Read 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 2

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  194.She lost her great exterior beauty,

  195.And became so completely spotted

  196.That afterwards she was not at all asked

  197.By barons nor by knights

  198.To be a spouse nor a wife;

  199.For she had a disease

  200.Which we call leprosy

  201.That stole her great beauty;

  202.That disease God had given her

  203.On the spot, so that she

  204.Would be rescued from that peril.

  205.But when it was brought to her father’s knowledge

  206.And to that of the queen her mother

  207.And to that of her brother Dagobert,

  208.I can well tell you for certain

  209.That never was displayed such a sadness

  210.By neither sane men nor mad ones.

  211.The noise rose in the palace

  212.Of cries, of screams, and of sobs

  213.By the men of the palace and the counts,

  214.By the marquis and the noblemen,

  215.By the ladies and the damsels,

  216.When they heard the bad news

  217.Of their young royal lady,

  218.Who so suddenly contracted such an illness

  219.That so spotted her

  220.That she was disfigured.

  221.And who could not remember

  222.The mourning that began

  223.Throughout the kingdom of France?

  224.Because I can well tell you without a doubt

  225.That he must have a very hard heart

  226.Who would not be made to weep because of this anguish.

  227.But when the king saw, along with the queen

  228.That they could do nothing else

  229.For their daughter, they called

  230.Powerful doctors to heal her;

  231.But nether by medicine nor by art

  232.That they executed on all parts,

  233.Nor by herbs nor by potions

  234.Could they be useful to the young girl

  235.Because never can the medicine of any doctor

  236.Oppose God’s will.

  237.But when it happened, after a long time,

  238.That the virgin, for all her pain,

  239.Said grace humbly to God,

  240.The angel came and told her eloquently:

  241.“Enimie, virgin of God,

  242.I am your faithful messenger.

  243.Through me God asks you directly

  244.That you go to the Gévaudan

  245.Because there you will find a spring

  246.That will restore your beautiful and pure body

  247.If you bathe in the clear water.

  248.The fountain is very saintly and precious,

  249.And is called Burla: go there!

  250.Don’t change this for anything!”

  251.The damsel, when she heard this,

  252.Says grace to God and praises Him,

  253.Because was out of pity

  254.That he would want to give her back her health.

  255.So the next day, as soon as it was light,

  256.She came to her father right away

  257.And to her mother the queen

  258.And to Dagobert her brother

  259.And told the story

  260.Of the divine vision.

  261.The king was happy, as was the queen,

  262.When they heard about the divine apparition

  263.And he outfitted his daughter

  264.With a miraculous number of provisions

  265.And powerful men as companions

  266.Knights and honorable barons

  267.And many ladies and damsels

  268.So that she would be served by them.

  269.When they were all on horseback,

  270.They recommended to God the king

  271.Enimie before all

  272.And then they began on the journey.

  273.And after many days

  274.They arrived in the territories

  275.Of the land of the Gévaudan

  276.Then the virgin here and there

  277.Looked if she could see

  278.Anywhere the correct path

  279.That would lead her to the fountain

  280.That the King of the world had promised her.

  281.And at that moment, in the middle of the path,

  282.They saw a mas, where they paused,

  283.And asked of the men

  284.Whom she had found in this mas:

  285.“Barons, good men, show me

  286.The way to the correct path!”

  287.And while she was making her request,

  288.A woman came in front of her

  289.Who had approached the road

  290.When she saw this group;

  291.And she said to her: “And who are you

  292.Who pass so proudly

  293.Though this, our land,

  294.With such a beautiful group of companions?

  295.Because it seems to me, without hesitation,

  296.That you come from high nobility.

  297.But I do not know what these spots are

  298.That I see upon your beautiful countenance;

  299.Because I do not think that without a reason

  300.You come to this region.

  301.And tell me, without delay,

  302.The thing that you seek

  303.Because by chance it could be

  304.That I would know how to inform you

  305.And I could help you

  306.In that which you seek, so tell me,

  307.Because I was born in this place

  308.And I know the entire region well.

  309.And if you wish to believe me,

  310.That which you seek you will find quickly.”

  311.When Enimie heard her speak,

  312.She began reflecting

  313.On whether she would tell the substance

  314.Of the divine vision.

  315.And when she had thought very much,

  316.She believed that it was by God’s will

  317.That this woman had come to her,

  318.And she told her openly:

  319.“Madam, you asked me

  320.What I am seeking, and I am grateful to you.

  321.I go seeking the fountain of Burla,

  322.Know this, it is by God’s order,

  323.For if only I can be washed

  324.In this water, I will be cured.”

  325.The woman paused for a short time,

  326. And thought

  327.About where Burla could be,

  328.Because she did not know anything about it.

  329.And when she had paused for a short while,

  330.She responded and lifted her head:

  331.“Madam, said she, by His virtue

  332.May God restore the soundness of your body!

  333.For this water to which you refer,

  334.I do not know of it in these lands,

  335.Nor have I heard anyone speak of it.

  336.But a spring wells up near here

  337.Which is profitable and good

  338.To any sick person.

  339.And they come from far away to bathe

  340.Those who want to heal their bodies;

  341.And if you wish to cleanse yourself,

  342.I well believe that you will be able to be cured.

  343.So go there, do not scorn that!

  344.For he can well cure you

  345.Who cured of his leprosy

  346.Naaman, prince of Syria,

  347.In the river Jordan, by Elysius.

  348.Go there in the name of God!”

  349.Enimie did not know what to do,

  350.When she heard the woman speak,

  351.And doubted whether she should bathe

  352.In those baths, for she did not know

  353.If the waters were truly

  354.Those that Go
d had recommended to her.

  355.Because of this she said to her companions

  356.That they should seek lodging in the houses

  357.And that they prepare the food

  358.At the place of whomever would be willing to lodge them.

  359.At this point the barons dismounted

  360.And took the mas for a hostel

  361.And afterwards they prepared

  362.That which the damsel had ordered them to do.

  363.But when the night had fallen

  364.Enimie, alone, without noise,

  365.Went into a courtyard outside

  366.And laid her body on the ground

  367.And prayed God to give her certitude

  368.Of that of which she was in doubt.

  369.But when it was past midnight

  370.And the damsel had rested,

  371.The angel came to her at once

  372.And told her that she should not go there,

  373.To the baths which were indicated to her

  374.By the woman, because it was not appropriate

  375.That by those baths she should find health

  376.Since they were made by human hands;

  377.Rather God wanted that she go

  378.To Burla and that she bathe

  379.In the cold water, under the rock,

  380.Where the sun barely shone.

  381.Enimie was overjoyed

  382.By the words that she heard.

  383.When the next morning arrived,

  384.She set off on the path

  385.With her all her companions,

  386.And they rode very quickly.

  387.–And there where she had heard the voice,

  388.A church was later built,

  389.On that mas, which is saintly and beautiful,

  390.In honor of the damsel,

  391.Where still God performs miracles

  392.To those who come there for health.

  393.But when it happened, after many days,

  394.That they had ridden on long paths,

  395.Through harsh and inhospitable lands,

  396.They happened by chance

  397.Into a deep and wild valley

  398.Where Burla and the river Tarn were.

  399.And while into the center of the valley

  400.They descended from that side

  401.Through the rubble, through the stone outcroppings,

  402.Through the stone formations, by the ledges,

  403.–For at that time there was not

  404.A path nor a road in the valley -

  405.They heard, as it was the will of God,

  406.Cowherds there among the oaks,

  407.Who were searching for their cows

  408.And one was asking the other,

  409.Who had lost them

  410.Somewhere in the desolate landscape.

  411.“Hey! Chap! Would you have seen them by any chance,

  412.The cows that we have searched for so long?”

  413.Said one to the other: “Amongst the trees?”

  414.One of the savages responded:

  415.“I think they are, God help me,

  416.At Burla, drinking in the fountain.”

  417.Enimie, when she heard the name

  418.Of Burla, was very happy,

  419.And told her companions:

  420.Barons, let us use our spurs,

  421.For I have heard be named

  422.The fountain of Burla, it seems to me,

  423.Over in there by some