Despite being considered one of the most fascinating romances of chivalry of the thirteenth century, little research has been carried out into the Middle Dutch Parthonopeus van Bloys. This is probably due to the fragmentary way in which it has been rendered. This study places the fragments of the Middle Dutch Parthonopeus against the Old French original, the Partonopeu de Blois, which has been completely preserved. The way in which the Middle Dutch poet translated the Old French novel reveals something about the social environment he was working for. The Middle Dutch adaptation probably came about around 1260 and was intended for the higher nobility in Brabant. The translation and adaptation technique also shows the vision of the Middle Dutch poet on the Old French source text. A literary analysis of the Old French and the Middle Dutch novel shows how the innovative Partonopeu de Blois was received in these parts.