Yet methinks had her will been evil she had borne not the head-gear rare 755
That aforetime, on Plimizöl's meadow, it had pleasured the maid to wear.
The sun it had worked no evil, if its rays thro' her hair might win
Yet scarce had they shone so fiercely as to darken one whit her skin.
Then courteous she stood, and she spake thus, and good were her words to hear,
In the self-same hour her tidings came thus to the listening ear; 760
'Oh! well is thee, thou hero, thou Gamuret's son so fair,
Since God showeth favour to thee whom Herzeleide of old did bear.
And welcome is he, thy brother, Feirefis, the strange of hue,
For the sake of my Queen Sekundillé, and the tidings that erst I knew
Of the gallant deeds of knighthood that his valiant hand hath done, 765
For e'en from the days of his childhood great fame for himself he won!'
And to Parzival she spake thus, 'Now rejoice with a humble heart,
Since the crown of all earthly blessings henceforward shall be thy part,
For read is the mystic writing—The Grail, It doth hail thee king,
And Kondwiramur, thy true wife, thou shalt to thy kingdom bring, 770
For the Grail, It hath called her thither—Yea, and Lohengrin, thy son,
For e'en as thou left her kingdom twin babes thou by her hadst won.
And Kardeiss, he shall have in that kingdom a heritage rich I trow!
And were no other bliss thy portion than that which I tell thee now—
That with true lips and pure, thou shalt greet him, Anfortas the king, again, 775
And thy mouth thro' the mystic question shall rid him of all his pain,
For sorrow hath been his portion—If joy's light thro' thy deed shall shine
On his life, then of all earth's children whose bliss shall be like to thine?'
Seven stars did she name unto him in Arabic, and their might,
Right well Feirefis should know it, who sat there, both black and white. 780
And she spake, 'Sir Parzival, mark well the names that I tell to thee,
There is Zevâl the highest planet, and the swift star Almustri;
Almaret and the shining Samsi, great bliss unto thee they bring,
Alligafir is fifth, and Alketer stands sixth in the starry ring;
And the nearest to us is Alkamer; and no dream shall it be, my rede, 785
For the bridle of heaven are they, to guide and to check its speed,
'Gainst its swiftness their power, it warreth—Now thy sorrow is passed away,
For far as shall be their journey, and far as shall shine their ray.
So wide is the goal of thy riches and the glory thine hand shall win,
And thy sorrow shall wane and vanish—Yet this thing It holds for sin, 790
The Grail and Its power, It forbids thee unlawful desire to know,
And the company of sinners henceforth must thou shun, I trow;
And riches are thine, and honour, but from these shall thy life be free—
Now thy youth was by sorrow cherished, and her lesson she taught to thee,
But by joy she afar is driven, for thou hast thy soul's rest won, 795
And in grief thou o'er-long hast waited for the joy that is now begun.'
Nor seemed ill to the knight her tidings—Thro' joy must his eyelids know
A rain of crystal tear-drops from a true heart's overflow.
And he quoth, 'If thou speakest, Lady, the thing that indeed shall be,
If God as his knight doth claim me, and they are elect with me, 800
My wife and my child, then I wot well, tho' a sinful man am I,
God looketh with favour on me, and hath dealt with me wondrously!
Of a sooth hast thou here repaid me for the grief thou on me hast brought,
Yet I deem well thy wrath had spared me save that evil myself had wrought,
Nor to bliss was I then predestined—but thou bringest such tidings fair 805
That my sorrow hath found an ending—And these arms do thy truth declare,
For when by the sad Anfortas I sat in Monsalväsch' hall,
Full many a shield I looked on that hung fair on the castle wall,
And with turtle-doves all were blazoned, such as shine on thy robe to-day.
But say, to the joy that awaits me, when and how may I take my way, 810
For I would not there were delaying?' Then she quoth, 'Lord and master dear,
But one knight alone shall ride with thee; choose thou from these warriors here
And trust thou to my skill and knowledge to guide thee upon thy way,
For thy succour Anfortas waiteth, wouldst thou help him, make no delay!'
Then they heard, all they who sat there, how Kondrie had come again 815
And the tidings she bare; and teardrops fell soft like a summer's rain
From the bright eyes of Orgelusé, since Parzival should speak
The words that should heal Anfortas, nor that healing be long to seek.
Then Arthur, the fame-desirous, spake to Kondrie in courtesy,
'Now, Lady, wilt ride to thy lodging? Say, how may we care for thee?' 820
And she quoth, 'Is she here, Arnivé, what lodging she shall prepare,
That lodging shall well content me till hence with my lord I fare;
If a captive she be no longer, then fain would I see them all,
The queen, and the other ladies, whom Klingsor, in magic thrall,
For many a year hath fettered'—Then they lifted her on her steed, 825
Two knights, and unto Arnivé did the faithful maiden speed.
Now the feast drew nigh to its ending—By his brother sat Parzival,
And he prayed him to be his comrade, nor his words did unheeded fall,
For Feirefis spake him ready to Monsalväsch' Burg to ride—
In the self-same hour upstood they, the guests, o'er the ring so wide, 830
And Feirefis prayed this favour from Gramoflanz, the king,
If in sooth he should love his cousin of that love he would token bring;
'Both thou and Gawain, ye must help me, whether princes or kings they be,
Or barons, or knights, none betake them from this field till my gifts they see.
Myself had I shamed if I rode hence and never a gift should leave, 835
And the minstrel-folk they shall wait here till they gifts from my hand receive.
And Arthur, this thing would I pray thee, seek that none of these knights disdain,
Tho' lofty their birth, a token of friendship from me to gain;
For the shame, on thyself shalt thou take it—one so rich shall they ne'er have known—
Give me messengers unto the haven that the presents to all be shown!' 840
Then they sware them unto the heathen that no man of them should depart
From the field till four days were ended, and the heathen was glad at heart,
And wise messengers Arthur gave him, who should forth to the haven fare—
Feirefis took him ink and parchment, and a letter he bade them bear,
Nor the writing, I ween, lacked tokens of his hand from whom it came, 845
And seldom methinks a letter such goodly return might claim!
Then soon must the messengers ride hence—Parzival stood the host before,
And in French did he tell the story from Trevrezent learnt of yore,
How the Grail, throughout all ages, may never by man be known,
Save by him whom God calleth to It, whose name God doth know alone. 850
And the tale shall be told in all lands; no conflict may win that prize,
And 'tis vain on that Quest to spend them, since 'tis hidden from mortal eyes!'
And for Parzival and his brother the maidens must mourn that day,
Farewell they were loth to bid them—Ere the heroes rode on their way
Thro' the armies four they gat them, and they prayed leave from each and all, 855
And joyful, they took their journey, well armed 'gainst what might befall.
And the third day hence to Ioflanz from the heathen's host they brought
Great gifts, so rich and costly, men ne'er on such wealth had thought.
Did a king take of them, his kingdom was rich for evermore—
And to each as beseemed his station the precious gifts they bore, 860
And the ladies, they had rich presents, from Triant and Nouriente—
How the others rode I know not, but the twain, they with Kondrie went!