WHEN, ENTERING the forester Orry's hut, Tristan cast aside his staff and removed

pilgrimage cloak, he clearly understood in his heart that the day had come to hold
back
swore an oath to King Mark and retire from Cornish land. What else is he
slow? The queen has justified herself, the king idolizes and reveres her; Arthur,
if
If she were in need, I would take her under my protection, and from now on not a
single slander will
would triumph over her. Why wander around longer
Tintagel? By doing so, he would vainly endanger his life, the life of the forester
and
calmness of Isolde. Of course, you have to leave. In the clothes of a pilgrim on
the White
In the glade, for the last time, he felt the beautiful body of Isolde in his arms.
For three more days he hesitated, unable to tear himself away from the edge where
he lived
queen. But when the fourth day came, he said goodbye to the forester,
sheltered him, and said to Gorvenal:
- My dear mentor, the hour has come to set off on a long journey; we
let's go to Wales.
At night, sad, they set off. The road ran past the garden,
surrounded by a palisade, where once Tristan was waiting for his beloved.
The night shone clear. At a bend in the road near the hedge he saw a mighty
the trunk of a tall pine standing out against the light sky.
- Wait for me near the nearest forest, dear mentor, I'll be back soon.
- Where are you going? Madman, you tirelessly seek death!
But Tristan jumped over the palisade with a confident jump. He approached
tall pine tree near a pond of white marble. Why throw in the water now
artfully cut shavings? Isolde will not come again! Light, careful
with steps he ventured to approach the castle along the path along which
the queen came to him.
In the bedchamber, in the arms of the sleeping Mark, Isolde was awake.
Suddenly
through the open window, where the rays of the moon played, the trills of a
nightingale flew in. Isolde
listened to the ringing voice that enchanted the night; she got up, so sad that
there would not be in the world such a cruel heart, the heart of a murderer, which
does not
would take pity on her. The queen thought: where did this tune come from?
Suddenly she realized: "Oh, this is Tristan! So in the forest of Morois he
imitated the singers
birds to amuse me. He is leaving, and this is his last forgiveness! How
he is sad! Such is the nightingale when, at the end of summer, he says goodbye to
him in
great sadness. Never again, dear, will I hear your voice!"
The trill sounded even more passionate.
- Oh, what do you want? For me to come? No, remember the hermit
Ogrin and about our oath. Shut up, we are guarded by death! But what is death?
You call me, you want me - I'm coming!
She freed herself from the arms of the king, threw on her almost naked body
cloak lined with gray fur. She had to go through the next hall, where each
night ten knights guarded in turn; while five were sleeping,
the other five, armed, stood at the doors and windows, looking for anything
outside. But it so happened that they all fell asleep - five on the beds, five
on the floor. Isolde stepped over their sprawling bodies, raised the bolt
door, the ring rang without waking up any of the watchers. She stepped over
threshold, and the singer fell silent.
Silently, under the trees, he pressed her to his chest, their hands tightly
closed around the bodies, and until dawn they did not part their embrace, as if
they were tied.
Forgetting about the king and the watchmen, the lovers rejoice and shower each
other
caresses.

This night made them drunk, and in the following days, when the king left
Tintagel to judge in Saint-Lubin, Tristan, returned to Orry,
ventured every morning, by the light of the sun, to sneak through the garden to the
women's
chambers.
A servant caught him and went to tell Andretes, Denoalen and Gondoin:
- The beast, which you consider banished, has returned to its lair.
- Who is it?
- Tristan.
- When did you see him?
- This morning, and I got a good look at him. You might as well see it
tomorrow at dawn, when he comes, girded with a sword, in one hand - a bow, in
the other two arrows.
How can we see him?
- From one window that I know. If I show it to you, what will you tell me
give?
- A mark of silver: you will become a prosperous peasant.
“So listen,” said the servant. - You can see the rest of the queen from above
through a narrow window, which is punched very high in the wall; but big
a canopy stretched across the room closes this hole. Let tomorrow
one of you will quietly climb into the garden, cut off a long branch there
blackthorn, grind its end, then rise to this window and stick
a branch, like a knitting needle, into the fabric of the canopy; so he can push
back a little
him to the side. And burn me. gentlemen, if he does not then see beyond
the curtain of what I was talking about.
Andret, Govdoin and Denoalen began to discuss who to give first
the opportunity to enjoy this spectacle, and finally decided to provide this
Gondoin. They parted ... Tomorrow at dawn they will meet, tomorrow at dawn
fear Tristan, high lords!
The next day it was still dark when Tristan, leaving the forester's hut
Orry crawled towards the castle among the thick thorn bushes. Coming out of the
bowl, he
looked over the lawn and saw Gondoin coming from his castle. Tristan
rushed back into the thorn bush and hid in ambush.
“God,” he said, “arrange that a person who comes up does not notice
me ahead of time!
Grabbing his sword, he waited for him. But it so happened that Govdoin went
the other way and left. Tristan came out of the thicket, deceived in expectations,
pulled the bow and took aim ... Alas, that man was already out of reach for him
arrows.
Just at that moment Denoalen also appeared in the distance: quietly along the
path he
descended on a small black pacer, accompanied by two huge
greyhounds. Hiding behind an apple tree, Tristan watched him. He saw how he
urged the dogs on a wild boar in a copse. But before the greyhounds have time to
kick out
him from the lair, their master will receive such a wound as no healer can
cure. When Denoalen caught up with him, Tristan threw off his cloak,
jumped and found himself in front of his enemy. The traitor wanted to run. But in
vain! He
did not even have time to shout: "You hurt me!" He fell off his horse. Tristan
cut off his head, cut off the hair that framed his face, and hid it behind
bosom: he wanted to show them to Isolde in order to please the heart of his dear.
“Alas,” he thought, “where did Gondoin go? He escaped.
pay him off."
He wiped his sword, sheathed it, heaped a tree trunk on the corpse, and,
leaving the bloodied body, he went, throwing on his hood, to his sweetheart.
At the castle of Tintagel Gondoin came before him: he had already climbed
high window, stuck a rod of thorns into the curtain, parted two curtains and
could look around the beautifully lined room with reeds. At first he did not see
no one but Perinis, then Brangien came, still holding the comb,
with which she combed the queen's golden hair.
But now Isolde entered, followed by Tristan. In one hand he has a bow
sapwood and arrows, in the other two long strands of hair. He dropped his hood
discovering their beautiful camp. The blond Isolde bowed in greeting
his; but the moment she got up and raised her head to him, she noticed
on the canopy is the shadow of Gondoin's head.
Tristan told her:
Do you see those beautiful curls? They are from the head of Denoalen. I told
him
avenged you. Never again will he have to buy and sell
shield, no spear.
- That's good, my lord, but draw the bow, I beg you: I want
find out if it stretches well.
Tristan drew his bow, surprised, perplexed. Taking one of the two arrows,
Isolde set it in the string, looked to see if it was strong, and said to the
ambulances
in a whisper:
- I see something that I don't like. Aim better, Tristan.
He got ready, raised his head and saw on the top of the canopy the shadow of a
head
Gondoin.
“God guide that arrow,” he whispered.
He turned to the wall and fired. A long arrow whizzed through the air
- Falcon and swallows do not fly faster, - pierced into the eye of a traitor,
struck
brain, like the core of an apple, and stuck, trembling, in the skull.
Then Iseult said to Tristan:
- Now run, honey! You see, the traitors know about your hideout.
Andret is still alive, he will tell the king everything; you're not safer in a hut
forester. Run dear! Faithful Perinis will hide this body in the forest so securely,
that the king would never hear of him. You run away from this
country for your salvation, for mine!
- How can I live? Tristan says.
- Yes, dear Tristan, our lives are connected and woven into one another. And
me
how to live? My body is here, and my heart is with you.
- Isolde, dear, I'm leaving, I don't know where. But if you ever see
green jasper ring, will you fulfill what I am talking about through it
ask?
- Yes, you know this: if I see a green jasper ring, nor a tower,
neither a strong castle nor a royal ban will prevent me from doing the will of my
friend, be it madly or wisely.
- May the Lord, born in Bethlehem, reward you, dear!
- God bless you, dear!