Quoth Parzival, 'Who was the maiden who the Grail in her hands did bear,1145
Her mantle, that eve, she lent me?'—Quoth the hermit, 'That lady fair
Is thine aunt, if her robe she lent thee of the loan shalt thou not be vain,
For surely she deemed that hereafter thou shouldst there as monarch reign.
And the Grail, and herself, yea and I too, should honour thee as our lord:
And a gift didst thou take from thine uncle, for he gave thee, I ween, a sword,1150
And sin hast thou won in the wearing, since thy lips, which to speak are fain,
There spake not the mystic question which had loosened his sorrow's chain,
And that sin shalt thou count to the other, for 'tis time that we lay us down.
Nor couches nor cushions had they, but they laid them upon the ground,
And for bedding the rushes served them—too humble, I ween, such bed1155
For men of a race so noble, yet they deemed they were not ill-sped.
Then twice seven days he abode there, with the hermit his lot did share,
And the herb of the ground was his portion—yet he sought not for better fare,
Right gladly he bare such hardness that should bring to him food so sweet,
For as priest did his host absolve him, and as knight gave him counsel meet!1160
Quoth Parzival to the hermit, 'Say who shall he be, who lay
Before the Grail? grey was he, yet his face it was as the day!'
Spake the host, 'Titurel thou sawest, and he shall grandsire be
To thy mother, first king and ruler of the Grail and Its knights was he.
But a sickness hath fallen on him, and he lieth, nor findeth cure,1165
Yet his face on the Grail yet looketh, by Its power shall his life endure!
Nor his countenance changeth colour, and his counsel shall aye be wise—
In his youth he rode far and jousted, and won to him valour's prize.'
'An thou wouldst that thy life be adornèd with true worth as thy crown of fame,
Then ne'er mayst thou hate a woman, but shall honour, as knight, her name,1170
For women and priests, thou knowest, unarmèd shall be their hand,
Yet the blessing of God watcheth o'er them, and as shield round the priest doth stand;
For the priest, he careth for thee, that thine end may be free from ill,
So treat thou no priest as a foeman, but serve him with right good will.
For naught on the earth thou seest that is like to his office high,1175
For he speaketh that word unto us which our peace and our life did buy;
And his hand hath been blest for the holding of the pledge on the altar laid,
To assure us of sin's forgiveness, and the price for our pardon paid.
And a priest who from sin doth guard him, and who to his Lord shall give
Pure heart and pure hand for His service, say, what man shall holier live?'1180
Now this day was their day of parting—Trevrezent to our hero spake,
'Leave thou here thy sins behind thee, God shall me for thy surety take,
And do thou as I have shown thee, be steadfast and true of heart!'
Think ye with what grief and sorrow the twain did asunder part.