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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

'Now hearken, the Grail's elect ones, say who doth their service claim?
On the Grail, in a mystic writing, appeareth each chosen name,
If a man it shall be, or a maiden, whom God calls to this journey blest.655
And the message no man effaceth, till all know the high behest,
But when all shall the name have read there, as it came, doth the writing go:
As children the Grail doth call them, 'neath its shadow they wax and grow.
And blessèd shall be the mother whose child doth the summons hear,
Rich and poor alike rejoiceth when the messenger draweth near, 660
And the Grail son or daughter claimeth! They are gathered from every land,
And ever from shame and sorrow are they sheltered, that holy band.
In Heaven is their rewarding, if so be that they needs must die,
Then bliss and desire's fulfilment are waiting them all on high!'

'They who took no part in the conflict, when Lucifer would fight 665
With the Three-in-One, those angels were cast forth from Heaven's height.
To the earth they came at God's bidding, and that wondrous stone did tend,
Nor was It less pure for their service, yet their task found at last an end.
I know not if God forgave them, or if they yet deeper fell,
This one thing I know of a surety, what God doeth, He doeth well! 670
But ever since then to this service nor maiden nor knight shall fail,
For God calleth them all as shall please Him!—and so standeth it with the Grail!'
Quoth Parzival, 'So, since knighthood may conquer, with spear and shield,
Both the fame of this life, and the blessing which Paradise shall yield,
Since my soul ever longed for knighthood, and I fought where'er strife might be,675
And my right hand hath neared full often the guerdon of victory,
If God be the God of battles, if He know how a man should fight,
Let Him name me as one of His servants, of the Grail let Him make me knight!
They shall own that I fear no danger, nor from strife would I turn aside!'
But the hermit made answer gently, 'First must thou beware of pride,680
For lightly may youth mislead thee; and the grace of humility
Mayst thou lose, and the proud God doth punish, as full surely is known to me!'
And tears filled his eyes to o'erflowing, and his sad thoughts awhile did turn
To a story of old, and our hero he bade from its lesson learn.

And he quoth, 'Sir Knight, at Monsalväsch a king reigned in days of yore,685
His name all men know as Anfortas, and I weep for him evermore.
Yea, and thou too shalt mourn his sorrow, for bitter the woe, I ween,
And the torment of heart and body that his guerdon from pride hath been.
For his youth and his worldly riches they led him an evil road,
And he sought for Frau Minne's favour in paths where no peace abode.'690

'But the Grail all such ways forbiddeth, and both knight alike and squire
Who serve the Grail must guard them from the lust of untamed desire.
By meekness their pride must be conquered, if they look for a heavenly prize,
And the brotherhood holdeth hidden the Grail from all stranger eyes:
By their warlike skill and prowess the folk from the lands around, 695
They keep afar, and none knoweth where the Grail and Its Burg are found
Save those whom the Grail shall summon within Monsalväsch' wall—
Yet one, uncalled, rode thither and evil did then befall,
For foolish he was, and witless, and sin-laden from thence did fare,
Since he asked not his host of his sorrow and the woe that he saw him bear.700
No man would I blame, yet this man, I ween, for his sins must pay,
Since he asked not the longed-for question which all sorrow had put away.
(Sore laden his host with suffering, earth knoweth no greater pain.)
And before him King Lähelein came there, and rode to the Lake Brimbane.
Libbèals, the gallant hero, a joust there was fain to ride, 705
And Lähelein lifeless left him, on the grass by the water-side,
(Prienlaskors, methinks, was his birthplace) and his slayer then led away
His charger, so men knew the evil thus wrought by his hand that day.'

'And I think me, Sir Knight, thou art Lähelein? For thou gavest unto my care
A steed that such token showeth as the steeds of the Grail Knights bear!710
For the white dove I see on its housing, from Monsalväsch it surely came?
Such arms did Anfortas give them while joy yet was his and fame.
Their shields bare of old the token, Titurel gave it to his son
Frimutel, and such shield bare that hero when his death in a joust he won.
For his wife did he love so dearly no woman was loved so well 715
By man, yet in truth and honour,—and the same men of thee shall tell
If thou wakenest anew old customs, and thy wife from thine heart dost love—
Hold thou fast to such fair example lest thy steps from the right path rove!
And in sooth thou art wondrous like him who once o'er the Grail did reign,
Say, what is thy race? whence art thou? and tell me I pray thy name!'720

Each gazed for a space on the other, and thus quoth Parzival,
'Son am I to a king and hero who through knightly courage fell,
In a joust was he slain—Now I pray thee, Sir Hermit, of this thy grace,
That thou, in thy prayers henceforward, wilt give to his name a place.
Know, Gamuret, did they call him, and he came from fair Anjou— 725
Sir Host I am not Lähelein; if ever such sin I knew
'Twas in my days of folly, yet in truth have I done the same,
Here I make of my guilt confession, and my sin unto thee I name,
For the prince who once fell a victim unto my sinful hand
Was he whom men called 'the Red Knight,' Prince Ither of Cumberland.730
On the greensward I lifeless stretched him, and as at my feet he lay,
Harness, and horse, and weapons, as my booty I bare away!'

Spake the host as his words were ended, (the tale he ill pleased must hear,)
'Ah! world, wherefore deal thus with us? since sorrow and grief and fear
Far more than delight dost thou give us! Say, is this thy reward alone?735
For ever the song that thou singest doth end in a mournful tone!'
And he spake, 'O thou son of my sister, what rede may I give to thee?
Since the knight thou hast slain in thy folly, thy flesh and thy blood was he!
If thou, blood-guiltiness bearing, shalt dare before God to stand,
For one blood were ye twain, to God's justice thy life shall repay thine hand.740
Say, for Ither of Gaheviess fallen, what payment dost think to give?
The crown he of knightly honour! God gave him, while he might live.
All that decketh man's life; for all evil his true heart did truly mourn,
True balsam was he of the faithful, to honour and glory born.
And shame fled before his coming, and truth in his heart did dwell,745
And for love of his lovely body many women shall hate thee well!
For well did they love his coming, and to serve them he aye was fain,
But their eyes that shone fair for his fairness he ne'er shall rejoice again!
Now, may God show His mercy to thee whose hand hath such evil wrought,
Herzeleide the queen, thy mother, thou too to her death hast brought—'750
'Nay! Nay! not so, holy father! What sayest thou?' quoth Parzival,
'Of what dost thou here accuse me? Were I king o'er the wondrous Grail
Not all Its countless riches would repay me if this be sooth,
These words that thy lips have spoken! And yet if I, in very truth,
Be son unto thy sister, then show that thou mean'st me well, 755
And say, without fear or falsehood, are these things true that thou dost tell?'

Then the hermit he spake in answer, 'Ne'er learnt I to deceive,
Thy mother she died of sorrow in the day thou her side didst leave,
Such rewarding her love won for her! Thou wast the beast that hung
On her breast, the wingèd dragon that forth from her body sprung, 760
That spread its wings and left her: in a dream was it all foretold
Ere yet the sorrowing mother the babe to her breast did hold!'

'And two other sisters had I, Schoisianè she was one;
She bare a child—Woe is me, her death thro' this birth she won!
Duke Kiot of Katelangen was her husband, and since that day 765
All wordly joy and honour he putteth from him away.
Siguné, their little daughter, was left to thy mother's care:
And sorrow for Schoisianè in my heart do I ever bear!
So true was her heart and faithful, an ark 'gainst the flood of sin.
A maiden, my other sister, her pure life doth honour win, 770
For the Grail she ever tendeth—Repanse de Schoie, her name,
Tho' none from Its place may move It whose heart showeth taint of shame,
In her hands is It light as a feather—And brother unto us twain
Is Anfortas, by right of heirship he king o'er the Grail doth reign;
And he knoweth not joy, but sorrow, yet one hope I ween is his, 775
That his pain shall at last be turnèd to delight and to endless bliss.
And wondrous the tale of his sorrow, as, nephew, I'll tell to thee,
And if true be thine heart and faithful his grief shall thy sorrow be!'

'When he died, Frimutel, our father, they chose them his eldest son
As Lord of the Grail and Its knighthood, thus Anfortas his kingdom won,780
And of riches and crown was he worthy, and we were but children still—
When he came to the years of manhood, when love joyeth to work her will
On the heart, and his lips were fringèd with the down of early youth,
Frau Minne laid stress upon him who for torment hath little ruth.
But if love the Grail King seeketh other than he find writ, 785
'Tis a sin, and in sorrow and sighing full sore shall he pay for it!'