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

by von Eschenbach Wolfram

From the bough of the mighty linden Sir Gawain he loosed the steed, 315
And the bridle he took that the palfrey he might to the lady lead—
'Away from me!' cried the sick man, 'thou treadest on me I trow!'
Then he led it apart, and the lady she followed so soft and slow,
For she knew what her lord did purpose; as the maid to her horse he swung,
Up started the knight, and swiftly on the charger of Gawain sprung! 320
And, methinks, an ill deed he did there—With his lady he rode away,
And I ween that with sin was tainted the prize that he won that day!

Then sore did Gawain bemoan him, but the lady laughed loud and clear;
(And, were it a jest, he thought him such mirth were unfitting here,)
As his charger was taken from him her sweet lips in this wise spake, 325
'First wert thou a knight, then, in short space, I thee for a leech must take,
Now art thou become my footman! yet thou shouldst in no wise despair,
Such skill sure should bring thee comfort! Wouldst thou still in my favours share?'

'Yea, Lady,' then quoth Sir Gawain, 'an I might thy favor hold,
The whole earth hath nothing fairer were the tale of its riches told; 330
And of crownèd heads, and uncrownèd, of all who may joyful win
The highest meed of glory, did they bid me to share therein,
Yet still my heart would rede me to count all such gain as naught
If thy love were but weighed against it, such bliss had thy favour brought!
If thy love may not be my guerdon then a swift sad death I'll die, 335
'Tis thine own this thing that thou scornest when thou dealest thus mockingly.
Tho' a free man born thou shalt hold me thy vassal, if such thy will,
Call me knight, or slave, or servant, the name it shall please me still!
Yet, I think me, thou doest not rightly—When my service thou thus wilt shame
Thou drawest down sin upon thee, and thou shamest thine own fair fame. 340
If my service doth bring me honour thou hast naught withal to scorn,
And such words shall but ill beseem thee tho' they lightly by me be borne!'

Then back rode the knight, sore wounded, and he quoth, 'Is it thou, Gawain?
For that which erewhile I owed thee here dost thou full payment gain,
Since thine hand in bitter conflict, me, thy foeman, did prisoner make 345
And unto thine uncle Arthur thou didst me thy captive take,
And four weeks long must I dwell there, and four weeks long I fed
With the dogs—I shall ne'er forget it till the days of my life be sped!'

Then he quoth, 'Is it thou, O Urian? If now thou art wroth with me,
Yet guiltless am I, the king's favour at that time I won for thee, 350
For thy folly so far betrayed thee that men spake thee an outcast knight,
And thy shield it was taken from thee, and forfeit thy name and right;
Since thou ill didst entreat a maiden, and the peace of the land didst break,
With a rope had the king repaid thee, but to him for thy life I spake!'

'Howe'er that might be, here thou standest, and the proverb thou well mayst know, 355
"Who saveth the life of another, that other shall have for foe."
And I do as a wise man doeth—'Tis better a child should weep
Than a full-grown man, and bearded,—this charger mine hand shall keep!'
Then he spurred him amain, and he rode thence, as fast as his steed might fly,
And wroth was Gawain at his dealing, and he spake out right angrily; 360

'Now it fell out in this wise, Lady, King Arthur his court did hold
At Dianasdron, and with him rode many a Breton bold.
Then as messenger to his kingdom a maiden must take her way,
And this fool, for venture seeking, he crossed her path that day,
And both to the land were strangers—He burnt with unholy fire, 365
And fierce with the maid he wrestled till he bent her to his desire.
As she cried for help we heard her—then the king "To arms" did call,
In a wood the thing had chanced thus, thither rode we one and all,
And I rode of all the foremost, and I saw the sinner's track,
And I made him perforce my captive, and to Arthur I brought him back.' 370

'And the maiden she rode beside us, and sorely did she bemoan
That to force she must yield the guerdon that to service was due alone.
Of her maidenhood had he robbed her—Yet but lowly his fame shall stand
Who vaunteth himself the victor o'er a woman's unarmèd hand—
And wrathful, I ween, was King Arthur, and he spake, 'Ye my servants true, 375
Ye shall hold this deed for accursèd, and the day of its doing rue.
Alas! for the woful dawning and the light that this thing hath seen,
Alas! that I here am ruler, for the judgment is mine, I ween!'
And he spake to the weeping maiden, 'Hast thou wisdom, thy cause then plead.'
She spake fearless, e'en as he bade her, and the knights they must list her rede. 380

'Then Prince Urian of Punturtois stood before the Breton king,
And against his life and his honour, her plaint did the maiden bring,
And she spake so that all might hear her, and with weeping words did pray
The king, for the sake of women, her shaming to put away.
And she prayed by the honour of women, and by the Round Table's fame, 385
And the right which as message-bearer she thought of all men to claim,
If he sat there that day for judgment he should judge her with judgment true,
And avenge her of this dishonour which her soul must for ever rue.
And she prayed they would do her justice, those knights of the Table Round,
Since in sooth she had lost a treasure which might never again be found, 390
Her maidenhood fair and unstainèd! Then all men, with one accord,
Spake him guilty, and for his judgment called loudly upon their lord!'

'Then an advocate spake for the captive, (Small honour was his I trow.)
And he spake as he might in his favour, yet it went with him ill enow,
For of life and of honour forfeit did they judge him, the headsman's sword 395
Should ne'er be his death, but a halter should they twine him of hempen cord.
Then loud in his woe he prayed me, since he yielded him to mine hand,
For mine honour should sure be stainèd if wrought were the king's command.
Then I prayed of the weeping maiden, since she saw how that I in fight
Had avenged upon him her shaming, to pardon the traitor knight. 400
For sure 'twas the spell of her beauty that had wrought upon him for sin,
And the love of her form so shapely—"For aye if a knight doth win
Sore peril for love of a woman, she should aid him, and hear his prayer,
So I prithee to cease thine anger, and have pity on his despair."'