Here is the translation of the Roman de Tristan et Iseult of 1900 by Joseph Bedier. Here is the twelfth part: The Judgment by the Red Iron.
The Judgment by the Red Iron
Soon Denoalen, Andret and Gondoïne believed themselves to be safe: doubtless, Tristan was dragging his life beyond the sea, in a country too far away to reach them. So, one day of hunting, as the king, listening to the barks of his pack, held his horse in the middle of a field, all three rode towards him:
« Roi, entends notre parole. Tu avais condamné la reine sans jugement, et c’était forfaire ; aujourd’hui tu l’absous sans jugement : n’est-ce pas forfaire encore ? Jamais elle ne s’est justifiée, et les barons de ton pays vous en blâment tous deux. Conseille-lui plutôt de réclamer elle-même le jugement de Dieu. Que lui en coûtera-t-il, innocente, de jurer sur les ossements des saints qu’elle n’a jamais failli ? innocente, de saisir un fer rougi au feu ? Ainsi le veut la coutume, et par cette facile épreuve seront à jamais dissipés les soupçons anciens. »
Mark, irritated, replied:
“May God destroy you, Cornish lords, you who tirelessly seek my shame! For you I chased my nephew; what else do you want? that I hunt the queen in Ireland ? What are your new grievances? Against old grievances, hasn't Tristan offered to defend her? To justify it, he presented the battle to you and you all heard it: why didn't you take your crowns and lances against him? Lords, you required me beyond the law; therefore fear that the man for you hunted, I recall it here! »
Then the cowards trembled; they thought they saw Tristan come back, their bodies bleeding white.
“Sire, we gave you loyal advice, for your honor, as befits your faults; but we will be silent from now on. Forget your wrath, give us your peace! "
But Marc stood up on his pommels:
“Out of my land, let's felons! You will no longer have my peace. For you I chased away Tristan; in your turn, out of my land!
- Very well, handsome sire! our castles are strong, well closed with stakes, on rocks that are hard to climb! "
And, without greeting him, they turned around.
Without waiting for sleuths or huntsmen, Marc pushed his horse towards Tintagel, climbed the steps of the hall, and the queen heard her hurried footsteps echoing on the flagstones.
Elle se leva, vint à sa rencontre, lui prit son épée, comme elle avait coutume, et s’inclina jusqu’à ses pieds. Marc la retint par les mains et la relevait, quand Iseut, haussant vers lui son regard, vit ses nobles traits tourmentés par la colère : tel il lui était apparu jadis, forcené, devant le bûcher.
“Ah! she thought, my friend is discovered, the king has taken him! "
Her heart grew cold in her bosom, and without a word, she fell at the feet of the king. He took her in his arms and kissed her gently; little by little, she came back to life:
"Friend, friend, what is your torment?
- Sire, I'm afraid: I saw you so angry!
- Yes, I came back irritated from this hunt.
- Ah! Lord, if your huntsmen have married you, does it suit you to take hunting annoyances to heart? "
Marc smiles at this:
“No, friend, my huntsmen did not irritate me; but three felons, who have hated us for a long time; you know them, Andret, Denoalen and Gondoïne: I have driven them from my land.
- Sire, what harm have they dared to say about me?
- What do you care? I chased them away.
— Sire, chacun a le droit de dire sa pensée. Mais j’ai le droit aussi de connaître le blâme jeté sur moi. Et de qui l’apprendrais-je, sinon de vous ? Seule en ce pays étranger, je n’ai personne, hormis vous, sire, pour me défendre.
- That is. They therefore claimed that it is appropriate for you to justify yourself by the oath and by the test of the hot iron. “Shouldn't the queen herself seek this judgment?” They said. These trials are light for those who know they are innocent. What would it cost him?… God is true judge; he would forever dispel old grievances… ”That's what they claimed. But let's leave those things. I chased them away, I tell you. "
Iseut shuddered; she looked at the king:
“Sire, ask them to come back to your court. I will justify myself by oath.
- When ?
- On the tenth day.
- This term is very close, friend.
— Il n’est que trop lointain. Mais je requiers que d’ici là vous mandiez au roi Artur de chevaucher avec Monseigneur Gauvain, avec Girflet, Ké le sénéchal et cent de ses chevaliers jusqu’à la marche de votre terre, à la Blanche-Lande, sur la rive du fleuve qui sépare vos royaumes. C’est là, devant eux, que je veux faire le serment, et non devant vos seuls barons : car, à peine aurais-je juré, vos barons vous requerraient encore de m’imposer nouvelle épreuve, et jamais nos tourments ne finiraient. Mais ils n’oseront plus, si Artur et ses chevaliers sont les garants du jugement. »
While the heralds, messengers of Mark to King Artur, hastened towards Carduel, Iseut secretly sent his servant, Perinis the Blond, the Faithful, to Tristan.
Perinis ran under the woods, avoiding the cleared paths, as long as he reached the hut of Orri the forester, where, for long days, Tristan had been waiting for him. Perinis reported to him the things that had happened, the new felony, the end of the judgment, the hour and the place marked:
"Sire, my lady will let you know that on the appointed day, in a pilgrim's robe, so skillfully disguised that no one can recognize you, without arms, you are at Blanche-Lande: he needs, to reach instead of judgment , cross the river in a boat; on the opposite bank, where the knights of King Artur will be, you will wait for him. No doubt then you will be able to help him. My lady dreads the day of judgment: yet she trusts in the courtesy of God, who already knew how to tear her from the hands of lepers.
- Go back to the queen, beautiful sweet friend Perinis: tell her that I will do her will. "
Or, seigneurs, quand Perinis s’en retourna vers Tintagel, il advint qu’il aperçut dans un fourré le même forestier qui, naguère, ayant surpris les amants endormis, les avait dénoncés au roi. Un jour qu’il était ivre, il s’était vanté de sa traîtrise. L’homme, ayant creusé dans la terre un trou profond, le recouvrait habilement de branchages, pour y prendre loups et sangliers. Il vit s’élancer sur lui le valet de la reine et voulut fuir. Mais Perinis l’accula sur le bord du piège :
"Spy who sold the queen, why are you running away?" Stay there, near your grave, which you yourself took care of digging! "
His staff whirled in the air, buzzing. The staff and the skull shattered at the same time, and Perinis the Blond, the Faithful, kicked the body into the grave covered with branches.
On the day appointed for judgment, King Mark, Iseult and the barons of Cornwall, ayant chevauché jusqu’à la Blanche-Lande, parvinrent en bel arroi devant le fleuve, et, massés au long de l’autre rive, les chevaliers d’Artur les saluèrent de leurs bannières brillantes.
In front of them, seated on the bank, a miserable pilgrim, wrapped in his cope, from which hung shells, held out his wooden bowl and begged alms in a shrill and sad voice.
By dint of oars, the Cornish boats were approaching. When they were close to landing, Iseut asked the knights around him:
"Lords, how can I reach the mainland without soiling my long clothes in this mire?" A smuggler would have to come and help me. "
One of the knights hailed the pilgrim:
“Friend, roll up your cope, go down into the water and carry the queen, if you don't fear, broken as I see you, to bend halfway. "
The man took the queen in his arms. She whispered to him: “Friend! »Then, whispered again:« Let yourself fall on the sand. "
When he reached the shore, he stumbled and fell, holding the queen in his arms. Squires and mariners, seizing the oars and the gaffs, chased the poor fellow.
"Leave him," said the queen; no doubt a long pilgrimage had weakened him. "
And untangling a fine gold clasp, she threw it to the pilgrim.
In front of the pavilion of Artur, a rich cloth of Nicene silk was stretched out on the green grass, and the relics of the saints, withdrawn from the cases and the reliquaries, were already arranged there. Monsignor Gauvain, Girflet and Ke the Seneschal guarded them.
The queen, having entreated God, withdrew the jewels from her neck and from her hands and gave them to the poor beggars; she untied her purple cloak and her fine wimple, and gave them; she gave her chain and her bliaut and her jeweled shoes. She only kept a sleeveless tunic on her body, and, with bare arms and feet, advanced before the two kings. All around, the barons gazed at her in silence, and wept. Near the relics burned an inferno. Trembling, she stretched out her right hand towards the bones of the saints, and said:
« Roi de Logres et roi de Cornouailles, sire Gauvain, sire Ké, sire Girflet, et vous tous qui serez mes garants, par ces corps saints et par tous les corps saints qui sont en ce monde, je jure que jamais un homme né de femme ne m’a tenue entre ses bras, hormis le roi Marc, mon seigneur, et le pauvre pèlerin qui, tout à l’heure, s’est laissé choir à vos yeux. Roi Marc, ce serment convient-il ?
- Yes, queen, and may God manifest his true judgment!
- Amen! Said Iseut.
She approached the blaze, pale and tottering. All were silent; the iron was red. Then she plunged her bare arms into the embers, seized the iron bar, walked nine paces, carrying it, then having rejected it, stretched out her arms outstretched, palms open. And each saw that his flesh was healthier than plum plum.
Then from all the breasts a great cry of praise rose to God.
