (Indiana UP, 1993). In French, new translations were produced to accompany the editions of Chrétien’s poems in the Pléiade edition, edited by Daniel Poirion (Paris, 1994), as well as in the ‘Lettres gothiques’ series, edited by Michel Zink, which, in addition to appearing individually, have been published collectively in the Pochothèque by Livre de Poche (Paris, 1994). Earlier French translations that appeared in Champion’s ‘Traductions des Classiques français du moyen âge’ series remain useful.

Our special thanks go in the first instance to Gary Kuris of Garland Publications, who always dreamed of reading these translations together in a single volume and who oversaw the negotiations that made this possible. Special encouragement was also given by Glyn S. Burgess of the University of Liverpool, whose timely intervention is most appreciated. We would also like to thank James Wilhelm, who first welcomed Chrétien into the GLML, Paul Keegan, who brought him to Penguin, and the many other colleagues, reviewers, and readers whose insightful comments and criticisms have guided us along the way. Research and released time was made possible by the University Research Institute of the University of Texas. The preparation of this volume was made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, an independent federal agency.

W.W.K./C.W.C.

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

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For a more complete list, consult Douglas Kelly, Chrétien de Troyes: An Analytic Bibliography, Research Bibliographies & Checklists, 17. London: Grant & Cuder, 1976, as well as the Bulletin Bibliographique de la Société Internationale Arthurienne – Bibliographical Bulletin of the International Arthurian Society (BBSIA), published annually since 1949.

EDITIONS OF CHRÉTIEN’S WORKS

Busby, Keith, ed. Chrétien de Troyes. Le Roman de Perceval, ou Le Conte du Graal. Tübingen: Max Niemeyer, 1993.

Carroll, Carleton W., ed. and trans. Chrétien de Troyes. Erec and Enide. Garland Library of Medieval Literature, 25A. New York & London: Garland, 1987.

Foerster, Wendelin, ed. Christian von Troyes. Sämtliche Werke, nach allen bekannten Handschriften, herausgegeben von Wendelin Foerster, 4 vols. Halle: Niemeyer, 1884–99.

Gregory, Stewart and Claude Luttrell, trans. Chrétien de Troyes, Cligés. Arthurian Studies, 28. Cambridge (England) and Rochester, NY: D. S. Brewer, 1993.

Hilka, Alfons, ed.