Here is the translation of the Roman de Tristan et Iseult of 1900 by Joseph Bedier. Here is the thirteenth part: The Voice of the Nightingale.
The Voice of the Nightingale
When Tristan, having returned to the hut of the forester Orri, had thrown away his staff and stripped off his pilgrim's cope, he knew clearly in his heart that the day had come to hold sworn faith in King Mark and to depart from the land of Cornwall.
Que tardait-il encore ? La reine s’était justifiée, le roi la chérissait, il l’honorait. Artur au besoin la prendrait en sa sauvegarde, et, désormais, nulle félonie ne prévaudrait contre elle. Pourquoi plus longtemps rôder aux alentours de Tintagel ? Il risquait vainement sa vie, et la vie du forestier, et le repos d’Iseut. Certes, il fallait partir, et c’est pour la dernière fois, sous sa robe de pèlerin, à la Blanche-Lande, qu’il avait senti le beau corps d’Iseut frémir entre ses bras.
Three more days he delayed, not being able to detach himself from the country where the queen lived. But when the fourth day came, he took leave of the forester who had lodged him and said to Gorvenal:
“Handsome master, here is the hour of the long departure: we will go to the land of Wales. "
They set out on the track, sadly, in the night. But their road skirted the orchard enclosed by stakes where Tristan, once, awaited his friend. The night shone crystal clear. At the bend in the path, not far from the fence, he saw the sturdy trunk of the great pine stand up in the light of the sky.
“Handsome master, wait under the next wood; soon I will be back.
- Where are you going ? Crazy, do you want to seek death without respite? "
Mais déjà, d’un bond assuré, Tristan avait franchi la palissade de pieux. Il vint sous le grand pin, près du perron de marbre clair. Que servirait maintenant de jeter à la fontaine des copeaux bien taillés ? Iseut ne viendrait plus ! À pas souples et prudents, par le sentier qu’autrefois suivait la reine, il osa s’approcher du château.
In his room, between the arms of sleeping Marc, Iseut kept watch. Suddenly, through the half-open window where the rays of the moon were playing, entered the voice of a nightingale.
Iseut listened to the sonorous voice which came to enchant the night; she rose up plaintively and such that there is no cruel heart, no murderous heart that she would not have touched. The queen thought: "Where does this melody come from? ..." Suddenly she understood: "Ah! it's Tristan! So in the Morois forest he imitated songbirds to charm me. He leaves, and here is his last farewell. How he complains! Like the nightingale when he takes his leave at the end of summer, with great sadness. Friend, I will never hear your voice again! "
The melody vibrated more fiery.
“Ah! what do you demand I come ! No, remember Ogrin the hermit, and the sworn oaths. Shut up, death is watching us… What does death matter! you call me, you want me, I'm coming! "
She untied herself from the king's arms, and threw a gray-lined cloak over her almost naked body. He had to cross the adjoining room, where every night ten knights took turns watching; while five were asleep, the five others, in arms, standing in front of the windows and window frames, watched outside. But, by chance, they had all fallen asleep, five on beds, five on the flagstones. Iseut crossed their scattered bodies, raised the bar of the door: the ring rang, but without awakening any of the watchers. She crossed the threshold, and the singer fell silent.
Sous les arbres, sans une parole, il la pressa contre sa poitrine ; leurs bras se nouèrent fermement autour de leurs corps, et jusqu’à l’aube, comme cousus par des lacs, ils ne se déprirent pas de l’étreinte. Malgré le roi et les guetteurs, les amants mènent leur joie et leurs amours.
This night panicked the lovers: and the days that followed, as the king had left Tintagel to hold his plaids in Saint-Lubin, Tristan, returned to Orri, dared every morning, in the moonlight, to slip through the orchard to the women's rooms.
A serf surprised him and went to find Andret, Denoalen and Gondoïne:
“Lords, the beast you think has been dislodged has returned to the lair.
- Who ?
- Tristan.
- When did you see him?
- This morning, and I recognized it. And you will be able in the same way tomorrow, at dawn, to see him coming, the sword girded, a bow in one hand, two arrows in the other.
- Where will we see him?
- Through such and such a window that I know. But, if I show it to you, how much will you give me?
- A silver marc, and you will be a rich peasant.
- So listen, said the serf. One can see in the queen's room through a narrow window which dominates it, because it is pierced very high in the wall. But a large curtain stretched across the bedroom hides the opening. May one of you three enter the orchard tomorrow; he will cut off a long branch of thorn and sharpen it at the end; let him then hoist himself up to the high window and prick the branch, like a spit, in the fabric of the curtain; he will be able to push it aside slightly and you will set my body on fire, lords, if behind the curtain you do not see what I have said to you. "
Andret, Gondoïne and Denoalen debated which of them would be the first to enjoy this spectacle, and finally agreed to grant it first to Gondoïne. They parted: the next day, at dawn, they would meet again; tomorrow at dawn, handsome lords, beware of Tristan!
The next day, in the still dark night, Tristan, leaving the hut of Orri the forester, crawled towards the castle under the thick thickets of thorns. As he was emerging from a thicket, he looked out the clearing and saw Gondoine coming from his mansion. Tristan threw himself into the thorns and lurked in ambush:
“Ah! God ! make that whoever walks over there does not perceive me until the favorable moment! "
Sword in hand, he waited for her; but, by chance, Gondoïne took another route and went away. Tristan came out of the thicket, disappointed, bent his bow, aimed; alas! the man was already out of reach.
À cet instant, voici venir au loin, descendant doucement le sentier, à l’amble d’un petit palefroi noir, Denoalen, suivi de deux grands lévriers. Tristan le guetta, caché derrière un pommier. Il le vit qui excitait ses chiens à lever un sanglier dans un taillis. Mais avant que les lévriers l’aient délogé de sa bauge, leur maître aura reçu telle blessure que nul médecin ne saura le guérir. Quand Denoalen fut près de lui, Tristan rejeta sa chape, bondit, se dressa devant son ennemi. Le traître voulut fuir ; vainement : il n’eut pas le loisir de crier : « Tu me blesses ! » Il tomba de cheval, Tristan lui coupa la tête, trancha les tresses qui pendaient autour de son visage et les mit dans sa chausse : il voulait les montrer à Iseut pour en réjouir le cœur de son amie. « Hélas ! songeait-il, qu’est devenu Gondoïne ? Il s’est échappé : que n’ai-je pu lui payer même salaire ! »
He wiped his sword, put it back in its sheath, dragged a tree trunk over the corpse, and leaving the body bleeding, he left, the chaperone in mind, towards his friend.
Au château de Tintagel Gondoïne l’avait devancé : déjà, grimpé sur la haute fenêtre, il avait piqué sa baguette d’épine dans la courtine, écarté légèrement deux pans de l’étoffe, et regardait au travers la chambre bien jonchée. D’abord il n’y vit personne que Perinis ; puis ce fut Brangien qui tenait encore le peigne dont elle venait de peigner la reine aux cheveux d’or.
But Iseut entered, then Tristan. He carried his sapwood bow and two arrows in one hand; in the other he held two long man's braids.
He dropped his cope, and his beautiful body appeared. Iseut the Blonde bowed to greet him, and as she stood up, raising her head towards him, she saw, projected on the curtain, the shadow of Gondoïne's head. Tristan was telling him.
"Do you see those beautiful braids? They are those of Denoalen. I avenged you on him. Never again will he buy or sell shields or spears!
- It is well, lord; but stretch this bow, I beg you; I would like to see if it is convenient to bandage. "
Tristan held it out, astonished, half understanding. Iseut took one of the two arrows, notched it, looked to see if the string was good, and said in a low and rapid voice:
“I see something that displeases me. Aim well, Tristan! "
He struck a pose, raised his head and saw the shadow of Gondoïne's head at the top of the curtain. "May God direct this arrow!" He says, turns to the wall, pulls. The long arrow whistles in the air, swivel or swallow does not fly so fast, punctures the traitor's eye, crosses his brain like the flesh of an apple, and stops, vibrating, against the skull. Without a cry, Gondoine fell down and fell on a stake.
So Iseut said to Tristan:
"Run away now, friend!" You see, the felons know your refuge! Andret survives, he will teach it to the king; there is no longer any security for you in the forester's hut! Flee, friend, Perinis the Faithful will hide this body in the forest, so that the king will never know anything about it. But you, flee from this country, for your salvation, for mine! "
Tristan says:
"How could I live?
— Oui, ami Tristan, nos vies sont enlacées et tissées l’une à l’autre. Et moi, comment pourrais-je vivre ? Mon corps reste ici, tu as mon cœur.
- Iseut, friend, I am leaving, I do not know for which country. But, if you ever see the green jasper ring again, will you do what I tell you through it?
- Yes, you know it: if I see the green jasper ring again, neither tower, nor fort castle, nor royal defense will prevent me from doing my friend's will, whether it be madness or wisdom!
- Friend, may the God born in Bethlehem be grateful to you!
- Friend, God save you! "
FR
EN
ES