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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

'God sendeth the men in secret, but the maidens in light of day
Are given unto their husbands; thus none spake to his wooing, Nay,
When King Kastis wooed Herzeleide, but joyful our sister gave, 1045
Yet ne'er might her love rejoice him for Death dug at his feet a grave.
But in life had he given thy mother both Norgals and fair Waleis,
Those kingdoms twain and their cities, Kingrivals and Kanvoleis.
'Twas a fair gift, and known of all men—Then they rode on their homeward way,
But Death met them upon their journey, and he made of the king his prey,1050
And over both Waleis and Norgals Herzeleide, as queen, did reign,
Till Gamuret's right hand valiant won the maid, and her kingdoms twain.'

'Thus the Grail Its maidens giveth, in the day, and the sight of men,
But It sendeth Its knights in the silence and their children It claims again,—
To the host of the Grail are they counted, Grail servants they all shall be,1055
So the will of God standeth written on the Grail for all men to see.'

'He who would to the Grail do service, he shall women's love forswear:
A wife shall none have save the Grail king, and his wife a pure heart must bear,
And those others whom God's Hand sendeth, as king, to a kingless land—
But little I recked such counsel, to love's service I vowed my hand,1060
As the pride of my youth constrained me, and the beauty of woman's eyes,
And I rode full oft in her service, and I battled for knighthood's prize.
Fain was I for wild adventure, on jousting no more I thought,
So fair shone the love-light on me ever fiercer the strife I sought.
And thro' far-off lands and distant, in the service of love I fared,1065
And to win sweet love's rewarding right valiant the deeds I dared.
If heathen my foe or Christian, what mattered it unto me?
The fiercer the strife that beset me, the fairer my prize should be!'

'And thus, for the love of woman, in three parts of the earth I fought,
In Europe, and far-off Asia, and in Afric' I honour sought. 1070
If for gallant jousting I lusted I fought before Gaurivon;
By the mystic Mount of Fay-Morgan I many a joust have run.
And I fought by the Mount Agremontin, where are fiery men and fierce,
Yet the other side they burn not tho' their spears thro' the shield can pierce.
In Rohas I sought for ventures, and Slavs were my foemen then, 1075
With lances they came against me and I trow they were gallant men!'

'From Seville I took my journey, and I sailed o'er the tideless sea
Unto Sicily, since thro' Friant and Aquilea should my journey be.
Alas! alas! woe is me, for I met with thy father there,
I found him, and looked upon him, ere I from Seville must fare. 1080
For e'en as I came to the city he there for a space abode,
And my heart shall be sore for his journey, since thence to Bagdad he rode,
And there, as thyself hast spoken, in a knightly joust he fell,
And for ever my heart must mourn him, and my tongue of his praises tell!'
'A rich man shall be my brother, nor silver nor gold would spare 1085
When in secret I forth from Monsalväsch at his will and his word did fare;
For I took me his royal signet, and to Karkobra I came,
Where Plimizöl to the wide sea floweth, and the land, Barbigöl, they name.
And the Burg-grave he knew the token, ere I rode from the town again
Of horses and squires, as failed me, he raised me a gallant train,1090
And we rode thence to wild adventures, and to many a knightly deed,
For nothing had he begrudged me of aught that might serve my need.
Alone came I unto the city, and there at my journey's end
Did I leave those who had fared thence with me, and alone to Monsalväsch wend.'

'Now hearken to me, my nephew, when thy father first saw my face 1095
Of old in Seville's fair city, there did he such likeness trace
To his wife, fair Herzeleide, that he would me as brother claim,
Tho' never before had he seen me, and secret I held my name.
And in sooth was I fair to look on, as ever a man might be,
And my face by no beard was hidden; and sweetly he spake to me, 1100
When he sought me within my dwelling—Yet many an oath I swore
And many a word of denial, yet ever he pressed me more
Till in secret at last I told him, his kinsman was I in truth,
And greatly did he rejoice him when he knew that his words were sooth!'

'A jewel he gave unto me, and I gave to him at his will; 1105
Thou sawest my shrine, green shall grass be, yet that shineth greener still,
'Twas wrought from the stone he gave me—and a better gift he gave,
For his nephew as squire he left me, Prince Ither, the true and brave.
His heart such lore had taught him that falsehood his face did flee,
The King of Cumberland was he, who, thou sayest, was slain by thee.1110
Then no longer might we delay us, but we parted, alas! for aye.
He rode to the land of Baruch, unto Rohas I took my way.

'In Celli three weeks I battled, and I deemed 'twas enough for fame,
From Rohas I took my journey and unto Gandein I came,
('Twas that town from which first thy grandsire, his name of Gandein did take,)1115
And many a deed did Ither, and men of his prowess spake.
And the town lieth near the river, where Graien and Drave they meet,
And the waters I ween are golden,—there Ither found guerdon sweet,
For thine aunt, Lamire, she loved him, she was queen of that fair land,
Gandein of Anjou, her father, he gave it unto her hand. 1120
And Lamire was her name, but her country shall be Styria to this day—
And many a land must he traverse who seeketh for knightly fray.'

'It grieveth me sore for my red squire, men honoured me for his sake,
And Ither was thy near kinsman tho' of that thou small heed didst take!
Yet God He hath not forgotten, and thy deed shall He count for sin,1125
And I wot thou shalt first do penance ere thou to His peace shalt win.
And, weeping, this truth I tell thee, two mortal sins shall lie
On thine heart, thou hast slain thy kinsman, and thy mother, thro' thee, must die.
And in sooth shalt thou sore bewail her; in the day thou didst leave her side,
So great was her love, and faithful, that for grief at thy loss she died.1130
Now do thou as here I rede thee, repent thee and pay sin's cost,
That thy conflict on earth well ended thy soul be not ever lost.'

Then the host he quoth full kindly, 'Nephew, now say the word,
Whence hast thou yon gallant charger? Not yet I the tale have heard!'
'In a joust, Sir Host, did I win it, when I rode from Siguné's cell1135
In a gallop I smote the rider and he from the saddle fell,
And the steed was mine, I rode hence,—from Monsalväsch he came, the knight.'
Quoth the host, 'Is the man yet living who thus with thee did fight?'
'Yea, I saw him fly before me, and beside me stood his steed.'
'Nay, if thou in such wise dost bear thee thou art scant of wit indeed!1140
The Grail-knights dost thou rob, and thinkest their friendship thereby to win?'
'Nay, my uncle, in strife I won it, and he who shall count it sin
Let him ask how the thing hath chanced thus, 'twas a fair fight we fought, we twain,
Nor was it for naught that I took it, for first had my steed been slain!'