... me atreuire expondre, no solament d’lengua Anglesa en Portoguesa, mas encara de Portoguesa en vulgar valenciana: perço que la nacio don yo so natural sen puxa alegrar e molt ajudar per los tants e tan insignes actes com hi son.[13]
[13] I shall undertake to translate, not only from the English language into Portuguese, but also from the Portuguese into the Valencian vernacular: in order that the country of which I am a native may enjoy and be highly benefited by the many very remarkable acts that are described therein.
He asks the prince to accept the book as from a devoted servant, and begs him to overlook with indulgence the errors that may be found therein, for in some passages it was impossible to give a good translation of the English words. The letter closes as follows:
E perque en la present obra altri no puxa esser increpat si defalliment algu trobat hi sera; yo Johanot martorell caualler sols vull portar lo carrech e no altri ab mi: com per mi sols sia stada ventilada a servey del molt illustre Princep e senyor rey spectant don ferrando de portogal: la present obra e començada a .ii. d’giner de lany .Mcccclx.[14]
[14] And in order that no other person may be blamed for any faults that may be contained in this work, I, Johanot Martorell, Knight, wish to accomplish this task alone and with the aid of no one else: in order that it may be performed by me alone in the service of the most illustrious Prince and Lord, expectant of the royal crown, Don Ferdinand of Portugal. This work is begun on the second day of January, 1460.
The principal part of the note that is found at the conclusion of the book reads as follows:
Aci feneix lo libre del valeros e strenu caualler Tirant lo blanch, Princep e Cesar del Imperi grech de Contestinoble, lo qual fon traduit de Angles en lengua portoguesa, e apres en vulgar lengua valenciana per lo magnifich e virtuos caualler mossen johanot martorell, lo qual per mort sua non pogue acabar de traduir sino les tres parts. La quarta part que es la fi del libre, es stada traduida a pregaries de la noble senyora dona Ysabel de loriç per lo magnifich caualler Mossen Marti johan d’galba: e si defalt hi sera trobat vol sia atribuit a la sua ignorancia.[15]
[15] Thus ends the book of the valorous and brave knight, Tirant lo Blanch, Prince and Caesar of the Grecian Empire of Constantinople, which was translated from English into the Portuguese language, and afterwards into the Valencian vernacular by the illustrious and excellent knight, Sir Johanot Martorell, who by reason of his death was not able to translate more than the three parts. The fourth part, which is the end of the book, has been translated at the request of the noble lady, Dona Isabel de Loriç by the illustrious knight, Sir Marti Johan d’Galba: and if there are any defects in it, may they be attributed to his ignorance.
Then is appended the colophon: