The king, witness to his chagrin
thus revealed in plain sight,
faced for the first time
his own endless heartbreak.
Here was the certain proof.
Supposition and doubt,
his old nemeses, were gone.
He supposed no longer.  He knew.
What he had so long sought
lay there now revealed to him.
I truly think, however,
he would have been better off
with suspecting than with knowing.
He had tried diligently
to do away with his doubt—
that cure was now a living death.
Silently, he turned and left.
Summoning his men and council,
he addressed them privately.
To begin with, he declared
that he had information
claimed to be accurate
that Tristan and the queen
were together at this moment.
All were to come with him
to see the two for themselves.
If they were caught in the act,
it would be up to the council
to pronounce judgment in his name
as the law of the land required.

But no sooner had Marke
turned away from the couch
and began to make for the door
that Tristan chanced to awake
and saw him leaving, from behind.
"Ah," he cried, "what have you done,		18250
faithful, loyal Brangaene?
By God, Brangaene, I fear
this sleep has been the death of us.
Awake, Isolt, unfortunate woman—
wake up, queen of my heart.
I believe we are betrayed!"
"Betrayed?" she gasped. "But how?"
"My lord was standing over us.
He saw us together, and I saw him—
there he goes, just now leaving.
And now I know, certainly,
that for this I must die.
He's going to bring witnesses
to the facts of the case,
so he can put us to death.
Lovely Isolt, my heart's lady,
now we must part forever.
It is not at all likely
that we shall enjoy, ever again,
such pleasures as we once have had.
But you must always remember
what pure and perfect love
we have known until now.
hold to that memory forever—
keep me always in your heart!
For no matter what befalls me,
you will never escape from mine.
Isolt must dwell forever
in the heart of Tristan.
However far I may be,
my heart's friend, do not let me
fade from your affections.
Never forget me, in any need!
duze amie, bele Isolt,
kiss me now, and dismiss me!"

She stepped two paces back
and replied, sighing deeply,
"Sir, it has been so long now
that our hearts and our minds
have belonged to one another
so closely and sincerely
that they can scarcely know
what it means to forget.
Whether you are near or far,
there shall be in my heart
nothing of life, or living there,
except Tristan, my life and being.
Sir, long since have I yielded 
to you my body and my life.
Let no living woman			18300
ever displace me. 
Then shall our love 
remain and continue 
just as fresh and faithful
as for so long now
it has remained pure.
Here, take this ring of mine.
Let it always certify
our loyalty and our love.
If it should ever come about
that you perhaps are moved
to love one other than me,
it is there to remind you
what my heart thinks of that.
Remember, too, our parting,
how near to our hearts it lies
and to both our beings.
Think of the many hardships
I have borne for your sake,
and let no one be nearer
to you than Isolt, your lover.
Do not forget me for another!
We two have carried love
and sorrow in such companionship
up until the present day.
It is right to continue
this observance until death.
Sir, there is no need, I know,
for me to admonish you further.
If Isolt once was with Tristan
one heart and one faith,
it will be so, always anew,
a permanence that must endure.
Yet I will make one request:
through lands however far you travel,
take care of yourself, my life,
for if you orphan me of that,
then I, your life, am finished.
Myself, your life, I pledge
for your sake, not for mine,
to guard and protect with care,
for your body and your life,
I know so well, depend on me.
We are one life, one body.
Now remain always aware
of me, your life, Isolt.
Let me see you, my life,
as soon again as can be,
and see yours again, in me.
Both our lives are in your hands.		18350
Come to me now, and kiss me.
Tristan, Isolt, you and I,
we two shall remain forever
one thing, indivisible.
This kiss will be the seal
of my faith in you and yours in me
which will hold steady until death—
one Tristan, one Isolt."

With this seal on their farewell,
Tristan set out on his way
with much regret and affliction.
His being, his other life, Isolt,
was left in much sorrow.
These two companions
had never said goodbye before
under such torment as this.
The king had very soon arrived,
bringing with him quite an army
of courtiers and councillors.
But they had come too late,
and found Isolt alone,
lying still on her bed,
lost in thought, as before.
Finding now no one there
other than Isolt alone,
his advisors led him aside
to speak with him in private.
"Sire," one said, "again,
you transgress most grievously
against your wife and your honor—
You have been worrying, how long now,
at this charge of adultery,
first this way and then that,
on no grounds and for nothing.
You despise wife and honor,
but even more so, yourself.
How shall you find happiness
while you continually despoil
your own pleasure in your wife,
making her a source of gossip
in court and everywhere else,
although you never have produced
a single incriminating fact?
What is this with you and the queen?
You keep accusing persons
who haven't done anything.
Sire, by your own honor,
there has been enough of this.
Stop all this insinuation,
For God's sake, and for yours!"		18400
So, by their persuasion,
he gave up pursuing them
and once again cooled his anger,
thus remaining unavenged.