with all her sins upon her

I’ll tell you the truth about the knight:
he listened to them intently
and to the lady on the other side,
both with words and looks.
At night, when the moon shone
when her lord was in bed,
she often rose from his side
and wrapped herself in a cloak.
She went to the window
because of her lover, who, she knew,
was leading the same life,
awake most of the night.
Each took pleasure in the other’s sight
since they could have nothing more;
but she got up and stood there so often
that her lord grew angry
and began to question her, to ask
why she got up and where she went.
“My lord,” the lady answered him,
“there is no joy in the world
like hearing the nightingale sing.
That is why I stand there.
It sounds so sweet at night
that it gives me great pleasure;
it delights me so and I so desire it
that I cannot close my eyes.”
When her lord heard what she said
he laughed in anger and ill will.
He set his mind on one thing:
to trap the nightingale.
There was no valet in his house
that he didn’t set to making traps, nets, or snares,
which he then had placed in the orchard;
there was no hazel tree or chestnut
where they did not place a snare or lime
until they trapped and captured him.
When they had caught the nightingale,
they brought it, still alive, to the lord.
He was very happy when he had it;
he came to the lady’s chambers.
“Lady,” he said, “where are you?
Come here! Speak to us!
I have trapped the nightingale
that kept you awake so much.
From now on you can lie in peace:
he will never again awaken you.”
When the lady heard him,
she was sad and angry.
She asked the lord for the bird
but he killed it out of spite,
he broke its neck in his hands-
too vicious and act-
and threw the body on the lady;
her shift was stained with blood,
a little, on her breast.
Then he left the room.
The lady took the little body;
she wept hard and cursed
those who betrayed the nightingale,
who made the traps and snares,
for they took great joy from her.
“Alas,” she said, “now I must suffer.
I won’t be able to get up at night
or go and stand in the window
where I used to see my love.
I know one thing for certain:
he’d think I was pretending.
I must decide what to do about this.
I shall send him the nightingale
and relate the adventure.”
In a piece of samite,
embroidered in gold and writing,
she wrapped the little bird.
She called one of her servants,
charged him with her message,
and sent him to her love.
He came to the knight,
greeted him in the name of the lady,
related the whole message to him,
and presented the nightingale.

When everything had been told and revealed to the knight,
after he had listened well,
he was very sad about the adventure,
but he wasn’t mean or hesitant.
He had a small vessel fashioned,
with no iron or steel in it;
it was all pure gold and good stones,
very precious and very dear;
the cover was very carefully attached.
He placed the nightingale inside
and then he had the casket sealed-
he carried it with him always.

This adventure was told,
it could not be concealed for long.
The Bretons made a lai about it
which men call The Nightingale.

from Laüstic, Marie de France