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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

As Gawain drew near the lady, she hailed him with scornful mien,
'Now welcome, thou goose! for of all men most foolish art thou, I ween,
All too bent shalt thou be on my service, wert thou wise thou wouldst let it be—'
Then he quoth, 'Yet shalt thou be gracious who now art so wroth with me, 200
For so harshly thou dost chastise me thou in honour must make it good,
And my hand shall be fain to serve thee till thou winnest a milder mood;
Ask thou what of me thou willest—Shall I lift thee upon thy steed?'
But she quoth, 'I will no such service, for methinks all too great such meed
For a hand that is yet unproven—Ask thou for a lesser grace!' 205
On the flowery sward she turned her, and she looked not on Gawain's face,
But she laid her hand on the bridle, and she light to the saddle sprung,
And she bade him to ride before her, and she spake with a mocking tongue,
'Now indeed would it be great pity did I stray from so brave a knight,
By God's grace will we keep together, so ride thou within my sight!' 210

Now he who my rede would follow his peace shall he hold awhile,
Lest he speak but the word of folly, till he know if she wrought of guile,
For as yet the truth ye know not, nor the thing that was in her heart.
And were it the time for vengeance, then I too might bear my part,
And take from this lady payment for the wrong she hath done Gawain; 215
Nor of that she shall do hereafter shall aught unavenged remain.

But Orgelusé, that lovely lady, bare herself in no friendly wise,
For she rode in the track of Gawain, and so wrathful, I ween, her guise
That were I in the stead of Gawain little comfort my soul might take
That she from my care would free me, and with fair love atonement make. 220
Then they rode on an open moorland, and a herb did Sir Gawain see
Whose root had the power of healing, and down to the ground sprang he,
And dug up the root, and swiftly he sprang on his steed again.
And the lady she looked upon him, and she spake in a mocking vein,
'Now in sooth if this my companion can at one-while be leech and knight, 225
For starvation he need not fear him if his salve-box he bear aright!'
Quoth Gawain, ''Neath a mighty linden a wounded knight I saw,
Methinks, if again I find him, this herb shall the poison draw
From his wounds, and new strength may give him!' She spake, 'Now I well were fain
To look on thy skill, for who knoweth what knowledge I thence may gain!' 230

Now a squire he rode swift behind them, 'twas the lady's messenger,
Fain was he to do her bidding—As the horse-hoofs they drew anear
Gawain would await his coming, and his steed for a space he held,
Yet he deemed him he saw a monster when first he the squire beheld,
For Malcréature did they call him, and Kondrie was his sister fair, 235
And e'en such a face as the sister, I ween, did the brother bear.
From his mouth, as the tusks of a wild-boar, stood the teeth out to left and right,
Unlike was his face to a man's face, and fearful in all men's sight.
And the locks of his hair were shorter than those which from Kondrie hung
Adown on her mule, stiff as bristles, and sharp, from his head they sprung. 240
And beside the river Ganges, in the land of Tribalibot,
Dwell such folk, if awhile ye hearken ye shall learn how befell their lot.

Now Adam, of all men father, from God did he learn such skill,
All beasts, wild and tame, he knew them, and he namèd them at his will.
And he knew the stars and their pathway, as they circle the silent sky, 245
And the power of the seven planets, how they rule men from heaven high,
And he knew of all roots the virtue, and the ill that was theirs of yore—
When his children were grown to manhood, and daughters and sons they bore,
From evil desires he warned them; and his daughters he oft did rede
Of certain roots to beware them, that wrought ill with the human seed, 250
And would change their face, and their aspect, and dishonoured the race should be;
And he spake, 'Then shall we be other than erst God did fashion me,
And therefore do ye, my children, give heed to the words I say,
Nor be blind to your bliss, lest your children they wander too far astray.'

But the women, they did as women, in forbidden ways they went, 255
And they wrought out the lust and the evil on which their desire was bent,
And the shape of men was changèd, such rewarding their fault must win,
And tho' firm stood the will of Adam yet sorely he mourned their sin—
Now the fair Queen Sekundillé, her body, her crown, and land,
Feirefis had won as his guerdon by the power of his knightly hand, 260
And there, in her far-off kingdom (no lie is the tale I tell)
Full many of this strange people since the days that are gone do dwell,
And their faces are ill to look on, and the birth-marks are strange they bear.
And once of the Grail men told her, and Anfortas' kingdom fair,
That on earth was naught like to his riches, and a marvel she thought his land— 265
(And the waters within her kingdom bare jewels instead of sand,
And many a golden mountain shall rear its crest on high.)
And the queen she thought, 'How may I win speech of his majesty,
Who ruleth the Grail?' she bethought her, and rich presents she sent the king,
Of jewels fair, and beside them, they should to his kingdom bring 270
Of this folk, so strange to look on, the twain of whom now I tell,
Kondrie and the squire, her brother—and in this wise the chance befell
(Much treasure beside she sent him whose cost might of none be told,)
That Anfortas, the gentle monarch, who was courteous as he was bold,
For the love he bare Orgelusé sent this squire unto her grace, 275
By the sin and the lust of women set apart from the human race!

Now this son of the herbs and the planets loud mocked at the gallant knight,
Who, courteous, would wait his coming; no charger he rode of might,
But a mare so feint and feeble and halting in every limb,
And oft to the ground it stumbled 'neath its rider so harsh and grim. 280
I wot well e'en Dame Jeschuté rode a better steed that day
When Parzival's hand avenged her, and her shaming was put away!

The squire he looked well upon Gawain, and thus in his wrath he spake,
'If thou be a knight, I think me, and my lady with thee wilt take
Thou shalt sorely repent the journey—A fool thou in truth must be, 285
And such peril shall be thy guerdon as winneth great praise to thee,
If so be that thou canst withstand it—Yet, if but a servant thou,
Of buffets and blows, I think me, full soon wilt thou have enow!'

Then out quoth Gawain, 'My knighthood such chastisement ne'er might feel,
'Tis good but for worthless youngsters who shrink from the touch of steel; 290
But I hold me free of such insults, and e'en if it so shall be
That thou and this lovely lady your mock'ry shall pour on me,
Then one sure shall taste my vengeance, nor think thou that I wax wroth
For ill tho' thou be to look on I hold thee but light in troth!'
With that by the hair he gripped him, and he swung him from off his horse, 295
The squire glared wrathful on him, and his bristles, so sharp and coarse,
Took vengeance sore on Gawain, his hand did they cut and tear
Till the blood dripped crimson from it—then loud laughed the lady fair,
'Now in sooth this is good to look on, to see ye twain in wrath!'
So rode the twain, the squire's horse came halting upon their path. 300

So came they unto the linden where the wounded knight they found,
On his side the herb of healing the hand of Gawain bound;
Quoth the knight, 'Now, how went it with thee since first thou didst find me here?
Thou leadest with thee a lady who plotteth thine ill, I fear!
'Tis thro' her I so sore am wounded; at the Perilous Ford, I ween, 305
Did she force such a joust upon me as well-nigh my death had been!
So, if thou thy life now lovest, I warn thee to let her be,
And turn thee aside, nor ride with her, but warning to take by me—
And yet may my wounds be healèd, if rest for awhile I gain,
And, Sir Knight, thereto canst thou help me!' 'That will I,' quoth knight Gawain. 310
Then the wounded knight spake further, 'A spital shall stand near by,
And if I but now might reach it for awhile I in peace might lie,
Thou seest my lady's palfrey, it can carry, methinks, the twain
If she rideth afore, I behind her, so help me its back to gain.'