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
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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