With this she threw the sword aside.
Through her tears she spoke, "Alas,
that I should live to see this day."
Her sagacious mother rebuked her:
"Oh, daughter of my heart,
those torments your heart now bears
are lamentably also mine,
but more and harder for me—
in his grace, God has laid them
on me more heavily than on you.
My brother is dead. So far,
that has been my greatest grief.
But now I fear for your sake.
Truly, daughter, this new dread
afflicts me worse than ever,
for it is you that I cherish most.
Rather than see something happen
to you that I would deeply regret,
sooner would I forget this feud.
It will be easier for me			10300
to bear one sorrow than two.
Now my main concern must be
about that miserable man
challenging us to formal combat.
This is something we must deal with.
If not, the king your father,
as well as I and you,
will forfeit every claim to honor
and never again know happiness."
The man in the bath had this to say:
"Blessed ladies, both of you,
I have aggrieved you, I confess,
but only under great compulsion.
You should remember, if you will,
and know clearly what I faced—
my life, no less, was at stake.
No man will go to his death
while there's hope of avoiding it.
But be all that as it may,
put these concerns of yours aside
about this blustering seneschal
with his deadlines and demands.
I will straighten all that out—
provided, of course, you let me live,
and death does not prevent me.
My Lady Isolt, and again, Isolt,
Well I know that you are ever
zealous for good and reason,
loyal and circumspect.
If I might be allowed to speak
to your advantage, both of you,
and if you would but moderate
your hostile stance toward me
and the steady antagonism
you have long held toward Tristan,
I could give you welcome news."


Isolt, the mother of Isolt
stared long at him, and flushed red.
Her shining eyes spilled tears.
"Ah," she groaned, "I know that voice—
now I'm certain, it is he.
I doubted it until this moment,
but you have shown me the truth
without my having asked for it.
Alas, alas, Sir Tristan,
that I had you in my power,
as firmly as I have you now,
and yet am unable to use it
as I would sorely wish,
to my own ends and advantage!			10350
But power is no simple thing—
I believe I can divert
this force against my enemies,
and bend the law to go
against a wicked scoundrel.
Ah, God, shall I do it?
Yes, indeed, I think I shall."


At that moment, Brangaene came,
she so proud, so clever,
with a smile, silently,
in beautiful attire.
She slipped in, and saw
first the sword, lying there,
then both ladies in distress.
"What on earth—" she gasped,
"why are you standing there like that?
What's going on—the three of you?
My Ladies—your eyes—I see,
so sad, so full of tears—
but what's this sword doing here?"
"Now, look," the queen was first to speak,
"see, Brangaene, dearest niece,
how we have all been deceived.
Blindly we have worked to raise
a serpent in place of songbirds,
grinding for the ravens grain
that should have gone to the doves.
How have we, Lord Almighty,
spared the foe as our friend,
twice preserved from certain death
with our own ignorant hands
our mortal enemy, Tristan!
See, there he sits, Tristan himself.
Shall I kill him?  I don't know
whether to take revenge or not—
what do you think, Cousin, shall I?"
"No, My Lady, don't say such things!
Your good fortune and your reason
are far above the likes of that—
never could you convince yourself
to commit any crime so base,
or ever be so misled
as to even contemplate
doing manslaughter,
all the less upon a man
you've taken into your protection,
and guaranteed immunity.
You never intended such a thing—
for God's sake, no, you didn't.
You also need to think of this—			10400
it's your reputation that's at stake,
so deal with him accordingly.
Would you surrender your good name
for just the life of one enemy?"
—"What then would you have me do?"
—"You, My Lady, must decide.
Come along, let him retire.
Meanwhile, we can take counsel
as to the best course of action."

With this, the three women went
to confer in a private chamber.
The experienced Isolt began:
"Now, you two, tell me this—
what is this fellow's game?
First of all, he told us both
that if we would let him live
and renounce our old vendetta against him,
he could give us welcome news.
What could it possibly be, I wonder?"
Brangaene said, "I think it wise
not to let him be afraid
he's going to be mistreated
until we find out what it is.
He may mean us well, and be
on your side, after all.
You have to set your sails
whichever way the wind blows.
Who knows?  His having come to Irlant
could be to your advantage.
Spare him for the time being,
and thank God for this, at least—
that he may be the tool we need
to finish off this travesty 
of a false, lying seneschal. 
God himself had a hand
when we were searching for him—
if we hadn't found him
at the last moment,
God knows, he surely would be dead.
Then, by Christ, Lady Isolt,
we'd have been worse off than now.
It would be wrong to threaten him,
for if he sees that you're hostile
and finds a way to escape,
he'd have every reason to do so.
Consider this, both of you.
Show him he is in your favor,
as indeed he deserves to be.
Listen to me—I tell you this:
Tristan ranks as your equal,			10450
is courtly and well educated,
complete in his nobility.
However you may feel toward him,
treat him with proper courtesy.
Whatever his intentions were,
his mission is a serious one.
He's plainly trying to accomplish
some matter of great importance."

So they ended their discussion
and returned to where Tristan
sat quietly on his bed.
Not forgetting courtesy, 
he quickly rose at their entrance,
then fell prostrate before them
and lay in humble supplication
at the noble feet of the ladies,
addressing them from servile posture.
"Mercy, sweetest ladies,
have mercy upon me!
Do not do away with me
for having come to your realm
for your honor and advantage!"
The radiant company,
these three luminaries,
turned their gaze aside
and looked each at the other.
There they stood, while he lay.
"My Lady," Brangaene murmured,
"you leave a knight lying there."

That moved the queen to speak.
"What would you have me do with him?
I cannot find it in my heart
to declare myself friendly to him.
What would be right? I don't know."
"My Lady," Brangaene suggested,
"this is what I propose,
to you and to my Lady Isolt.
This I know, perfectly,
that in your hearts and minds
you can hardly forgive him
for injuries in the past.
But the two of you can grant him
at least his personal safety.
Then he may be inclined
to say more in his defense."
"Granted," the royal ladies said.
They commanded him to rise.
Under protection of their truce,
the four of them sat down together.

Tristan now revealed his mission.		10500
"Your Royal Highness," he began,
"if I may rely on your good graces,
I'm empowered to negotiate
within the next two days, no less,
without any intended deception,
that a noble king shall accept
your much-beloved daughter,
a man well worthy to be her lord,
both tolerant and handsome,
a knight noble and elect
to the brotherhood of spear and shield,
himself sprung from the race of kings
and moreover, I should add,
much richer than her father is."
"Certainly," the queen replied,
"if I could believe what you say,
I would gladly comply
with what is being offered."
"My Lady," Tristan continued,
"I can assure you of this:
if you grant me amnesty,
and I fail to prove what I say,
you may revoke your pardon
and take my life in revenge."
"Brangaene," said the wise woman,
"how does this sound to you?"
—"His offer seems good to me,
and I advise you to accept it.
Put aside all your doubts—
rise and kiss him, both of you.
My station in our injured clan
may be lower than a queen's,
but I must also seal this peace."
They kissed him then, all three of them,
not something young Isolt could do
without long hesitation.

So they were at last reconciled.
Tristan again addressed them:
"God knows, in his goodness,
that never before has my mind
been so filled with joy, as now.
I have overcome finally
The dangers I anticipated
that might well befall me
in trying to regain your favor.
My uncertainty is gone,
and I'm assured of your grace.
You, too, can drop all your cares—
I came to Irlant from Curnewal
entirely on your behalf.			10550
Since my earlier voyage here,
which resulted in my healing,
I have never ceased to sing
your praises and your excellence
before my lord, King Marke,
until with all my reports
I turned his thoughts toward you,
and at last persuaded him.
It wasn't easy, and this is why:
he feared your enmity here,
and also he had pledged to remain
without a wife, for my sake,
making me his sole heir
after he should live no more.
But I dissuaded him from this,
until at last he consented.
Thus the two of us agreed
that I should undertake this voyage.
That is why I came to Irlant,
and also why I killed the dragon.
And since you have spared no pains
to work kindly on my behalf,
in turn my young lady shall be
First Lady and Queen
over Curnewal and Engelant.
Now you know my secret mission.
Blessed company,
thrice-blessed three,
hold all this in confidence."

"Yes, but tell me," said the queen,
"may I not tell my lord,
to obtain a reconciliation?
Would I be acting unwisely?"
"No, My Lady, not at all—
he has every right to know.
But take care when you do
that I come to no harm thereby."
"Sir, you need have no such fears—
this will not cause any trouble."
Then the three ladies retired
to a secluded chamber
and there began to marvel
at the luck of his achievements
in all his undertakings.
Each one had her say
about his cleverness,
the mother thus, Brangaene so.
"Mother, see," the daughter said,
"by what rare luck I discovered
that his real name was Tristan—		10600
once I figured out the sword,
I began to study the names
Tantris and Tristan.
As I turned them this way and that,
they soon seemed to me to have
something common to both of them.
That led me to look closely
and take careful notice—
so I found, using the letters
you need to spell both of them
that in fact both were one.
No matter which way I read them,
there were no other letters
than in Tantris or Tristan,
and always the same in each.
Now look, Mother, take apart
just the name Tantris,
to make a tan and a tris.
Then say the tris before the tan,
and see, you've said Tristan.
Then say the tan before the tris,
and you're right back to Tantris."
The queen her mother crossed herself.
"God bless me," she exclaimed,
"wherever did you get such wit?"


Now as the three among themselves
were discussing these matters,
the queen sent for the king,
who soon came and joined them.
"My Lord," she spoke, "now hear me.
You may grant us a request,
which we three much desire.
If you do, we all shall profit."
"I will do as I am asked—
what you wish, you shall have."
"You will let me have my way?"
the queen reassured herself.
"I will.  Ask, it shall be done."
"My Lord, I will rely on you.
I have here in custody
Tristan, the man who slew my brother.
You shall grant him your favor
and be reconciled with him.
His mission to us is such
as makes it wise to do so."
"Certainly," the king declared,
"I gladly leave this up to you,
since it concerns you more than me.
Your brother Morolt was your kin,
closer to you than to me.			10650
If you have forgiven this injury,
then so have I, if you will."
She then related Tristan's story
in full detail to the king,
as he had told it to her.
The king found Tristan's proposal
quite pleasing, but cautioned her,
"see to it, that he keeps his word."
Then the queen sent Brangaene
to summon Tristan to appear.
He came, and upon entering,
threw himself at the king's feet.
"Mercy, Your Majesty," he implored.
"Arise, Sir Tristan, come to me,"
commanded Gurmun. "Kiss me.
I do not lightly grant forgiveness,
yet I renounce our enmity,
as our royal ladies have renounced it."
"My Lord," Tristan replied,
"does your peace extend
to include my king and his lands?"
"Sir, it does," Gurmun conceded.