Then he stood upright, and he spake thus, 'Lady, I weary thee,Too long methinks do I sit here, I were lacking in courtesy!As befitting true knight and servant I mourn for thy woe so great,Lady, do thou command me, I will on thy bidding wait.460Wherever thou wilt, there I wend me. I will serve thee in all I may!'And the lady she quoth in answer, 'I believe thee, Sir Knight, alway!'Then his kindly host the Burg-grave, of his labour would nothing spareLest the hours of his stay be heavy; and he asked if he forth would fare,And ride round the walls of the city? 'The battle-field shalt thou see,465And how we would guard our portals!' then Gamuret courteouslyMade answer, he fain would see it, the field where they late had fought,And the place where brave deeds of knighthood had by gallant hands been wrought.And noble knights rode with him adown from the palace hall,Some were wise, some were young and foolish,—So rode they around the wall470To sixteen gates, and they told him not one of them might they closeSince Eisenhart's death called for vengeance—'So wrathful shall be our foesOur conflict it resteth never, but we fight both by night and day,Nor our portals since then we fasten, but open they stand alway.At eight of our gates they beset us, true Eisenhart's gallant knights,475And evil shall they have wrought us; spurred by anger each man doth fight,The princes of lofty lineage, the king of Assagog's ban!'And there floated before each portal a banner, so pale and wan,With a piercèd knight upon it. When Eisenhart lost his lifeHis folk chose to them this symbol, as badge in the coming strife.480'But against these arms have we others, wherewith we their grief would still,And thus shalt thou know our banner; 'twas wrought at our lady's will,Two fingers in oath she stretcheth, that never such grief she knewAs Eisenhart's death hath brought her (true sorrow for heart so true),And so doth it stand the semblance of our queen, on a samite white485Belakané in sable fashioned,—Since against us they came in might,(To avenge him for whom she sorrows) so she looks from our portals high.And proud Friedebrand's mighty army doth to eight of our gates stand nigh,Baptized men, from o'er the waters. A prince doth each portal hold,And forth from the gate he sallies, with his banners and warriors bold.'490'From the host of Gaschier the Norman, a count have we captive ta'en,And heavy methinks the ransom we may hope from that knight to gain;He is sister's son to Kailet, and the harmheto us hath doneHis nephew I ween shall pay for! Yet such prize have we seldom won.Here have we no grassy meadow, but sand, thirty gallops wide495Betwixt the tents and the trenches; here many a joust we ride.And further his host would tell him, 'One knight, he doth never failTo ride forth, a fair joust seeking. (If his service shall nought availWith her who hath sent him hither, what boots it how well he fight?)Proud Heuteger is the hero, of him may I speak with right500For since our besiegers threaten there dawneth never a dayBut before the gates 'neath the castle, that knight doth his charger stay.And oft from that dauntless hero many tokens we needs must bear,That he smote through our shields at his spear-point, and costly their worth and rareWhen the squire from the shield doth break them. Many knights 'fore his joust must fall;505He would that all men may behold him, and our women they praise him all.And he who is praised of women, one knoweth that he doth holdThe prize in his hand, and his heart's joy in full measure shall aye be told!'But now would the sun, grown weary, its wandering rays recall;'Twas time that the ride was ended—Then he sought with his host the hall,510And the evening meal was ready; and I needs of that feast must tell,'Twas laid in a fitting order, and knightly 'twas served, and well.And the queen with mien so stately she unto his table came,(Here stood the fish, there the heron) and she counted it not for shameTo ride adown from her palace, that herself she might be aware515If they cared for the guest as 'twas fitting, and with her rode her maidens fair.Low she knelt (and but ill it pleased him) and cut as it seemed her bestFor the knight a fitting portion; she was glad in her goodly guest.And she filled for him the wine-cup, and care for his needs would take,And well did he mark, the hero, her mien, and the words she spake.520And his fiddlers sat at the table, and over against the knightWas his chaplain: with shy looks shamefast, he spake to the lady bright:'I looked not to find such welcome as, Lady, thou gavest me,Too much must I deem the honour! If rede I might give to thee,Then to-day I had claimed naught from thee save was due to my worth alone,525Nor adown the hill hadst thou ridden, nor such service to me hadst shown.And, Lady, if I may venture to make unto thee request,Let me live but as best befits me, thou dost honour o'ermuch thy guest!'Yet her kindly care she stayed not; for she stept to his page's seatAnd with gentle words and friendly she prayed them to freely eat,530This she did her guest to honour: and the noble lads, I trow,Bare goodwill to the royal lady. Nor the queen methinks was slowTo pass where the host was seated and his lady, the Burg-gravine,And she raised the golden goblet, and she spake as should fit a queen:'Now unto your care I give him, our guest, and I rede ye both535Since the honour is yours, to hearken, and do my will nothing loth!'And she bade them farewell, and she turned her, and passed to her guest once more,Whose heart for her sake was heavy; and such sorrow for him she bore,And her heart and her eyes they answered, and they spake to her sorrow yea!And courteous she spake, the lady, 'Sir Knight, thou the word shalt say,540And whate'er be thy will, I will do it, for I hold thee a worthy guest.Now give me, I pray, dismissal; if here thou in peace shalt rest,Of that shall we all be joyful.' Her torch-holders were of gold,And four tapers they bare before her, so she rode to her fortress-hold.Nor long at the board they lingered—The hero was sad, and gay,545He was glad for the honour done him, yet a sorrow upon him lay,And that was strong Love's compelling, that a proud heart and courage highCan bend to her will, and gladness shall oft at her bidding fly.Then the hostess she passed to her chamber, yea, e'en as the meal was o'er;And a couch did they spread for the hero, and love to the labour bore.550And the host to his guest spake kindly, 'Now here shall thy sleep be sweet,Thou shalt rest thro' the night that cometh, to thy need shall such rest be meet.'Then he spake to his men, and he bade them they should hence from the hall away,And the noble youths his pages, their couches around his layEach one with the head toward his master, for so was the custom good;555And tapers so tall and flaming alight round the chamber stood.Yet ill did it please the hero that so long were the hours of night,For the Moorish queen so dusky, had vanquished his heart of might.And he turned as a willow wand bendeth, till his joints they were heard to crack,The strife and the love that he craved for he deemed he o'er-long did lack.560And his heart-beats they echoed loudly, as it swelled high for knighthood fain,And he stretched himself as an archer who bendeth a bow amain.And so eager his lust for battle that sleepless the hero layTill he saw the grey light of morning, though as yet it should scarce be day.And his chaplain for Mass was ready, and to God and the knight they sing,565For so did he give commandment. Then he bade them his harness bring,And he rode where a joust should wait him, and that self-same hour would rideA horse that could charge the foeman, and turn swiftly to either side,And answer to bit and bridle if its rider would backward draw.And the watchers, both man and woman, his helm in the gateway saw,570And the anchor shone fair upon it; and no man ere this might seeSo wondrous fair a hero, for like to a god was he!And strong spears they bare for his using—How then was he decked, the knight?With iron was his charger covered, as should serve for a shield in fight,And above lay another covering, nor heavy methinks it weighed,575'Twas a samite green; and his surcoat and blazoned coat were madeOf Achmardi, green to look on, and in Araby fashioned fair,And no lie I tell, but the shield-thongs that the weight of the shield should bearWere of silk and gold untarnished, and jewel-bedecked their pride,And the boss of the shield was covered with red gold, in the furnace tried.580He served but for love's rewarding; sharp conflict he held it light;And the queen she looked from her window, with many a lady bright.And see, there Heuteger held him, who the prize ne'er had failed to gain;When he saw the knight draw nearer, in swift gallop across the plain,He thought, 'Now whence came this Frenchman? Who hither this knight hath sent?585If aMoorI had thought this hero, my wit were to madness bent!'No whit they delayed the onslaught, from gallop to swifter flightEach man spurred amain his charger; and as fitting a valiant knightNor one would evade the other, but would meet him in jousting fair,From brave Heuteger's spear the splinters flew high thro' the summer air,590But his foeman so well withstood him that he thrust him from off his steedAdown on the grass; but seldom might he win for his joust such meed!And his foe in his course rode o'er him, and trode him unto the ground,Yet he sprang up again, and valiant, fresh lust for the strife he found,But Gamuret's lance had pierced him thro' the arm, and he bade him yield,595And he knew he had found his master, and he spake from the foughten field,'Now who shall have o'erthrown me?' and the victor he swiftly spake,'Gamuret Angevin do men call me!' then he quoth, 'Thou my pledge canst take!'Then his pledge the knight took, and straightway he sent him within the wall,And much praise did he win from the women who looked from the castle hall.600And swiftly there came towards him, Gaschier of Normandy,A proud and wealthy hero and mighty in strife was he.And Gamuret made him ready, for a second joust he'ld ride,And strong and new was his spear-shaft, and the iron was both sharp and wide,And the strangers they faced each other—But unequal their lot, I trow,605For Gaschier and his gallant charger full swiftly were they laid low,And the knight with his arms and harness he fell in the shock of strife;If he thought it for good or for evil, by his pledge must he win his life.Then Gamuret quoth, the hero, 'Thou hast pledged unto me thine hand,Yet the weapon it well hath wielded! Ride thou to the Scottish band,610And bid them to cease from troubling; if they to thy will are fain,Thou canst follow me to the city.' Then the knight hied him o'er the plain.If he prayed them, or gave commandment, they did at the last his will,And the Scottish host they rested, and from conflict they held them still.Then Kailet spurred swift towards him, but Gamuret turned his rein,615His cousin he was, and near kinsman, why then bring him grief and pain?And the Spaniard cried loudly on him; on his helm he an ostrich bare,And so far as I know to tell ye the knight he was decked so fairWith silken raiment goodly, and long were his robes and wide,And the plain rang clear with the chiming of sweet bells as he o'er it hied.620The flower he of manly beauty, and his fairness it held the field,Save for two who should come hereafter, and his fame unto theirs must yield;But Parzival and brave Beaucorps, King Lot's son, they are not here,Not yet were they born, but hereafter for their beauty men held them dear!Then Gaschier he grasped his bridle. 'Now checked will it be thy race,625So I tell thee upon mine honour, if the Angevin thou shalt faceWho there my pledge hath taken. Sir Knight, thou shalt list my prayerAnd hearken unto my counsel; in Gamuret's hand I swareFrom strife aside to turn thee: stay thy steed then for my sake,For mighty is he in conflict!' Then aloud King Kailet spake,630'Is he Gamuret my cousin, and son unto King Gandein?Then I care not with him to battle, no foe shall he be of mine!Take thine hand from off my bridle'—'Nay, further thou shalt not fareTill mine eyes have first beheld thee, with thine head of the helmet bare,Forminewith blows is deafened!' Then his helmet the prince unbound.635And yet, tho' with him he fought not, Gamuret other foemen found.And the day had grown to high morning—And the folk who the joust might seeWere glad at heart, and they gat them to their bulwarks right speedily,For he was as a net before them, and none might escape his hold.And he chose him another charger, so the tale unto me was told,640And it flew, and the earth it spurnèd, and its work could aright fulfil,Bold when the knight would battle, yet its speed could he check at will.And what would he do the rider? His valour I praise alway,For he rode where the Moorish army to the west by the sea-coast lay.Thence a prince, Rassalig men called him, forgat not each coming morn645(He was Assagog's richest hero, to riches and honour bornSince he came of a royal lineage) to take from the camp his wayHe would fain joust before the city—But his strength it was quelled that dayBy Anjou's dauntless hero; and a dusky maid made moan(Since 'twas she who sent him hither) that her knight should be thus o'erthrown.650For a squire brought, without his bidding, to his master, brave Gamuret,A spear, with light reed-shaft fashioned, and its point 'gainst the Moor he set,And with it he smote the paynim from his steed down upon the sand,Nor longer he bade him lie there than as surety he pledged his hand.So the strife it had found its ending, and the hero had won him fame;655Then Gamuret saw eight banners toward the city that onward came,And he bade the conquered hero the force with his word to stay,And follow him to the city. And that word must he needs obey.Nor Gaschier delayed his coming; and unto the Burg-grave toldHow his guest sought for further conflict nor his wrath might the host withhold.660If he swallowed not iron as an ostrich, nor his wrath did on stones assuage'Twas but that he might not find them! Then he gnashed his teeth for rage,And he growled as a mighty lion, and the hair of his head he tare,And he quoth, 'So the years of my lifetime a harvest of folly bear,The gods they had sent to my keeping a valiant and worthy friend,665If with strife he shall be o'erladen, then mine honour hath found an end;Sword and shield they shall little profit—Yea, shame he would on me castWho should bring this to my remembrance!' Then swift from his place he passed,And he gat him into the portal, and a squire towards him drew,And he bare a shield that was painted with a knight by a spear pierced thro',670In Eisenhart's land was it fashioned; and a helmet his hand must hold,And a sword that Rassalig carried in battle, that heathen bold,But now was he parted from it whose fame was in every place;Were he slain unbaptized I think me, God had shown to this hero grace!And e'en as the Burg-grave saw it, ne'er of yore was his joy so great,675For the coat-of-arms he knew it—So he rode thro' the city gate,And without, his guest had halted, young hero he, not yet old,As one of a joust desirous, and his bridle the Burg-grave bold,Lahfilirost was his name, he grasped it, and he led him within the wall;And I wot well no other foeman that day 'neath his spear must fall.680Quoth Lahfilirost the Burg-grave, 'Sir Knight, thou shalt tell to meIf thine hand Rassalig hath vanquished?' 'Then our land from all strife is free;For he of the Moors is chieftain, the men of true EisenhartWho have brought unto us such sorrow—But now shall our woe depart,'Twas a wrathful god who bade him thus seek us with all his host,685But his weapons to naught are smitten, and to folly is turned his boast!'Then he led him in (ill it pleased him) and there met then the royal maid,And she loosened the bands of his vizor, and her hand on his bridle laid,To her care must the Burg-grave yield it: nor his squires to their task were slack,For they turned them about, and swiftly they rode on their master's track.690So men saw the queen so gracious lead her guest thro' the city streetWho here should be hailed the victor—Then she lighted her on her feet,'Ah me! but thy squires are faithful! Fear ye lest your lord be lost?Without ye shall he be cared for; take his steed, here am I his host!'And above found he many a maiden: then her hands of dusky hue695The queen set unto his harness, and disarmed the knight so true.And the bed-covering was of sable, and the couch it was spread so fair,And in secret a hidden honour they did for the knight prepare,For no one was there to witness—The maidens they might not stay,And the door was fast closed behind them, and Frau Minne might have her way.700So the queen in the arms of her true love found guerdon of sweet delight,Tho' unlike were the twain in their colour, Moorish princess and Christian knight!Then the townsfolk brought many an offering to the gods who had seen their woe.That which Rassalig needs must promise ere he from the field might goThat he did, in all truth and honour, yet heavy was he at heart,705And afresh sprang the fount of his sorrow for his prince gallant Eisenhart.And the Burg-grave he heard of his coming; then loud rang the trumpet call,And no man of Zassamank's princes but came to the palace hall.They gave Gamuret thanks for the honour he had won in the field that day,Four-and-twenty had fallen before him, and their chargers he bore away,710And three chieftains had he made captive. And there rode in the princes' trainMany gallant knights, in the courtyard of the palace did they draw rein.And the hero had slept and eaten, and clad him in raiment fair,Chief host was he, for his body fit garments would they prepare.And she who afore was a maiden but now was a wife would take715Her lord by the hand, forth she led him, and unto her princes spake:'My body and this my kingdom are vassals unto this knight,If so be that his foemen fearing, resist not his hand of might!'Then Gamuret spake, and his bidding was courteous, for hero meet,Sir Rassalig, go thou nearer, with a kiss thou my wife shalt greet;720And Sir Gaschier, thou shalt do likewise.' Then the Scotch knight proud HeutegerHe bade on the lips to kiss her (and the wounds won in joust he bare).Then he bade them all be seated, and standing, he wisely spake:'I were fain to behold my kinsman, if he who did captive takeThe knight shall have naught against it—As kinsman it seemeth me725That I find here no other counsel save straightway to set him free!'Then the queen she smiled, and bade them go swiftly and seek the knight,And then thro' the throng he pressed him, that count so fair and bright,Yet bare he the wounds of knighthood, and bravely and well had fought;With the host of Gaschier the Norman the land of the Moors he sought.730He was courteous; his sire a Frenchman he was Kailet's sister's son,Killirjacac his name; in the service of fair women fair meed he won,And the fairest of men they deemed him. When Gamuret saw his face(For like were they each to the other, as men of a kindred race)He bade his queen to kiss him and embrace him as kinsman true,735And he spake, 'Now come thou and greet me!' and the knight to his arms he drew,And he kissed him, and each was joyful that the other he here might meet:And Gamuret quoth unto him, 'Alas! cousin fair and sweet,What doth thy young strength in this conflict? Say, if woman hath sent thee here?''Nay, never a woman sent me, with my cousin I came, Gaschier,740He knoweth why he hath brought me—A thousand men have I,And I do to him loyal service—To Rouen in NormandyI came, where his force was gathered, and many a youthful knightI brought from Champagne in mine army; 'neath his banner we fain would fight.Now evil hath turned against him what of cunning is hers and skill,745Thou wilt honour thyself if thou free him for my sake, and cure his ill!''Thyself shalt fulfil thy counsel! Go thou, take with thee Gaschier,I would fain see my kinsman Kailet, do thou bring him unto me here!'So they wrought out the host's desiring, and brought him at his behest,And in loving wise and kindly did Gamuret greet his guest;750And ofttimes the queen embraced him, and kissed him with kisses sweet:And nothing it wronged her honour in such wise the prince to greet,He was cousin unto her husband, by birth was himself a king.Then smiling his host spake to him, 'God knows, 'twere an evil thing,Had I taken from thee Toledo, and thy goodly land of Spain755For Gascony's king, who wrathful doth plague thee with strife amain;'Twere faithless of me, Sir Kailet, since mine aunt's son thou sure shalt be;The bravest of knights shall be with thee; say, who forced this strife on thee?'Then out spake the proud young hero, 'My cousin Schiltung bade(Since his daughter Friedebrand wedded) that I lend to the king mine aid.760For the sake of his wife hath he won him, yea even from me aloneSix thousand chosen heroes, who valour and skill have shown.And other men did I bring him, but a part they shall hence have sailed,For the Scottish folk came they hither, brave bands who in strife ne'er failed.And there came to his aid from Greenland, strong heroes who bravely fought,765Two mighty kings, and a torrent of knighthood with them they brought,And many a goodly vessel: and they pleased me, those men of might—And here for his sake came Morhold, who hath cunning and skill in fight.''But now have they turned them homewards, and that which the queen shall sayEven that will I do with mine army, her servant am I alway!770Thou shalt thank me not for this service, from kinsman 'twas due, I ween.Nowthineare these gallant heroes, if like mine they baptized had beenAnd were even as they in colour, then never a monarch crownedBut if they should fight against him, of conflict his fill had found!But I marvel what here hath brought thee? Say, how didst thou reach this strand?'775'Yestreen I came, and this morning I am lord o'er this goodly land!The queen by the hand she took me, and with love I myself would shield,For so did my wit give counsel—' 'Yea, so hast thou won the field,Those sweet weapons two hosts have vanquished!' 'Thou wouldst say, since I fled fromthee,So loudly on me thou calledst, say, what wouldst thou force from me?780Let us speak of the thing in friendship!' 'Thine anchor I failed to know,But seldom mine aunt's brave husband Gandein, did such token show!''But I, I knew well thine ostrich with the snake's head upon thy breast,Aloft stood thy bird so stately, nor hid it within a nest!''And I saw in thy mien and bearing that that pledge would have 'seemed thee ill785Which two heroes afore had given, tho' first had they fought their fill.''E'en such fate as theirs were my portion—But this thing I needs must say,Tho' little I like a devil, were he victor as thou this dayFor love of his gallant doings the women had deemed him sweet,Yea, as sugar were fain to eat him!' 'Now thou praisest me more than meet!'790'Nay, of flattery know I little, thou shalt see that I hold thee dearIn other wise!' Then the hero bade Rassalig draw anear.And courteous he spake, King Kailet, 'My kinsman with valiant handHath made of thee here his captive?' 'Yea, Sire, so the thing doth stand,And I hold him for such a hero that Assagog's kingdom fair795Should fail not to yield him homage, since the crown he may never wear,Our prince Eisenhart! In her service was he slain who shall now be wifeTo thy kinsman, as knight so faithful he gave for her love his life.With my kiss have I sealed forgiveness, yet my lord and my friend I lost!If thy cousin by knightly dealing will repay of his death the cost800I will fold my hands as his vassal: and wealth shall be his and fame,All that Eisenhart from Tánkaneis as his heritage thought to claim.Embalmed here the hero lieth, and I gaze on his wounds each daySince this spear thro' his true heart piercing, my lord and my king did slay!'Then he drew it forth from his bosom by a silken cord so fine,805And the heroes saw the spear-blade 'neath his robe on his bare chest shine.And he quoth, 'It is now high morning, if my lord Sir KillirjacacMy token will bear to my princes, with him will the knights ride back.'And a finger-ring he sent them: dark as hell were those heroes allAnd they rode who were there of princes, thro' the town to the castle hall.810As his vassals he gave with their banners to Assagog's lords their land,And each one rejoiced in the fiefdom he won from his ruler's hand,But the better part was his portion, Gamuret's, as their lord and king.And these were the first—as they passed hence their homage they fain would bringThe princes of Zassamank's kingdom, and they came in their order due,815And each as their queen had bade them, they took from his hand anewTheir land, and the fruit it should bear them, as to each man was fit and right,And poverty fled from his presence. Now he who was slain in fightAnd in life was a prince by lineage, Prothizilas, he had leftA Dukedom fair, and this country which was thus of its lord bereft820He gave unto him who much honour had won by his strong right hand,The Burg-grave, in combat dauntless—With its banners he took the land.Then Assagog's noble princes took the Scotch Duke, proud Heuteger,And Gaschier, the Norman hero, to their lord did they lead them there,And he spake them free for their asking, and they thanked brave Gamuret.825Then Heuteger of Scotland with prayers did these knights beset,'Now give to our lord the armour, as prize for his deeds so brave,That Eisenhart's life took from us, when to Friedebrand he gaveThat which was of our land the glory—Forfeit of joy the knight,And dead on his bier he lieth, since no love might his love requite—'830And earth knoweth naught so goodly, the helm it was strong and hard,Yea even of diamond fashioned, in battle a goodly guard.Then Heuteger sware unto them, if the land of his lord he sawHe would pray of his hand the armour, and send it to them once more.And this did he swear them freely—Then leave would the princes pray835Who stood in the royal presence, and they wend from the hall their way.And tho' sorely the land was wasted, yet Gamuret scattered freeSuch royal gifts and goodly as if laden with gold each tree.And costly I ween the presents that vassal and friend must shareFrom the open hand of the hero; and the queen deemed it right and fair.840Full many a bitter conflict had been fought ere the bridal feast,But peace had the foeman sealèd, and the land was from strife released;(Nor this song I myself have woven, but so was it told to me)And Eisenhart did they bury with honours right royally.To his grave did his kinsmen bear him, and the gold that his lands might bring845In a whole year long, did they spend there, of their free will they did this thing.And Gamuret bade his kinsfolk his riches and lands to holdAnd use as they would; tho' they craved not such boon from the hero bold.At dawn from before the fortress the foe would their camp withdraw,And those who were there departed; many litters with them they bore.850And the field was left unsheltered, save for one tent so great and fair,And the king he bade his servants that tent to his vessel bear.And he said to his folk that to Assagog would he take it, and yet I wotHe did with that speech deceive them, for Assagog saw him not.Now that proud and gallant hero, his heart gave him little rest855Since he found there no deeds of knighthood, and gladness forsook his breast;Yet his dusky wife was dearer than e'en his own life might be,Ne'er knew he a truer lady whose heart was from falsehood free,She forgat not what 'seemed a woman, and with her as comrades goodWent purity untarnished, and the ways of true womanhood.860He was born in Seville's fair city whom the knight would hereafter pray,When he grew of his sojourn weary, to sail with him far away;For many a mile had he led him, and he brought him unto this place,And a Christian was he, the steersman, nor like to a Moor in face.And wisely he spake, 'Thou shalt hide it from them who a dark skin bear,865Too swift is my barque for pursuing, from hence shall we quickly fare!'Then his gold it was borne to the vessel. Now of parting I needs must tell,By night did he go, the hero, and his purpose he hid it well;But when from his wife he sailèd, in her womb did she bear his child:And fair blew the wind, and the breezes bare him hence o'er the waters wild.870And the lady she found a letter, and 'twas writ by her husband's hand;And in French (for she well could read it) did the words of the writing stand:'Here one love to another speaketh—As a thief have I stolen awayThat mine eyes might not see thy sorrow—But this thing I needs must say,Wert thou, e'en as I, a Christian I ever should weep for thee,875For e'en now I must sorely mourn thee. If it chance that our child shall beIn face like unto one other, then his is a dowry fair,Of Anjou washeborn, and Frau Minne for his lady he did declare.Yet was he in strife a hailstorm, ill neighbour unto his foe;That his grandsire hath been King Gandein, this I will that my son shall know.880Dead he lay thro' his deeds of knighthood; and his father the same death won,Addanz was his name, and unsplintered his shield hath been seen of none;And by birth he hath been a Breton, and two brothers' sons were they,He and the brave Pendragon, and their sires' names I here will say;For Lassalies he hath been the elder, and Brickus was his brother's name,885And Mazadan was their father whom a fay for her love did claim.Terre-de-la-schoie did they call her, to Fay-Morgan she led the king,For he was her true heart's fetters; and my race from those twain did spring.And fair shall they be, and valiant, and as crownèd kings they reign—If lady, thou'lt be baptizèd thou mayst win me to thee again!'890Yet had she no thought of anger, but she spake, 'Ah! too soon 'tis o'er,Of a sooth would I do his bidding, would it bring him to me once more.In whose charge hath my courteous hero left the fruit of his love so true?Alas! for the sweet communion that we twain for a short space knew!Shall the strength of my bitter sorrow rule body and soul alway?895And she quoth, 'Now his God to honour, his will would I fain obey,And gladly I'ld be baptizèd, and live as should please my love!'And sorrow with her heart struggled, and e'en as the turtle doveHer joy sought the withered branches, for the same mind was hers, I ween,When the mate of the turtle dieth, she forsaketh the branches green.900Then the queen at the time appointed bare a son, who was dark and light,For in him had God wrought a wonder, at one while was he black and white.And a thousand times she kissed him where white as his sire's his skin.And she named the babe of her sorrows Feirefis Angevin.And he was a woodland-waster, many spears did he shatter fair,905And shields did he pierce—as a magpie the hue of his face and hair.Now a year and more was ended since Gamuret won such fameAt Zassamank, and his right hand the victor's prize might claim,And yet o'er the seas he drifted, for the winds vexed the hero bold.Then a silken sail red gleaming he saw, and the barque did hold910The men whom the King of Scotland, Friedebrand, sent upon their wayAt the bidding of Queen Belakané: from her would they pardon prayThat ever he came against her, tho' in sooth he had lost the more.And with them the diamond helmet, the corslet and sword they bore,And hosen e'en such as the harness, and a marvel it needs must be915That the barque was thus borne towards him, as the venture hath told to me!And they gave him the goodly armour, and an oath unto them he sworeThat his mouth it should speak their message, an he came to the queen once more.And they parted; and one hath told me that the sea bare him onward boundTill he came to a goodly haven, and in Seville his goal he found.920And with gold did he pay his steersman right well for his guidance true,And they parted, those twain, and sorrow the heart of that steersman knew!
Then he stood upright, and he spake thus, 'Lady, I weary thee,Too long methinks do I sit here, I were lacking in courtesy!As befitting true knight and servant I mourn for thy woe so great,Lady, do thou command me, I will on thy bidding wait.460Wherever thou wilt, there I wend me. I will serve thee in all I may!'And the lady she quoth in answer, 'I believe thee, Sir Knight, alway!'
Then his kindly host the Burg-grave, of his labour would nothing spareLest the hours of his stay be heavy; and he asked if he forth would fare,And ride round the walls of the city? 'The battle-field shalt thou see,465And how we would guard our portals!' then Gamuret courteouslyMade answer, he fain would see it, the field where they late had fought,And the place where brave deeds of knighthood had by gallant hands been wrought.
And noble knights rode with him adown from the palace hall,Some were wise, some were young and foolish,—So rode they around the wall470To sixteen gates, and they told him not one of them might they closeSince Eisenhart's death called for vengeance—'So wrathful shall be our foesOur conflict it resteth never, but we fight both by night and day,Nor our portals since then we fasten, but open they stand alway.At eight of our gates they beset us, true Eisenhart's gallant knights,475And evil shall they have wrought us; spurred by anger each man doth fight,The princes of lofty lineage, the king of Assagog's ban!'And there floated before each portal a banner, so pale and wan,With a piercèd knight upon it. When Eisenhart lost his lifeHis folk chose to them this symbol, as badge in the coming strife.480'But against these arms have we others, wherewith we their grief would still,And thus shalt thou know our banner; 'twas wrought at our lady's will,Two fingers in oath she stretcheth, that never such grief she knewAs Eisenhart's death hath brought her (true sorrow for heart so true),And so doth it stand the semblance of our queen, on a samite white485Belakané in sable fashioned,—Since against us they came in might,(To avenge him for whom she sorrows) so she looks from our portals high.And proud Friedebrand's mighty army doth to eight of our gates stand nigh,Baptized men, from o'er the waters. A prince doth each portal hold,And forth from the gate he sallies, with his banners and warriors bold.'490
'From the host of Gaschier the Norman, a count have we captive ta'en,And heavy methinks the ransom we may hope from that knight to gain;He is sister's son to Kailet, and the harmheto us hath doneHis nephew I ween shall pay for! Yet such prize have we seldom won.Here have we no grassy meadow, but sand, thirty gallops wide495Betwixt the tents and the trenches; here many a joust we ride.
And further his host would tell him, 'One knight, he doth never failTo ride forth, a fair joust seeking. (If his service shall nought availWith her who hath sent him hither, what boots it how well he fight?)Proud Heuteger is the hero, of him may I speak with right500For since our besiegers threaten there dawneth never a dayBut before the gates 'neath the castle, that knight doth his charger stay.And oft from that dauntless hero many tokens we needs must bear,That he smote through our shields at his spear-point, and costly their worth and rareWhen the squire from the shield doth break them. Many knights 'fore his joust must fall;505He would that all men may behold him, and our women they praise him all.And he who is praised of women, one knoweth that he doth holdThe prize in his hand, and his heart's joy in full measure shall aye be told!'
But now would the sun, grown weary, its wandering rays recall;'Twas time that the ride was ended—Then he sought with his host the hall,510And the evening meal was ready; and I needs of that feast must tell,'Twas laid in a fitting order, and knightly 'twas served, and well.And the queen with mien so stately she unto his table came,(Here stood the fish, there the heron) and she counted it not for shameTo ride adown from her palace, that herself she might be aware515If they cared for the guest as 'twas fitting, and with her rode her maidens fair.Low she knelt (and but ill it pleased him) and cut as it seemed her bestFor the knight a fitting portion; she was glad in her goodly guest.And she filled for him the wine-cup, and care for his needs would take,And well did he mark, the hero, her mien, and the words she spake.520And his fiddlers sat at the table, and over against the knightWas his chaplain: with shy looks shamefast, he spake to the lady bright:
'I looked not to find such welcome as, Lady, thou gavest me,Too much must I deem the honour! If rede I might give to thee,Then to-day I had claimed naught from thee save was due to my worth alone,525Nor adown the hill hadst thou ridden, nor such service to me hadst shown.And, Lady, if I may venture to make unto thee request,Let me live but as best befits me, thou dost honour o'ermuch thy guest!'
Yet her kindly care she stayed not; for she stept to his page's seatAnd with gentle words and friendly she prayed them to freely eat,530This she did her guest to honour: and the noble lads, I trow,Bare goodwill to the royal lady. Nor the queen methinks was slowTo pass where the host was seated and his lady, the Burg-gravine,And she raised the golden goblet, and she spake as should fit a queen:'Now unto your care I give him, our guest, and I rede ye both535Since the honour is yours, to hearken, and do my will nothing loth!'And she bade them farewell, and she turned her, and passed to her guest once more,Whose heart for her sake was heavy; and such sorrow for him she bore,And her heart and her eyes they answered, and they spake to her sorrow yea!And courteous she spake, the lady, 'Sir Knight, thou the word shalt say,540And whate'er be thy will, I will do it, for I hold thee a worthy guest.Now give me, I pray, dismissal; if here thou in peace shalt rest,Of that shall we all be joyful.' Her torch-holders were of gold,And four tapers they bare before her, so she rode to her fortress-hold.
Nor long at the board they lingered—The hero was sad, and gay,545He was glad for the honour done him, yet a sorrow upon him lay,And that was strong Love's compelling, that a proud heart and courage highCan bend to her will, and gladness shall oft at her bidding fly.
Then the hostess she passed to her chamber, yea, e'en as the meal was o'er;And a couch did they spread for the hero, and love to the labour bore.550And the host to his guest spake kindly, 'Now here shall thy sleep be sweet,Thou shalt rest thro' the night that cometh, to thy need shall such rest be meet.'Then he spake to his men, and he bade them they should hence from the hall away,And the noble youths his pages, their couches around his layEach one with the head toward his master, for so was the custom good;555And tapers so tall and flaming alight round the chamber stood.Yet ill did it please the hero that so long were the hours of night,For the Moorish queen so dusky, had vanquished his heart of might.And he turned as a willow wand bendeth, till his joints they were heard to crack,The strife and the love that he craved for he deemed he o'er-long did lack.560And his heart-beats they echoed loudly, as it swelled high for knighthood fain,And he stretched himself as an archer who bendeth a bow amain.And so eager his lust for battle that sleepless the hero layTill he saw the grey light of morning, though as yet it should scarce be day.And his chaplain for Mass was ready, and to God and the knight they sing,565For so did he give commandment. Then he bade them his harness bring,
And he rode where a joust should wait him, and that self-same hour would rideA horse that could charge the foeman, and turn swiftly to either side,And answer to bit and bridle if its rider would backward draw.And the watchers, both man and woman, his helm in the gateway saw,570And the anchor shone fair upon it; and no man ere this might seeSo wondrous fair a hero, for like to a god was he!
And strong spears they bare for his using—How then was he decked, the knight?With iron was his charger covered, as should serve for a shield in fight,And above lay another covering, nor heavy methinks it weighed,575'Twas a samite green; and his surcoat and blazoned coat were madeOf Achmardi, green to look on, and in Araby fashioned fair,And no lie I tell, but the shield-thongs that the weight of the shield should bearWere of silk and gold untarnished, and jewel-bedecked their pride,And the boss of the shield was covered with red gold, in the furnace tried.580He served but for love's rewarding; sharp conflict he held it light;And the queen she looked from her window, with many a lady bright.And see, there Heuteger held him, who the prize ne'er had failed to gain;When he saw the knight draw nearer, in swift gallop across the plain,He thought, 'Now whence came this Frenchman? Who hither this knight hath sent?585If aMoorI had thought this hero, my wit were to madness bent!'
No whit they delayed the onslaught, from gallop to swifter flightEach man spurred amain his charger; and as fitting a valiant knightNor one would evade the other, but would meet him in jousting fair,From brave Heuteger's spear the splinters flew high thro' the summer air,590But his foeman so well withstood him that he thrust him from off his steedAdown on the grass; but seldom might he win for his joust such meed!And his foe in his course rode o'er him, and trode him unto the ground,Yet he sprang up again, and valiant, fresh lust for the strife he found,But Gamuret's lance had pierced him thro' the arm, and he bade him yield,595And he knew he had found his master, and he spake from the foughten field,'Now who shall have o'erthrown me?' and the victor he swiftly spake,'Gamuret Angevin do men call me!' then he quoth, 'Thou my pledge canst take!'
Then his pledge the knight took, and straightway he sent him within the wall,And much praise did he win from the women who looked from the castle hall.600And swiftly there came towards him, Gaschier of Normandy,A proud and wealthy hero and mighty in strife was he.And Gamuret made him ready, for a second joust he'ld ride,And strong and new was his spear-shaft, and the iron was both sharp and wide,And the strangers they faced each other—But unequal their lot, I trow,605For Gaschier and his gallant charger full swiftly were they laid low,And the knight with his arms and harness he fell in the shock of strife;If he thought it for good or for evil, by his pledge must he win his life.
Then Gamuret quoth, the hero, 'Thou hast pledged unto me thine hand,Yet the weapon it well hath wielded! Ride thou to the Scottish band,610And bid them to cease from troubling; if they to thy will are fain,Thou canst follow me to the city.' Then the knight hied him o'er the plain.If he prayed them, or gave commandment, they did at the last his will,And the Scottish host they rested, and from conflict they held them still.
Then Kailet spurred swift towards him, but Gamuret turned his rein,615His cousin he was, and near kinsman, why then bring him grief and pain?And the Spaniard cried loudly on him; on his helm he an ostrich bare,And so far as I know to tell ye the knight he was decked so fairWith silken raiment goodly, and long were his robes and wide,And the plain rang clear with the chiming of sweet bells as he o'er it hied.620The flower he of manly beauty, and his fairness it held the field,Save for two who should come hereafter, and his fame unto theirs must yield;But Parzival and brave Beaucorps, King Lot's son, they are not here,Not yet were they born, but hereafter for their beauty men held them dear!
Then Gaschier he grasped his bridle. 'Now checked will it be thy race,625So I tell thee upon mine honour, if the Angevin thou shalt faceWho there my pledge hath taken. Sir Knight, thou shalt list my prayerAnd hearken unto my counsel; in Gamuret's hand I swareFrom strife aside to turn thee: stay thy steed then for my sake,For mighty is he in conflict!' Then aloud King Kailet spake,630'Is he Gamuret my cousin, and son unto King Gandein?Then I care not with him to battle, no foe shall he be of mine!Take thine hand from off my bridle'—'Nay, further thou shalt not fareTill mine eyes have first beheld thee, with thine head of the helmet bare,Forminewith blows is deafened!' Then his helmet the prince unbound.635And yet, tho' with him he fought not, Gamuret other foemen found.
And the day had grown to high morning—And the folk who the joust might seeWere glad at heart, and they gat them to their bulwarks right speedily,For he was as a net before them, and none might escape his hold.And he chose him another charger, so the tale unto me was told,640And it flew, and the earth it spurnèd, and its work could aright fulfil,Bold when the knight would battle, yet its speed could he check at will.And what would he do the rider? His valour I praise alway,For he rode where the Moorish army to the west by the sea-coast lay.
Thence a prince, Rassalig men called him, forgat not each coming morn645(He was Assagog's richest hero, to riches and honour bornSince he came of a royal lineage) to take from the camp his wayHe would fain joust before the city—But his strength it was quelled that dayBy Anjou's dauntless hero; and a dusky maid made moan(Since 'twas she who sent him hither) that her knight should be thus o'erthrown.650For a squire brought, without his bidding, to his master, brave Gamuret,A spear, with light reed-shaft fashioned, and its point 'gainst the Moor he set,And with it he smote the paynim from his steed down upon the sand,Nor longer he bade him lie there than as surety he pledged his hand.So the strife it had found its ending, and the hero had won him fame;655Then Gamuret saw eight banners toward the city that onward came,And he bade the conquered hero the force with his word to stay,And follow him to the city. And that word must he needs obey.
Nor Gaschier delayed his coming; and unto the Burg-grave toldHow his guest sought for further conflict nor his wrath might the host withhold.660If he swallowed not iron as an ostrich, nor his wrath did on stones assuage'Twas but that he might not find them! Then he gnashed his teeth for rage,And he growled as a mighty lion, and the hair of his head he tare,And he quoth, 'So the years of my lifetime a harvest of folly bear,The gods they had sent to my keeping a valiant and worthy friend,665If with strife he shall be o'erladen, then mine honour hath found an end;Sword and shield they shall little profit—Yea, shame he would on me castWho should bring this to my remembrance!' Then swift from his place he passed,And he gat him into the portal, and a squire towards him drew,And he bare a shield that was painted with a knight by a spear pierced thro',670In Eisenhart's land was it fashioned; and a helmet his hand must hold,And a sword that Rassalig carried in battle, that heathen bold,But now was he parted from it whose fame was in every place;Were he slain unbaptized I think me, God had shown to this hero grace!
And e'en as the Burg-grave saw it, ne'er of yore was his joy so great,675For the coat-of-arms he knew it—So he rode thro' the city gate,And without, his guest had halted, young hero he, not yet old,As one of a joust desirous, and his bridle the Burg-grave bold,Lahfilirost was his name, he grasped it, and he led him within the wall;And I wot well no other foeman that day 'neath his spear must fall.680
Quoth Lahfilirost the Burg-grave, 'Sir Knight, thou shalt tell to meIf thine hand Rassalig hath vanquished?' 'Then our land from all strife is free;For he of the Moors is chieftain, the men of true EisenhartWho have brought unto us such sorrow—But now shall our woe depart,'Twas a wrathful god who bade him thus seek us with all his host,685But his weapons to naught are smitten, and to folly is turned his boast!'Then he led him in (ill it pleased him) and there met then the royal maid,And she loosened the bands of his vizor, and her hand on his bridle laid,To her care must the Burg-grave yield it: nor his squires to their task were slack,For they turned them about, and swiftly they rode on their master's track.690So men saw the queen so gracious lead her guest thro' the city streetWho here should be hailed the victor—Then she lighted her on her feet,'Ah me! but thy squires are faithful! Fear ye lest your lord be lost?Without ye shall he be cared for; take his steed, here am I his host!'
And above found he many a maiden: then her hands of dusky hue695The queen set unto his harness, and disarmed the knight so true.And the bed-covering was of sable, and the couch it was spread so fair,And in secret a hidden honour they did for the knight prepare,For no one was there to witness—The maidens they might not stay,And the door was fast closed behind them, and Frau Minne might have her way.700So the queen in the arms of her true love found guerdon of sweet delight,Tho' unlike were the twain in their colour, Moorish princess and Christian knight!
Then the townsfolk brought many an offering to the gods who had seen their woe.That which Rassalig needs must promise ere he from the field might goThat he did, in all truth and honour, yet heavy was he at heart,705And afresh sprang the fount of his sorrow for his prince gallant Eisenhart.And the Burg-grave he heard of his coming; then loud rang the trumpet call,And no man of Zassamank's princes but came to the palace hall.They gave Gamuret thanks for the honour he had won in the field that day,Four-and-twenty had fallen before him, and their chargers he bore away,710And three chieftains had he made captive. And there rode in the princes' trainMany gallant knights, in the courtyard of the palace did they draw rein.And the hero had slept and eaten, and clad him in raiment fair,Chief host was he, for his body fit garments would they prepare.And she who afore was a maiden but now was a wife would take715Her lord by the hand, forth she led him, and unto her princes spake:'My body and this my kingdom are vassals unto this knight,If so be that his foemen fearing, resist not his hand of might!'
Then Gamuret spake, and his bidding was courteous, for hero meet,Sir Rassalig, go thou nearer, with a kiss thou my wife shalt greet;720And Sir Gaschier, thou shalt do likewise.' Then the Scotch knight proud HeutegerHe bade on the lips to kiss her (and the wounds won in joust he bare).
Then he bade them all be seated, and standing, he wisely spake:'I were fain to behold my kinsman, if he who did captive takeThe knight shall have naught against it—As kinsman it seemeth me725That I find here no other counsel save straightway to set him free!'Then the queen she smiled, and bade them go swiftly and seek the knight,And then thro' the throng he pressed him, that count so fair and bright,Yet bare he the wounds of knighthood, and bravely and well had fought;With the host of Gaschier the Norman the land of the Moors he sought.730He was courteous; his sire a Frenchman he was Kailet's sister's son,Killirjacac his name; in the service of fair women fair meed he won,
And the fairest of men they deemed him. When Gamuret saw his face(For like were they each to the other, as men of a kindred race)He bade his queen to kiss him and embrace him as kinsman true,735And he spake, 'Now come thou and greet me!' and the knight to his arms he drew,And he kissed him, and each was joyful that the other he here might meet:And Gamuret quoth unto him, 'Alas! cousin fair and sweet,What doth thy young strength in this conflict? Say, if woman hath sent thee here?''Nay, never a woman sent me, with my cousin I came, Gaschier,740He knoweth why he hath brought me—A thousand men have I,And I do to him loyal service—To Rouen in NormandyI came, where his force was gathered, and many a youthful knightI brought from Champagne in mine army; 'neath his banner we fain would fight.Now evil hath turned against him what of cunning is hers and skill,745Thou wilt honour thyself if thou free him for my sake, and cure his ill!''Thyself shalt fulfil thy counsel! Go thou, take with thee Gaschier,I would fain see my kinsman Kailet, do thou bring him unto me here!'So they wrought out the host's desiring, and brought him at his behest,And in loving wise and kindly did Gamuret greet his guest;750And ofttimes the queen embraced him, and kissed him with kisses sweet:And nothing it wronged her honour in such wise the prince to greet,He was cousin unto her husband, by birth was himself a king.Then smiling his host spake to him, 'God knows, 'twere an evil thing,Had I taken from thee Toledo, and thy goodly land of Spain755For Gascony's king, who wrathful doth plague thee with strife amain;'Twere faithless of me, Sir Kailet, since mine aunt's son thou sure shalt be;The bravest of knights shall be with thee; say, who forced this strife on thee?'
Then out spake the proud young hero, 'My cousin Schiltung bade(Since his daughter Friedebrand wedded) that I lend to the king mine aid.760For the sake of his wife hath he won him, yea even from me aloneSix thousand chosen heroes, who valour and skill have shown.And other men did I bring him, but a part they shall hence have sailed,For the Scottish folk came they hither, brave bands who in strife ne'er failed.And there came to his aid from Greenland, strong heroes who bravely fought,765Two mighty kings, and a torrent of knighthood with them they brought,And many a goodly vessel: and they pleased me, those men of might—And here for his sake came Morhold, who hath cunning and skill in fight.'
'But now have they turned them homewards, and that which the queen shall sayEven that will I do with mine army, her servant am I alway!770Thou shalt thank me not for this service, from kinsman 'twas due, I ween.Nowthineare these gallant heroes, if like mine they baptized had beenAnd were even as they in colour, then never a monarch crownedBut if they should fight against him, of conflict his fill had found!But I marvel what here hath brought thee? Say, how didst thou reach this strand?'775'Yestreen I came, and this morning I am lord o'er this goodly land!The queen by the hand she took me, and with love I myself would shield,For so did my wit give counsel—' 'Yea, so hast thou won the field,Those sweet weapons two hosts have vanquished!' 'Thou wouldst say, since I fled fromthee,So loudly on me thou calledst, say, what wouldst thou force from me?780Let us speak of the thing in friendship!' 'Thine anchor I failed to know,But seldom mine aunt's brave husband Gandein, did such token show!''But I, I knew well thine ostrich with the snake's head upon thy breast,Aloft stood thy bird so stately, nor hid it within a nest!'
'And I saw in thy mien and bearing that that pledge would have 'seemed thee ill785Which two heroes afore had given, tho' first had they fought their fill.''E'en such fate as theirs were my portion—But this thing I needs must say,Tho' little I like a devil, were he victor as thou this dayFor love of his gallant doings the women had deemed him sweet,Yea, as sugar were fain to eat him!' 'Now thou praisest me more than meet!'790'Nay, of flattery know I little, thou shalt see that I hold thee dearIn other wise!' Then the hero bade Rassalig draw anear.
And courteous he spake, King Kailet, 'My kinsman with valiant handHath made of thee here his captive?' 'Yea, Sire, so the thing doth stand,And I hold him for such a hero that Assagog's kingdom fair795Should fail not to yield him homage, since the crown he may never wear,Our prince Eisenhart! In her service was he slain who shall now be wifeTo thy kinsman, as knight so faithful he gave for her love his life.With my kiss have I sealed forgiveness, yet my lord and my friend I lost!If thy cousin by knightly dealing will repay of his death the cost800I will fold my hands as his vassal: and wealth shall be his and fame,All that Eisenhart from Tánkaneis as his heritage thought to claim.Embalmed here the hero lieth, and I gaze on his wounds each daySince this spear thro' his true heart piercing, my lord and my king did slay!'
Then he drew it forth from his bosom by a silken cord so fine,805And the heroes saw the spear-blade 'neath his robe on his bare chest shine.And he quoth, 'It is now high morning, if my lord Sir KillirjacacMy token will bear to my princes, with him will the knights ride back.'And a finger-ring he sent them: dark as hell were those heroes allAnd they rode who were there of princes, thro' the town to the castle hall.810As his vassals he gave with their banners to Assagog's lords their land,And each one rejoiced in the fiefdom he won from his ruler's hand,But the better part was his portion, Gamuret's, as their lord and king.And these were the first—as they passed hence their homage they fain would bringThe princes of Zassamank's kingdom, and they came in their order due,815And each as their queen had bade them, they took from his hand anewTheir land, and the fruit it should bear them, as to each man was fit and right,And poverty fled from his presence. Now he who was slain in fightAnd in life was a prince by lineage, Prothizilas, he had leftA Dukedom fair, and this country which was thus of its lord bereft820He gave unto him who much honour had won by his strong right hand,The Burg-grave, in combat dauntless—With its banners he took the land.
Then Assagog's noble princes took the Scotch Duke, proud Heuteger,And Gaschier, the Norman hero, to their lord did they lead them there,And he spake them free for their asking, and they thanked brave Gamuret.825Then Heuteger of Scotland with prayers did these knights beset,'Now give to our lord the armour, as prize for his deeds so brave,That Eisenhart's life took from us, when to Friedebrand he gaveThat which was of our land the glory—Forfeit of joy the knight,And dead on his bier he lieth, since no love might his love requite—'830And earth knoweth naught so goodly, the helm it was strong and hard,Yea even of diamond fashioned, in battle a goodly guard.Then Heuteger sware unto them, if the land of his lord he sawHe would pray of his hand the armour, and send it to them once more.
And this did he swear them freely—Then leave would the princes pray835Who stood in the royal presence, and they wend from the hall their way.And tho' sorely the land was wasted, yet Gamuret scattered freeSuch royal gifts and goodly as if laden with gold each tree.And costly I ween the presents that vassal and friend must shareFrom the open hand of the hero; and the queen deemed it right and fair.840
Full many a bitter conflict had been fought ere the bridal feast,But peace had the foeman sealèd, and the land was from strife released;(Nor this song I myself have woven, but so was it told to me)And Eisenhart did they bury with honours right royally.To his grave did his kinsmen bear him, and the gold that his lands might bring845In a whole year long, did they spend there, of their free will they did this thing.And Gamuret bade his kinsfolk his riches and lands to holdAnd use as they would; tho' they craved not such boon from the hero bold.
At dawn from before the fortress the foe would their camp withdraw,And those who were there departed; many litters with them they bore.850And the field was left unsheltered, save for one tent so great and fair,And the king he bade his servants that tent to his vessel bear.And he said to his folk that to Assagog would he take it, and yet I wotHe did with that speech deceive them, for Assagog saw him not.
Now that proud and gallant hero, his heart gave him little rest855Since he found there no deeds of knighthood, and gladness forsook his breast;Yet his dusky wife was dearer than e'en his own life might be,Ne'er knew he a truer lady whose heart was from falsehood free,She forgat not what 'seemed a woman, and with her as comrades goodWent purity untarnished, and the ways of true womanhood.860
He was born in Seville's fair city whom the knight would hereafter pray,When he grew of his sojourn weary, to sail with him far away;For many a mile had he led him, and he brought him unto this place,And a Christian was he, the steersman, nor like to a Moor in face.And wisely he spake, 'Thou shalt hide it from them who a dark skin bear,865Too swift is my barque for pursuing, from hence shall we quickly fare!'
Then his gold it was borne to the vessel. Now of parting I needs must tell,By night did he go, the hero, and his purpose he hid it well;But when from his wife he sailèd, in her womb did she bear his child:And fair blew the wind, and the breezes bare him hence o'er the waters wild.870
And the lady she found a letter, and 'twas writ by her husband's hand;And in French (for she well could read it) did the words of the writing stand:'Here one love to another speaketh—As a thief have I stolen awayThat mine eyes might not see thy sorrow—But this thing I needs must say,Wert thou, e'en as I, a Christian I ever should weep for thee,875For e'en now I must sorely mourn thee. If it chance that our child shall beIn face like unto one other, then his is a dowry fair,Of Anjou washeborn, and Frau Minne for his lady he did declare.Yet was he in strife a hailstorm, ill neighbour unto his foe;That his grandsire hath been King Gandein, this I will that my son shall know.880Dead he lay thro' his deeds of knighthood; and his father the same death won,Addanz was his name, and unsplintered his shield hath been seen of none;And by birth he hath been a Breton, and two brothers' sons were they,He and the brave Pendragon, and their sires' names I here will say;For Lassalies he hath been the elder, and Brickus was his brother's name,885And Mazadan was their father whom a fay for her love did claim.Terre-de-la-schoie did they call her, to Fay-Morgan she led the king,For he was her true heart's fetters; and my race from those twain did spring.And fair shall they be, and valiant, and as crownèd kings they reign—If lady, thou'lt be baptizèd thou mayst win me to thee again!'890
Yet had she no thought of anger, but she spake, 'Ah! too soon 'tis o'er,Of a sooth would I do his bidding, would it bring him to me once more.In whose charge hath my courteous hero left the fruit of his love so true?Alas! for the sweet communion that we twain for a short space knew!Shall the strength of my bitter sorrow rule body and soul alway?895And she quoth, 'Now his God to honour, his will would I fain obey,And gladly I'ld be baptizèd, and live as should please my love!'And sorrow with her heart struggled, and e'en as the turtle doveHer joy sought the withered branches, for the same mind was hers, I ween,When the mate of the turtle dieth, she forsaketh the branches green.900
Then the queen at the time appointed bare a son, who was dark and light,For in him had God wrought a wonder, at one while was he black and white.And a thousand times she kissed him where white as his sire's his skin.And she named the babe of her sorrows Feirefis Angevin.And he was a woodland-waster, many spears did he shatter fair,905And shields did he pierce—as a magpie the hue of his face and hair.Now a year and more was ended since Gamuret won such fameAt Zassamank, and his right hand the victor's prize might claim,And yet o'er the seas he drifted, for the winds vexed the hero bold.Then a silken sail red gleaming he saw, and the barque did hold910The men whom the King of Scotland, Friedebrand, sent upon their wayAt the bidding of Queen Belakané: from her would they pardon prayThat ever he came against her, tho' in sooth he had lost the more.And with them the diamond helmet, the corslet and sword they bore,And hosen e'en such as the harness, and a marvel it needs must be915That the barque was thus borne towards him, as the venture hath told to me!And they gave him the goodly armour, and an oath unto them he sworeThat his mouth it should speak their message, an he came to the queen once more.And they parted; and one hath told me that the sea bare him onward boundTill he came to a goodly haven, and in Seville his goal he found.920And with gold did he pay his steersman right well for his guidance true,And they parted, those twain, and sorrow the heart of that steersman knew!