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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

Quoth King Lot's son unto the Waleis,' Sir Knight, here thou doest ill375
In that thou withholdest greeting—tho' patient I wait thy will
Far otherwise can I bear me! Know thou that to friend and king,
Yea, to all whom I count my fellows, thy deed doth dishonour bring,
And our shame ever waxeth greater; yet prayed I for thee this grace,
The king of free heart forgives thee, if now thou shalt seek his face.380
So hearken, I pray, my counsel, and do thou as I shall say,
And ride thou with me to King Arthur, nor too long shalt thou find the way.'

Nor threatening nor prayer might move him, this fair son of Gamuret:
Then the pride of King Arthur's knighthood his memory backward set,
And he thought of Frau Minne's dealings, and the time when the knife's sharp blade385
He drave thro' his hand unwitting, thro' the love of a gracious maid.
And that time when from death's cold clutches, a queen's hand had set him free,
When of Lähelein was he vanquished, and captive in joust was he,
And a queen in the day of his danger must pledge her fair life for his,
And her name shall of men be praisèd, Queen Ingus of Bachtarliess. 390
Thought Gawain, 'It may be Frau Minne dealeth so with this goodly man,
As she dealt with me of old time, so claspeth him in the ban
Of her magic spells fair-woven, that his spirit within the snare
She holdeth fast entangled'—Then his eyes on the snow-flakes fair
He cast, and he knew the token, and swift from the spell-bound sight395
With cloth of fair silk and sendal, he covered the blood-drops bright.

The blood-stained snow was hidden, nor longer its spell was seen,
And his sight and his sense unclouded she gave him, his wife and queen;
Yet his heart did she hold in her keeping, and its dwelling was Pelrapär,
And he cried aloud in his sorrow thro' the silent summer air; 400
'Alas! who of thee hath robbed me, who erewhile wast my queen and wife,
For thy love, thy crown, and thy kingdom my right hand hath won in strife.
Say, say, am I he who saved thee from Klamidé the warrior king?
Yea, sorrow and bitter sighing, and grief that the heart doth wring
Are the guerdons I won in thy service, and now from mine eyes be-dazed405
Art thou reft, and thy place I know not, tho' but now on thy face I gazed.'

Then he quoth, 'Now, where shall my spear be, since I wot well I brought it here?'
Quoth Gawain, 'A joust hast thou ridden, and splintered shall be thy spear.'
'With whom should I joust?' quoth the Waleis, 'thou bearest nor sword nor shield,
And little had been mine honour, an thou to my hand didst yield! 410
Yet bear I awhile thy mocking, nor will I thy friendship pray,
Tho' many a joust have I ridden, yet my saddle I kept alway.
An thou be not for jousting minded, and I find not in thee a foe,
Yet the world lieth wide before me, and hence on my way I go;
For labour and strife am I seeking and fain would I win me praise, 415
Be anguish or joy my portion; nor unfruitful shall be my days.'

Quoth Gawain, 'What I spake aforetime I spake of true heart and free,
Nor my thoughts were the thoughts of evil, for well would I deal with thee;
And the boon that I crave will I win me, my monarch with many a knight
Lieth here at hand with his army, and with many a lady bright, 420
An it please thee, Sir Knight, to betake thee to our goodly company,
From all strife shall this right hand guard thee, and gladly I'll ride with thee.'
'I thank thee, Sir Knight, fair thou speakest, yet say ere with thee I ride,
Who the monarch may be whom thou servest? and who rideth here at my side?'

'A man do I hail as master, thro' whose fame much fame I won, 425
Nor here shall my mouth keep silence on the things he for me hath done.
For dear hath he ever held me, and as true knight did me entreat:
(His sister King Lot hath wedded, and the twain I as parents greet.)
And the good gifts God gave unto me, to his service I yield them all,
For my hand and my heart he ruleth, whom men do King Arthur call. 430
Nor mine own name need here be hidden, nor a secret shall long remain,
For the folk and the lands that know me, they call on me as Gawain:
And fain would I do thee service, alike with my hand and name,
If thou turnest here at my bidding, nor bringest upon me shame!'

Then he quoth, 'Is it thou, O Gawain? too little I yet have done 435
That thou shouldst as a friend entreat me; yet hast thou this honour won
That all men thou gently treatest—and thy friendship I here will take,
Yet not for mine own deserving, but repayment I fain would make.
Now say where thine army lieth, since so many tents I see
That stand fair by the brink of the river? If King Arthur in truth shall be440
So near, then must I bemoan me, that in honour I may not dare
To enter his royal presence, or look on his queen so fair.
Since 'tis meet that I first avenge me of a foul and discourteous blow,
For which, since the day I left them, I sorrow and shame must know.
For a maiden as she beheld me, laughed sweetly, the seneschal 445
For my sake smote the maid so sorely, 'twas a wood that upon her fell.'

'Rough vengeance thou here hast taken! (Gawain to the Waleis spake)
Since thou in a joust hast felled him, and right arm and left leg he brake.
Ride here, see his charger lifeless, that lieth the stone below;
On the snowdrift behold the splinters of the spear that hath dealt the blow!450
'Tis the spear thou but now wast seeking!' Then the truth knew Sir Parzival,
And straightway he spake unto Gawain, 'Now, if this be the seneschal,
And the man who so sorely shamed me, if thou swear me that this was he,
Thou mayst ride where thou wilt, and gladly will I ride in thy company!'
'Nay, never a lie do I tell thee,' quoth Gawain, 'thou hast overthrown455
Segramor, who ere now in battle was ever as victor known,
He fell ere yet Kay had met thee: great deeds hast thou done to-day,
Since o'er two of our bravest heroes the prize thou hast borne away.'

So rode they, the one with the other, the Waleis and Knight Gawain,
And the folk, both afoot and on horseback, with honour would greet the twain,460
Gawain and his guest the Red Knight, this did they of courtesy,
And the twain to his fair pavilion they gat them right speedily.
And the lady, fair Kunnewaaré, whose tent by Gawain's did stand,
Rejoiced, and she joyful greeted the hero, whose strong right hand
Had failed not to wreak stern vengeance for the ill that Kay wrought that day;465
Then her brother and fair Jeschuté she led by the hand straightway,
And Parzival looked upon them as the three to his tent drew near,
And his face, thro' the rust of his armour, it shone ever fair and clear,
As roses dew-dipped had flown there: his harness aside he laid,
And he stood before Kunnewaaré, and thus spake the gentle maid: 470

'To God shalt thou first be welcome, as welcome thou art to me,
Since thy manhood thou well hast proven, and the faith that I had in thee!
Ere the day that my heart beheld thee, nor laughter nor smiles I knew,
And Kay, who in that hour smote me, with stern hand my gladness slew.
But now hast thou well avenged me! With a kiss I thy deed would pay,475
If I of thy kiss were worthy!' 'Nay, so had I thought to-day
To crave of thy lips my payment,' quoth Parzival, 'if thou still
Wilt give me such gracious greeting, right gladly I'll do thy will!'