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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

'And her purity doth constrain me to mourn for her love so sweet,
Vassals and lands she gave me; yet joy for a true knight meet 510
Belakané of that hath robbed me! yet shame for a wavering mind
I think me is right and manly—With such fetters her love did bind
That she held me afar from Tourney, nor in search of strife I went;
Then I thought me that deeds of knighthood should free me from ill-content,
And here have I somewhat striven—Now many a fool would say 515
That I, for her colour, fled her, to my eyes was she light as day!
For her womanhood true I sorrow; o'er all others her worth stood high
As the boss from the shield outstandeth. And another grief have I,
And here make I my moan unto ye, my brother's arms I saw,
But the shield on which they were blazoned, with point up-turned they bore.'520
(Ah! woe for the words that are spoken, and the tidings of grief they bring!)
His eyes they o'erflowed with water, that gallant Spanish king,
'Alas! O queen for thy madness, thro' thy love is Galoes slain,
Whom every faithful woman from her heart shall mourn amain
If she would that her dealing win her true honour in true man's thought.525
Ah! queen of Auvergne I think me, tho' small grief it to thee hath brought,
Yet thro' thee have I lost my kinsman, tho' his ending was fit and fair,
For a knightly joust hath slain him who thy token in strife would bear!
And these princes here, his comrades, their heartfelt grief they show,
As in funeral train their shield's-breadth do they turn to the earth below,530
For thus hath great sorrow taught them—In this guise do they knightly deeds,
Heavy-hearted that he, my cousin, serveth no more for true love's meed!'

He hath won him another heart-grief as his brother's death is told,
And he spake aloud in his sorrow, 'Now mine anchor hath found its hold
And its haven in bitter rueing,' and the badge did he lay aside, 535
And his grief taught him bitter anguish, and aloud the hero cried,
'Galoes of Anjou! henceforward shall never a man deny
That on earth ne'er was born thine equal for manhood and courtesy,
And the fruit of a free hand knightly from thine heart did it bloom amain.
Ah! woe is me for thy goodness!' then to Kailet he spake again, 540
'How goeth it with Schoettè, my mother, of joy bereft?'
'So that God hath had pity on her! When Gandein this life had left,
And dead was Galoes thy brother, and thou wert not by her side,
And she saw thee no more, then death brake her heart, and she too hath died!'

Then out quoth the Gascon Hardeiss, 'Turn thy will to a manly mien,545
Thou shalt mourn but in fitting measure if true manhood thine own hath been!'
But too great was the load of his sorrow, and the tears as a flood must flow
From his eyes—Then all things he ordered that the knights a fair rest might know,
And he went where he saw his chamber, of samite the little tent,
And in grief and sore lamentation the hours of the night he spent. 550

When there dawned another morning the knights together came,
The inner host and the outer, all who thought there to win them fame;
Were they young or old, were they cowardly or brave, they fought not that day.
And the light grew to middle morning: yet so worn were they with the fray,
And the horses so spent with spurring, that the knights in battle tried 555
Were yet by weariness vanquished—Then the queen herself would ride,
And the valiant men from the open would she bring to the town again,
And the best of the knights within there she bade ride to the Leo-plain;
And straightway they did her bidding, and they rode in their knightly ranks,
And they came ere the Mass was ended to the sad king of Zassamank. 560

Then the benediction spoken, Herzeleide the queen she came,
And e'en as the folk upheld her, so she laid to the knight her claim:
Then he spake, 'A wife have I Lady, and than life shall she be more dear,
Yea, and e'en if I were without her thou another tale shouldst hear
That afar should drive me from thee, if men here shall list my right!' 565
But the queen she looked upon him, and she spake to the gallant knight:

'Thou shalt leave thy Moorish lady for my love; stronger far shall be
The blessing that baptism giveth! From heathendom set thee free,
And wed me in Christian marriage, since my heart for thy love doth yearn.
Or say shall the French queen's message to my shame and my sorrow turn? 570
Sweet words did they speak her people, and thou heardest them to the end!'
'Yea, she is in truth my lady. When I back to Anjou must wend,
Then fair counsels and courteous customs with me from her land I brought;
Yea, even to-day doth she help me whom from childhood to man she taught.
She hath fled all that mars a woman—We were children then, she and I, 575
Yet gladly we saw each other in the days that are long gone by!
The noble queen Anflisé, in true womanhood hath she share,
From her lands a goodly income she gave me, that lady fair,
(In those days was I still a poor man), yet I took it right willingly,
As a poor man thou still shalt count me, and Lady, shalt pity me, 580
He is dead, my gallant brother—Of thy courtesy press me not,
Turn thy love where thou findest gladness, for sorrow is aye my lot!'

'Nay, let me not longer sorrow; how wilt thou deny my claim?'
'Thy question I'll gladly answer, here a Tourney thou didst proclaim,
That Tourney hath not been holden, as many shall witness bear' 585
'For the vesper-play hath marred it! The knights who had foughten there
So well have they tamed their ardour that the Tourney hath come to naught,'
'I did but defend thy city with others that bravely fought;
Thou shouldst force me not to withstand thee, here have others done more than I,
Mine the greeting that all may claim here, other right would I still deny!'590

Then, so hath the venture told me, they chose them, both man and maid,
A judge o'er the claim of the lady, and their cause they before him laid,
And it drew near to middle morning, and thus did the verdict run,
'What knight hath bound on his helmet, and hath hither for conflict come,
And hath fought, and the prize hath holden, then that knight he shall wed the queen.'595
And unto the judgment spoken the knights gave consent I ween.
Spake the queen, 'Mine thou art, and I'll yield thee fair service thy love to gain,
And will give thee of joy such portion that thy life shall be free of pain!'

And yet bare he grief and sorrow—Now the April sun was o'er,
And had left behind a token in the garment the meadow bore, 600
With short green grass was it covered, so that coward hearts waxed bold,
And won afresh high courage; and the trees did their buds unfold
In the soft sweet air of the May-tide, and he came of the fairy race
That aye loveth, or sweet love seeketh, and his friend she would show him grace.

Then he looked on Queen Herzeleide, and he spake to her courteously,605
'If in joy we would live, O Lady, then my warder thou shalt not be,
When loosed from the bonds of sorrow, for knighthood my heart is fain;
If thou holdest me back from Tourney I may practise such wiles again
As of old when I fled from the lady whom I won with mine own right hand;
When from strife she would fain have kept me I fled from her folk and land!'610
Then she spake, 'Set what bonds thou willest, by thy word will I still abide.'
'Many spears would I break asunder, and each month would to Tourney ride,
Thou shalt murmur not O Lady when such knightly joust I'ld run!'
This she sware, so the tale was told me, and the maid and her lands he won.
The three pages of Queen Anflisé and her chaplain were nigh at hand,615
As the judgment was sealed and spoken they must hearken and understand,
And he spake to the knight in secret, 'To my lady this tale was told
How at Patelamunt thy valour did the guerdon of victory hold,
And that there two kingdoms served thee—And she too hath lands I trow,
And she thinketh herself to give thee, and riches and gold enow!'620