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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

Came King Vergulacht, and he saw well how his folk 'gainst Gawain did fight;
Nor do I in this deceive ye, nor can I account him right
That not as a host he bare him, when he saw his gallant guest
Thus stand, as one man against many—But straight thro' the throng he pressed,
In such wise, I must mourn for Gandein, the monarch of Anjou fair, 215
That his daughter, so true a lady, so faithless a son must bear.
From the strife his folk he called not, short space must they stay their hand
While the king would don his armour, he lusted to lead the band.

Too mighty the force for Gawain, nor I ween shall ye count it shame
That he closed the door upon them—Then in wrath and haste there came220
The knight who to battle bade him 'fore Arthur at Plimizöl
But short time back—They called him the Landgrave Kingrimursel,
And sore did Gawain's need vex him, he wrung his hands amain,
For in sooth had he pledged his honour his foe should in peace remain
Till one man alone o'ercame him—Old and young from the tower he drave,225
Yet the portal would they force open, as their king commandment gave.

Then the Landgrave he cried on Gawain, 'Sir Knight, I would in to thee
As a friend, that this bitter conflict I may share, if it so must be,
For then must my monarch slay me, or leave thee in life to-day.'
Peace Gawain would swear unto him, and he made to the tower his way—230
Then doubtful, the foemen thronging, their hand for a space must hold,
For their Burg-grave he was, and his bidding had they hearkened both young and old.
Then, as ceased the noise of battle, thro' the doorway he sprang, Gawain,
And the Landgrave, he stood beside him, swift and bold were those heroes twain.

Quoth King Vergulacht, 'Why tarry? Why stand we here as on guard, 235
When of foemen but two shall dare us, and none other the tower gates ward?
Much my cousin doth take upon him, when he dareth to shield my foe,
Yea, himself should wreak vengeance on him, if his faith he were fain to show!'

Of true heart then they chose a true man, and unto the king he spake,
'Now, Sire, upon our Landgrave no vengeance we think to take, 240
Nor shall harm at our hand befall him—May God so turn thy mind
That, instead of shaming, honour thou shalt from this venture find.
For shame shall it bring upon thee, and an ending to thy fair fame,
If he who as host doth hail thee shall here at thine hand be slain.
And thy kinsman is he, this other who hath brought him into this land;245
So, lest cursing and shame be thy portion, we pray thee to stay thine hand,
And grant thou a truce thro' the daylight, and the fleeting hours of night,
Then bethink thee for shame or honour, and do as shall seem thee right!'

'And our queen who hath ne'er known falsehood, thy sister, Antikonie,
See there as she standeth by him and weepeth full bitterly. 250
Canst thou see such sight without rueing, since one mother bare ye both?
And bethink thee, sire, thou art wise else, thou didst send him, nothing loth,
Alone to this gentle maiden, nor further a guardian gave;
For her sake it were well to spare him!' Then the king bade those warriors brave
To call a truce—He'ld bethink him how vengeance he best might take255
For his father's death—Yet all guiltless Gawain, for another's sake,
Must he bear the shame; with a lance-thrust by Ekunât was he slain
As to Barbigöl Prince Iofreit, a prisoner, he would have ta'en,
Who had ridden erewhile with Gawain—In such wise the chance befell
That they deemed that Gawain had slain him—So men do the venture tell.260

And scarce was the truce bespoken ere of men was the field bereft,
Each betook him unto his lodging, nor one on the ground was left.
Then the queen threw her arms around him, and with many a kiss so sweet
She gave to her gallant cousin such rewarding as seemed her meet,
Since so bravely he stood by Gawain, and sheltered the twain from wrong,265
And she spake, 'Now art thou my cousin, nor unfaith shall to thee belong.'

Now hearken and I will read ye that word which I spake of late,
How a true heart sore was darkened—I ween 'twas an evil fate
That led Vergulacht to Schamfanzon; such deed he ne'er did learn
From sire or aye from mother, with shame did the young knight burn,270
And torment sore and suffering his better self must know
As his sister 'gan upbraid him, small mercy the maid would show.

And thus spake the noble maiden, 'Now had it but been God's will,
That I, a man born, might sword bear, and knightly tasks fulfil,
To strive with me hadst thou come here, methinks thou hadst come too late,—275
But now am I all defenceless, a maiden, and no man's mate.
And yet a shield I carry, and fair its device shall be,
And honoured of all—Its blazon would I read here, Sir King, to thee,
That thou henceforth mayst know it—Pure heart and upright mind,
That true man beneath its cover a shelter may ever find. 280
And that, o'er the gallant hero whom thou sentest unto my care,
Did I hold, and 'gainst thee, his foeman, I did, as beseemed me, bear,
For none other armour had I—And if thou repent the ill
Thou hast done to thy guest, me, thy sister, hast thou wronged more deeply still;
For this is the right of woman, so ever 'twas told to me, 285
That if ever unto the shelter of a maiden a knight shall flee,
Then they who as foemen follow shall straightway leave their chase—
In such wise they ever bear them who would not their shield disgrace—
Now, Sir Vergulacht, that thy guest fled to me as his hope of life,
Hath loaded with shame thine honour, since thou aided, nor checked, thestrife!'290

Then Kingrimursel quoth sternly, 'Yea, Sire, 'twas at thy command,
That on Plimizöl's plain I bade him, Sir Gawain, to seek this land.
On thy royal word safe conduct I sware him, that should he ride
Hither we twain were pledged him no evil should here betide,
Save but from one foeman only—Now, Sire, thou hast here done ill295
In that, spite of thine oath so knightly, thy word thou didst not fulfil.
And here shall my fellows hearing give judgment betwixt us twain,
If thus thou wrongest princes, what as king mayst thou hope to gain
From us of faith and honour?—If honoured thou fain wouldst be,
Then, courteous, make confession that near of kin are we; 300
True cousin am I, no bastard, and e'en if such chance had been,
Even then, in this thy dealing, thou hadst done me a wrong, I ween!
A knight am I in whom no man hath found a taint of shame,
And I think me that free from falsehood, yea, to death will I guard my fame,
For in God have I ever trusted, and, methinks, He holds not in store305
Such fate for the days of the future as I knew not in days of yore.
Yet they who shall hear the story, how the nephew of Arthur rode
To Schamfanzon 'neath my safe-conduct, where'er shall be his abode—
An he come from the land of the Breton, or from France, or from Provence fair,
Burgundian he, or Gallician, or the arms of Punturtois bear— 310
When he hear of the grief of Gawain then my fame shall be swiftly sped,
And shame be my meed for the danger that threatened that knightly head.
At the tale of this strife shall my glory wax narrow, and blame grow wide;
And, as joy in the past dwelt with me, so henceforward shall shame abide.'