BookVIII.tells how Gawain came to Schamfanzon, and how King Vergulacht committed him to the care of his sister Antikonie. How Gawain wooed the maiden, and of the wrath of her people. Of the adventure of the chess-board, and how Kingrimursel came to the help of Gawain. How Antikonie reproached King Vergulacht, and how the nobles counselled their monarch. Of the oath Gawain sware to the King, and how he rode forth to seek the Grail.
BOOK VIII
ANTIKONIE
Whosoe'er at Beaurosch had battled, methinks that Gawain had wonThe highest fame in both armies, save but for one knight alone;And none knew his red harness glowing, and none knew from whence he came,But high as a banner waveth, so high did it rise, his fame.Yet of honour alike and good fortune had Gawain in full his share—5Now hence must he ride, for the moment of strife which he sought drew near,And far and wide stretched the woodland thro' which he must wend his way—No conflict he shunned, tho' all guiltless of the sin men on him would lay.But, alas! his charger failed him, Ingliart, with the close-cropped ear,In the land of the Moors at Tabronit no better the steeds they rear.10And diverse the wood around him, here a bush and there a field,And so narrow at whiles, that pathway, it scarcely a space might yieldFor tent, or for knight's pavilion. Then fair dwellings met his eye,'Twas Askalon, and he prayed them if Schamfanzon at hand did lie?But many a marsh and moorland and many a steep hillside15Must he traverse, ere fair before him in the setting sun he spiedA fortress stand so stately, it gleamed in the sunlight's rays,And he turned his steed towards it who rode here on unknown ways.Now list ye awhile the venture, and mourn ye awhile with meThe sorrow that fell on Gawain—And if old ye shall chance to be20Or young, yet of this your friendship I pray you his grief to weep;Alas! were it best to tell ye, or silence a space to keep?Nay, better to tell the story, how he whom Good Luck did callHer friend, was by her forsaken, and how grief to his lot must fall.So proudly uprose the fortress that never did Carthage seem25So fair to the eyes of Æneas, when Dido, as failed her dreamOf love, turned to death and, seeking, found rest in his cold embrace.Would ye know what countless turrets those stately halls did grace?Scarce more had Akraton boasted, that city whose walls so wide,An man may believe the heathen, with Babylon only vied;30So high rose the circling ramparts, and where to the sea they fellNo storm might they fear, but defiance could they bid to their foes right well.'Fore the city a plain outstretching lay fair for a mile or more.As Sir Gawain rode across it, five hundred knights he saw,Yet one, o'er all the others, gallant and fair to sight;35Gaily they rode towards him all clad in raiment bright,For so the venture telleth—With their falcons soaring highWould they chase the crane, or other fair game that should wingèd fly.A tall steed from Spain's far kingdom, King Vergulacht bestrode,And his glance was as day in the night-time—Aforetime his race abode40Where Mazadan reigned as monarch, by Fay Morgan's mystic mount,And amid the roll of his fathers he many a fay might count—And even as in the spring-tide the May blossom bloometh fairSo rode the king in his beauty, and Gawain he bethought him there,As he saw him ride so stately, 'twas another Parzival,45Or Gamuret, as he came to Kanvoleis, as this venture erewhile did tell.Now into a pond so marshy a heron had taken flightAs it fled from before the falcon, and the king, as beseemed a knight,Sought not for the ford but followed as he saw his falcon's need,And wet he won in the aiding, and lost was his gallant steed,50And lost too his royal raiment, tho' safe was I ween the bird.The falconers took his garments, for this, so the tale I've heard,Was their right, and they needs must have them, and no man might say them nay.Another horse they brought him, for lost was his own for aye,And fresh garments they put upon him, since such was the chance of fate55That his falconers won the vesture that had decked their king of late.Then Sir Gawain, he rode towards them, and knightly and worshipfulThe greeting they gave unto him, not such as in KaridölOnce fell to the lot of Erec, when after his well-fought fightHe had fain drawn near to King Arthur, and with him his lady bright,60Fair Enid, who graced his coming—But the dwarf MaliklisierWith a scourge full hardly smote him, 'neath the eyes of Queen Guinevere.At Tulmein he took his vengeance, where, within the ring so wideTo win the hawk, the heroes in deeds of valour vied.'Twas Idêr, the son of Noit, a hero true and bold65Whom he else had slain, whom Erec did there in surety hold.But leave we all other venture, and hearken awhile to me,For in sooth never fairer welcome shall it fall to your lot to see.Yet, alas! for ill it wrought him, Gawain, King Lot's brave son—An ye will I will cease my story ere the tale to its end be run,70And for pity's sake keep silence—Yet perchance it were best to tellThe ill that thro' others' treason on a gallant spirit fell.And if I yet further pray ye this story strange to heedThen in sooth, e'en as I, right truly will ye mourn for its hero's need.Quoth the king, 'Sir Knight, thus I think me, thou shalt to the castle ride,75Thinehostwill I be right gladly, tho' scarce may I be thyguide;Yet if this on my part shall vex thee the chase will I gladly leave!'Quoth Gawain, 'As it best may please thee, that do, nor for my sake grieve,Whate'er thou shalt do shall be well done—No grudge do I bear thee, Sire,But of right good-will I gladly will do as thou shalt require.'80Quoth the king of Askalon further, 'Schamfanzon thou well mayst seeSir Knight, there my sister dwelleth, who as yet but a maid shall be;And she hath in fullest measure such beauty as poets sing—An thou as a grace shalt hold it, my knights unto her shall bringSuch word she shall well entreat thee in my stead, till I come again.85And whenever I come, I think me, 'twill be sooner than thou art fainTo look on my face, for gladly wilt thou spare me when thou shalt seeMy sweet sister, nor e'er bemoan thee, tho' my coming o'er late shall be!''Nay, gladly again I'll see thee, and gladly thy sister greet,Tho' as host never queen has done me such service as host finds meet'90Thus spake the gallant Gawain—Then a knight bare the king's behestTo his sister, that she, as fitting, should so care for the stranger guestThat however long his absence the hours should as minutes fly—(An ye will, I will cease my story that now runneth but mournfully!)Nay, further I'll tell the venture,—Steed and pathway the hero bore95Where as one were both Burg and palace, and he held him before the door.And he who shall e'er have builded a house, he shall better knowTo tell of this mighty castle, and the strength of its walls to show.Yea, indeed 'twas a Burg, none better might this earth on its bosom bearAnd around it, far outstretching, the ramparts towered high in air.100Leave we the praise of the castle, and speak of the castle's queen,A maiden fair, for of women I shall better speak I ween,And as fitting I'll sing her praises—Was she fair to the eye? 'Twas well;Was she true of heart? Then gladly will men of her praises tell.And so both in mind and manner might she vie with that lady true,105The Margravine, who from Heitstein afar o'er her marches threwA light,—Well for him who dwelleth as friend in her presence fair,Such pastime as there his portion he findeth not other-where!For I praise but a woman's virtue, as I see, and shall surely know,True and pure must she be, the maiden, on whom I shall praise bestow.110And he whom this venture singeth is a gallant man and true,For no dealing have I with falsehood, or with one who his deeds shall rue,As repentance, slowly piercing, but turneth his bliss to bale,And his soul knoweth wrath and sorrow, or ever his life-days fail.To the castle court rode Gawain, and the goodly company115To whom the king had sent him, who shamed for his sake should be.Then the knight to his lady led him, as she sat in her beauty's glow,Queen Antikonie—Could the merchants a woman's fame bestow,Of such goods had she made rich purchase; 'gainst falsehood she set her face,And hers was the crown of honour, and a maiden's maiden grace.120Ah! woe's me for him of Veldeck, that death thus cut short his days,None is there of all men living who so well could have sung her praise.Then Gawain, he looked on the maiden, and the messenger spake the wordE'en as the king had bade him, and the queen his message heard.Then gently she spake to the hero, 'Come thou near unto me, Sir Knight,125Thyself shalt be my master in courtesy, as is right;And gladly I'll do thy bidding—If well it shall please thee here,'Twill be even as thou shalt order—Yea, since my brother dearHath bid me well entreat thee, I'll kiss thee, if so I may.I'll do, or leave it undone, e'en as thou the word shalt say!'130Courteous she stood before him, quoth Gawain, 'Thy lips so redIn sooth were made for kissing, be kiss and greeting sped!'So full and warm and rosy were the lips that Gawain pressed,No stranger sure had kissed her as kissed this stranger guest.Unchecked he sat him by her, and sweet words passed between,135Soft spake they to each other; and oft renewed, I ween,His prayers and her denials, yea, sorely grieved was he,And fain to win her favour—Then she spake as I tell to ye:'Bethink thee, Sir Knight, thou art wise else, with this I enough have done,For I ween at my brother's bidding mine uncle Gamuret won140Less welcome from Queen Anflisé than the welcomeIgave to thee,An our tending were weighed together methinks hers would lighter be.Nor know I, Sir Knight, whence thou comest, nor e'en what shall be thy name,That, after such short approving, thou shouldst to my love lay claim!'Then out spake the gallant Gawain, 'Then know here assuredly145O! queen, of my father's sister the brother's son am I;Wilt thou give me sweet love's rewarding, for my birth shalt thou not delay,Hand in hand, and to equal measure, it paceth with thine alway!'The maiden who filled the wine-cup she had passed from out the hall,And the women who sat beside them must now to their mind recall150The task that elsewhere did wait them; nor longer the knight stood thereWho erst to the queen had brought him—As Gawain was now awareThat no man was here beside them, he thought how a mighty birdIs oft trapped by a little falcon—nor further he spake a word,But he passed his arm around her beneath her mantle's fold,155And love laid such stress upon them, the maid and the hero bold,That belike a thing had chanced there, an no eye had been there to see,Of one mind were the twain—yet heart-sorrow drew near to them speedily.For straight stepped within the doorway an old and grey-haired knight,And loudly he called on Gawain, and shouted a shout of might,160For well did he know the hero, and fiercely his cry did ring,'Alas! alas! woe upon us, since the hand that hath slain our kingIs fain now to force his daughter!' At the sound of his battle-cryThe folk that within the castle abode to the hall did hie,So it fell out—Then quoth Sir Gawain to the queen, 'Now, Lady mine,165Say thou how we best may ward us 'gainst this wrathful folk of thine,For sure they will come against us—An I had but my sword at hand!'Then out spake the gentle maiden, 'Their might shall we best withstandAn we to yon tower betake us that riseth my bower beside,Perchance they will then bethink them, and the storm shall we override.'170Here a knight, and there a merchant, already the maid must hear,With the cry of the angry townsfolk, as the twain to the tower drew near;And sore was her friend beset there, tho' she prayed them from strife to cease,So loud rose the angry tumult none hearkened her words of peace.'Gainst the portal the foe pressed onward, Gawain stood within the door,175And held off the angry rabble; an iron bolt he toreFrom its fastenings wherewith to arm him, and before his strong right handFull oft fled his evil neighbours, they durst not his blows withstand.While the queen, with flying footsteps, hither and thither soughtTo find, perchance, some weapon 'gainst the foe that so fiercely fought.180At length did she chance on some chess-men, and a chess-board, wide and fair,That hung by a ring of iron; to Gawain she brought it there,As a shield four-square it served him; yea, many a game was playedOn that board ere 'twas hewn in battle—Now hear of the royal maid;Were it king, or queen, or castle, she hurled them against the foe,185Heavy and large the chess-men, and in sooth I would have ye knowThey who by her shaft were stricken must ever a fall abide.Right bravely the queen so gracious now fought by her hero's side,And she bare herself so knightly, that never the Burger maidsOf Tollenstein at Shrove-tide such dauntless skill displayed.190And yet they but fight for folly, and weary themselves for naught—An a woman bear trace of battle, on her womanhood shame is brought,(For I know what befits a woman,) unless love shall have bid her fightTo prove her faith—Now faithful and true was that lady bright,As Schamfanzon might bear witness—Yet, tho' high of heart was she,195Many tears that conflict cost her; for in sooth shall it ever beThat Love is brave as steadfast, yet tender and true of heart—Would ye know how in such fierce conflict Sir Gawain would bear his part?When the strife but leisure gave him to gaze on the maid aright,Her lips so red and glowing, her eyes so soft and bright—200More slender was she and shapely than ever a lowland hareThat ye truss on the spit, so graceful her limbs, and her form so fair;Full well might her charms awaken desire in the heart of man.And smaller, I ween, the maiden, where her golden girdle ranAround her waist, than ants are, and their slender shape ye know—205The sight wrought in Gawain courage his foemen to overthrow,For she shared his need; his chastising none other than death should be,And help was there none—Then his anger flamed high and wroth was heAs he looked on that gentle maiden, and no fear was his but hate,And sorely his foemen rued it who met at his hand their fate.210Came King Vergulacht, and he saw well how his folk 'gainst Gawain did fight;Nor do I in this deceive ye, nor can I account him rightThat not as a host he bare him, when he saw his gallant guestThus stand, as one man against many—But straight thro' the throng he pressed,In such wise, I must mourn for Gandein, the monarch of Anjou fair,215That his daughter, so true a lady, so faithless a son must bear.From the strife his folk he called not, short space must they stay their handWhile the king would don his armour, he lusted to lead the band.Too mighty the force for Gawain, nor I ween shall ye count it shameThat he closed the door upon them—Then in wrath and haste there came220The knight who to battle bade him 'fore Arthur at PlimizölBut short time back—They called him the Landgrave Kingrimursel,And sore did Gawain's need vex him, he wrung his hands amain,For in sooth had he pledged his honour his foe should in peace remainTilloneman alone o'ercame him—Old and young from the tower he drave,225Yet the portal would they force open, as their king commandment gave.Then the Landgrave he cried on Gawain, 'Sir Knight, I would in to theeAs a friend, that this bitter conflict I may share, if it so must be,For then must my monarch slay me, or leave thee in life to-day.'Peace Gawain would swear unto him, and he made to the tower his way—230Then doubtful, the foemen thronging, their hand for a space must hold,For their Burg-grave he was, and his bidding had they hearkened both young and old.Then, as ceased the noise of battle, thro' the doorway he sprang, Gawain,And the Landgrave, he stood beside him, swift and bold were those heroes twain.Quoth King Vergulacht, 'Why tarry? Why stand we here as on guard,235When of foemen buttwoshall dare us, and none other the tower gates ward?Much my cousin doth take upon him, when he dareth to shield my foe,Yea,himselfshould wreak vengeance on him, if his faith he were fain to show!'Of true heart then they chose a true man, and unto the king he spake,'Now, Sire, upon our Landgrave no vengeance we think to take,240Nor shall harm atourhand befall him—May God so turn thy mindThat, instead of shaming, honour thou shalt from this venture find.For shame shall it bring upon thee, and an ending to thy fair fame,If he who as host doth hail thee shall here at thine hand be slain.And thy kinsman is he, this other who hath brought him into this land;245So, lest cursing and shame be thy portion, we pray thee to stay thine hand,And grant thou a truce thro' the daylight, and the fleeting hours of night,Then bethink thee for shame or honour, and do as shall seem thee right!''And our queen who hath ne'er known falsehood, thy sister, Antikonie,See there as she standeth by him and weepeth full bitterly.250Canst thou see such sight without rueing, since one mother bare ye both?And bethink thee, sire, thou art wise else, thou didst send him, nothing loth,Alone to this gentle maiden, nor further a guardian gave;Forhersake it were well to spare him!' Then the king bade those warriors braveTo call a truce—He'ld bethink him how vengeance he best might take255For his father's death—Yet all guiltless Gawain, for another's sake,Must he bear the shame; with a lance-thrust by Ekunât was he slainAs to Barbigöl Prince Iofreit, a prisoner, he would have ta'en,Who had ridden erewhile with Gawain—In such wise the chance befellThat they deemed thatGawainhad slain him—So men do the venture tell.260And scarce was the truce bespoken ere of men was the field bereft,Each betook him unto his lodging, nor one on the ground was left.Then the queen threw her arms around him, and with many a kiss so sweetShe gave to her gallant cousin such rewarding as seemed her meet,Since so bravely he stood by Gawain, and sheltered the twain from wrong,265And she spake, 'Now art thou my cousin, nor unfaith shall to thee belong.'Now hearken and I will read ye that word which I spake of late,How a true heart sore was darkened—I ween 'twas an evil fateThat led Vergulacht to Schamfanzon; such deed he ne'er did learnFrom sire or aye from mother, with shame did the young knight burn,270And torment sore and suffering his better self must knowAs his sister 'gan upbraid him, small mercy the maid would show.And thus spake the noble maiden, 'Now had it but been God's will,That I, a man born, might sword bear, and knightly tasks fulfil,To strive with me hadst thou come here, methinks thou hadst come too late,—275But now am I all defenceless, a maiden, and no man's mate.And yet a shield I carry, and fair its device shall be,And honoured of all—Its blazon would I read here, Sir King, to thee,That thou henceforth mayst know it—Pure heart and upright mind,That true man beneath its cover a shelter may ever find.280And that, o'er the gallant hero whom thou sentest unto my care,Did I hold, and 'gainst thee, his foeman, I did, as beseemed me, bear,For none other armour had I—And if thou repent the illThou hast done to thy guest, me, thy sister, hast thou wronged more deeply still;For this is the right of woman, so ever 'twas told to me,285That if ever unto the shelter of a maiden a knight shall flee,Then they who as foemen follow shall straightway leave their chase—In such wise they ever bear them who would not their shield disgrace—Now, Sir Vergulacht, that thy guest fled tomeas his hope of life,Hath loaded with shame thine honour, since thou aided, nor checked, thestrife!'290Then Kingrimursel quoth sternly, 'Yea, Sire, 'twas atthycommand,That on Plimizöl's plain I bade him, Sir Gawain, to seek this land.On thy royal word safe conduct I sware him, that should he rideHither we twain were pledged him no evil should here betide,Save but fromonefoeman only—Now, Sire, thou hast here done ill295In that, spite of thine oath so knightly, thy word thou didst not fulfil.And here shall my fellows hearing give judgment betwixt us twain,If thus thou wrongestprinces, what askingmayst thou hope to gainFrom us of faith and honour?—If honoured thou fain wouldst be,Then, courteous, make confession that near of kin are we;300True cousin am I, no bastard, and e'en if such chance had been,Even then, in this thy dealing, thou hadst done me a wrong, I ween!A knight am I in whom no man hath found a taint of shame,And I think me that free from falsehood, yea, to death will I guard my fame,For in God have I ever trusted, and, methinks, He holds not in store305Such fate for the days of the future as I knew not in days of yore.Yet they who shall hear the story, how the nephew of Arthur rodeTo Schamfanzon 'neath my safe-conduct, where'er shall be his abode—An he come from the land of the Breton, or from France, or from Provence fair,Burgundian he, or Gallician, or the arms of Punturtois bear—310When he hear of the grief of Gawain thenmyfame shall be swiftly sped,And shame be my meed for the danger that threatened that knightly head.At the tale of this strife shall my glory wax narrow, and blame grow wide;And, as joy in the past dwelt with me, so henceforward shall shame abide.'As he made an end of speaking stood a vassal the king before,315And, as Kiot himself hath told us, Liddamus was the name he bore.And I speak here of Kiot the singer, and so sweet was I ween his songThat none wax of the hearing weary, tho' the days of their life be long.And I rede ye to wit that Kiot of old was a Provençal,Who found writ in a book of the heathen this story of Parzival.320And in French again he sang it, and I, if no wit shall fail,Would fain in his footsteps follow, and in German would tell the tale.Quoth the Prince Liddamus in his anger, 'Now say, what doth he do hereIn the house of my lord, who his father hath slain, and hath brought anearThe brand of shame? My king's courage is known thro' many a land,325'Twould better beseem his honour to avenge him with his own hand;One death for the other payeth—and the need waxeth here as there.'And Gawain he stood in sore peril, and fear for his life must bear.Quoth Kingrimursel, 'Who to threaten is swift, he as swift should beTo mingle in strife, yet but lightly thy foeman he holdeth thee!330An wide were the field or narrow, yet Sir Liddamus, I know wellThis man were safe from thine onslaught e'en tho' shame at his hand befell,For ne'er wouldst thou dare to avenge it, who yet dost so loudly boast—And swifter were we to hearken if ever in battle hostWe had seen thee ride the foremost! But strife ever wrought thee pain,335And afar from the field of battle to linger thou aye wast fain.Yea,morehast thou learnt—The beginning of strife didst thou ever see,Then hence wouldst thou fly as swiftly as a maiden is wont to flee.And the prince who thy counsel hearkens, and doeth as thou shalt say,Shall find that the crown he weareth but loosely shall sit alway!'340'And fain, in a joust so knightly, were I to have faced Gawain,Nor feared me aught, for such combat had we sworn fast betwixt us twain.And here had we fought, as fitting, 'neath the eye of the king my lord,And wroth am I now, for dearer, methought, had he held his word!Now swear thou to me, Sir Gawain, when a year from this day be past,345To meet me again in combat—If thou 'scape my lord's wrath at last,And thy life for a prey he leave thee, yet we twain must fight our fight.At Plimizöl first I bade thee; at Barbigöl, if it seem thee right,Before Meljanz, the youthful monarch, the strife shall methinks be fought;And around my heart till the day come shall sorrow's wreath be wrought,350And gladly I'll hail that dawning, and face thee, thou hero bold,Tho' the guerdon be but of sorrow, that shall there by thine hand be told.'So there, as the Landgrave bade him, the hero Gawain swore,And his oath, and his pledge so knightly, he plighted as erst of yore.But Duke Liddamus, he bethought him of words that he fain would say,355And with cunning skill and wisdom his speech did he weave that day.Thus he spake for all men to hear him, for the time of speech was come,'Now if strife ever call upon me, if the battle be lost or won,If I fight as beseems a hero, or fly as a coward flies,If the meed of my warlike bearing be honour in all men's eyes,360Then reward me I pray, Sir Landgrave, with rewarding as I shall win;But if honour or praise be withholden I count it not me for sin!'Nor here did his speech find ending. 'IfTurnusthou fain wouldst be,Then good, thou shalt find meTranzes; thou mayst well wreak thy will on me,If so be thou hast aught against me, but 'tisthouwho dost boast too loud,365Yea, e'en an thou wert the highest of my peers, these princes proud;For Prince am I too, and Landgrave, and I have in Galicia's landMany Burgs so fair and stately that e'en far as Vedrun stand.And tho' thou and this Breton stranger were minded to work me ill,Yet not even a fowl for thy threatening would fly, but abide thee still!'370'He came from the land of the Breton whom thou hither for strife didst hale.Takethouvengeance for king and kinsman, if such vengeance may aught avail;Withhim, not withme, thy quarrel, avenge thou thine uncle's lifeOn him who of life hath robbed him, it toucheth me not, this strife,For I wot well in naught I wronged him, and none for such wrong makes moan.375What need to bewail thine uncle? His son sitteth on his throne,And I ask for no higher ruler, since Fleurdamur, the queen,Was his mother, his sire Kingrisein, and his grandsire Gandein hath been.And still in my mind it dwelleth how Galoes and Gamuret,Those heroes twain, were his uncles, nor lie I, nor truth forget.380And I think me that in all honour my castles and lands so wideI may take from his hand, with their banners, and serve him whate'er betide!''Let him fight who hath lust for fighting, for weary of strife am I,Tho' I know well who fame in battle doth win, for his victoryHath reward from the lips of women, yet for never a maiden's sake385Will I evil entreat this body, or bid it such ill-road take.Nay, why should I be a Wolfhart? Since barred is the battle way,And no lust of strife hath beguiled me that I know not the thing I say.If thou shouldst for aye despise me, yet Rumolt I'll take as guide,Who gave counsel unto King Gunther, ere yet to the Huns he hied.390For he bade him in Worms abide still, where was plenty and e'en to spare,And content his soul with the flesh-pots and the riches of Rhineland fare!'But ready of wit was the Landgrave, and he spake, 'Yea, the tale be toldE'en to day, and no man shall marvel, for we know well thy ways of old.Thou wouldst urge me to strife, yet thy counsel is e'en what a cook once gave395To the Nibelung lord, little recked he such counsel, the hero brave.For he and his, little doubting, went boldly to meet their fate,And avenged was the death of Siegfried, and sated was Kriemhild's hate!And Sir Gawain, I ween, must give me my death, or himself must feelThe weight of my bitter vengeance as we battle for woe or weal!'400'Thou dost well,' Liddamus made answer, 'yet I think me of treasure fair,All that Arthur might hold, or India, if one such to my feet should bear,And say 'twas mine own, he might have it ere I fought e'en for such a prize.An thou wilt, win thee fame and honour, I, I think me, am all too wise.God knoweth, no Segramor am I, whom men must with fetters bind405So keenly for strife he lusted, far other was aye my mind.Yet mine be my monarch's favour, for Sibech ne'er drew a sword,But ever he fled with the flying, yet men hearkened well his word;And many for counsel prayed him, and great gifts and lands enowThe hand of Ermenrich gave him, tho' no helmet e'er felt his blow.410And Sir Kingrimursel, I rede thee, thou shalt mark me with never a scar!'Then out spake King Vergulacht sternly, as he ended their wordy war:'Peace, peace, nor so loudly wrangle, Sir Knights, all too bold are ye,For too near is your monarch's presence, and of speech are ye both too free;And that thus ye should strive before me, tho' your strife be ofword, notdeed,415Ill beseemeth both king and vassal, so hearken my word, and heed.'This befell in the hall of the palace, 'neath the eyes of his sister fair,And Gawain stood beside the maiden, and heroes and knights were there.Quoth the king to his gentle sister, 'Now take thou with thee thy guestAnd the Landgrave, while I bethink me the word that shall 'seem me best.420And all ye who wish well unto me, shall follow and give me rede.'Quoth the maid, 'Of good faith seek counsel, for better 'twill serve thy need!'Gat the king to his council-chamber; the king's daughter had comrades three,Cousin, and guest, and beside them black care bare them company.Gawain, as right well beseemed her, by the hand to her bower she led.425And she quoth, 'Now shall all lands rue it if here thou shalt be ill-sped!'And the son of King Lot, Sir Gawain, with the maiden went hand in hand,And none thought them shame, for so gracious was the custom of that fair land.So passed they unto her chamber, the queen and those heroes twain,And that none 'gainst her will should enter was the care of her chamberlain.430Only her bower maidens as befitted them there might be,And the queen, in all love and honour, her guest tended royally.And the Landgrave in naught gainsaid her, for belike did he bear a partIn the fear for her guest's well-doing that lay dark on the maiden's heart.So the twain with the queen abode there till the strife of the day was o'er,435And the night and the hour of feasting had come in their course once more.Then the slender maidens bare them sweet drinks, and the wine so red,And with fish and fowl in plenty, I ween, was the table spread.Fair and white was the bread to look on, and the Landgrave and Knight Gawain,Who had passed thro' such deadly peril, to taste of the food were fain.440And each as the queen might bid him ate that which should please him best,And no lack did they find, for right queenly the maid did entreat her guest,And vainly the heroes prayed her to cease from her kindly care.Of the many who knelt before them no maid but was young and fair;Yea, fair with the opening beauty of the rose that is yet unblown,445And soft lay their locks as the feathers of a falcon the knight hath flown.Now list, ere they close the council, to the rede they would rede the kingAnd wise were the men who, wisely, good counsel in need should bring;And each spake as his mind should bid him, and that which his heart deemed best,And they turned the thing hither and thither, till the king thus his speech addrest:450And he spake, 'One of late fought with me, as on venture bent I rodeIn the wood Læhtamreis—too proudly, perchance, I my steed bestrode,For a knight, who o'er great my fame deemed, in joust smote me such a blowThat, behind my gallant charger, on the greensward he laid me low.And this oath must I swear unto him, in search of the Grail to ride,455And my knightly pledge I gave him, were it other, I there had died.Now give me, I pray, your counsel, for 'gainst death was no other shieldBut to swear as my victor bade me, and, as knight, to a knight to yield!''Yea, mighty and strong that hero,—nor sware I that oath alone,But he bade me, as true man truly, when a year should have come and gone,460And the Grail I still were seeking, to ride unto PelrapärTo the queen who the crown there weareth, the child of King Tampentäre.And there, as I looked upon her, I should yield me unto her grace;And from him should I bear this message in the day that I sought her face.He would say, "An she thought upon him 'twas his joy and his labour's meed,465His hand from the King Klamidé aforetime her land had freed."'Then the speech to the end they hearkened; and Liddamus spake this word,'Give me leave to speak, ye shall follow, Sir Knights, when my rede is heard,For the oath that perforce thou swarest, its fulfiller shall be Gawain,And he, captive, his wings shall flutter in the snare whereinthouwast ta'en.470For here, where we stand to hearken, shall he swear us the Grail to win,And then of free will let him ride hence; for I deem men would count it sinWere he slain in thine house—Nay, me-seemeth 'twere better to let him live,For but ill would it please thy sister an thou didst not her knight forgive!Sore stress at our hands hath he suffered, and he now to his death shall ride;475For far as the far sea's water shall circle the earth so wideThere standeth no Burg so mighty as Monsalväsch, its towers shall fearNo foeman, and strait the pathway that wendeth its walls anear,And sore dangers that road encompass—Let him slumber in peace this night,And the word that we deem the wisest shall be told him with morning light!'480Right well did the counsel please them, and ended, I ween, the strife,And Gawain, so the venture telleth, thus won at their hands his life.So they tended the dauntless hero right well thro' the hours of night;From the Mass came the folk on the morrow when the noontide hour waxed bright,And the hall was thronged and crowded with townsfolk and warriors good,485When before the king, as they counselled, his foeman, Sir Gawain, stood.To naught other would he compel him than to that which ye late did hear.Now see ye the gentle maiden as she drew with her knight anear,And her uncle's son came with her, and many a hero braveOf the king's men were fain to follow, and thus fair escort gave.490Then the queen led Gawain to her brother with slender hand and white,And a chaplet of fair flowers woven she bare on her locks of light,Fair the flowers, yet the maid was fairer, and no blossom around her headBut waxed pale and dim, if 'twas mated with her lips of glowing red.And he whom of true heart gently she kissed, as beseemed a maid,495Such lances for her had broken as had wasted a woodland shade.Now hearken to me and heed me, as with gracious words I'ld greetAntikonie, free from falsehood, a maiden pure and sweet.In such wise did she ever bear her that never a doubting word,Were one fain to sing her praises, from the lips of men was heard;500For no heart but wished her gladness, and no mouth but spake her freeFrom all thought of guile—Far-reaching, as a falcon's eye can see,Shone the light of her gracious presence, as the light of a balsam rareThat burneth, and sheddeth perfume, and sweeteneth the scented air.And her will was ever gracious, as the will of a maid should be,505And she spake to her royal brother of a true heart right maidenly:'I bring here to thee, my brother, the guest thou didst bid me tend,And I would thou shouldst well entreat him, as befitting my knight and friend—For better shall that become thee, to bear thee as brother true,Than to feel the world's hate, or to teach me to hate thee, who hate ne'er knew.'510Quoth the king, 'Nay then, my sister, an I may, so stands my will,Thou shalt give me here thy counsel, for I think me I did but ill,And stained thereby mine honour, and dimmed my knightly fame;And I deem me but little worthy that thou shouldst me as brother claim.E'en if all lands should do my bidding at thy prayer would I yield them all,515Lest that sorrow of sorrows greatest, thine hatred, on me should fall!And honour and joy were ended an I said to thy pleading, Nay—Sir Gawain, I here entreat thee, since for fame thou didst ride this way,An thou knightly fame wouldst honour, so help me, that I may winAnew from my sister favour, and forgiveness for this my sin.520Far liefer were I to pardon the wrong thou hast done to meThan to lose her, my sweetest sister—Now list what thy task shall be,Do thou swear to me here that truly thou wilt strive, as I erst was fainTo strive, for the Grail's fair kingdom, and the honour thou there shalt gain.'In such wise the strife was ended, Sir Gawain far hence must ride,525And with sword and spear do battle, and woe for the Grail abide.And the Landgrave forgave his monarch the wrong that he did his wordWhen he brake his pledge unto Gawain—and no prince of the land but heard.Then their swords they ungirt, and they hung them in their place on the castle wall—And the squires of Gawain came swiftly, and, joyful, he hailed them all,530For not one in strife was wounded—for a man of the Burger folk,Ere the battle waxed hot, had claimed them, and wise were the words he spoke,And their peace he prayed from the foemen, and he held them awhile in ward,Were they French, or from land of the Breton, till again to their rightful lordHe might send them in peace—Some were children, and some were lads strong and young—535And glad were their hearts when they saw him, and awhile on his neck they hung,And weeping they kissed Sir Gawain, yet no sorrow I ween was there,But from joy sprang the crystal tear-drops that ran o'er their faces fair.And one came from the land of Cornwall, Count Laiz he, and Tinal's son;And a noble lad was with him whose father his death had won540At Schoie-de-la-Kurt, Gandelus, the son, and Gurzgrei, the sire—(Thro' that venture full many a maiden must weep for her heart's desire)And his aunt was the maid Liassé, and fair was the lad of faceAnd of feature, for Love had touched them, and had wrought them with hand of grace,And fain were all men to see him—Six were there those twain beside,545Eight lads, all of noble bearing and birth, with Gawain did ride.And as kinsmen right well they loved him, and they served him for payment fair;What payment gave he? Meed of honour their guerdon, and tender care!Then Gawain quoth unto the children, ''Tis well, for I now have seen,Fair kinsmen, that ye had mourned me, if slain I perchance had been,550(And well might he see their sorrow, for as yet they mourned full sore,)Where were ye in hour of battle? Much sorrow for ye I bore.'Then they answered, and none spake falsely, 'As thou sat'st in the high hall placeA hawk flew astray, and we ran thence, and joined for awhile the chase.'Then all they who sat or stood there, nor ceased for awhile their gaze,555Saw well that Gawain was a true knight, and a man whom all men might praise;Then the king gave the leave he prayed for, and he spake unto all farewell,Save the queen alone, and the Landgrave, he whom men called Kingrimursel.For the queen took the twain, and the children who followed as Gawain's squires,And she led them where gentle maidens should serve as she should require,560And in peace, as became fair maidens, each maid did her lady's will,And fair were the hands and gracious that did gracious tasks fulfil.Straightway when the meal was ended Gawain from the feast uprose,Thus Kiot hath told the story—and as blossom from root up-grows,So afresh from a true heart's true faith did sorrow spring forth amain—565Quoth the hero unto the maiden, 'Now, Lady, an God be fainTo leave to me life and wisdom, wherever my way I takeTrue service, true knight befitting, will I do for thy gentle sake.The rede did I hear and hearken that spake thee of falsehood free,And thy fame o'er the fame of all maidens shall high as the heavens be.570And Heaven Itself shall bless thee, and thy gifts all be gifts of God!Now, Lady, thy leave I crave here, since 'tis time on my way I rode.Give me leave, then, and let me ride hence, for I ween for the future daysShalt thou be thine own best defender, and thy virtue shall crown thy praise!'Then sorrow of heart was her portion that the knight thus her side must leave,575Sore she wept, and her gentle maidens awhile with her grief must grieve.And the queen she spake out freely, 'An more I had done for thee,Then my joy had o'ercome my sorrow, yet better it might not be;Little peace for thee here might blossom—but, believe me, be ill thy share,Or should deeds of knighthood lead thee where sorrow thou needs must bear,580Then, Sir Gawain, my heart findeth portion in thy lot, be it loss or gain!'On his mouth, with her red lips glowing, the maiden she kissed Gawain.Then joy fled afar from the hero, and sorrow hath pierced his heart,Too early the twain they deemed it, from each other for aye to part.Meantime had his squires bethought them, and his steed to the palace brought,585Where the boughs of a mighty linden might shadow the outer court;And the Landgrave's folk they sought him, and together they took their wayWithout the walls; ere they parted this grace would Sir Gawain pray,Since his squires might no more fare with him, that the Landgrave with them in wardShould ride forthwith unto Beaurosch, 'There Scherules the Burg doth guard,590Thou shalt pray him that these fair children to Dianasdron he bringWhere many a Breton dwelleth, and shall yield them unto the kingOr to Guinevere, his Lady'—So sware him Kingrimursel,And, with kindly words and courteous, to Sir Gawain he bade 'Farewell.'Short the space ere both steed and rider were clad in their mail of might,595Kinsmen and squires, he kissed them, and alone rode that gallant knight,For, as this his oath had bade him, to the Grail must his pathway wend,And many a pain and peril must he know ere his task should end.
Whosoe'er at Beaurosch had battled, methinks that Gawain had wonThe highest fame in both armies, save but for one knight alone;And none knew his red harness glowing, and none knew from whence he came,But high as a banner waveth, so high did it rise, his fame.Yet of honour alike and good fortune had Gawain in full his share—5Now hence must he ride, for the moment of strife which he sought drew near,And far and wide stretched the woodland thro' which he must wend his way—No conflict he shunned, tho' all guiltless of the sin men on him would lay.But, alas! his charger failed him, Ingliart, with the close-cropped ear,In the land of the Moors at Tabronit no better the steeds they rear.10And diverse the wood around him, here a bush and there a field,And so narrow at whiles, that pathway, it scarcely a space might yieldFor tent, or for knight's pavilion. Then fair dwellings met his eye,'Twas Askalon, and he prayed them if Schamfanzon at hand did lie?But many a marsh and moorland and many a steep hillside15Must he traverse, ere fair before him in the setting sun he spiedA fortress stand so stately, it gleamed in the sunlight's rays,And he turned his steed towards it who rode here on unknown ways.
Now list ye awhile the venture, and mourn ye awhile with meThe sorrow that fell on Gawain—And if old ye shall chance to be20Or young, yet of this your friendship I pray you his grief to weep;Alas! were it best to tell ye, or silence a space to keep?Nay, better to tell the story, how he whom Good Luck did callHer friend, was by her forsaken, and how grief to his lot must fall.
So proudly uprose the fortress that never did Carthage seem25So fair to the eyes of Æneas, when Dido, as failed her dreamOf love, turned to death and, seeking, found rest in his cold embrace.Would ye know what countless turrets those stately halls did grace?Scarce more had Akraton boasted, that city whose walls so wide,An man may believe the heathen, with Babylon only vied;30So high rose the circling ramparts, and where to the sea they fellNo storm might they fear, but defiance could they bid to their foes right well.
'Fore the city a plain outstretching lay fair for a mile or more.As Sir Gawain rode across it, five hundred knights he saw,Yet one, o'er all the others, gallant and fair to sight;35Gaily they rode towards him all clad in raiment bright,For so the venture telleth—With their falcons soaring highWould they chase the crane, or other fair game that should wingèd fly.A tall steed from Spain's far kingdom, King Vergulacht bestrode,And his glance was as day in the night-time—Aforetime his race abode40Where Mazadan reigned as monarch, by Fay Morgan's mystic mount,And amid the roll of his fathers he many a fay might count—And even as in the spring-tide the May blossom bloometh fairSo rode the king in his beauty, and Gawain he bethought him there,As he saw him ride so stately, 'twas another Parzival,45Or Gamuret, as he came to Kanvoleis, as this venture erewhile did tell.
Now into a pond so marshy a heron had taken flightAs it fled from before the falcon, and the king, as beseemed a knight,Sought not for the ford but followed as he saw his falcon's need,And wet he won in the aiding, and lost was his gallant steed,50And lost too his royal raiment, tho' safe was I ween the bird.The falconers took his garments, for this, so the tale I've heard,Was their right, and they needs must have them, and no man might say them nay.Another horse they brought him, for lost was his own for aye,And fresh garments they put upon him, since such was the chance of fate55That his falconers won the vesture that had decked their king of late.
Then Sir Gawain, he rode towards them, and knightly and worshipfulThe greeting they gave unto him, not such as in KaridölOnce fell to the lot of Erec, when after his well-fought fightHe had fain drawn near to King Arthur, and with him his lady bright,60Fair Enid, who graced his coming—But the dwarf MaliklisierWith a scourge full hardly smote him, 'neath the eyes of Queen Guinevere.At Tulmein he took his vengeance, where, within the ring so wideTo win the hawk, the heroes in deeds of valour vied.'Twas Idêr, the son of Noit, a hero true and bold65Whom he else had slain, whom Erec did there in surety hold.
But leave we all other venture, and hearken awhile to me,For in sooth never fairer welcome shall it fall to your lot to see.Yet, alas! for ill it wrought him, Gawain, King Lot's brave son—An ye will I will cease my story ere the tale to its end be run,70And for pity's sake keep silence—Yet perchance it were best to tellThe ill that thro' others' treason on a gallant spirit fell.And if I yet further pray ye this story strange to heedThen in sooth, e'en as I, right truly will ye mourn for its hero's need.
Quoth the king, 'Sir Knight, thus I think me, thou shalt to the castle ride,75Thinehostwill I be right gladly, tho' scarce may I be thyguide;Yet if this on my part shall vex thee the chase will I gladly leave!'Quoth Gawain, 'As it best may please thee, that do, nor for my sake grieve,Whate'er thou shalt do shall be well done—No grudge do I bear thee, Sire,But of right good-will I gladly will do as thou shalt require.'80
Quoth the king of Askalon further, 'Schamfanzon thou well mayst seeSir Knight, there my sister dwelleth, who as yet but a maid shall be;And she hath in fullest measure such beauty as poets sing—An thou as a grace shalt hold it, my knights unto her shall bringSuch word she shall well entreat thee in my stead, till I come again.85And whenever I come, I think me, 'twill be sooner than thou art fainTo look on my face, for gladly wilt thou spare me when thou shalt seeMy sweet sister, nor e'er bemoan thee, tho' my coming o'er late shall be!'
'Nay, gladly again I'll see thee, and gladly thy sister greet,Tho' as host never queen has done me such service as host finds meet'90Thus spake the gallant Gawain—Then a knight bare the king's behestTo his sister, that she, as fitting, should so care for the stranger guestThat however long his absence the hours should as minutes fly—(An ye will, I will cease my story that now runneth but mournfully!)
Nay, further I'll tell the venture,—Steed and pathway the hero bore95Where as one were both Burg and palace, and he held him before the door.And he who shall e'er have builded a house, he shall better knowTo tell of this mighty castle, and the strength of its walls to show.Yea, indeed 'twas a Burg, none better might this earth on its bosom bearAnd around it, far outstretching, the ramparts towered high in air.100
Leave we the praise of the castle, and speak of the castle's queen,A maiden fair, for of women I shall better speak I ween,And as fitting I'll sing her praises—Was she fair to the eye? 'Twas well;Was she true of heart? Then gladly will men of her praises tell.And so both in mind and manner might she vie with that lady true,105The Margravine, who from Heitstein afar o'er her marches threwA light,—Well for him who dwelleth as friend in her presence fair,Such pastime as there his portion he findeth not other-where!For I praise but a woman's virtue, as I see, and shall surely know,True and pure must she be, the maiden, on whom I shall praise bestow.110And he whom this venture singeth is a gallant man and true,For no dealing have I with falsehood, or with one who his deeds shall rue,As repentance, slowly piercing, but turneth his bliss to bale,And his soul knoweth wrath and sorrow, or ever his life-days fail.
To the castle court rode Gawain, and the goodly company115To whom the king had sent him, who shamed for his sake should be.Then the knight to his lady led him, as she sat in her beauty's glow,Queen Antikonie—Could the merchants a woman's fame bestow,Of such goods had she made rich purchase; 'gainst falsehood she set her face,And hers was the crown of honour, and a maiden's maiden grace.120Ah! woe's me for him of Veldeck, that death thus cut short his days,None is there of all men living who so well could have sung her praise.
Then Gawain, he looked on the maiden, and the messenger spake the wordE'en as the king had bade him, and the queen his message heard.Then gently she spake to the hero, 'Come thou near unto me, Sir Knight,125Thyself shalt be my master in courtesy, as is right;And gladly I'll do thy bidding—If well it shall please thee here,'Twill be even as thou shalt order—Yea, since my brother dearHath bid me well entreat thee, I'll kiss thee, if so I may.I'll do, or leave it undone, e'en as thou the word shalt say!'130
Courteous she stood before him, quoth Gawain, 'Thy lips so redIn sooth were made for kissing, be kiss and greeting sped!'So full and warm and rosy were the lips that Gawain pressed,No stranger sure had kissed her as kissed this stranger guest.Unchecked he sat him by her, and sweet words passed between,135Soft spake they to each other; and oft renewed, I ween,His prayers and her denials, yea, sorely grieved was he,And fain to win her favour—Then she spake as I tell to ye:
'Bethink thee, Sir Knight, thou art wise else, with this I enough have done,For I ween at my brother's bidding mine uncle Gamuret won140Less welcome from Queen Anflisé than the welcomeIgave to thee,An our tending were weighed together methinks hers would lighter be.Nor know I, Sir Knight, whence thou comest, nor e'en what shall be thy name,That, after such short approving, thou shouldst to my love lay claim!'
Then out spake the gallant Gawain, 'Then know here assuredly145O! queen, of my father's sister the brother's son am I;Wilt thou give me sweet love's rewarding, for my birth shalt thou not delay,Hand in hand, and to equal measure, it paceth with thine alway!'The maiden who filled the wine-cup she had passed from out the hall,And the women who sat beside them must now to their mind recall150The task that elsewhere did wait them; nor longer the knight stood thereWho erst to the queen had brought him—As Gawain was now awareThat no man was here beside them, he thought how a mighty birdIs oft trapped by a little falcon—nor further he spake a word,But he passed his arm around her beneath her mantle's fold,155And love laid such stress upon them, the maid and the hero bold,That belike a thing had chanced there, an no eye had been there to see,Of one mind were the twain—yet heart-sorrow drew near to them speedily.
For straight stepped within the doorway an old and grey-haired knight,And loudly he called on Gawain, and shouted a shout of might,160For well did he know the hero, and fiercely his cry did ring,'Alas! alas! woe upon us, since the hand that hath slain our kingIs fain now to force his daughter!' At the sound of his battle-cryThe folk that within the castle abode to the hall did hie,So it fell out—Then quoth Sir Gawain to the queen, 'Now, Lady mine,165Say thou how we best may ward us 'gainst this wrathful folk of thine,For sure they will come against us—An I had but my sword at hand!'Then out spake the gentle maiden, 'Their might shall we best withstandAn we to yon tower betake us that riseth my bower beside,Perchance they will then bethink them, and the storm shall we override.'170
Here a knight, and there a merchant, already the maid must hear,With the cry of the angry townsfolk, as the twain to the tower drew near;And sore was her friend beset there, tho' she prayed them from strife to cease,So loud rose the angry tumult none hearkened her words of peace.
'Gainst the portal the foe pressed onward, Gawain stood within the door,175And held off the angry rabble; an iron bolt he toreFrom its fastenings wherewith to arm him, and before his strong right handFull oft fled his evil neighbours, they durst not his blows withstand.While the queen, with flying footsteps, hither and thither soughtTo find, perchance, some weapon 'gainst the foe that so fiercely fought.180At length did she chance on some chess-men, and a chess-board, wide and fair,That hung by a ring of iron; to Gawain she brought it there,As a shield four-square it served him; yea, many a game was playedOn that board ere 'twas hewn in battle—Now hear of the royal maid;
Were it king, or queen, or castle, she hurled them against the foe,185Heavy and large the chess-men, and in sooth I would have ye knowThey who by her shaft were stricken must ever a fall abide.Right bravely the queen so gracious now fought by her hero's side,And she bare herself so knightly, that never the Burger maidsOf Tollenstein at Shrove-tide such dauntless skill displayed.190And yet they but fight for folly, and weary themselves for naught—An a woman bear trace of battle, on her womanhood shame is brought,(For I know what befits a woman,) unless love shall have bid her fightTo prove her faith—Now faithful and true was that lady bright,As Schamfanzon might bear witness—Yet, tho' high of heart was she,195Many tears that conflict cost her; for in sooth shall it ever beThat Love is brave as steadfast, yet tender and true of heart—Would ye know how in such fierce conflict Sir Gawain would bear his part?
When the strife but leisure gave him to gaze on the maid aright,Her lips so red and glowing, her eyes so soft and bright—200More slender was she and shapely than ever a lowland hareThat ye truss on the spit, so graceful her limbs, and her form so fair;Full well might her charms awaken desire in the heart of man.And smaller, I ween, the maiden, where her golden girdle ranAround her waist, than ants are, and their slender shape ye know—205The sight wrought in Gawain courage his foemen to overthrow,For she shared his need; his chastising none other than death should be,And help was there none—Then his anger flamed high and wroth was heAs he looked on that gentle maiden, and no fear was his but hate,And sorely his foemen rued it who met at his hand their fate.210
Came King Vergulacht, and he saw well how his folk 'gainst Gawain did fight;Nor do I in this deceive ye, nor can I account him rightThat not as a host he bare him, when he saw his gallant guestThus stand, as one man against many—But straight thro' the throng he pressed,In such wise, I must mourn for Gandein, the monarch of Anjou fair,215That his daughter, so true a lady, so faithless a son must bear.From the strife his folk he called not, short space must they stay their handWhile the king would don his armour, he lusted to lead the band.
Too mighty the force for Gawain, nor I ween shall ye count it shameThat he closed the door upon them—Then in wrath and haste there came220The knight who to battle bade him 'fore Arthur at PlimizölBut short time back—They called him the Landgrave Kingrimursel,And sore did Gawain's need vex him, he wrung his hands amain,For in sooth had he pledged his honour his foe should in peace remainTilloneman alone o'ercame him—Old and young from the tower he drave,225Yet the portal would they force open, as their king commandment gave.
Then the Landgrave he cried on Gawain, 'Sir Knight, I would in to theeAs a friend, that this bitter conflict I may share, if it so must be,For then must my monarch slay me, or leave thee in life to-day.'Peace Gawain would swear unto him, and he made to the tower his way—230Then doubtful, the foemen thronging, their hand for a space must hold,For their Burg-grave he was, and his bidding had they hearkened both young and old.Then, as ceased the noise of battle, thro' the doorway he sprang, Gawain,And the Landgrave, he stood beside him, swift and bold were those heroes twain.
Quoth King Vergulacht, 'Why tarry? Why stand we here as on guard,235When of foemen buttwoshall dare us, and none other the tower gates ward?Much my cousin doth take upon him, when he dareth to shield my foe,Yea,himselfshould wreak vengeance on him, if his faith he were fain to show!'
Of true heart then they chose a true man, and unto the king he spake,'Now, Sire, upon our Landgrave no vengeance we think to take,240Nor shall harm atourhand befall him—May God so turn thy mindThat, instead of shaming, honour thou shalt from this venture find.For shame shall it bring upon thee, and an ending to thy fair fame,If he who as host doth hail thee shall here at thine hand be slain.And thy kinsman is he, this other who hath brought him into this land;245So, lest cursing and shame be thy portion, we pray thee to stay thine hand,And grant thou a truce thro' the daylight, and the fleeting hours of night,Then bethink thee for shame or honour, and do as shall seem thee right!'
'And our queen who hath ne'er known falsehood, thy sister, Antikonie,See there as she standeth by him and weepeth full bitterly.250Canst thou see such sight without rueing, since one mother bare ye both?And bethink thee, sire, thou art wise else, thou didst send him, nothing loth,Alone to this gentle maiden, nor further a guardian gave;Forhersake it were well to spare him!' Then the king bade those warriors braveTo call a truce—He'ld bethink him how vengeance he best might take255For his father's death—Yet all guiltless Gawain, for another's sake,Must he bear the shame; with a lance-thrust by Ekunât was he slainAs to Barbigöl Prince Iofreit, a prisoner, he would have ta'en,Who had ridden erewhile with Gawain—In such wise the chance befellThat they deemed thatGawainhad slain him—So men do the venture tell.260
And scarce was the truce bespoken ere of men was the field bereft,Each betook him unto his lodging, nor one on the ground was left.Then the queen threw her arms around him, and with many a kiss so sweetShe gave to her gallant cousin such rewarding as seemed her meet,Since so bravely he stood by Gawain, and sheltered the twain from wrong,265And she spake, 'Now art thou my cousin, nor unfaith shall to thee belong.'
Now hearken and I will read ye that word which I spake of late,How a true heart sore was darkened—I ween 'twas an evil fateThat led Vergulacht to Schamfanzon; such deed he ne'er did learnFrom sire or aye from mother, with shame did the young knight burn,270And torment sore and suffering his better self must knowAs his sister 'gan upbraid him, small mercy the maid would show.
And thus spake the noble maiden, 'Now had it but been God's will,That I, a man born, might sword bear, and knightly tasks fulfil,To strive with me hadst thou come here, methinks thou hadst come too late,—275But now am I all defenceless, a maiden, and no man's mate.And yet a shield I carry, and fair its device shall be,And honoured of all—Its blazon would I read here, Sir King, to thee,That thou henceforth mayst know it—Pure heart and upright mind,That true man beneath its cover a shelter may ever find.280And that, o'er the gallant hero whom thou sentest unto my care,Did I hold, and 'gainst thee, his foeman, I did, as beseemed me, bear,For none other armour had I—And if thou repent the illThou hast done to thy guest, me, thy sister, hast thou wronged more deeply still;For this is the right of woman, so ever 'twas told to me,285That if ever unto the shelter of a maiden a knight shall flee,Then they who as foemen follow shall straightway leave their chase—In such wise they ever bear them who would not their shield disgrace—Now, Sir Vergulacht, that thy guest fled tomeas his hope of life,Hath loaded with shame thine honour, since thou aided, nor checked, thestrife!'290
Then Kingrimursel quoth sternly, 'Yea, Sire, 'twas atthycommand,That on Plimizöl's plain I bade him, Sir Gawain, to seek this land.On thy royal word safe conduct I sware him, that should he rideHither we twain were pledged him no evil should here betide,Save but fromonefoeman only—Now, Sire, thou hast here done ill295In that, spite of thine oath so knightly, thy word thou didst not fulfil.And here shall my fellows hearing give judgment betwixt us twain,If thus thou wrongestprinces, what askingmayst thou hope to gainFrom us of faith and honour?—If honoured thou fain wouldst be,Then, courteous, make confession that near of kin are we;300True cousin am I, no bastard, and e'en if such chance had been,Even then, in this thy dealing, thou hadst done me a wrong, I ween!A knight am I in whom no man hath found a taint of shame,And I think me that free from falsehood, yea, to death will I guard my fame,For in God have I ever trusted, and, methinks, He holds not in store305Such fate for the days of the future as I knew not in days of yore.Yet they who shall hear the story, how the nephew of Arthur rodeTo Schamfanzon 'neath my safe-conduct, where'er shall be his abode—An he come from the land of the Breton, or from France, or from Provence fair,Burgundian he, or Gallician, or the arms of Punturtois bear—310When he hear of the grief of Gawain thenmyfame shall be swiftly sped,And shame be my meed for the danger that threatened that knightly head.At the tale of this strife shall my glory wax narrow, and blame grow wide;And, as joy in the past dwelt with me, so henceforward shall shame abide.'
As he made an end of speaking stood a vassal the king before,315And, as Kiot himself hath told us, Liddamus was the name he bore.And I speak here of Kiot the singer, and so sweet was I ween his songThat none wax of the hearing weary, tho' the days of their life be long.And I rede ye to wit that Kiot of old was a Provençal,Who found writ in a book of the heathen this story of Parzival.320And in French again he sang it, and I, if no wit shall fail,Would fain in his footsteps follow, and in German would tell the tale.
Quoth the Prince Liddamus in his anger, 'Now say, what doth he do hereIn the house of my lord, who his father hath slain, and hath brought anearThe brand of shame? My king's courage is known thro' many a land,325'Twould better beseem his honour to avenge him with his own hand;One death for the other payeth—and the need waxeth here as there.'And Gawain he stood in sore peril, and fear for his life must bear.
Quoth Kingrimursel, 'Who to threaten is swift, he as swift should beTo mingle in strife, yet but lightly thy foeman he holdeth thee!330An wide were the field or narrow, yet Sir Liddamus, I know wellThis man were safe from thine onslaught e'en tho' shame at his hand befell,For ne'er wouldst thou dare to avenge it, who yet dost so loudly boast—And swifter were we to hearken if ever in battle hostWe had seen thee ride the foremost! But strife ever wrought thee pain,335And afar from the field of battle to linger thou aye wast fain.Yea,morehast thou learnt—The beginning of strife didst thou ever see,Then hence wouldst thou fly as swiftly as a maiden is wont to flee.And the prince who thy counsel hearkens, and doeth as thou shalt say,Shall find that the crown he weareth but loosely shall sit alway!'340
'And fain, in a joust so knightly, were I to have faced Gawain,Nor feared me aught, for such combat had we sworn fast betwixt us twain.And here had we fought, as fitting, 'neath the eye of the king my lord,And wroth am I now, for dearer, methought, had he held his word!Now swear thou to me, Sir Gawain, when a year from this day be past,345To meet me again in combat—If thou 'scape my lord's wrath at last,And thy life for a prey he leave thee, yet we twain must fight our fight.At Plimizöl first I bade thee; at Barbigöl, if it seem thee right,Before Meljanz, the youthful monarch, the strife shall methinks be fought;And around my heart till the day come shall sorrow's wreath be wrought,350And gladly I'll hail that dawning, and face thee, thou hero bold,Tho' the guerdon be but of sorrow, that shall there by thine hand be told.'
So there, as the Landgrave bade him, the hero Gawain swore,And his oath, and his pledge so knightly, he plighted as erst of yore.But Duke Liddamus, he bethought him of words that he fain would say,355And with cunning skill and wisdom his speech did he weave that day.
Thus he spake for all men to hear him, for the time of speech was come,'Now if strife ever call upon me, if the battle be lost or won,If I fight as beseems a hero, or fly as a coward flies,If the meed of my warlike bearing be honour in all men's eyes,360Then reward me I pray, Sir Landgrave, with rewarding as I shall win;But if honour or praise be withholden I count it not me for sin!'
Nor here did his speech find ending. 'IfTurnusthou fain wouldst be,Then good, thou shalt find meTranzes; thou mayst well wreak thy will on me,If so be thou hast aught against me, but 'tisthouwho dost boast too loud,365Yea, e'en an thou wert the highest of my peers, these princes proud;For Prince am I too, and Landgrave, and I have in Galicia's landMany Burgs so fair and stately that e'en far as Vedrun stand.And tho' thou and this Breton stranger were minded to work me ill,Yet not even a fowl for thy threatening would fly, but abide thee still!'370
'He came from the land of the Breton whom thou hither for strife didst hale.Takethouvengeance for king and kinsman, if such vengeance may aught avail;Withhim, not withme, thy quarrel, avenge thou thine uncle's lifeOn him who of life hath robbed him, it toucheth me not, this strife,For I wot well in naught I wronged him, and none for such wrong makes moan.375
What need to bewail thine uncle? His son sitteth on his throne,And I ask for no higher ruler, since Fleurdamur, the queen,Was his mother, his sire Kingrisein, and his grandsire Gandein hath been.And still in my mind it dwelleth how Galoes and Gamuret,Those heroes twain, were his uncles, nor lie I, nor truth forget.380And I think me that in all honour my castles and lands so wideI may take from his hand, with their banners, and serve him whate'er betide!'
'Let him fight who hath lust for fighting, for weary of strife am I,Tho' I know well who fame in battle doth win, for his victoryHath reward from the lips of women, yet for never a maiden's sake385Will I evil entreat this body, or bid it such ill-road take.Nay, why should I be a Wolfhart? Since barred is the battle way,And no lust of strife hath beguiled me that I know not the thing I say.If thou shouldst for aye despise me, yet Rumolt I'll take as guide,Who gave counsel unto King Gunther, ere yet to the Huns he hied.390For he bade him in Worms abide still, where was plenty and e'en to spare,And content his soul with the flesh-pots and the riches of Rhineland fare!'
But ready of wit was the Landgrave, and he spake, 'Yea, the tale be toldE'en to day, and no man shall marvel, for we know well thy ways of old.Thou wouldst urge me to strife, yet thy counsel is e'en what a cook once gave395To the Nibelung lord, little recked he such counsel, the hero brave.For he and his, little doubting, went boldly to meet their fate,And avenged was the death of Siegfried, and sated was Kriemhild's hate!And Sir Gawain, I ween, must give me my death, or himself must feelThe weight of my bitter vengeance as we battle for woe or weal!'400
'Thou dost well,' Liddamus made answer, 'yet I think me of treasure fair,All that Arthur might hold, or India, if one such to my feet should bear,And say 'twas mine own, he might have it ere I fought e'en for such a prize.An thou wilt, win thee fame and honour, I, I think me, am all too wise.God knoweth, no Segramor am I, whom men must with fetters bind405So keenly for strife he lusted, far other was aye my mind.Yet mine be my monarch's favour, for Sibech ne'er drew a sword,But ever he fled with the flying, yet men hearkened well his word;And many for counsel prayed him, and great gifts and lands enowThe hand of Ermenrich gave him, tho' no helmet e'er felt his blow.410And Sir Kingrimursel, I rede thee, thou shalt mark me with never a scar!'Then out spake King Vergulacht sternly, as he ended their wordy war:
'Peace, peace, nor so loudly wrangle, Sir Knights, all too bold are ye,For too near is your monarch's presence, and of speech are ye both too free;And that thus ye should strive before me, tho' your strife be ofword, notdeed,415Ill beseemeth both king and vassal, so hearken my word, and heed.'
This befell in the hall of the palace, 'neath the eyes of his sister fair,And Gawain stood beside the maiden, and heroes and knights were there.Quoth the king to his gentle sister, 'Now take thou with thee thy guestAnd the Landgrave, while I bethink me the word that shall 'seem me best.420And all ye who wish well unto me, shall follow and give me rede.'Quoth the maid, 'Of good faith seek counsel, for better 'twill serve thy need!'Gat the king to his council-chamber; the king's daughter had comrades three,Cousin, and guest, and beside them black care bare them company.Gawain, as right well beseemed her, by the hand to her bower she led.425And she quoth, 'Now shall all lands rue it if here thou shalt be ill-sped!'And the son of King Lot, Sir Gawain, with the maiden went hand in hand,And none thought them shame, for so gracious was the custom of that fair land.
So passed they unto her chamber, the queen and those heroes twain,And that none 'gainst her will should enter was the care of her chamberlain.430Only her bower maidens as befitted them there might be,And the queen, in all love and honour, her guest tended royally.And the Landgrave in naught gainsaid her, for belike did he bear a partIn the fear for her guest's well-doing that lay dark on the maiden's heart.So the twain with the queen abode there till the strife of the day was o'er,435And the night and the hour of feasting had come in their course once more.Then the slender maidens bare them sweet drinks, and the wine so red,And with fish and fowl in plenty, I ween, was the table spread.Fair and white was the bread to look on, and the Landgrave and Knight Gawain,Who had passed thro' such deadly peril, to taste of the food were fain.440And each as the queen might bid him ate that which should please him best,And no lack did they find, for right queenly the maid did entreat her guest,And vainly the heroes prayed her to cease from her kindly care.Of the many who knelt before them no maid but was young and fair;Yea, fair with the opening beauty of the rose that is yet unblown,445And soft lay their locks as the feathers of a falcon the knight hath flown.
Now list, ere they close the council, to the rede they would rede the kingAnd wise were the men who, wisely, good counsel in need should bring;And each spake as his mind should bid him, and that which his heart deemed best,And they turned the thing hither and thither, till the king thus his speech addrest:450
And he spake, 'One of late fought with me, as on venture bent I rodeIn the wood Læhtamreis—too proudly, perchance, I my steed bestrode,For a knight, who o'er great my fame deemed, in joust smote me such a blowThat, behind my gallant charger, on the greensward he laid me low.And this oath must I swear unto him, in search of the Grail to ride,455And my knightly pledge I gave him, were it other, I there had died.Now give me, I pray, your counsel, for 'gainst death was no other shieldBut to swear as my victor bade me, and, as knight, to a knight to yield!'
'Yea, mighty and strong that hero,—nor sware I that oath alone,But he bade me, as true man truly, when a year should have come and gone,460And the Grail I still were seeking, to ride unto PelrapärTo the queen who the crown there weareth, the child of King Tampentäre.And there, as I looked upon her, I should yield me unto her grace;And from him should I bear this message in the day that I sought her face.He would say, "An she thought upon him 'twas his joy and his labour's meed,465His hand from the King Klamidé aforetime her land had freed."'
Then the speech to the end they hearkened; and Liddamus spake this word,'Give me leave to speak, ye shall follow, Sir Knights, when my rede is heard,For the oath that perforce thou swarest, its fulfiller shall be Gawain,And he, captive, his wings shall flutter in the snare whereinthouwast ta'en.470For here, where we stand to hearken, shall he swear us the Grail to win,And then of free will let him ride hence; for I deem men would count it sinWere he slain in thine house—Nay, me-seemeth 'twere better to let him live,For but ill would it please thy sister an thou didst not her knight forgive!Sore stress at our hands hath he suffered, and he now to his death shall ride;475For far as the far sea's water shall circle the earth so wideThere standeth no Burg so mighty as Monsalväsch, its towers shall fearNo foeman, and strait the pathway that wendeth its walls anear,And sore dangers that road encompass—Let him slumber in peace this night,And the word that we deem the wisest shall be told him with morning light!'480Right well did the counsel please them, and ended, I ween, the strife,And Gawain, so the venture telleth, thus won at their hands his life.
So they tended the dauntless hero right well thro' the hours of night;From the Mass came the folk on the morrow when the noontide hour waxed bright,And the hall was thronged and crowded with townsfolk and warriors good,485When before the king, as they counselled, his foeman, Sir Gawain, stood.To naught other would he compel him than to that which ye late did hear.Now see ye the gentle maiden as she drew with her knight anear,And her uncle's son came with her, and many a hero braveOf the king's men were fain to follow, and thus fair escort gave.490Then the queen led Gawain to her brother with slender hand and white,And a chaplet of fair flowers woven she bare on her locks of light,Fair the flowers, yet the maid was fairer, and no blossom around her headBut waxed pale and dim, if 'twas mated with her lips of glowing red.And he whom of true heart gently she kissed, as beseemed a maid,495Such lances for her had broken as had wasted a woodland shade.
Now hearken to me and heed me, as with gracious words I'ld greetAntikonie, free from falsehood, a maiden pure and sweet.In such wise did she ever bear her that never a doubting word,Were one fain to sing her praises, from the lips of men was heard;500For no heart but wished her gladness, and no mouth but spake her freeFrom all thought of guile—Far-reaching, as a falcon's eye can see,Shone the light of her gracious presence, as the light of a balsam rareThat burneth, and sheddeth perfume, and sweeteneth the scented air.And her will was ever gracious, as the will of a maid should be,505And she spake to her royal brother of a true heart right maidenly:
'I bring here to thee, my brother, the guest thou didst bid me tend,And I would thou shouldst well entreat him, as befitting my knight and friend—For better shall that become thee, to bear thee as brother true,Than to feel the world's hate, or to teach me to hate thee, who hate ne'er knew.'510
Quoth the king, 'Nay then, my sister, an I may, so stands my will,Thou shalt give me here thy counsel, for I think me I did but ill,And stained thereby mine honour, and dimmed my knightly fame;And I deem me but little worthy that thou shouldst me as brother claim.E'en if all lands should do my bidding at thy prayer would I yield them all,515Lest that sorrow of sorrows greatest, thine hatred, on me should fall!And honour and joy were ended an I said to thy pleading, Nay—Sir Gawain, I here entreat thee, since for fame thou didst ride this way,An thou knightly fame wouldst honour, so help me, that I may winAnew from my sister favour, and forgiveness for this my sin.520Far liefer were I to pardon the wrong thou hast done to meThan to lose her, my sweetest sister—Now list what thy task shall be,Do thou swear to me here that truly thou wilt strive, as I erst was fainTo strive, for the Grail's fair kingdom, and the honour thou there shalt gain.'
In such wise the strife was ended, Sir Gawain far hence must ride,525And with sword and spear do battle, and woe for the Grail abide.And the Landgrave forgave his monarch the wrong that he did his wordWhen he brake his pledge unto Gawain—and no prince of the land but heard.
Then their swords they ungirt, and they hung them in their place on the castle wall—And the squires of Gawain came swiftly, and, joyful, he hailed them all,530For not one in strife was wounded—for a man of the Burger folk,Ere the battle waxed hot, had claimed them, and wise were the words he spoke,And their peace he prayed from the foemen, and he held them awhile in ward,Were they French, or from land of the Breton, till again to their rightful lordHe might send them in peace—Some were children, and some were lads strong and young—535And glad were their hearts when they saw him, and awhile on his neck they hung,And weeping they kissed Sir Gawain, yet no sorrow I ween was there,But from joy sprang the crystal tear-drops that ran o'er their faces fair.
And one came from the land of Cornwall, Count Laiz he, and Tinal's son;And a noble lad was with him whose father his death had won540At Schoie-de-la-Kurt, Gandelus, the son, and Gurzgrei, the sire—(Thro' that venture full many a maiden must weep for her heart's desire)And his aunt was the maid Liassé, and fair was the lad of faceAnd of feature, for Love had touched them, and had wrought them with hand of grace,And fain were all men to see him—Six were there those twain beside,545Eight lads, all of noble bearing and birth, with Gawain did ride.And as kinsmen right well they loved him, and they served him for payment fair;What payment gave he? Meed of honour their guerdon, and tender care!Then Gawain quoth unto the children, ''Tis well, for I now have seen,Fair kinsmen, that ye had mourned me, if slain I perchance had been,550(And well might he see their sorrow, for as yet they mourned full sore,)Where were ye in hour of battle? Much sorrow for ye I bore.'Then they answered, and none spake falsely, 'As thou sat'st in the high hall placeA hawk flew astray, and we ran thence, and joined for awhile the chase.'
Then all they who sat or stood there, nor ceased for awhile their gaze,555Saw well that Gawain was a true knight, and a man whom all men might praise;Then the king gave the leave he prayed for, and he spake unto all farewell,Save the queen alone, and the Landgrave, he whom men called Kingrimursel.For the queen took the twain, and the children who followed as Gawain's squires,And she led them where gentle maidens should serve as she should require,560And in peace, as became fair maidens, each maid did her lady's will,And fair were the hands and gracious that did gracious tasks fulfil.
Straightway when the meal was ended Gawain from the feast uprose,Thus Kiot hath told the story—and as blossom from root up-grows,So afresh from a true heart's true faith did sorrow spring forth amain—565Quoth the hero unto the maiden, 'Now, Lady, an God be fainTo leave to me life and wisdom, wherever my way I takeTrue service, true knight befitting, will I do for thy gentle sake.The rede did I hear and hearken that spake thee of falsehood free,And thy fame o'er the fame of all maidens shall high as the heavens be.570And Heaven Itself shall bless thee, and thy gifts all be gifts of God!Now, Lady, thy leave I crave here, since 'tis time on my way I rode.Give me leave, then, and let me ride hence, for I ween for the future daysShalt thou be thine own best defender, and thy virtue shall crown thy praise!'
Then sorrow of heart was her portion that the knight thus her side must leave,575Sore she wept, and her gentle maidens awhile with her grief must grieve.And the queen she spake out freely, 'An more I had done for thee,Then my joy had o'ercome my sorrow, yet better it might not be;Little peace for thee here might blossom—but, believe me, be ill thy share,Or should deeds of knighthood lead thee where sorrow thou needs must bear,580Then, Sir Gawain, my heart findeth portion in thy lot, be it loss or gain!'On his mouth, with her red lips glowing, the maiden she kissed Gawain.Then joy fled afar from the hero, and sorrow hath pierced his heart,Too early the twain they deemed it, from each other for aye to part.
Meantime had his squires bethought them, and his steed to the palace brought,585Where the boughs of a mighty linden might shadow the outer court;And the Landgrave's folk they sought him, and together they took their wayWithout the walls; ere they parted this grace would Sir Gawain pray,Since his squires might no more fare with him, that the Landgrave with them in wardShould ride forthwith unto Beaurosch, 'There Scherules the Burg doth guard,590Thou shalt pray him that these fair children to Dianasdron he bringWhere many a Breton dwelleth, and shall yield them unto the kingOr to Guinevere, his Lady'—So sware him Kingrimursel,And, with kindly words and courteous, to Sir Gawain he bade 'Farewell.'Short the space ere both steed and rider were clad in their mail of might,595Kinsmen and squires, he kissed them, and alone rode that gallant knight,For, as this his oath had bade him, to the Grail must his pathway wend,And many a pain and peril must he know ere his task should end.
BookIX.In the opening the spirit of adventure craves admission to the heart of the poet, who would fain learn from her tidings of Parzival. The venture telleth how the hero had ridden long in doubt and despair, and knew not the days of his wanderings. How he met again with Siguné and came to the forest of Monsalväsch, where he fought with a Knight of the Grail. How, on Good Friday, Parzival met with a pilgrim knight who reproached him for bearing arms at that Holy Tide, and bade him seek the hermit Trevrezent.
How Parzival came to the hermit's cell, and spake of his wrath against God, of his sorrow for his wife, and of his search for the Grail. How Trevrezent told him wherein he had sinned, and showed him the way of salvation.
How the hermit farther revealed to him the mysteries of the Grail, of the Bleeding Lance, and the knives of silver; how he told him of the wound of Anfortas, of the race of the Grail Kings, and how Parzival himself was nephew to Anfortas and Trevrezent. How Parzival confessed that it was he who came to the Grail Castle and failed to ask the question; how Trevrezent spake to him words of comfort and counsel, and absolved him from his sin; and how the two parted in sorrow.
BOOK IX
TREVREZENT