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 3

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  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