Mort Aymeri de Narbonne (C)

« A tot . xxmil de chevaliers armezs :

with a full twenty thousand armed knights:

« Congié penrai a lui et a ses pers ,

I will take leave of him and of his peers,

« Car je me muir , l’en le m’a deviné ,

for I am dying; it has been foretold to me

« Uns miens provoire qui est des arz parez . »

by a priest of mine who is accomplished in the arts.”

« Volentiers , sire , » ce dist Gautiers li bers .

“Gladly, sire,” said Gautier the brave.

Ses armes crie , l’en li a aportez ,

He calls for his arms; they have brought them to him;

Grant cop li done sor son escu a or ,

He gives him a great blow on his gold shield,

Qu’il li peçoie et l’auberc li desclot ,

so that he shatters it and splits open his hauberk,

Et son espié li passe lez lo corss ;

and passes his spear beside his body;

Plaine sa lance l’abat del destrier sor .

at full length of his lance he throws him from the sorrel warhorse.

Bien le garissent deable de la mort ,

The devils guard him well from death,

Car en char ne le toche .

for it does not touch him in the flesh.

Quant Aymeris ot lo roi abatu ,

When Aymeri had struck down the king,

De Finamonde l’a sor l’elme feru ,

he struck him on the helmet with Finamonde;

« Hui muert li melz de nostre parentés ! »

“Today dies the best of our kindred!”

Mès as puceles en a pris grant pités ;

But great pity for it has taken hold of the maidens;

La mestre d’ax fist forment a loers :

the chief of them deserved high praise.

« Seignor François , » dist ele , « ne dotezs :

“Lords of France,” she said, “do not fear:

« Je l’avrai ja gari et respassé . »

I will soon have healed and restored him.”

Entre ses braz prist lo conte soef ,

She took the count gently in her arms,

Dist . iiiparoles de sainte Trinité

spoke three words of the Holy Trinity

Et de la croiz de la crestienté ,

and of the cross of Christendom,

Dont estanchierent les plaies criminels ;

at which the deadly wounds stopped bleeding;

Et de vin blanc li a fetes lavers ;

and she has had them washed with white wine.

Un oignement tret d’un escrin paré

She draws an ointment from an ornate casket

Qui contrevaut tot l’or de . xcitezs ;

that is worth as much as all the gold of ten cities;

De tot l’avoir a trois rois coronez

with all the wealth of three crowned kings

Ne seroit il esligiez n’achetez .

it could not be paid for or bought.

Quant Jhesus Criz fu en la croiz penez ,

When Jesus Christ was tormented on the cross,

Que Juï l’orent batu et flajelé ,

when the Jews had beaten and scourged him,

Li trois Marie l’alerent visiter .

the three Marys went to visit him.

Nicodemus dut la boiste garders ;

Nicodemus was to keep the box;

En Femenie l’en fist Longis porters :

Longinus had it carried from there to Femenie:

Lo païs aime por ce qu’il en fu nez .

he loves that country because he was born there.

Les mortex plaies en a fait aesmer ,

She has had the mortal wounds tended with it,

Dedenz tochier et defors adeser ,

touched inside and dabbed outside,

Et un petit l’en fist lo col passer ,

and made a little of it go down his throat,

Et puis drecier et en estant lever ,

and then made him sit up and rise to his feet:

Ez vos lo conte gari et respassé .

and there you see the count healed and restored.

La veïssiez grant joie demeners :

There you would have seen great joy made.

« Seignor baron , » ce dit Hernauz li ber ,

“Lord barons,” says Hernaut the brave,

« Nos en irons la cité assaillir ,

“We will go and attack the city,

« Esclabarie qui est el pui antifs ;

Esclabarie, which stands on the ancient hill;

« Icil la tienent qui ne nos sont amiss ;

those who hold it are no friends of ours.

« Ce ne sont pas Paien ne Sarrazin ,

They are not pagans or Saracens,

« Mès Sajetaire a qui ja Dex n’aïts ;

but Sagittaries, whom may God never help;

« Des ars turquois tréent par tel aïr ,

they shoot from Turkish bows with such force

« Les granz quarriax entoschiez de venin .

the great bolts poisoned with venom

« Qui a lor cox ne puet arme garir ,

that against their blows no armour can protect,

 « Aubers , elme ne broigne . »

hauberk, helmet or mail coat.”

Aymeris fet soner . xxx . olifanz ,

Aymeri has thirty ivory horns sounded;

Bondir en fet Nerbone la plus grant ,

he makes Narbonne the great resound with them,