Now when the queen herself saw
the full extent of his distress
and the ugly color of the wound,
at once she recognized poison.
"Ah, poor minstrel," she exclaimed,
"that is a poisoned wound you have."
"I didn't know," said Tristan quickly,
"how could I know, what it is?
But no matter what the treatment,
nothing helps, there's no improvement.
I have no idea, what to do,
but to leave myself in God's hand
and live, the while life may last.
Grave as my condition is,
whoever may have mercy upon me,
be God's recompense upon him.
Without help, I'm dead alive."
"Minstrel," the wise queen addressed him,
"tell me now, how are you called?"
"My name, My Lady, is Tantris."
"Tantris, now put your trust in me.
You may be sure, I shall cure you.
Take heart and put your mind at rest.
I myself shall be your healer."
"Mercy, kindest of all queens,
may your tongue bloom forever,
may your heart never perish,
may your wisdom live always,
bringing help to the helpless,
may your name be ever honored
to every corner of the earth!"
"Tantris," the queen replied to this,
"if your condition would permit it—			7800
severely weakened as you are,
and no wonder, considering—
well, I want to hear you play.
you can, they tell me, expertly."
"My Lady, think nothing of it—
I may be somewhat indisposed,
but that by no means could prevent me
from fulfilling your command."
Thereupon his harp was sent for.
They summoned at the same time
the young and beautiful princess.


Love's very insignia,
his heart's future decoration
that would distinguish it forever
from all the common world
as hers alone, always,
Isolt the Lovely, also came,
and watched most attentively
as Tristan sat down to play.
And now he played more skillfully
than he had until then,
having at last some prospect
for the end of his misfortune.
He sang now and played for them
not at all as a lifeless man,
but took it up vigorously
as one does in high spirits.
He performed so expertly
both with hands and voice
that within a short time
he had won them all over,
and things would now go well for him.


But for all his playing and performance,
both elsewhere and on this occasion,
the dire wound was still festering
and giving off such a stench
that no one could stay in his presence
for more than a very short time.
"Tantris," the queen broke in to say,
"if perhaps it comes about
that you should be so fortunate
that this vile smell might go away
and people could stand to be with you,
let this young maiden Isolt
be put under your instruction.
She's now working seriously
at booklearning and also music.
She has accomplished quite a lot,
considering how short a time
she has so far devoted to it.			7850
If you have any knowledge
or any skills more
than does her tutor or do I,
then teach her these, I ask you.
I will return to you your life
and your body as repayment,
restored to full health and bloom.
I hold the power in my hand
either to withhold or give this."
"Indeed, if that is how things stand,"
replied the injured minstrel,
"if I am able to recover
and be healed by means of music,
if God wills, I shall be healed.
Most gracious queen,
since this is your intention,
as you have just declared,
concerning the maid, your daughter,
I have no doubt I can recover.
I have read many books,
to such an extent and in such numbers
that I have every confidence
of serving her to your satisfaction.
Also I'm quite sure of this,
that no man of my years plays
so many noble instruments.
Whatever you wish in this respect,
or may at times request of me,
that shall all be done,
to the limit of my ability."

They furnished him a small chamber
and supplied him there every day
with all comfort and conveniences
that he requested for himself.
Only now did the cleverness
that he had shown on his boat
begin to prove its great value,
when he had held his shield aside
to conceal the extent of his wounds 
from those who had not seen them—
the band of men from Irlant,
as they were leaving Curnewal.
They were thus in ignorance
and had no idea he was wounded.
For had they discovered anything
of any wounds he might have,
since they knew very well
how matters stood with any cut
that Morolt dealt with the sword
he always carried into battle,			7900
never would things have gone
for Tristan as they did eventually.
So this is what saved him now,
that he had shown such foresight then.
From this we all may take a lesson
and know how often it may be
that thinking well ahead
may very well save the day
if you keep your wits about you
and always look ahead.

Now the wise queen
applied all her wisdom
and all her wits to the purpose
of how she could save a man
for whose life and severed head
she gladly would have given
her own life and all she had.
She hated this enemy
more than she loved herself.
Yet anything that occurred to her
that might help or comfort him
or contribute to his recovery—
she was eager, night and day,
busily to provide it for him.
There's no mystery to that—
she did not know her enemy.
But had she only known
for whom she so labored
and whose life she worked to save,
if anything were worse than death,
she surely would have given him that
much in preference to life.
But at the time, in innocence,
she wished him nothing but the best.

Now if I went on and on
and laid a long tale before you
of my lady the queen's mastery,
what marvelous good power
her medicines possessed
and how she treated her patient,
what would be the use of that?
To noble ears a single word
that fits exactly is more pleasing
than one taken at random like a pill.
As far as I can manage it,
I must always restrain myself
from inflicting upon you any word
at all mispleasing to your ear
or uncongenial to your heart.
The less I say, therefore, the better		7950
about every trifling thing,
lest I soon make the story
an unpleasant trial for you
with language never heard at court.
About my lady's healing arts
and her patient's recovery
I will tell you briefly.
It took her twenty days to make him
acceptable in company.
No longer did the wound prevent
anyone from visiting him.
From this time on the young princess
came regularly for instruction.
He gave her his full attention,
sparing neither time nor effort
to teach her the best he knew,
from the school desk to the fingerboard.
I will not list all the things
he presented to her, one by one,
from which to make her own choice
for further careful study,
whatever should appeal to her.

The lovely Isolt made her selection.
The very best that she found
among his many accomplishments
she acquired, well and quickly,
studious as she always was
for whatever she turned her hand to.
In this she was assisted
by what she had learned before.
She already had abilities
and courtliness enough
both with hands and voice.
This was the beauty who knew
her native speech of Develin,
could speak Franzois and Latin also,
play the viol commendably
in the best foreign style.
Under her knowing fingers
the lyre spoke to her touch
as soon as she picked it up.
From the harp she drew forth
its fullest and strongest sounds,
and nimbly modulated them
to the proper tone and volume.
This gifted girl could also sing,
sweetly and with full voicing.
And whatever skills she knew before,
she now polished to perfection.
It was the minstrel, her master,		8000
who advanced her greatly.
And among his various teachings
he instilled in her the practice
that we call morâliteit.

This is the knowledge of good manners.
Every lady in her youth
should diligently attend to this.
Decorum—a discipline most pleasing,
at once blessed and pure.
What it teaches has to do
both with God and the world.
We learn from its commandments
to please both God and the world.
To all noble hearts
it is given as a nursemaid,
that they may find sustenance
and life among her precepts.
For they have neither wealth nor standing
without the laws of decorum.
This was the main occupation
for the young princess.
Here she excercised her mind
and all her thought, again and again.
By this means she grew well-mannered,
genteel in attitude,
refined and pleasant in behavior.
So it was that this sweet girl
arrived at such attainment
of polish and noble bearing
in no more than half a year
that all the land was talking
about her excellence.

Also her father, the king,
was greatly pleased with this,
her mother equally so.
Soon it came to be the custom
when her father sought diversion
or when a troop of visiting knights
were present at court before the king
that Isolt was summoned to the palace
to appear there before her father.
Then all of her accomplishments
in courtly skills and pleasing ways
gave refreshing entertainment
both for him and others present.
The joy she brought to her father
was shared among them all.
For poor and rich alike,
to both she presented
a most pleasing appearance,			8050
delighting their ears and hearts.
Within their breasts and without,
their pleasure was equally served.
This sweet Isolt, so refined,
she sang for them, she wrote, she read,
and whenever they all were pleased
it was also her greatest pleasure.
She fiddled her lively dance tunes,
her lays and such outlandish music
as could hardly have been more exotic,
in the best Franzois
from Sanze and San Dinise—
she seemed to know no end of them.
In playing both the lyre and harp
she struck the strings from either side
with her snow-white hands
to much approbation.
Not in Lut nor in Thamise
did ladies' hands strum the strings
more pleasingly than hers did here,
la duze Isot, la bele.
She sang the pasturele,
the rotruwange and rundate,
schanzune, refloit and folate
each as well as the other.
Many a heart was charmed with her
and overflowed with yearning.
Many were the dreamy thoughts
and memories she recalled to them.
She had them thinking in marvels,
as happens, as you all know well,
when you see sich a marvel
of beauty and accomplishment
as was manifest in Isolt.
To whom can I compare
this lovely, gifted maid,
unless to the sirens themselves,
who use their dire lodestones
to seize and hold passing ships?

Just so, it seems to me, 
did Isolt attract hearts and thoughts
that believed themselves proof against
the discomfiture of yearning.
Also, these two examples,
anchorless ships and the mind,
are in the same way valid.
So rarely does either of them
follow a steady course,
so often find uncertain harbors,
being washed to and fro,			8100
tossing this way and that.
Just so does undirected desire,
attraction without a certain object,
react as does the anchorless ship,
in exactly the same way.
Isolt the accomplished, clever,
young, attractive princess,
drew out and fascinated thoughts
from many a heart's chamber
just as the magnet entraps ships
along with the sirens' song.
Into hearts she sang notions,
openly and secretly,
by way of ears and eyes.
The singing she did openly,
both elsewhere and on this occasion,
made of sweet melodies
and soothing string echoes
that passed through the ear's realms
audibly and unconcealed,
down into the heart's resonance.
The song she sang in secret
was her miraculous beauty,
which, borne by singing thought,
slipped through the eye's windows,
stealthily and unrecognized,
into many a noble heart
and worked its enchantment there,
which readily seized all thought
and bound it firmly captive
with longing and the pain of desire.
It was plain that the lovely Isolt
under Tristan's instruction
had made great advances.
She was even-tempered,
correct in manners and behavior,
her hands could do wonders,
with all tricks of dexterity.
She composed both music and words,
knew how to revise her creations,
and could read and write as well.

Now Tristan had quite recovered,
healed in all respects.
His countenance and color
began to regain their vigor.
But still he had one great fear,
that someone might recognize him,
in the court or among the people.
His mind was continually occupied
with how he could plausibly			8150
earn permission to depart
and so escape this danger.
He understood very well
that neither queen nor princess
would readily give him leave to go.
But when he considered that his life
seemed always to have been destined
to hang in the greatest uncertainty,
he went straight to the queen
and with his talent for invention
composed a speech on the spot,
as he was well accustomed to do.
Kneeling before her, he improvised:
"My Lady, the favor and hospitality
you have shown me, and your help—
may God recompense them to you
in the realm of eternity!
So forthcoming have you been, 
and dealt with me so kindly—
for that may God always reward you!
I shall strive to deserve it
until the last day of my life
no matter where, poor though I be,
I can advocate your praise.
Oh, queen most blessed,
may it meet with your favor
that I depart for my own land,
for I have obligations there—
I can delay here no longer."
The lady smiled down at him.
"Your blandishments will not avail.
By no means shall you depart
or return to your own country
until the whole year is out."
"Nay, noble queen," he said,
"please take into consideration
what a consecrated marriage
and the love of two hearts must mean.
In my own land I have a wife
whom I love as I love myself.
Well I know, she may despair,
having little reason to doubt
that surely I must have lost my life.
This is my greatest anxiety—
if she is given to another,
all my life, all my comfort,
all my joys will be over,
the only source of hope I have.
Never again will I be happy."
"In truth," the queen replied wisely,		8200
"Tantris, no one can justly
disrupt a companionship
of conjugal necessity.
May God grant you both his blessing,
unto you and unto her!
However keenly I shall miss you,
for God's sake I will endure it.
Although I must grant you leave,
still you remain in my favor.
I and my daughter Isolt
award you for your trip
and for your sustenance
two marks of red gold.
Receive them as from Isolt."
As a stranger far from home,
he folded his hands before them,
a physical and spiritual gesture
of thanks before two queens,
both the mother and the maiden.
"Upon you both be pronounced
God's grace and weal," he said.
Then without further delay
he sailed away to Engelant,
and then from Engelant immediately
back home to Curnewal.