The Honeysuckle and the Hazel Tree: 2. The Nighingale

2. The Nightingale

(LaÃ¼stic)

Marie de France

	The story I shall tell today
	Was taken from a Breton lai
	Called LaÃ¼stic in Brittany,
4	Which in proper French would be
	Rossignol. They'd call the tale
	In English lands The Nightingale.

	There was near Saint Malo a town
8	Of some importance and renown.
	Two barons, who could well afford
	Houses suited to a lord,
	Gave the city its good name
12	By their benevolence and fame.
	Only one of them had married.
	His wife was beautiful indeed,
	And courteous as she was fair:
16	A lady who was well aware
	Of all that custom and rank required.
	The younger knight was much admired,
	Being, among his peers, foremost
20	In valor, and a gracious host.
	He never refused a tournament,
	And what he owned he gladly spent.
	He loved his neighbor's wife. She knew
24	That all she heard of him was true,
	And so she was inclined to be
	Persuaded when she heard his plea.
	Soon she had yielded all her heart,
28	Because of his merit and, in part,
	Because he lived not far away.
	Fearful that others might betray
	The love that they had come to share,
32	They always took the greatest care
	Not to let anyone detect
	Anything that might be suspect.
	And it was easy enough to hide:
36	Their houses were almost side by side,
	With nothing between the two at all
	Except a single high stone wall.
	The baron's wife had only to go
40	And stand beside her bedroom window
	Whenever she wished to see her friend.
	They would talk for hours on end
	Across the wall; often they threw
44	Presents to one another too.
	They were much happier than before
	And would have asked for nothing more-
	But lovers can't be satisfied
48	When love's true pleasure is denied.
	The lady was watched too carefully
	As soon as her friend was known to be
	At home. But still they had the delight^[1]
52	Of seeing each other day or night
	And talking to their hearts' content.
	The strictest guard could not prevent
	The lady from looking out her window;
56	What she saw there, no one could know.
	Nothing came to interfere
	With their true love, until one year,
	In the season when the summer grows
60	Green in all the woods and meadows,
	When birds to show their pleasure cling
	To flower tops and sweetly sing;
	Then those who were in love before
64	Do, in love's service, even more.
	The knight, in truth, was all intent
	On love; the messages he sent
	Across the wall had such replies
68	From his lady's lips and from her eyes,
	He knew that she felt just the same.
	Now she very often came
	To her window, lighted by the moon,
72	Leaving her husband's side as soon
	As she knew that he was fast asleep.
	Wrapped in a cloak, she went to keep
	Watch with her lover, sure that he
76	Would be waiting for her faithfully.
	To see each other was, despite
	Their endless longing, great delight.
	She went so often and remained
80	So long, her husband soon complained,
	Insisting that she must reply
	To where she went at night and why.
	"I'll tell you, my lord," the lady answered;
84	"Anyone who has ever heard
	The nightingale singing will admit
	No joy on earth compares with it.
	That's why I've been standing there.
88	When the sweet music fills the air,
	I'm so delighted, I must arise;
	I can't sleep, or even close my eyes."
	The baron only answered her
92	With a malicious, raging laughter.
	He wrought a plan that could not fail
	To overcome the nightingale.
	The household servants all were set
96	To making traps of cord or net;
	Then, throughout the orchard, these
	Were fixed to hazel and chestnut trees,
	And all the branches rimmed with glue
100	So that the bird could not slip through.
	It was not long before they brought
	The nightingale; it had been caught
	Alive. The baron, well content,
104	Took the bird to his wife's apartment.
	"Where are you, lady? Come talk to me!"
	He cried. " "I've something for you to see!
	Look! Here is the bird whose song
108	Has kept you from your sleep so long.
	Your nights will be more peaceful when
	He can't awaken you again!"
	She heard with sorrow and with dread
112	Everything her husband said,
	Then asked him for the bird, and he
	Killed it out of cruelty;
	Vile as he was, for spite, he wrung
116	Its neck with his two hands and flung
	The body at his wife. The red
	Drops of blood ran down and spread
	Over the bodice of her dress.
120	He left her alone with her distress.
	Weeping, she held the bird and thought
	With bitter rage of those who brought
	The nightingale to death, betrayed
124	By all the hidden traps they laid.
	"Alas!" she cried, "They have destroyed
	The one great pleasure I enjoyed.
	Now I can no longer go
128	To see my love outside my window
	At night, the way I used to do!
	One thing certainly is true:
	He'll believe I no longer care.
132	I'll send the nightingale over there,
	And a message that will make it clear
	Why it is that I don't appear."
	She found a piece of samite, gold-
136	Embroidered, large enough to fold
	Around the body of the bird;
	There was room for not another word.^[2]
	Then she called one in her service
140	Whom she could entrust with this,
	And told him exactly what to say
	When he brought it to the chevalier.
	Her lover came to understand
144	Everything, just as she planned.
	The servant carried the little bird;
	And soon enough the knight had heard
	All that he so grieved to know.
148	His courteous answer was not slow.
	He ordered made a little case,
	Not of iron or any base
	Metal but of fine gold, embossed
152	With jewels-he did not count the cost.
	The cover was not too long or wide.
	He placed the nightingale inside
	And had the casket sealed with care;
156	He carried it with him everywhere.
	Stories like this can't be controlled,
	And it was very promptly told.
	Breton poets made of the tale
160	A lai they called The Nightingale.