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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

For thus spake a knight to his master, 'On a grassy plain I saw
In fair and knightly order a thousand tents, yea, more,
For Arthur the noble monarch, the King of the Breton's land 785
With a wondrous fair host of maidens his court holdeth nigh at hand;
Methinks scarce a mile are they distant, nor shout of knights shall fail,
On either side Plimizöl's waters their camp lies adown the vale.'

Then the Duke in haste and gladness forth from his bath he stept—
Would ye know how she fared, Jeschuté? No longer the lady wept, 790
But she went, the fair and gentle, from her bath to her couch straightway,
And far fairer, I ween, her garments than she ware for many a day.
And closely they clung together, the prince and the princess wise,
And Love came to the aid of gladness, and joy here hath won the prize.
Then the maidens they clad their lady, but the knights their lord's armour brought,795
And much had ye praised the vesture of Jeschuté, 'twas fairly wrought
And birds caught in snares they brought them, on their couch did they sit the twain,
And joyful they ate; many kisses from her lord did Jeschuté gain!

Then they brought to the lovely lady a palfrey, so strong and fair,
'Twas bridled, and richly saddled, and a lady right well might bear,800
And they lifted her to the saddle, with her brave lord she hence would ride;
But his charger was armed, as for battle the knight would his steed bestride,
And the sword he that morn had wielded hung the saddle-bow before.
Then from foot to head well armèd he came forth to his steed once more,
And there, where his lady waited, to the saddle he sprung, the knight,805
He would ride forth without delaying, with Jeschuté his lady bright.
But his folk should fare back to Lalande, save one knight who should show the way
To the camp and the court of King Arthur, so he counselled his folk that day.

Soon came they anear King Arthur, and his tents they right well espied,
For the space of a mile they stretched them adown by the water's side.810
The knight who had led him hither he bade to his folk repair,
No comrade he'ld have save Jeschuté, his lady so true and fair.
And Arthur, the brave and humble, he sat where at eve he'ld eat,
On a plain with his vassals round him, in order due and meet.
Duke Orilus rode to their circle, and none might his blazon know, 815
So hewn were both shield and helmet—'twas Parzival dealt such blow!

From his horse sprang the gallant hero, Jeschuté she held his rein;
Swift sprang the squires to aid them, and thronged close around the twain,
And they spake, 'We will care for the horses,'—Orilus, on the grass he laid
His shield so marred and splintered, and he asked of the gracious maid820
For whose sake he had ridden thither, and they showed him the lady's seat,
Kunnewaaré she was of Lalande, and her mien for a maid was meet.

Then, armed, he drew near unto them—King and queen bade him welcome fair,
He thanked them, and to his sister his pledge was he fain to swear,
But the maiden, right well she knew him by the golden dragon's shine,825
And she spake, 'Thou art sure my brother, Orilus, or Lähelein,
And pledge will I take from neither, for both of ye aye were fain
To render to me such service as I from your hands would gain.
I were dead to all truth and honour if I dealt with thee as a foe,
My courtesy sure were shamèd by my own hand, and laid alow.' 830

Then the prince knelt before the maiden and he spake, 'Thou the truth hath said,
I am Orilus thy brother; the Red Knight this oath hath laid
On me that my pledge I yield thee, for so must I buy my life,
Wilt thou take it, then have I done that which I sware after bitter strife.'
Then his pledge, who had borne the dragon, in her white hand the maid must take,835
And she set him free, and he rose up, and thus to his sister spake:

'Now to sorrow shall faith constrain me, alas! who hath smitten thee?
The blows perforce must wound me—He who lusted thereto might see,
If this were the hour for vengeance, that grief I with thee must share;
And the bravest of men mourneth with me that ever a woman bare, 840
He calleth himself the Red Knight—O king! he doth bid me greet
Both thee and the queen thy lady, he doth offer ye service meet,
As he fain would serve this my sister—His service ye will repay,
If ye kindly entreat this maiden that her shaming be put away.
And I, too, had fared far better at the hand of this dauntless knight,845
Had he known the maid for my sister, and her blows on my heart must light.'

Now Kay, he hath earned fresh hatred from all who would there abide,
Both knights and gentle ladies, by Plimizöl's flowing tide,
From Iofreit the son of Idöl, from Gawain, and the vanquished king
Klamidé, of whose sore peril I of yore unto ye would sing. 850
And from many another hero whose names I right well had told,
But o'er-long would it be my story—So they thronged round the hero bold,
And, courteous, he took their service—his wife would they nearer bring,
She sat as yet on her palfrey, and they welcomed her, queen and king.

Then the women they kissed each other, and thus spake the king so true,855
'Thy father, King Lac of Karnant, for a gallant man I knew,
For his sake I mourned thy sorrow when first men the tale did bear,
Methinks that thy lord should have spared thee for the sake of thy face so fair!
For the prize was thine at Kanedig thro' the light of thy beauty's ray,
And the hawk didst thou win for thy fairness, on thine hand did it ride away.860
If Orilus wrong hath done me, yet I wished unto thee no ill,
And never I liked his judgment; and so doth it please me still
To see thee restored to favour, and clad in these garments fair,
As fitting thy state, O Lady! since woe thou o'er-long didst bear.'
And she quoth, 'Now may God reward thee, O Sire! for these words so true,865
That thy fame may wax the higher, and may blossom and bloom anew!'