people
424.So let’s go there quickly right away!”
425.With that, they spurred on the horses,
426.These knights, in the middle of the valley,
427.And they found in there amongst the oaks
428.Some of those who were in the process of looking for their cows.
429.The cowherds experienced an intense fear
430.When they heard that noise,
431.And when they saw the horsemen,
432.They fled by random paths.
433.But the knights shouted to them:
434.“You must not flee!” and they returned.
435.After that the lady came
436.Who had remained towards the back
437.With the damsels and ladies
438.And asked them for news;
439.And one of them had not fled
440.To whom the damsel posed her question
441.As he was the closest of all:
442.“Friend, said she, tell me,
443.You who know these mountains
444.And the waters and the fountains,
445.Where is, and in which area
446.Is the fountain that is called Burla?
447.Because for this fountain we have come
448.From very distant regions,
449.And if you are willing to lead us there,
450.You can obtain great riches.
451.The vilain, when he heard the damsel,
452.Thought he would get great wealth from her,
453.And responded to her in this way:
454.“Lady, lady, according to my perception,
455.You are from very high nobility,
456.But you have a malady,
457.Since you have such a great accompaniment.
458.I will inform you as to where is
459.Burla, which you so nicely questioned me on,
460.So do not be sad anymore on account of that.
461.But first, those goods
462.Which you promised me, I wish to have them.”
463.Enimie very generously
464.Had gold and silver given to him.
465.She distributed largesse very well,
466.She who was of high nobility.
467.The villein happily took the gold
468.And then guided her towards the fountain.
469.–The fountain is in a hollow
470.That is near the Tarn, large and deep.
471.On one side, towards the setting sun,
472.There is a large and high stone
473.In which there is a deep grotto
474.Where the virgin was later healed.
475.On the other side of this fountain,
476.Towards the orient, towards a small hill,
477.Is the monastery, beautiful and honorable,
478.Built to praise her,
479.Where still her saintly body rests
480.As I have seen and know.
481.On the other side, in full light,
482.The river Tarn runs through.
483.The water of that fountain
484.Enters directly through a hole
485.From the river Tarn, deep water,
486.And there is not a trace of a habitation.
487.In this way and in this place
488. Is Burla, so that you can now know it.
489.When Enimie had come
490.There to the fountain and descended
491.She got down on her knees
492.In front of all her companions
493.And prayed God that by his pity
494.He give her back her health.
495.When she had gotten up after the oration,
496.She stripped off her vestments
497.And a young damsel served her
498.Who was there to wait on her.
499.And she made the sign of the cross on her heart and her flesh
500.And she entered into the clear water.
501.And when she had bathed in it three times,
502.The disease went away,
503.And her flesh was beautiful and healthy
504.More than that of a male or female dove.
505.Thus did God by his power
506.So that all would know
507.That He had tormented her
508.So that she could later be crowned.
509.And I could not well describe
510.The praise that began to be done
511.By the virgin and her companions
512.To Jesus Christ, her husband.
513.But I will tell you the beautiful miracle
514.That God performed for the damsel
515.In this place, that when she had bathed
516.In Burla and cleansed herself,
517.Here on a small stone
518.She rested, which touched the water,
519.Because she couldn’t bear to suffer anymore
520.From that illness from which she had suffered
521.And in that very place where she rested,
522.The rock cracked under her
523.And gushed in sprays and jets
524.Water from a place or two
525.Clear, shimmering, and beautiful,
526.Which drenched the young girl entirely.
527.–And we still show, in truth,
528.To those who would like to see
529.To clerics or to the laity
530.The holes by which the water sprayed.
531.Now listen to another miracle
532.That God performed there, beautiful and admirable
533.Which I, who tell you about it, have seen,
534.So praise Jesus Christ,
535.For there where she suffered so,
536.The stone moved a bit
537.and made a place for the virgin
538.Where she could sit and rest.
539.–And still appears there without a doubt
540.The saintly seat where she sat
541.The position of the back and of the haunches
542.We can see there, if we go searching for it.
543.Of the head and neck also
544.Is the imprint in its entirety.
545.When all this was finished,
546.And they had lauded Jesus Christ,
547.And they headed back to France
548.So that they could celebrate
549.For she had regained
550.Her lovely body and her great beauty;
551.They had not yet completely ascended
552.The incline that is high and steep
553.When the virgin, in the middle of the road,
554.Regained the illness
555.And was taken ill so violently
556.That she had great misery:
557.God did not want her to leave
558.Nor that he lose her love
559.Nor that for worldly honors
560.She lose celestial joy.
561.When the saintly virgin feels
562.Ill with such a torment,
563.She does not know why yet another time
564.She is upset and indignant.
565.So then she lifted her arms towards the sky
566.As one who is exhausted and unhappy
567.And made this reproach to God:
568.“Hey! King of all creatures,
569.Why do you wish to torment me this way?
570.Hey! Lord! What do you mean to achieve by this?
571.I had already by your command
572.Been delivered form the greatest torment,
573.And I had not gone very far
574.And I had been very careful every day
575.To do your commandment;
576.Why then are you so angry with me?
577.Good Lord, and how have I offended you
578.That you cruelly make me suffer another time?
579.At least allow that first
580.My parents can see me healthy,
581.That they can
derive some joy
582.From me and my health,
583.And then, Lord, you can have
584.Whatever may be pleasing to you!”
585.When she had thusly complained to God,
586.She pulled on the bridle
587.And stopped her horse
588.And lifted her eyes and her head to the sky.
589.The companions, when they looked at her,
590.Were consumed with great anger and sadness,
591.And cried out and complained louder
592.Than if they had seen their father dead;
593.They tore their hair from their heads,
594.And stomped their feet, none of them was conscious
595.Of what he was doing, but they cried and carried on
596.And tore at their clothing.
597.But despite all the anger,
598.They all went towards the lady
599.And took her down from her horse
600.And lay her down on the hill
601.And, as long as that day lasted,
602.They did not cease their cries.
603.When the night fell, on the ground,
604.Enimie made a strange cry
605.And prayed God, almost as a demand,
606.That he have mercy, if it was pleasing to him.
607.When the next day arrived, with clear daylight,
608.She gathered her companions
609.And she told them all eloquently
610.“Barons, let us quickly return
611.To Burla, and I will be cured
612.Such is the will of the God of life.
613.He said that I should bathe in it another time
614.And that I will be cured and restored to health.”
615.The ladies and the knights
616.Willingly obeyed the command
617.And returned to Burla,
618.from which they had not gone very far,
619.For they had not yet passed the slope
620.That was hard and rough and arduous.
621.–But there where the saintly young girl
622.Became indignant, because she was struck with leprosy,
623.Was later built a little mas
624.Which is still called Denhas,
625.On the slope, near the top,
626.And that mas is called Denhas
627.Because the virgin became indignant there
628.Because of the illness that overcame her there.
629.But when the young girl arrived
630.At the fountain and dismounted
631.She made humbly another time
632.Her prayer to God, then entered
633.The water and regained
634.Her beautiful body and her health.
635.The cries left the knights
636.They cried out their joy and their happiness,
637.When they saw their lady cured.
638.Then said each of the company
639.That she should not go with the fear
640.That she would once again contract the illness,
641.For God had given her back her health
642.Twice by His great power
643.And that she should return to France
644.To give joy to the kingdom.
645.The virgin wanted to do their will,
646.And they began to return
647.But they had barely passed
648.Denhas, the mas that I told you about,
649.When the
The Life of Saint Enimie. A 13th c text by Bertran de Marseille. Original Translation by Karena Akhavein. A reader's companion for the adventure novel Translatio Page 3
