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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

Then Parzival quoth, 'Right gladly, Sir Knight, will I let thee live,675
If favour and love to thy lady thou swearest again to give!'
'That I will not! Her sin against me I trow all too great shall be.
Rich in honour she was; she hath injured herself, and she plungeth me,
Her lord, in yet deeper sorrow. In all else thy will I'll heed,
An thou thinkest my life to leave me—'Twas God gave it me indeed, 680
Now thine hand is become His servant, to give it to me anew,
And I to thy valour owe it'—In this wise spake the hero true:

'For my life will I give fair ransom, for kingdoms twain, I trow,
My brother with might hath won him, of riches he hath enow.
Thou shalt ask as it best may please thee: if from death thou wilt set me free,685
He loveth me, and will loose me whatever the cost may be.
And my Dukedom again as thy vassal will I take from thy valiant hand,
Thy fame it shall gain new lustre, since I might not thy power withstand.
Now release me, thou hero dauntless, from forgiveness of her, my wife;
Whatever shall be for thine honour, by that will I buy my life, 690
But with her, my dishonoured Duchess, at peace will I never be,
Nay, not for all pain or sorrow that shall otherwise fall to me!'

Quoth Parzival, 'Folk or kingdoms, or riches or jewels rare,
All these they shall nothing profit—Thy pledge thou to me shalt swear
In naught to delay thy journey, but to haste thee to Brittany 695
Where dwelleth a gentle maiden—One hath smitten her sore for me,
And I will on that man have vengeance, an his safety she shall not pray—
Thy pledge and my loyal service bear thou to that maid straightway,
Or here, without fail, I slay thee—To King Arthur and to his queen,
To both shalt thou bear my greeting; well paid hath my service been,700
If they for that blow ill-smitten the maiden do well entreat.
But first will I see that thou givest to this lady thine homage meet,
And that without guile—Dost withstand me, and thinkest my will to dare,
On a bier, and no more on a charger, from hence shalt thou lifeless fare!
Now mark thou my words, for their doing a pledge shalt thou straightway give,705
And thy surety swear unto me, if longer thou fain wouldst live!'
To King Parzival spake his foeman, Duke Orilus, 'Helpeth naught
'Gainst this thy will, I will do it, for fain I my life had bought!'

In the fear for the life of her husband Jeschuté, that lady fair,
Mourned sore for his woe, yet the foemen to part might she little dare.710
Then Parzival bade him rise up, and speak to his lady bright
The words of peace and of pardon; and thus quoth the vanquished knight,
'Lady, since this my shaming in strife hath been for thy sake,
So be it, the kiss of forgiveness from my lips shalt thou herewith take.
Thro' thee have I lost much honour—What boots it? I pardon sware!'715
Then swift from her steed on the meadow sprang the lady with white limbs bare,
Tho' the blood that ran from his nostrils had dyed his mouth with red,
Yet she kissed him e'en as he bade her, so was Parzival's bidding sped.

Then the three rode on together till a hermit's cell they saw
In the rocky wall, and our hero his bridle was fain to draw; 720
For he saw there a shrine so holy, and a spear with fair colours blent
Stood beside the shrine; 'twas the dwelling of the hermit Trevrezent.

There Parzival dealt with honour—On the relic an oath he sware,
Himself laid the oath upon him, and he spake and they hearkened fair;
'If I have worth or valour, as 'seemeth a gallant knight— 725
If I have it or not let those witness who have looked on my shield in fight;
Yea, let them approve my knighthood, for knighthood's power may claim,
As the shield-bearer oft shall tell us, high guerdon of praise and fame,
And the name of knight is honoured—My body to shame for aye
Will I give, and my fame and honour henceforth shall be put away; 730
(With these words I my bliss would pledge here in the Hand that shall highest be,
And that Hand is God's Hand, I think me)—All loss, bitter mockery,
In this life and the next be my portion from His power, if this lady fair
E'er did thee wrong when it chanced her that the clasp from her robe I tare—
(Of a token of gold I robbed her)—A fool and no man was I, 735
Not yet had I waxed to wisdom—And sore did she weep thereby,
And anguish and grief she suffered; yea, guiltless was she that day—
And forfeit my bliss and mine honour if the words be not truth I say!
Now see, dost thou hold her guiltless thou shalt give her her ring again,
From the clasp I in such wise parted that my folly must bear the blame!'740

Then the Duke took the ring, and the blood-stains he wiped from his lips away,
And he kissed her, his heart's best treasure—And a covering she won straightway;
The ring he placed on her finger, with his surcoat her shame would hide,
Tho' hewn by the hand of hero, of rich silk was it fashioned wide.
But seldom in coat emblazoned mine eyes have a woman seen, 745
And this one was marred in combat. No war-cry was hers, I ween,
That should summon the knights to Tourney, and never a spear she brake
Whatever her garb—In Tourney far better the part they'ld take,
Lambekein, methinks, and the good squire, if together they thought to fight—
But now was the lady pardoned, and her sorrow had taken flight. 750

Quoth Orilus, 'Now, thou hero, the oath thou didst freely swear,
Great joy and small grief hath brought me; tho' shaming I needs must bear,
Yet gladness therefrom I win me—In all honour I will repay
This lady true for her sorrow when I put her in shame away.
And since all alone I left her she was guiltless did aught betide; 755
Yet so did she speak of thy beauty, methought there was more beside.
But now may God reward thee, thou hast shown her from falsehood free,
I have done her a wrong—Thro' the young wood have I ridden in search of thee
Afar from Briziljan's forest.' Then Parzival took the spear,
Wild Taurian, Dodine's brother, erewhile had he left it here. 760
Now say where the heroes rested, or how they would pass the night—
Helmet and shield had suffered, they were shattered and hewn in fight.
Then Parzival to the lady, and her husband, a farewell bade;
The Duke to his hearth would bid him, 'twas in vain howsoe'er he prayed.

So here, as the venture telleth, they parted, those heroes twain, 765
And the Prince Orilus he sought him his pavilion and folk again.
And glad were his faithful people with one mind when at last they saw
Their lord and his gracious lady dwell in peace and in love once more.
Nor longer was there delaying, the Duke he aside would lay
His arms, and the rust and blood-stains from his face did he wash away;770
By her hand he led the Duchess where atonement he fain would make,
Weeping she lay beside him for joy, not for sorrow's sake.
For such is the way of women, know ye not the saying well?
'Tearful eyes make sweet lips,' of such lore methinks I yet more might tell!
For Love knoweth joy as sorrow, and he who the twain would weigh 775
In a balance shall find them equal an he testeth the scales alway!

At peace were they now, full surely, forthwith to the bath they went,
Twelve fair maidens they waited on her, with them had she shared her tent,
They had tended her since, all guiltless, the wrath of her love she bare;
(At night might she lie well covered, tho' by day she ill-clad must fare)780
And joyful they bathed their lady—But now are ye fain to hear
How Orilus won him tidings that King Arthur would now draw near.