Gottfried von Strassburg
Tristan
In illustrated translation, with the concluding Thomas fragments
‘King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid’
Sir Edward Burne-Jones (English, 1833 - 1898), courtesy of the Birmingham Museums
Joy and woe are woven fine.
Tristan Part I - Rivalin and Blancheflor
Tristan Part II - Tristan
Tristan Part III - Cornwall and Parmenie
Tristan Part IV - Lord Morolt
Tristan Part V - ‘Tantris’ in Ireland
Tristan Part VI - Tristan Revealed
Tristan Part VII - The Love Potion
Tristan Part VIII - Suspicion
Tristan Part IX - Iseult’s Ordeal
Tristan Part X - Banishment
Tristan Part XI - Separation
Tristan Part XII - Iseult of the White Hands
Tristan Part XIII - Tristan’s Marriage
Tristan Part XIV - Sorrows
Tristan Part XV - Brangwen’s Revenge
Tristan Part XVI - The Poisoned Spear
About This Work
Little or nothing is known of Gottfried von Strassburg, whose main work is this unfinished ‘Tristan’, probably composed at the beginning of the 13th century. He seems to have been well-born and highly educated but neither a knight nor of the clergy. According to his own testimony, he based his classic retelling of the story of Tristan and Iseult, written in Middle High German, on the work of the same name, by Thomas of England, written in Anglo-French around the middle of the 12th century. The work by Thomas survives only in fragments, four of which, translated here, provide a conclusion to the tale. Both originals are in octosyllabic verse couplets, as is the translation.
Translated by A. S. Kline © Copyright 2020 All Rights Reserved
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Last Modified 6th January 2020