Amigo de meu. Caberdín chega, que xa se ve a nao entrar no porto! Deus queira que traia tales novas que voe coma unha gueivota o voso corazón!
Tristán esperta e érguese sobor do cobado.
-Sabes de verdá que é a nao de Caberdín? De que color é a vela?
-Moura.
-Ai, ai! Deus salve Isolda e Deus me salve!
Volveuse de cara á parede, e chorou.
-Pois que non queras vir onda min, morrerei por ti! Ai Isolda, chorarás a miña morte, e isto é o meu único consolo!
Despois dixo tres veces:
-Miña amiga Isolda!
E cando ía decilo por cuarta vez, finouse.
A nao amarrou, e Isolda baixou a primeira. Atopou unha moitedume en bágoas, e no grande silenciop escoitábase unha campá que daba as badaladas dos defuntos. Un vello acaroouse a ela, e díxolle.
-Xentil dama, temos tal dolor coma nunca houbo en ningures. Tristán, o bo cabaleiro, o dereito, o morto é!
Isolda non pode decir nin verba nin dar bágoa. Bótase a andar polas rúas, a paso vivo, dobregada coma unha rosa que se mucha no tallo. Os bretóns nunca viran muller de semellanza beleza. Marabíllanse, e preguntan de onde vén e quen é. Isolda entra na cámara de Tristán e axoénllase.
"Amigo Tristán, agora que estás morto, nin eu nin o mundo temos razóns pra vivir. Maldita sexan as tempestades que non deixan navegar ós amantes! Si eu tivese chegado a tempo, a vida lle devolvese con bicos! Pro xa que non puiden darche a vida, veleiquí a miña morte".
Isolda bicouno sete veces; na fronte, nas meixelas, nos beizos. E cando a bicaba así, dou un grande salaio, e con il foronselle as forzas do corazón, que parou de bater. A ialma saíu daquel fermoso corpo. Isolda, polo seu amigo morta é.
The death of Tristan
She came to where Tristan lay, and she said: "Friend, Kaherdin is here. I have seen his ship upon the sea. She comes up hardly-yet I know her; may he bring that which shall heal thee, friend."
And Tristan trembled and said: "Beautiful friend, you are sure that the ship is his indeed? Then tell me what is the manner of the sail?"
"I saw it plain and well. They have shaken it out and hoisted it very high, for they have little wind. For its colour, why, it is black."
And Tristan turned him to the wall, and said: "I cannot keep this life of mine any longer." He said three times: "Iseult, my friend." And in saying it the fourth time, he died.
But at sea the wind had risen; it struck the sail fair and full and drove the ship to shore, and Iseult the Fair set foot upon the land. She heard loud mourning in the streets, and the tolling of bells in the minsters and the chapel towers; she asked the people the meaning of the knell and of their tears. An old man said to her: "Lady, we suffer a great grief. Tristan, that was so loyal and so right, is dead. He was open to the poor; he ministered to the suffering. It is the chief evil that has ever fallen on this land."
But Iseult, hearing them, could not answer them a word. She went up to the palace, following the way, and her cloak was random and wild. The Bretons marvelled as she went; nor had they ever seen woman of such a beauty, and they said: "Who is she, or whence does she come?"
Near Tristan, Iseult of the White Hands crouched, maddened at the evil she had done, and calling and lamenting over the dead man. The other Iseult came in and said to her: "Lady, rise and let me come by him; I have more right to mourn him than have you-believe me. I loved him more."
And when she had turned to the east and prayed God, she moved the body a little and lay down by the dead man, beside her friend. She kissed his mouth and his face, and clasped him closely; and so gave up her soul, and died beside him of grief for her lover.
Imaxe do século XV
Fotograma do filme Tristan & Isolde, de Kevin Reynolds
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