Parzival: A Knightly Epic (vol. 1 of 2)

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

Then the king of Spain he heard it, how there stood on the open plain
The tent that at Rassalig's bidding Gamuret as his prize did gain
At Patelamunt, and the tidings a knight to his lord would bring— 95
Then he sped as a deer, joy's vassal I ween was the gallant king!
And thus spake the knight, 'Thy kinsman, and the son of thine aunt I saw,
And with pomp and in state as aforetime, so to-day doth he hither draw;
There are floating a hundred pennons full fair by his knightly shield,
And around his high pavilion they stand on the grassy field, 100
And green as the grass the pennons, and the hero bold doth bear
Three anchors of snow-white ermine on every sendal fair.'

'Hath he come here arrayed for battle? Ah! then shall men see straightway
How he spurreth him swift to the onslaught, how he striveth in knightly fray!
Long time hath the proud King Hardeiss his anger against me shown, 105
Here in joust shall Gamuret fell him, and good fortune shall be mine own!'

Then straightway he sent a message to Gaschier, the Norman knight,
Where he lay with many a vassal; and Killirjacac the fair and bright,
For here had they come at his bidding—The twain at King Kailet's side
Towards the fair pavilion with a goodly following hied. 110
And Zassamank's king was joyful, for he held them dear at heart:
And the time over-long had seemed them since they must from each other part,
This they spake of a true heart truly—And the king he was fain to know
What knights should be here for the Tourney, who valour and skill should show.
Then spake unto him his kinsmen, 'From distant lands they came, 115
The knights whom love's power hath brought here, many heroes of dauntless fame.'

'Here Uther Pendragon fighteth, and with him his Breton host;
One grief as a thorn doth vex him, his wife hath the hero lost,
The queen who was Arthur's mother; a clerk who all magic knew
With him hath she fled, and Arthur doth after the twain pursue; 120
'Tis now the third year since he lost them, his son alike and wife—
And here is his daughter's husband, a hero well skilled in strife,
King Lot is his name, of Norway—swift seeketh he knighthood's prize,
But slow are his feet to falsehood, the knight so bold and wise.
And here is his young son Gawain; as yet he too weak shall be 125
For any deed of knighthood—but now was the boy with me,
And he spake, were he not too feeble a spear-shaft as yet to break
He were fain to do deeds of knighthood, in the Tourney his part would take!
His lust for strife waketh early! Here Patrigalt's king hath brought
Of spears a goodly forest; yet their valour shall be as naught 130
When weighed against the gallant doings of the men of Portugal,
Yea, bold we in truth may call them, and shields do they pierce right well.
And here are the men of Provence, with many a blazoned shield;
And here the Waleis, to their onslaught the foemen perforce must yield,
And they ride at their will thro' the combat, for men of the land are they.135
Many fight here for love's rewarding whose title I may not say,
But all whom I here have named thee now lie, and the truth I tell,
At great cost here within the city, for so the queen deemed it well.'

'And without on the plain they hold them who deem their prize lightly won,
Proud Arragon's haughty monarch, and the brave king of Askalon. 140
Eidegast, he is there from Logrois, and the King Brandelidelein
(The monarch is he of Punturtois), there too is bold Lähelein.
And Morhold is there of Ireland, many pledges that knight hath ta'en;
And many a haughty German doth camp on that battle plain.
To this country the Duke of Brabant hath come thro' the King Hardeiss;145
The king of Gascony gave him his sister the fair Aleiss,
(Yet his service ere that won payment) wrath against me those princes drew:
Now I trust thee to think of our kinship—For love's sake do me service true!'
Quoth the king of Zassamank, 'Cousin, no thanks would I have from thee
Whate'er I may do for thine honour, my will e'en as thine shall be.150
Doth thine ostrich yet stand un-nested? Thou shalt carry its serpent's head
'Gainst thy foeman's demi-gryphon, my anchor shall swift be sped,
And find in his onslaught landing; himself shall a haven seek
Behind his steed on the gravel! If our wrath we be fain to wreak,
And ride one against the other, I fell him, or he felleth me— 155
On my knightly faith as a kinsman this word do I swear to thee!'

Then Kailet he sought his lodging, and his heart it was gay and light.
Then arose on the plain a war-cry, 'fore the face of two gallant knights,
They were Schyolarz of Poitou, and Gurnemanz of Graharz,
On the plain did they meet together; ere the eventide might pass 160
The knights in their troops they rode forth, here by six and there by three,
And they did gallant deeds of knighthood—nor otherwise might it be.

And now it was fully noontide, and the knight in his tent abode;
Then the king of Zassamank heard this, that o'er all the field they rode,
'O'er the length and the breadth they gallop, and in knightly order fight.'165
And thither he rode, the hero, with many a banner bright;
But he rode not in search of conflict, at his leisure he thought to see
What was done by one side and the other of fair deeds of chivalry.
On the plain did they spread his carpet, where the knights in strife would close,
And the shriek of the wounded horses o'er all the tumult rose. 170
The squires stood round in a circle mid the clash of the ringing steel,
And the heroes for fair fame battled, and the swords sang for woe or weal.
There was sound as of splintered spear-shafts, but none need to question, Where?
And his walls were of meeting foemen, by knightly hands builded fair.

And so near was I ween the jousting that the maids from the hall above175
Might look on the toil of the heroes—But sorrow the queen did move
Since the king of Zassamank did naught, nor mingled him in the fight,
And she quoth, 'Ah! why came he hither? I had deemed him a gallant knight!'
(Now the King of France, whose fair wife brought Gamuret sorrow sore
When he fought for her sake, lay lifeless, and the queen sought the wide world o'er180
To know if from heathen countries he had come to his land again.
'Twas love's power to the search that drove her, for love did her heart constrain.)

And many brave deeds were done there of many a poor man bold,
Who yet for the highest strove not, which the queen for their prize had told,
Herself and her two fair kingdoms,—they thought not such prize to gain,185
But they battled for other booty, tho' their hearts were for payment fain.

Now clad was Gamuret's body in the harness whereby his wife
Might bring to her mind forgiveness, and the ending of bitter strife.
The Scotch King Friedebrand sent it, as a gift, to repay the woe
That with conflict he heaped upon her, nor shall earth of its fellow know.190
Then he looked well upon the diamond—'twas a helmet, thereon they bound
An anchor, and jewels so precious were within its setting found;
Nor small were the stones, but costly, and the weight it was none too light
Of that helmet, and yet he bare it, and decked was the guest for fight