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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

'Sir Knight, did I ill-entreat thee, I did it for this alone,
I would prove if thine heart were steadfast, and my love might to thee atone.
I know well my words did wound thee, yet they were but to prove thee meant,
And I pray thee, of this thy goodness, be thine anger with pity blent, 480
And forgive me the ill I did thee. I have found thee both brave and true,
As gold that is tried in the furnace shineth forth from the flame anew,
So, methinks, doth it shine, thy courage. He, for whose harm I brought thee here,
As I thought me afore, and I think still, his valour hath cost me dear.'

Quoth Gawain, 'If awhile death spare me, such lesson I'll read the king 485
As shall put to his pride an ending, and his life in sore peril bring.
My faith as a knight have I pledged him, hereafter, a little space,
To meet him in knightly combat, nor our manhood shall we disgrace.
And here I forgive thee, Lady, and if thou wilt not disdain
My counsel so rough, I'll tell thee wherewith thou mayst honour gain, 490
What shall 'seem thee well as a woman, nor in aught shall unfitting be,
Here we twain are alone, I pray thee show favour and grace to me!'
But she quoth, 'In an arm thus mail-clad but seldom I warmly lay;
Yet would I not strive against thee, thou shalt on a fitting day
Win rewarding for this thy service—Thy sorrow will I bemoan, 495
Till thou of thy wounds art healèd and all thought of thine ill be flown;
To Château Merveil I'll ride with thee.' 'Now waxeth my joy indeed!'
Quoth the hero, of love desirous, and he lifted her on her steed,
And close clung his arm around her: 'twas more than she deemed him worth
When first by the spring she saw him, and mocked him with bitter mirth. 500

Then joyful Gawain he rode hence; yet the lady she wept alway,
And he mourned with her woe, and he prayed her the cause of her grief to say,
And in God's Name to cease from weeping! Then she quoth, 'I must mourn, Sir Knight,
Because of the hand that slew him, the knight of my love, in fight;
For that deed to my heart brought sorrow, tho' I naught but delight had known 505
When Eidegast's love rejoiced me; yet was I not so o'erthrown
But since then I might seek his mischief, whatever the cost might be,
And many fierce jousts have been ridden that were aimed at his life by me.
And here, methinks, canst thou aid me, and avenge me on him, my foe,
And repay me for this sore sorrow that my heart doth for ever know.' 510

'For the winning his death I took gladly the service he proffered me,
A king, who of earthly wishes the master and lord should be,
Sir Knight, he was named Anfortas—As his love-pledge to me he sent
That which standeth without thy portals, from Tabronit it came, that tent,
And great I ween is its value—But alas! for that gallant king, 515
Such reward did he win in my service as all joy to an end must bring
Where fain I my love had given, there must I fresh sorrow know,
For bitter indeed was his guerdon!—As great, or e'en greater, woe
Than the death of Eidegast brought me, was my lot thro' Anfortas' fate.
Now say, how shall I, of all women most wretched, in this estate, 520
If my heart yet be true, be other than of senses and mind distraught,
Yea, at times have I been beside me when I on Anfortas thought;
After Eidegast did I choose him, my avenger and love to be—
Now hearken and hear how Klingsor won that booth thou erewhile didst see:
When it fell so the brave Anfortas, who this token had sent to me, 525
Was of love and of joy forsaken, then I feared lest I shamed should be;
For Klingsor, such power he wieldeth by the force of his magic spell,
That maiden or man to his purpose can he force as shall please him well.
All gallant folk that he seeth, unharmed may they ne'er go free—
Thus my riches to him I proffered, if so be he sware peace with me. 530
And he that should brave the venture, and he that should win the prize,
To him I my love should offer; but if so be that in his eyes
My love were a thing unworthy, the booth should be mine again.
But now hast thou done my bidding, and it falleth unto us twain;
And 'twas sworn in the ears of many, for thereby I hoped to lure 535
My foe (yet in this I failèd) for the strife he might ne'er endure.'

'Now courtly and wise is Klingsor; for his honour it pleased him well
That many a deed of knighthood, at my will, in his land befell,
By the hand of my valiant servants, with many a thrust and blow.
All the week, every day as it passes, and the weeks into years do grow, 540
My troops in their changing order beset him by night and day,
For at great cost my snares so cunning for Gramoflanz did I lay.
And many have striven with him, yet must him as victor own;
Yet I still for his life am thirsting, and at last shall he be o'erthrown.
And some were too rich for my payment, and but for my love would serve, 545
Then I bid them for that do me service, but reward did they ne'er deserve.'

'And never a man beheld me but his service I swiftly won,
Save one, and he bare red armour; to my folk he much ill had done,
For hither he rode from Logrois, and he there did my knights o'erthrow
In such wise that they fell before him, and it pleased me but ill I trow. 550
And, between Logrois and thy meadow, five knights they followed fair,
And he cast them to earth, and their chargers the boatman from thence must bear.
Then as he my knights had vanquished, I myself did the hero pray
For my love and my land to serve me, but naught would that red knight say,
Save he had a wife who was fairer, and should aye to his heart be dear. 555
Then wroth was I at his answer, and the name of his wife would hear:
"Wouldst thou know the name of my chosen?—She reigneth at Pelrapär,
And Parzival all men call me, and naught for thy love I care,
Other sorrow the Grail doth give me!" Then in anger he rode away;
Now, I prithee, here give me counsel, if evil I did that day, 560
When I, by heart-sorrow driven, proffered love to that gallant knight?
Should I count my fair fame dishonoured?' Quoth Gawain to that lady bright,
'A gallant knight is he, truly, who thus thy desire hath crossed,
Had he to thy bidding hearkened no fame thou thro' him hadst lost!'

Then Gawain, the courteous hero, and the lady his rein beside, 565
Gazed lovingly on each other—and so far on their way did ride,
That they drew anear to the castle, where the venture erewhile befell,
And they who looked forth might see them—-'Now, Lady, 'twould please me well
If thou do this thing that I ask thee, from all men my name withhold,
Which the knight who once stole my charger aloud in thine hearing told. 570
But do this that I say, if any shall pray thee to tell my name,
Say, "I know not the name of my true knight, none spake it when here he came."'
Then she quoth, 'I will keep it secret, since thou wouldst not 'twere spoken here.'
And the knight and the lovely lady they rode to the Burg anear.

Now the knights they had heard of the coming of one who, with valiant hand, 575
Faced the venture, and slew the lion, and the Turkowit dared withstand,
Yea, and had in fair joust o'erthrown him; and now on the flowery plain,
The meadow of strife, rode the hero, and they looked on the knight Gawain,
From the battlements could they see him; and the forces together draw;
And with ringing blast of trumpet they pass thro' the castle door, 580
And rich banners on high were tossing, and their steeds o'er the plain they flew,
And he deemed that they came for battle, so swift they towards him drew.
As Gawain from afar might see them to the lady he spake again,
'Do they come here with thought of battle?' But she quoth, 'They are Klingsor's men,
From afar have they seen thy coming, and they ride their new lord to greet, 585
With joy would they bid thee welcome! Refuse not this honour meet,
Since 'tis gladness that doth constrain them.' There, too, in a vessel fair
Plippalinòt came to meet them, and his daughter with him did bear;
And swift o'er the flowery meadow the maiden towards them stept,
And joyful she hailed the hero for whom she aforetime wept. 590

Then Gawain gave her courteous greeting, and stirrup and foot she kissed,
And she turned her to Orgelusé, nor the lady her welcome missed.
And she prayed him to 'light from his charger the while that she held the rein,
And then to the ship she led them, the lady and knight Gawain;
And there, in the place of honour, a carpet and cushions lay, 595
And the Duchess by Gawain sat her, as the maiden the twain did pray.
And her office the maid forgat not, she disarmèd the hero there,
And in sooth it is said that the mantle she did for his robing bear
Which had served him that night for cover, when he did 'neath her rooftree lie,
And now was the hour for its wearing and it wrapped him right royally. 600
So clad was Gawain in her mantle, and his own robe beneath he wore,
And the harness he laid from off him on one side the maiden bore.

And now as they sat together for the first time the lady fair
Might look on his face and know him—Then unto the twain they bare
Two game-birds that well were roasted, and with them a flask of wine, 605
And two cakes did the maiden bring them on a cloth that was white and fine—
The birds were the prey of the falcon—but Gawain and his lady bright
Must seek water themselves, if to wash them ere they ate here should seem them right,
And this did the twain; and joyful was the knight that he now might eat
With her, for whose sake he would suffer joy, or sorrow, as seemed her meet. 610
And oft as the cup she gave him that her sweet lips had touched, anew
Sprang his joy that he thus drank with her, and his sorrow behind him drew,
And it halted nor might o'ertake him, and his gladness on swift foot sped,
So fair was her mouth and so rosy her lips that from grief he fled.