The Swan Knight's voice rose higher. Like some rare, sweet strain of music, it fell upon the air:
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"The Grail obeying, here to you I came; My father Parsifal, a crown he weareth, His Knight am I and Lohengrin my name!" |
The shadow of a great awe crept into the eyes of all who heard. They stared at Lohengrin in silence.
Only Elsa sank moaning to the ground. Lohengrin caught her in his arms.
"Oh, Elsa, dear one," he cried, "why did you strive to learn my secret? Now I must leave you forever. Had you but remained faithful to your promise for one year, even your brother Godfrey would have come back to you. Here is my sword, my horn, my ring. Should he ever return, give them to him. The sword will help him in battle, the horn will give him aid in an hour of need, and the ring will remind him of Lohengrin, who defended you. Now farewell! The Grail calls me. My swan is here."
While he had been speaking, the snow-white swan, drawing the empty boat, had glided quietly up the winding river. It stood at the shore. The people gazed at it mournfully. Even Lohengrin greeted it in sadness.
Suddenly the dark-haired Ortrud, who had been watching, approached the shore. She leaned over the snow-white swan, and when she saw the golden circlet about its neck, she laughed fiendishly.
"It is he!" she cried. "It is Godfrey! My magic changed him into a swan, and a swan he shall remain!" and she grinned exultingly at Elsa.
Lohengrin, about to enter the boat, stopped at the sound of Ortrud's voice. He listened a moment. Then he fell upon his knees and prayed, while all the people waited breathlessly.
His prayer was lifted up in silence and borne, who shall say where—to what High and Holy presence? For as he prayed a white dove descended and hovered over the boat.