BookXV.tells how Parzival met with a mighty heathen, with whom he fought fiercely, and how he was well-nigh vanquished. How he found the heathen to be his brother, Feirefis Angevin, and how the twain rode together to the court of King Arthur.
Of the welcome given to Feirefis by King Arthur and his knights; of his riches; and of the kings conquered by the two brothers.
How a feast of the Round Table was holden, and how Kondrie bare tidings of Parzival's election to the Grail Kingdom, and summoned him, his wife, and his son Lohengrin, to Monsalväsch; and how Parzival and Feirefis rode thither with Kondrie as their guide.
BOOK XV
FEIREFIS
Now many were sorely angered that I told not this tale aforeSince it wearied them naught in the hearing—Now my words I withhold no more,But I give ye to wit full truly, as my mouth may the story tell,The end of this wondrous venture for methinks it shall please ye well.Ye shall know how the king, Anfortas, of his wound was made whole again—5Of the queen doth the venture tell us, who in far Pelrapär did reign;How she kept a pure heart and loyal till the day of her great reward,And earth's fairest crown was her guerdon at the hand of her faithful lord.Ye shall hear the tale of its winning, if my skill fail me not alway;Yet first must ye list the labour that Parzival wrought that day.10Now, tho' dauntless his hand had striven, but as children his foemen all,And ne'er would I risk my hero might I rule that which shall befall.I must sorrow sore for his peril, and fain would I speak him free,But now must I trust that Good Fortune the shield of his heart may be.For purity, and high courage, side by side in his heart they lay,15And ne'er had he cherished cowardice, nor shrunk from the knightly fray;And I deem this shall surely give him such strength he his life may hold,Since fierce strife draweth nigh unto him, and his foe is a hero bold.For he meeteth a prince of battles who dauntless to strife doth ride,And unbaptized was the foeman who rode here in his heathen pride.20Full soon had he come, our hero, to a mighty woodland shade,And without, in the light of the dawning, his armour a knight displayed.'Twere a marvel could I, a poor man, of the riches now speak to yeThat the heathen he bare as his decking, so costly their worth should be.If more than enough I told ye, yet more would be left to tell;25Yet I would not his wealth were hidden—What of riches, I ween, shall dwellIn Bretagne alike and England, and be tribute to Arthur's might,They had paid not the stones that, shining, glowed fair on his armour bright.His blazoned coat was costly, and naught but the truth I say,Ruby and Chalcedony, ye had held them not fair that day.30And bright as the sun was his vesture, on the mount of Agremontein,In the glowing fires, Salamanders had welded that garment's shine.There jewels rare and precious, with never a fault or flaw,Glowed dark and light; of their nature, I ween, I can tell no more!His desire was for love's rewarding, and the winning of high renown,35He had won from the hands of fair women the jewels that his pride did crown.For the favour Frau Minne showed him with joy did his proud heart beat,And it swelled high with manly courage, as is for a lover meet.As reward for his deeds of knighthood on his helmet a beast he bare,Ecidemon, all poisonous serpents they must of its power beware,40For of life and of strength doth it rob them, if they smell it but from afar—Thopedissimonté, Assigarzionté, Thasmé, and Arabia,They scarce of such silk might boast them as was covering for his steed—He sought, that mighty heathen, in a woman's love his meed,And therefore he bravely decked him, and fain would his courage prove,45And his manhood, it urged him onward to battle for sake of love.Now the knight, so young and gallant, in a haven beside the wood,But little known, on the water had anchored his ships so good.And his armies were five-and-twenty, and they knew not each other's speech—'Twas a token fair of his riches, and the lands that his power might reach,50As the armies, so were the kingdoms that did service unto his hand—And Moors and Saracens were they, and unlike was each warlike band,And the hue of their skins was diverse—Thus gathered from lands afarYe might see in his mighty army strange weapons of heathen war.So thus, in search of adventure, from his army this man would ride,55In the woodland green he wandered, and waited what should betide.And since thus it well doth please them, so let them ride, these kings,Alone, in search of ventures, and the fair fame that combat brings.Yet Parzival rode not lonely, methinks he had comrades twain,Himself, and the lofty courage that lord o'er his soul did reign.60And that he so bravely fought here might win from a woman praise,If falsehood should not mislead her, that injustice should rule her ways.So spurred they against each other, who were lambs in their purity,Yet as lions were they bold and dauntless, 'twas a sight for a man to see!Ah! woe is me for their meeting, for the world and its ways are wide,65And they well might have spared each other, nor, guiltless, to battle ride.I should sorrow for him whom I brought here, save my heart did this comfort hold,That the Grail shall with strength endue him, and Love shelter the hero bold,Since he was of the twain the servant, nor his heart ever wavering knew,And ever his hand was ready to serve them with service true.70My skill little wit doth give me this combat that here befell,In fitting words and knightly, from beginning to end to tell.But the eye of each flashed triumph as the coming foe he saw,And the heart of each knight waxed joyful, as they nearer to battle draw.Yet sorrow, I ween, was nigh them, true hearts, from all falsehood free,75And each bare the heart of the other, and should comrade and stranger be!Nor may I asunder part them, the paynim and Christian knight,Hatred they show to each other, tho' no cause have they here for fight.And methinks this of joy shall rob them, who, as true women, share their painWho risk their lives for a woman! May they part, ere one here be slain!80As the lion-cub, that its mother beareth dead, doth to life awakeAt the aweful voice of its father, so these twain, as the spear-shafts breakArouse to fresh life, and to honour, I ween, are they newly born,For many a joust have they ridden and many a spear outworn.Then they tighten the hanging bridle, and they take to their aim good care,85That each on the shield of the other, as he willeth, shall smite him fair.And no point do they leave unguarded, and they give to their seat good heed,As men who are skilled in jousting, and sharply each spurs his steed.And bravely the joust was ridden, and each gorget asunder broke,And the spears bent not, but in splinters they flew from each mighty stroke;90And sore was he wroth, the heathen, that this man might his joust abide,For never a knight but had fallen who a course 'gainst his spear would ride.Think ye that their swords they wielded as their chargers together drew?Yea, the combat was sharp and bitter, and each must give proof anewAlike of his skill and his manhood—The strange beast, Ecidemon,95Had many a wound, and beneath it the helmet sore blows had won;And the horses were hot and wearied, and many new turns they tried—Then down they sprung from their chargers, and their sword-blades afresh they plied.And the heathen wrought woe to the Christian, 'Thasmé!' was his battle-cry,And when 'Tabronit!' he shouted he drew ever a step anigh.100And the Christian, he showed his valour in many an onslaught bold;So pressed they upon each other—Nor would I the tale withholdOf how the fight was foughten, yet must I the strife bemoan,How, one flesh and one blood thus sharing, each wrought evil unto his own;For both were the sons of one father, and brothers, I ween, were they,105And methinks upon such foundation faith and friendship their stone should lay!And love ne'er had failed the heathen, and his heart was for combat fain,For the love of Queen Sekundillé fresh honour he thought to gain;Tribalibot's land she gave him, and she was his shield in strife—So bravely he fought, how think ye that the Christian might guard his life?110On love let his thoughts be steadfast, else sure is he here undone,And he hath from the hand of the heathen in this combat his death-blow won.O thou Grail, by thy lofty virtue such fate from thy knight withhold!Kondwiramur, thine husband in such deadly stress behold!Here he standeth, of both the servant, in such danger and peril sore115That as naught ye may count the ventures he hath dared for your sake of yore!Then on high flashed the sword of the heathen, and many such blow had slain,To his knee Parzival was beaten—Now see how they fought, the twain,If twain ye will still account them, yet in sooth shall they be but one,For my brother and I are one body, e'en as husband and wife are one!120The heathen wrought woe to the Christian—Of Asbestos, I ween, his shield,That wondrous wood that never to flame or decay shall yield;I' sooth, right well she loved him who gave him a gift so fair,Turquoise, Chrysoprase, Emerald, Ruby, rich jewels beyond compareDecked with shining lines its surface, on the boss shone a precious stone,125Antrax, afar they call it, as Carbuncle it here is known.And as token of love, for his guarding, Sekundillé the queen would giveThat wondrous beast, Ecidemon—in her favour he fain would live,And e'en as she willed he bare it, as his badge, did that gallant knight—Here with purity faith joined issue, and truth with high truth would fight.130For love's sake upon the issue of this combat each risked his life,Each had pledged his hand to the winning of honour and fame in strife;And the Christian, in God he trusted since the day that he rode awayFrom the hermit, whose faithful counsel had bidden him trust alwayIn Him who could turn his sorrow into bliss without thought of bale—135To Him should he pray for succour, whose succour should never fail.And fierce and strong was the heathen, when 'Tabronit,' he cried,For there, 'neath the mount Kaukasus did the queen, Sekundillé', abide;Thus gained he afresh high courage 'gainst him who ne'er knew of yoreThe weight of such deadly combat, for in sooth was he pressed full sore—140To defeat was he aye a stranger, and ne'er had he seen its face,Tho' his foemen right well must know it, as they yielded them to his grace!With skill do they wield their weapons, and sparks spring from the helmets fair,And a whistling wind ariseth as the blades cleave the summer air;God have Gamuret's son in His keeping! and the prayer it shall stand for both,145For the twain shall be one nor, I think me, to own it were either loth.For had they but known each other their stake ne'er had been so great,For blessing, and joy, and honour, were risked on that combat's fate,For he who shall here be victor, if true brother and knight he be,Of all this world's joy is he forfeit, nor from grief may his heart be free!150Sir Parzival, why delay thee to think on thy queen and wife,Her purity and her beauty, if here thou wouldst save thy life?For the heathen, he bare two comrades who kindled his strength anew,The one, in his strong heart, steadfast, lay ever a love so true;And the other, the precious jewels that burnt with a mystic glow,155Thro' whose virtue his strength waxed greater, and his heart must fresh courage know.And it grieveth me sore that the Christian was weary and faint with fight,Nor swiftly might he avoid him, and his blows they were robbed of might;And if the twain fail to aid thee, O thou gallant Parzival,Thy queen and the Grail, then I think me this thought it shall help thee well,160Shall thy fair babes thus young be orphaned? Kardeiss and Lohengrin,Whom thy wife, e'en as thou didst leave her, for her joy and her hope must win—For children thus born in wedlock, the pledge of a love so pure,I ween are a man's best blessing, and a joy that shall aye endure!New strength did he win, the Christian, and he thought, none too soon, I ween,165On his love so true and faithful, on Kondwiramur, his queen,How he won his wife at the sword's point, when sparks from the helm did spring'Neath the mighty blows he dealt him, Klamidé, the warrior king.'Tabronit! and Thasmé!' and above them rung clear his battle-cry,'Pelrapär!' as aloud he cried it to his aid did his true love fly,170O'er kingdoms four she sought him, and her love gave him strength anew,And lo! from the shield of the heathen the costly splinters flew,Each one a hundred marks' worth—and the sword so strong and keenThat Ither of Gaheviess bare first brake sheer on the helmet's sheen,And the stranger, so rich and valiant, he stumbled, and sought his knee—175For God, He no longer willed it that Parzival lord should beOf this weapon of which in his folly he had robbed a gallant knight—Then up sprang afresh the heathen who ne'er before fell in fight,Not yet is the combat ended, and the issue for both shall standIn the power of the God of battles, and their life lieth in His hand!180And a gallant knight was the heathen, and he spake out, right courteously,(Tho' the tongue was the tongue of a heathen yet in fair French his speech should be,)'Now I see well, thou gallant hero, thou hast no sword wherewith to fight,And the fame shall be small I win me if I fight with an unarmed knight,But rest thee awhile from conflict, and tell me who thou shalt be,185For the fame that so long I cherished it surely had fallen to theeHad the blow not thy sword-blade shattered—Now, let peace be betwixt us twain,And our wearied limbs will we rest here ere we get us to strife again.'Then down on the grass they sat them, and courteous and brave were they,Nor too young nor too old for battle—fit foemen they were that day!190Then the heathen, he spake to the Christian, 'Believe me, Sir Knight, that ne'erDid I meet with a man so worthy the crown of such fame to bearAs a knight in strife may win him—Now, I prithee, tell thou to meThy name, and thy race, that my journey may here not unfruitful be!Quoth the son of fair Herzeleide, 'Thro'fearshall I tell my name?195For thou askest of me such favour as a victor alone may claim!'Spake the heathen prince from Thasmé, 'Then that shame shall be mine, I ween,For first will I speak my title, and the name that mine own hath been;"Feirefis Angevin" all men call me, and such riches are mine, I trow,That the folk of full many a kingdom 'neath my sceptre as vassals bow!'200Then, e'en as the words were spoken, to the heathen quoth Parzival,'How shall "Angevin" be thy title, since as heirdom tomeit fell,Anjou, with its folk and its castles, its lands and its cities fair?Nay, choose thee some other title, if thou, courteous, wouldst hear my prayer!If thro' thee I have lost my kingdom, and the fair town Béalzenan,205Then wrong hadst thou wrought upon me ere ever our strife began!If one of us twain is an Angevin then by birthright that one am I!—And yet, of a truth, was it told me, that afar 'neath an Eastern sky,There dwelleth a dauntless hero, who, with courage and knightly skill,Such love and such fame hath won him that he ruleth them at his will.210And men say, he shall be my brother—and that all they who know his nameAccount him a knight most valiant, and he weareth the crown of fame!'In a little space he spake further, 'If, Sir Knight, I thy face might see,I should know if the truth were told me, if in sooth thou art kin to me.Sir Knight, wilt thou trust mine honour, then loosen thine helmet's band,215I will swear till once more thou arm thee to stay from all strife mine hand!Then out he spake, the heathen, 'Of such strife have I little fear,For e'en were my body naked, my sword, I still hold it here!Of a sooth must thou be the vanquished, for since broken shall be thy swordWhat availeth thy skill in combat keen death from thine heart to ward,220Unless, of free will, I spare thee? For, ere thou couldst clasp me round,My steel, thro' the iron of thy harness, thy flesh and thy bone had found!'Then the heathen, so strong and gallant, he dealt as a knight so true,'Nor mine nor thine shall this sword be!' and straight from his hand it flew,Afar in the wood he cast it, and he quoth, 'Now, methinks, Sir Knight,225The chance for us both shall be equal, if further we think to fight!'Quoth Feirefis, 'Now, thou hero, by thy courteous breeding fair,Since in sooth thou shalt have a brother, say, what face doth that brother bear?And tell me here of his colour, e'en as men shall have told it thee.'Quoth the Waleis, 'As written parchment, both black and white is he,230For so hath Ekuba told me.' 'Then that brother am I alway,'Quoth the heathen—Those knights so gallant, but little they made delay,But they loosed from their heads the helmet, and they made them of iron bare,And Parzival deemed that he found there a gift o'er all others fair,For straightway he knew the other, (as a magpie, I ween, his face,)235And hatred and wrath were slain here in a brotherly embrace.Yea, friendship far better 'seemed them, who owed to one sire their life,Than anger, methinks, and envy—Truth and Love made an end of strife.Then joyful he spake, the heathen, 'Now well shall it be with me,And I thank the gods of my people that Gamuret's son I see.240Blest be Juno, the queen of heaven, since, methinks, she hath ruled it so,And Jupiter, by whose virtue and strength I such bliss may know,Gods and goddesses, I will love ye, and worship your strength for aye—And blest be those shining planets, 'neath the power of whose guiding rayI hither have made my journey—For ventures I here would seek,245And foundthee, brother, sweet and aweful, whose strong hand hath made me weak.And blest be the dew, and the breezes, that this morning my brow have fanned.Ah! thou courteous knight who holdest love's key in thy valiant hand!Ah! happy shall be the woman whose eyes on thy face shall light,Already is bliss her portion who seeth so fair a sight!'250'Ye speak well, I would fain speak better of a full heart, had I the skill;Yet alas! for I lack the wisdom, tho' God knoweth, of right goodwillThe fame of your worth and valour by my words would I higher raise,And as eye, and as heart should serve me, the twain, they should speak your praise;As your fame and your glory lead them, so behind in your track they fare—255And ne'er from the hand of a foeman such peril hath been my shareAs the peril your hand hath wrought me! and sooth are these words I say.'In this wise quoth the knight of Kanvoleis; yet Feirefis spake alway;'With wisdom and skill, I wot well, hath Jupiter fashioned thee,Thou true and gallant hero! Nor thy speech shall thus distant be,260For "ye" thou shalt no more call me, of one sire did we spring we twain.'And with brotherly love he prayed him he would from such speech refrainAnd henceforward 'thou' to call him, yet Parzival deemed it ill,And he spake, 'Now, your riches, brother, shall be e'en as the Baruch's still,And ye of us twain are the elder, my poverty and my youth265They forbid me "thou" to call ye, or discourteous were I in truth.Then the Prince of Tribalibot, joyful, with many a word would praiseHis god, Jupiter, and to Juno thanksgiving he fain would raise,Since so well had she ruled the weather, that the port to which he was boundHe had safely reached, and had landed, and there had a brother found.270Side by side did they sit together, and neither forgot the graceOf courtesy, to the other, each knight fain had yielded place.Then the heathen spake, 'My brother, wilt thou sail with me to my land,Then two kingdoms, rich and powerful, will I give thee into thine hand.Thy father and mine, he won them when King Eisenhart's life was run,275Zassamank and Assagog are they—to no man he wrong hath done,Save in that he left me orphaned—of the ill that he did that dayAs yet have I not avenged me, for an ill deed it was alway.For his wife, the queen who bare me, thro' her love must she early die,When she knew herself love-bereavèd, and her lord from her land did fly.280Yet gladly that knight would I look on, for his fame hath been told to meAs the best of knights, and I journey my father's face to see!'Then Parzival made him answer, 'Yea I, too, I saw him ne'er;Yet all men they speak well of him, and his praises all lands declare,And ever in strife and conflict to better his fame he knew,285And his valour was high exalted, and afar from him falsehood flew.And women he served so truly that all true folk they praised his name,And all that should deck a Christian lent honour unto his fame,For his faith it for aye stood steadfast, and all false deeds did he abhor,But followed his true heart's counsel—Thus ever I heard of yore290From the mouth of all men who knew him, that man ye were fain to see,And I ween ye would do him honour if he yet on this earth might be,And sought for fame as aforetime—The delight of all women's eyesWas he, till king Ipomidon with him strove for knighthood's prize,At Bagdad the joust was ridden, and there did his valiant life295For love's sake become death's portion, and there was he slain in strife;In a knightly joust we lost him from whose life do we spring, we twain;If here ye would seek our father, then the seas have ye sailed in vain!''Alas, for the endless sorrow!' quoth the knight. 'Is my father dead?Here joy have I lost, tho' it well be that joy cometh in its stead.300In this self-same hour have I lost me great joy, and yet joy have found,For myself, and thou, and my father, we three in one bond are bound;For tho' men asthreemay hold us, yet I wot well we are butone,And no wise man he counts that kinship 'twixt father, methinks, and son,For in truth for more must he hold it—Withthyselfhast thou fought to-day,305To strife withmyselfhave I ridden, and I went near myself to slay;Thy valour in good stead stood us, from myself hast thou saved my life—Now Jupiter see this marvel, since thy power so hath ruled the strifeThat from death hast thou here withheld us!' Then tears streamed from his heathen eyes,As he laughed and wept together—Yea, a Christian such truth might prize,310For our baptism truth should teach us, since there are we named anewIn the Name of Christ, and all men they hold the Lord Christ for true!Quoth the heathen, e'en as I tell ye, 'No longer will we abideIn this place, but if thou, my brother, for a short space with me wilt ride,From the sea to the land will I summon, that their power be made known to thee,315The richest force that Juno e'er guided across the sea.And in truth, without thought of falsehood, full many a gallant knightWill I show thee, who do me service, and beneath my banners fight,With me shalt thou ride towards them.' Then Parzival spake alway,'Have ye then such power o'er these people that your bidding they wait to-day320And all the days ye are absent?' Quoth the heathen, 'Yea, even so,If for half a year long I should leave them, not a man from the place would go,Be he rich or poor, till I bade him. Well victualled their ships shall be,And neither the horse nor his rider setteth foot on the grassy lea,Save only to fetch them water from the fountain that springeth fair,325Or to lead their steeds to the meadow to breathe the fresh summer air.'Then Parzival quoth to his brother, 'If it be so, then follow meTo where many a gracious maiden, and fair pleasures, ye well may see,And many a courteous hero who shall be to us both akin—Near by with a goodly army lieth Arthur, the Breton king,330'Twas only at dawn I left them, a great host and fair are they,And many a lovely lady shall gladden our eyes to-day.'When he heard that he spake of women, since he fain for their love would live,He quoth, 'Thou shalt lead me thither, but first thou shalt answer giveTo the question I here would ask thee—Of a truth shall we kinsmen see335When we come to the court of King Arthur? For ever 'twas told to meThat his name it is rich in honour, and he liveth as valiant knight'—Quoth Parzival, 'We shall see there full many a lady bright,Nor fruitless shall be our journey, our own folk shall we find there,The men of whose race we have sprung, men whose head shall a king's crown bear.'340Nor longer the twain would sit there, and straightway did ParzivalSeek again the sword of his brother that afar in the woodland fell,And again the hero sheathed it, and all hatred they put away,And e'en as true friends and brothers together they rode that day.Yet ere they might come to King Arthur men had heard of the twain a tale—345On the self-same day it befell so that the host, they must sore bewailThe loss of a gallant hero, since Parzival rode away—Then Arthur, he took good counsel, and he spake, 'Unto the eighth dayWould they wait for Parzival's coming, nor forth from the field would fare'—And hither came Gramoflanz' army, and they many a ring prepare,350And with costly tents do they deck them, and the proud knights are lodged full well,Nor might brides e'er win greater honour than here to this four befell.Then from Château Merveil rode thither a squire in the self-same hour,And he said, in their column mirrored, had they seen in their fair watch-towerA mighty fight, and a fearful—'And where'er men with swords have fought,355I wot well, beside this combat their strife shall be held as naught.'And the tale did they tell to Gawain, as he sat by King Arthur's side,And this knight, and that, spake wondering to whom might such strife betide?Quoth Arthur the king, 'Now I wager that I know of the twainoneknight,'Twas my nephew of Kanvoleis fought there, who left us ere morning light!'360And now, lo the twain rode hither—They had foughten a combat fair,As helmet and shield sore dinted with sword-stroke might witness bear.And well skilled were the hands that had painted these badges of strife, I trow,(For 'tis meet in the lust of combat that a knight's hand such skill should show,)Then they rode by the camp of King Arthur—As the heathen knight rode past365Full many a glance of wonder at his costly gear was cast.And with tents the plain was covered—Then rode they to Gawain's ring,And before his tent they halted—Did men a fair welcome bring,And lead them within, and gladly behold them? Yea, even so,And Gawain, he rode swiftly after when he did of their coming know;370For e'en as he sat by King Arthur he saw that his tent they sought,And, as fitted a courteous hero, joyful greeting to them he brought.And as yet they bare their armour—Then Gawain, the courteous knight,He bade his squires disarm them—In the stress of the deadly fightEcidemon, the beast, was cloven; the robe that the heathen ware375In many a place bare token of the blows that had been its share,'Twas a silk of Saranthasmé, decked with many a precious stone,And beneath, rich, snow-white, blazoned with his bearings his vesture shone.And one over against the other stood the gems in a double row;By the wondrous Salamanders was it woven in fierce flame's glow!380All this glory a woman gave him, who would stake on his skill in strifeHer crown alike and her kingdom, as she gave him her love and life.'Twas the fair Queen Sekundillé (and gladly he did her will,And were it for joy or for sorrow he hearkened her bidding still)And, e'en as her true heart willed it, of her riches was he the lord,385For her love, as his rightful guerdon, had he won him with shield and sword.Then Gawain, he bade his people of the harness to have good care,That naught should be moved from its station, shield, or helmet, or vesture fair.And in sooth a gift too costly e'en the blazoned coat had beenIf poor were the maid who a love-gift would give to her knight, I ween,390So rich were the stones that decked it, the harness of pieces four—And where wisdom with goodwill worketh, and of riches there be full store,There love well can deck the loved one! And proud Feirefis, he stroveWith such zeal for the honour of women, he well was repaid by Love!And soon as he doffed his harness they gazed on the wondrous sight,395And they who might speak of marvels said, in sooth, that this heathen knight,Feirefis, was strange to look on! and wondrous marks he bore—Quoth Gawain to Parzival, 'Cousin, I ne'er saw his like before,Now who may he be, thy comrade? For in sooth he is strange to see!'Quoth Parzival, 'Are we kinsmen, then thy kinsman this knight shall be,400As Gamuret's name may assure thee—Of Zassamank is he king,There my father he won Belakané who this prince to the world did bring.'Then Gawain, he kissed the heathen—Now the noble FeirefisWas black and white all over, save his mouth was half red, I wis!Then they brought to the twain fair raiment, and I wot well their cost was dear.405(They were brought forth from Gawain's chamber.) Then the ladies, they drew anear,And the Duchess she bade Sangivé and Kondrie first kiss the knightEre she and Arnivé proffered in greeting their lips so bright.And Feirefis gazed upon them, and, methinks, he was glad at heartAt the sight of their lovely faces, and in joy had he lot and part.410Then Gawain spake to Parzival, 'Cousin, thou hast found a new battle-field,If aright I may read the token of thy helmet and splintered shield,Sore strife shall have been your comrade, both thine and thy brother's too!Say, with whom did ye fight so fiercely?' Then Parzival spake anew,'No fiercer fight have I foughten, my brother's hand pressed me sore415To defend me, no charm more potent than defence 'gainst death's stroke I bore.As this stranger, whom yet I knew well, I smote, my sword brake in twain,Yet no fear did he show, and 'vantage he scorned of mischance to gain,For afar did he cast his sword-blade, since he feared lest 'gainst me he sin,Yet naught did he know when he spared me that we twain were so near akin.420But now have I won his friendship, and his love, and with right goodwillWould I do to him faithful service as befitteth a brother still!'Then Gawain spake, 'They brought me tidings of a dauntless strife and bold,In Château Merveil the country for six miles may ye well behold,The pillar within the watch-tower showeth all that within that space425Doth chance,—and he spake, King Arthur, thatonewho there strife did face,Should bethoucousin mine of Kingrivals, now hast thou the tidings brought,And we know of a sooth the combat was even as we had thought.Now believe me, the truth I tell thee, for eight days here our feast we'ld holdIn great pomp, and await thy coming, shouldst thou seek us, thou hero bold.430Now rest here, ye twain, from your combat—but methinks, since ye thus did fight,Ye shall each know the other better, and hatred shall own love's might.'That eve would Gawain sup early, since his cousin of far Thasmé,Feirefis Angevin, and his brother, had tasted no food that day.And high and long were the cushions that they laid in a ring so wide,435And many a costly covering of silk did their softness hide.And long, and wide, and silken, were the clothes that above them went,And the store of Klingsor's riches they spread forth within the tent.Then four costly carpets silken, and woven so fair to see,Did they hang one against the other, so the tale it was told to me;440And beneath them, of down were the pillows, and each one was covered fair,And in such wise the costly couches for the guests would the squires prepare.And so wide was the ring that within it six pavilions right well might standNor the tent ropes should touch each other—(Now wisdom doth fail mine hand,I will speak no more of these marvels). Then straightway Gawain he sent445To King Arthur, he fain would tell him who abode here within his tent,He had come, the mighty heathen, of whom Ekuba erst did tellOn Plimizöl's plain! And the tidings they rejoiced King Arthur well.And he who should bear the tidings, he was Iofreit, and Idol's son;And he bade the king sup early, and so soon as the meal was done,450With his knights and his host of ladies, to ride forth a train so fair,And a fit and worthy welcome for Gamuret's son prepare.Quoth the king, 'All who here are worthy, of a sooth, will I bring with me.'Quoth Iofreit, 'Ye fain will see him, so courteous a knight is he,And a marvel is he to look on—From great riches he forth must fare,455For the price of his coat emblazoned is such as no man might bear,And no hand might count its equal, not in Löver or Brittany,Or in England, or e'en from Paris to Wizsant beside the sea—Nay, all the rich lands between them, were their wealth in the balance weighed,Then the cost of his goodly raiment, I think me, were yet unpaid!'460Then again came the knight Iofreit, when he to the king had toldThe guise that should best befit him when he greeted the heathen bold.And within the tent of Gawain the seats were ordered fair,In courteous rank and seemly, and the guests to the feast repair.And the vassals of Orgelusé, and the heroes within her train465Who gladly for love had served her, they sate there beside Gawain.Their seats they were on his right hand, on his left were Klingsor's knights,And over against the heroes sat many a lady bright,All they who were Klingsor's captives, in sooth were they fair of face,And Parzival and his brother, by the maidens they took their place.470Then the Turkowit, Sir Florant, and Sangivé, that noble queen,Sat over against each other, and in like wise, the board between,Sat Gowerzein's Duke, brave Lischois, and his wife, the fair Kondrie.Iofreit and Gawain forgat not each other's mate to be,As of old would they sit together, and together, as comrades, eat.475The Duchess, with bright eyes shining, by Arnivé must find her seat,Nor forgat they to serve each other with courteous and kindly grace—At the side sat fair Orgelusé, while Arnivé by Gawain found place.And all shame and discourteous bearing from the circle must take their flight,And courteous they bare the viands to each maid and each gallant knight.480Then Feirefis looked on his brother, and he spake unto Parzival;'Now Jupiter ruled my journey so that bliss to my lot would fallSince his aid shall have brought me hither, and here mine own folk I see,And I praise the sire that I knew not, of a gallant race was he!'Quoth the Waleis, 'Ye yet shall see them, a folk ye right well may love,485With Arthur their king and captain, brave knights who their manhood prove.So soon as this feast is ended, as methinks it will be ere long,Ye shall see them come in their glory, many valiant men and strong.Of the knights of the good Round Table there shall sit at this board but three,Our host, and the knight Iofreit, and such honour once fell to me,490In the days that I showed me worthy, that they prayed me I would be oneOf their band, nor was I unwilling, but e'en as they spake 'twas done,'Now 'twas time, since all well had eaten, the covers to bear awayFrom before both man and maiden, and this did the squires straightway.The host would no longer sit there; then the Duchess and Arnivé spake,495And they prayed that the twain, Sangivé and Kondrie, they with them might take;And go to the strange-faced heathen, and entreat him in courteous wise—When Feirefis saw them near him, from his seat did the prince arise,And with Parzival, his brother, stepped forward the queens to meet,By his hand did the Duchess take him, and with fair words the knight would greet;500And the ladies and knights who stood there she bade them be seated all—Then the king and his host came riding, with many a trumpet call;And they heard the sound of music, of tambour, and flute, and horn,With many a blast drew nearer the king of Arnivé born;And the heathen this pomp and rejoicing must hold for a worthy thing—505And Guinevere rode with King Arthur, so came they to Gawain's ring;And goodly the train that followed of ladies and gallant knights,And Feirefis saw among them fair faces with youth's tints bright;And King Gramoflanz rode among them, for Arthur's guest was he,And Itonjé, his love so loyal, true lady, from falsehood free!510Then the gallant host dismounted, with many a lady sweet,And Guinevere bade Itonjé her nephew, the heathen, greet.Then the queen herself drew anear him, and she kissed the knight Feirefis,And Gramoflanz and King Arthur received him with friendly kiss;And in honour they proffered service unto him, those monarchs twain,515And many a man of his kinsfolk to welcome the prince was fain.And many a faithful comrade Feirefis Angevin had found,Nor in sooth was he loth to own here that he stood upon friendly ground.Down they sat them, both wife and husband, and many a gracious maid,And many a knight might find there (if in sooth he such treasure prayed,)520From sweet lips sweet words of comfort—If for wooing such knight were fain,Then from many a maid who sat there no hatred his prayer would gain,No true woman shall e'er be wrathful if a true man for help shall pray,For ever the right she holdeth to yield, or to say him 'Nay,'And if labour win joy for payment then such guerdon shall true love give—525And I speak but as in my lifetime I have seen many true folk live—And service sat there by rewarding, for in sooth 'tis a gracious thingWhen a knight may his lady hearken, for joy shall such hearing bring.And Feirefis sat by King Arthur, nor would either prince delayTo the question each asked the other courteous answer to make straightway—530Quoth King Arthur, 'May God be praised, for He honoureth us I ween,Since this day within our circle so gallant a guest is seen,No knight hath Christendom welcomed to her shores from a heathen landWhom, an he desired my service, I had served with such willing hand!'Quoth Feirefis to King Arthur, 'Misfortune hath left my side,535Since the day that my goddess Juno, with fair winds and a favouring tide,Led my sail to this Western kingdom! Methinks that thou bearest theeIn such wise as he should of whose valour many tales have been told to me;If indeed thou art called King Arthur, then know that in many a landThy name is both known and honoured, and thy fame o'er all knights doth stand.'540Quoth Arthur, 'Himself doth he honour who thus spake in my praise to theeAnd to other folk, since such counsel he won of his courtesyFar more than of my deserving—for he spake of his kindly will.Yea, in sooth shall my name be Arthur, and the tale would I hearken stillOf how to this land thou camest, if forlove'ssake thou bearest shield,545Then thy love must be fair, since to please her thou ridest so far afield!If her guerdon be not withholden then love's service shall wax more fair,Else must many a maid win hatred from the knight who her badge doth bear!''Nay, 'twas otherwise,' quoth the heathen; 'Now learn how I came to thee,I led such a mighty army, they who guardians of Troy would be,550And they who its walls besiegèd, the road to my hosts must yield—If both armies yet lived, and lusted to face me on open field,Then ne'er might they win the victory, but shame and defeat must knowFrom me and my host, of a surety their force would I overthrow!—And many a fight had I foughten, and knightly deeds had done,555Till as guerdon at length the favour of Queen Sekundill' I won.And e'en as her wish so my will is, and her love to my life is guide,She bade me to give with a free hand, and brave knights to keep at my side,And this must I do to please her; and I did even as she would,'Neath my shield have I won as vassals full many a warrior good,560And her love it hath been my guerdon—An Ecidemon I bearOn my shield, even as she bade me, at her will I this token wear.Since then, came I e'er in peril, if but on my love I thoughtShe hath helped me, yea, Jupiter never such succour in need hath brought!'Quoth Arthur, 'Thy gallant father, Gamuret, he hath left thee heir565To the heart that on woman's service thus loveth afar to fare.Of such service I too can tell thee, for but seldom hath greater deedsBeen done for a woman's honour, or to win of her love the meed,Than were done for the sake of the Duchess who sitteth beside us here.For her love many gallant heroes have splintered full many a spear,570Yea, the spear-shafts were e'en as a forest! And many have paid the costOf her service in bitter sorrow, and in joy and high courage lost!'And then the tale he told him of the fame that Gawain had found,And the knights of the host of Klingsor, and the heroes who sat around,And of Parzival, his brother, how he fought fierce combats twain,575For the sake of Gramoflanz' garland, on Ioflanz' grassy plain;'And what other have been his ventures, who never himself doth spareAs thro' the wide world he rideth, that shall he himself declare;For he seeketh a lofty guerdon, and he rideth to find the Grail.And here shall it be my pleasure that ye twain, without lack or fail,580Shall tell me the lands and the peoples against whom ye shall both have fought.'Quoth the heathen, 'I'll name the princes whom I here as my captives brought':'King Papirus of Trogodjenté, Count Behantins of Kalomedenté,Duke Farjelastis of Africk, and King Tridanz of Tinodent;King Liddamus of Agrippé, of Schipelpjonte King Amaspartins,585King Milon of Nomadjentesin, of Agremontein, Duke Lippidins;Gabarins of Assigarzionté, King Translapins of Rivigatas,From Hiberborticon Count Filones, from Sotofeititon, Amincas,From Centrium, King Killicrates, Duke Tiridé of Elixodjon,And beside him Count Lysander, from Ipopotiticon.590King Thoaris of Orastegentesein, from Satarthjonté Duke Alamis,And the Duke of Duscontemedon, and Count Astor of Panfatis.From Arabia King Zaroaster, and Count Possizonjus of Thiler,The Duke Sennes of Narjoclin, and Nourjenté's Duke, Acheinor,Count Edisson of Lanzesardin, Count Fristines of Janfusé,595Meiones of Atropfagenté, King Jetakranc of Ganpfassasché,From Assagog and Zassamank princes, Count Jurans of Blemunzîn.And the last, I ween, shall a Duke be, Affinamus of Amantasîn!''Yet one thing for a shame I deemed it—In my kingdom 'twas told to meGamuret Angevin, my father, the best of all knights should be600That ever bestrode a charger—Then so was my will and mind,That, afar from my kingdom faring, my father I thought to find;And since then strife hath been my portion, for forth from my kingdoms twainA mighty host and powerful 'neath my guidance hath crossed the main,And I lusted for deeds of knighthood; if I came to a goodly land,605Then I rested not till its glory paid tribute into mine hand.And thus ever I journeyed further—I won love from two noble queens,Olympia and Klauditté; Sekundillé the third hath been.And well have I served fair women!—Now first must I learn to-dayThat my father is dead! My brother, the tale of thy ventures say.'610And Parzival quoth, 'Since I seek it, The Grail, in full many a fight,Both far and near, have I striven, in such wise as beseems a knight,And my hand of their fame hath robbed them who never before might fall—If it please ye the tale to hearken, lo! here will I name them all!''King Schirniel of Lirivoin, and his brother of Avendroin, King Mirabel,615King Piblesun of Lorneparz, of Rozokarz, King Serabel,Of Sirnegunz, King Senilgorz, and Strangedorz of Villegarunz,Rogedal the Count of Mirnetalle and Laudunal of Pleyedunz.From Semblidag King Zyrolan, from Itolac Onipreiz,From Zambron the Count Plenischanz, and Duke Jerneganz of Jeropleis,620Count Longefiez of Teuteleunz, Duke Marangliess of Privegarz,From Lampregun Count Parfoyas, from Pictacon Duke Strennolas;Postefar of Laudundrehte, Askalon's fair king, Vergulacht,Duke Leidebron of Redunzehte, and from Pranzile Count Bogudaht,Collevâl of Leterbé, Jovedast of Arl, a Provençal,625Count Karfodyas of Tripparûn, all these 'neath my spear must fall.In knightly joust I o'erthrew them the while I the Grail must seek!Would I say those I felled inbattle, methinks I o'er-long must speak,It were best that I here keep silence—Of those who were known to me,Methinks that the greater number I here shall have named to ye!'630From his heart was he glad, the heathen, of his brother's mighty fame,That so many a gallant hero 'neath his hand had been put to shame,And he deemed in his brother's honour he himself should have honour won,And with many a word he thanked him for the deeds that he there had done.Then Gawain bade his squires bear hither (yet e'en as he knew it not)635The costly gear of the heathen, and they held it was fair I wot.And knights alike and ladies, they looked on its decking rare,Corslet, and shield, and helmet, and the coat that was blazoned fair.Nor narrow nor wide the helmet—And a marvel great they thoughtThe shine of the many jewels in the costly robe inwrought,640And no man I ween shall ask me the power that in each did dwell,The light alike and the heavy, for I skill not the tale to tell;Far better might they have told it, Heraclius or HerculesAnd the Grecian Alexander; and better methinks than thesePythagoras, the wise man, for skilled in the stars was he,645And so wise that no son of Adam I wot well might wiser be.Then the women they spake, 'What woman so e'er thus hath decked this knightIf he be to her love unfaithful he hath done to his fame despite.'Yet some in such favour held him, they had been of his service fain—Methinks the unwonted colour of his face did their fancy gain!650Then aside went the four, Gawain, Arthur, Gramoflanz, and Parzival,(And the women should care for the heathen, methinks it would please them well.)And Arthur willed ere the morrow a banquet, rich and fair,On the grassy plain before him they should without fail prepare,That Feirefis they might welcome as befitting so brave a guest.655'Now be ye in this task not slothful, but strive, as shall seem ye best,That henceforth he be one of our circle, of the Table Round, a knight.'And they spake, they would win that favour, if so be it should seem him right.Then Feirefis, the rich hero, he brotherhood with them sware;And they quaffed the cup of parting, and forth to their tents would fare.660And joy it came with the morning, if here I the truth may say,And many were glad at the dawning of a sweet and a welcome day.Then the son of Uther Pendragon, King Arthur, in this wise spake:For Round Table a silk so costly, Drianthasmé, he bade them take—Ye have heard how it once was ordered, afar on Plimizöl's plain,665How they spread them there a Round Table, in such wise was it spread again—'Twas cut in a round, and costly it was, and right fair to see,And on the green turf around it the seats of the knights should be.It was even a goodly gallop from the seats to the Table Round,For the Table's self it was not, yet the likeness they there had found.670And a cowardly man might shame him to sit there with such gallant knights,And with sin would his food be tainted since he ate it not there of right.Thro' the summer night 'twas measured, the ring, both with thought and care,And from one end unto the other with pomp they the seats prepare.And the cost were too great for a poor king, as they saw it in noontide light,675When the trappings, so gay and costly, shone fair in the sun-rays bright.Gramoflanz and Gawain would pay it, the cost, since within their landHe was but a guest, King Arthur, tho' he dealt with a generous hand.And the night, it seldom cometh but, as it is wont, the sunBringeth back the day and the daylight when the hours of the night are run;680And e'en so it befell, and the dawning was clear and calm and bright,And many a flowery chaplet crowned the locks of many a knight;And with cheeks and lips unpainted saw ye many a lovely maid,And, if Kiot the truth hath spoken, knight and lady they were arrayedIn diverse garb and fashion, with head-gear both high and low,685As each in their native country their faces were wont to show—'Twas a folk from far kingdoms gathered and diverse their ways were found—If to lady a knight were lacking she sat not at the Table Round,But if she for knightly service had promised a guerdon fair,She might ride with her knight, but the others, they must to their tents repair.690When Arthur the Mass had hearkened, then Gramoflanz did they seeWith Gowerzein's Duke and Florant; to the king came the comrades three,And each one a boon would crave here, for each of the three was fainTo be one of the good Round Table, nor this grace did they fail to gain.And if lady or knight would ask me who was richest of all that band,695Who sat as guests in the circle, and were gathered from every land,Then here will I speak the answer, 'twas Feirefis Angevin,But think not from my lips of his riches a further tale to win.Thus in festive guise, and gaily, they rode to the circle wide,And often to maid had it chancèd (so closely the guests must ride)700Were her steed not well girthed she had fallen—with banners waving highFrom every side of the meadow to each other the groups drew nigh;And a Buhurd fair was ridden without the Table Round,And in courtly guise and skilful no man rodewithinits bound;There was space without for the chargers, and they handled their steeds with skill,705And rode each one against the other till the ladies had looked their fill.Then in order fair they seat them when 'twas time for the guests to eat,And cup-bearer, steward, and butler, they bethink them as shall be meet,How, courteous, to do their office—No lack of food had they,And many a maid was honoured as she sat by her knight that day.710And many thro' fond heart's counsel had been served by knightly deed—And Feirefis, and the Waleis, to the maidens they gave good heed,And they looked on the one and the other, and a fair choice was theirs, I ween,For never on field or meadow may the eye of man have seenSo many sweet lips and fair faces as shone there at the Table Round,715And the heathen was glad for their beauty, and the joy that his heart had found.Now hail to the hour that cometh, and the tidings they soon shall hearFrom the welcome lips of a maiden who draweth the host anear;For a maiden came towards them, and her raiment was fair to see,And e'en as in France the custom so 'twas fashioned right cunningly.720Her mantle was costly velvet, and blacker, I ween, its hueThan the coat of a sable jennet; and with gold was it woven thro'With turtle-doves, all shining, the badge of the Grail were they.And they looked and they marvelled at her as toward them she made her way,For swiftly she came, and her head-gear was high and white, her face725With many a veil was shrouded, and her features no man might trace.Then with even pace and seemly she rode o'er the turf so green,And saddle and reins and trappings were costly enow I ween;And they let her within the circle—Now she who would tidings bringNo fool was she, but wise maiden—So rode she around the ring,730And they showed her where sat King Arthur, nor her greeting should fail that day,In French was her speech, and in this wise the monarch she fain would pray;They should wreak not on her their vengeance for the words that she spake of yore,But hearken unto her message since welcome the news she bore.And the king and the queen she pleaded to give unto her their aid,735That she failed not to win from the hero the grace that she fain had prayed.Then to Parzival she turned her, since his place by the king's was found,And she stayed not, but down from her charger she sprang swiftly unto the ground,And with courteous mien, as beseemed her, fell low at the hero's feet,And, weeping, she prayed that in friendship her coming he now would greet,740And forget his wrath against her, and forgive her without a kiss.And they joined to her prayer their pleadings, King Arthur and Feirefis.Of a sooth Parzival must hate her, yet he hearkened to friendship's prayer,And of true heart and free forgave her—Tho' I say not the maid was fair,Yet methinks she was honour-worthy—Then swiftly she sprang upright,745And thanked those who had won her pardon for the wrong she had done the knight.Then she raised her hand to her head-gear, were it wimple or veil, no lessWas it cast on the ground, and all men knew Kondrie, the sorceress.And they knew of the Grail the token and the badge that the maiden bare,And all men I ween must marvel—Her face it was e'en as fair750As man and maiden saw it when to Plimizöl's banks she came,Of her countenance have I told ye, and to-day was it still the same,And yellow her eyes as the topaz, long her teeth, and her lips in hueWere even as is a violet, that man seeth notredbutblue!Yet methinks had her will been evil she had borne not the head-gear rare755That aforetime, on Plimizöl's meadow, it had pleasured the maid to wear.The sun it had worked no evil, if its rays thro' her hair might winYet scarce had they shone so fiercely as to darken one whit her skin.Then courteous she stood, and she spake thus, and good were her words to hear,In the self-same hour her tidings came thus to the listening ear;760'Oh! well is thee, thou hero, thou Gamuret's son so fair,Since God showeth favour to thee whom Herzeleide of old did bear.And welcome is he, thy brother, Feirefis, the strange of hue,For the sake of my Queen Sekundillé, and the tidings that erst I knewOf the gallant deeds of knighthood that his valiant hand hath done,765For e'en from the days of his childhood great fame for himself he won!'And to Parzival she spake thus, 'Now rejoice with a humble heart,Since the crown of all earthly blessings henceforward shall be thy part,For read is the mystic writing—The Grail, It doth hail thee king,And Kondwiramur, thy true wife, thou shalt to thy kingdom bring,770For the Grail, It hath called her thither—Yea, and Lohengrin, thy son,For e'en as thou left her kingdom twin babes thou by her hadst won.And Kardeiss, he shall have in that kingdom a heritage rich I trow!And were no other bliss thy portion than that which I tell thee now—That with true lips and pure, thou shalt greet him, Anfortas the king, again,775And thy mouth thro' the mystic question shall rid him of all his pain,For sorrow hath been his portion—If joy's light thro' thy deed shall shineOn his life, then of all earth's children whose bliss shall be like to thine?'Seven stars did she name unto him in Arabic, and their might,Right well Feirefis should know it, who sat there, both black and white.780And she spake, 'Sir Parzival, mark well the names that I tell to thee,There is Zevâl the highest planet, and the swift star Almustri;Almaret and the shining Samsi, great bliss unto thee they bring,Alligafir is fifth, and Alketer stands sixth in the starry ring;And the nearest to us is Alkamer; and no dream shall it be, my rede,785For the bridle of heaven are they, to guide and to check its speed,'Gainst its swiftness their power, it warreth—Now thy sorrow is passed away,For far as shall be their journey, and far as shall shine their ray.So wide is the goal of thy riches and the glory thine hand shall win,And thy sorrow shall wane and vanish—Yet this thing It holds for sin,790The Grail and Its power, It forbids thee unlawful desire to know,And the company of sinners henceforth must thou shun, I trow;And riches are thine, and honour, but from these shall thy life be free—Now thy youth was by sorrow cherished, and her lesson she taught to thee,But by joy she afar is driven, for thou hast thy soul's rest won,795And in grief thou o'er-long hast waited for the joy that is now begun.'Nor seemed ill to the knight her tidings—Thro' joy must his eyelids knowA rain of crystal tear-drops from a true heart's overflow.And he quoth, 'If thou speakest, Lady, the thing that indeed shall be,If God as his knight doth claim me, and they are elect with me,800My wife and my child, then I wot well, tho' a sinful man am I,God looketh with favour on me, and hath dealt with me wondrously!Of a sooth hast thou here repaid me for the grief thou on me hast brought,Yet I deem well thy wrath had spared me save that evil myself had wrought,Nor to bliss was I then predestined—but thou bringest such tidings fair805That my sorrow hath found an ending—And these arms do thy truth declare,For when by the sad Anfortas I sat in Monsalväsch' hall,Full many a shield I looked on that hung fair on the castle wall,And with turtle-doves all were blazoned, such as shine on thy robe to-day.But say, to the joy that awaits me, when and how may I take my way,810For I would not there were delaying?' Then she quoth, 'Lord and master dear,Butoneknight alone shall ride with thee; choose thou from these warriors hereAnd trust thou to my skill and knowledge to guide thee upon thy way,For thy succour Anfortas waiteth, wouldst thou help him, make no delay!'Then they heard, all they who sat there, how Kondrie had come again815And the tidings she bare; and teardrops fell soft like a summer's rainFrom the bright eyes of Orgelusé, since Parzival should speakThe words that should heal Anfortas, nor that healing be long to seek.Then Arthur, the fame-desirous, spake to Kondrie in courtesy,'Now, Lady, wilt ride to thy lodging? Say, how may we care for thee?'820And she quoth, 'Is she here, Arnivé, what lodging she shall prepare,That lodging shall well content me till hence with my lord I fare;If a captive she be no longer, then fain would I see them all,The queen, and the other ladies, whom Klingsor, in magic thrall,For many a year hath fettered'—Then they lifted her on her steed,825Two knights, and unto Arnivé did the faithful maiden speed.Now the feast drew nigh to its ending—By his brother sat Parzival,And he prayed him to be his comrade, nor his words did unheeded fall,For Feirefis spake him ready to Monsalväsch' Burg to ride—In the self-same hour upstood they, the guests, o'er the ring so wide,830And Feirefis prayed this favour from Gramoflanz, the king,If in sooth he should love his cousin of that love he would token bring;'Both thou and Gawain, ye must help me, whether princes or kings they be,Or barons, or knights, none betake them from this field till my gifts they see.Myself had I shamed if I rode hence and never a gift should leave,835And the minstrel-folk they shall wait here till they gifts from my hand receive.And Arthur, this thing would I pray thee, seek that none of these knights disdain,Tho' lofty their birth, a token of friendship from me to gain;For the shame, on thyself shalt thou take it—one so rich shall they ne'er have known—Give me messengers unto the haven that the presents to all be shown!'840Then they sware them unto the heathen that no man of them should departFrom the field till four days were ended, and the heathen was glad at heart,And wise messengers Arthur gave him, who should forth to the haven fare—Feirefis took him ink and parchment, and a letter he bade them bear,Nor the writing, I ween, lacked tokens of his hand from whom it came,845And seldom methinks a letter such goodly return might claim!Then soon must the messengers ride hence—Parzival stood the host before,And in French did he tell the story from Trevrezent learnt of yore,How the Grail, throughout all ages, may never by man be known,Save by him whom God calleth to It, whose name God doth know alone.850And the tale shall be told in all lands; no conflict may win that prize,And 'tis vain on that Quest to spend them, since 'tis hidden from mortal eyes!'And for Parzival and his brother the maidens must mourn that day,Farewell they were loth to bid them—Ere the heroes rode on their wayThro' the armies four they gat them, and they prayed leave from each and all,855And joyful, they took their journey, well armed 'gainst what might befall.And the third day hence to Ioflanz from the heathen's host they broughtGreat gifts, so rich and costly, men ne'er on such wealth had thought.Did a king take of them, his kingdom was rich for evermore—And to each as beseemed his station the precious gifts they bore,860And the ladies, they had rich presents, from Triant and Nouriente—How the others rode I know not, but the twain, they with Kondrie went!
Now many were sorely angered that I told not this tale aforeSince it wearied them naught in the hearing—Now my words I withhold no more,But I give ye to wit full truly, as my mouth may the story tell,The end of this wondrous venture for methinks it shall please ye well.Ye shall know how the king, Anfortas, of his wound was made whole again—5Of the queen doth the venture tell us, who in far Pelrapär did reign;How she kept a pure heart and loyal till the day of her great reward,And earth's fairest crown was her guerdon at the hand of her faithful lord.Ye shall hear the tale of its winning, if my skill fail me not alway;Yet first must ye list the labour that Parzival wrought that day.10
Now, tho' dauntless his hand had striven, but as children his foemen all,And ne'er would I risk my hero might I rule that which shall befall.I must sorrow sore for his peril, and fain would I speak him free,But now must I trust that Good Fortune the shield of his heart may be.For purity, and high courage, side by side in his heart they lay,15And ne'er had he cherished cowardice, nor shrunk from the knightly fray;And I deem this shall surely give him such strength he his life may hold,Since fierce strife draweth nigh unto him, and his foe is a hero bold.For he meeteth a prince of battles who dauntless to strife doth ride,And unbaptized was the foeman who rode here in his heathen pride.20
Full soon had he come, our hero, to a mighty woodland shade,And without, in the light of the dawning, his armour a knight displayed.'Twere a marvel could I, a poor man, of the riches now speak to yeThat the heathen he bare as his decking, so costly their worth should be.If more than enough I told ye, yet more would be left to tell;25Yet I would not his wealth were hidden—What of riches, I ween, shall dwellIn Bretagne alike and England, and be tribute to Arthur's might,They had paid not the stones that, shining, glowed fair on his armour bright.His blazoned coat was costly, and naught but the truth I say,Ruby and Chalcedony, ye had held them not fair that day.30And bright as the sun was his vesture, on the mount of Agremontein,In the glowing fires, Salamanders had welded that garment's shine.There jewels rare and precious, with never a fault or flaw,Glowed dark and light; of their nature, I ween, I can tell no more!
His desire was for love's rewarding, and the winning of high renown,35He had won from the hands of fair women the jewels that his pride did crown.For the favour Frau Minne showed him with joy did his proud heart beat,And it swelled high with manly courage, as is for a lover meet.As reward for his deeds of knighthood on his helmet a beast he bare,Ecidemon, all poisonous serpents they must of its power beware,40For of life and of strength doth it rob them, if they smell it but from afar—Thopedissimonté, Assigarzionté, Thasmé, and Arabia,They scarce of such silk might boast them as was covering for his steed—He sought, that mighty heathen, in a woman's love his meed,And therefore he bravely decked him, and fain would his courage prove,45And his manhood, it urged him onward to battle for sake of love.
Now the knight, so young and gallant, in a haven beside the wood,But little known, on the water had anchored his ships so good.And his armies were five-and-twenty, and they knew not each other's speech—'Twas a token fair of his riches, and the lands that his power might reach,50As the armies, so were the kingdoms that did service unto his hand—And Moors and Saracens were they, and unlike was each warlike band,And the hue of their skins was diverse—Thus gathered from lands afarYe might see in his mighty army strange weapons of heathen war.
So thus, in search of adventure, from his army this man would ride,55In the woodland green he wandered, and waited what should betide.And since thus it well doth please them, so let them ride, these kings,Alone, in search of ventures, and the fair fame that combat brings.Yet Parzival rode not lonely, methinks he had comrades twain,Himself, and the lofty courage that lord o'er his soul did reign.60And that he so bravely fought here might win from a woman praise,If falsehood should not mislead her, that injustice should rule her ways.
So spurred they against each other, who were lambs in their purity,Yet as lions were they bold and dauntless, 'twas a sight for a man to see!Ah! woe is me for their meeting, for the world and its ways are wide,65And they well might have spared each other, nor, guiltless, to battle ride.I should sorrow for him whom I brought here, save my heart did this comfort hold,That the Grail shall with strength endue him, and Love shelter the hero bold,Since he was of the twain the servant, nor his heart ever wavering knew,And ever his hand was ready to serve them with service true.70
My skill little wit doth give me this combat that here befell,In fitting words and knightly, from beginning to end to tell.But the eye of each flashed triumph as the coming foe he saw,And the heart of each knight waxed joyful, as they nearer to battle draw.Yet sorrow, I ween, was nigh them, true hearts, from all falsehood free,75And each bare the heart of the other, and should comrade and stranger be!
Nor may I asunder part them, the paynim and Christian knight,Hatred they show to each other, tho' no cause have they here for fight.And methinks this of joy shall rob them, who, as true women, share their painWho risk their lives for a woman! May they part, ere one here be slain!80
As the lion-cub, that its mother beareth dead, doth to life awakeAt the aweful voice of its father, so these twain, as the spear-shafts breakArouse to fresh life, and to honour, I ween, are they newly born,For many a joust have they ridden and many a spear outworn.Then they tighten the hanging bridle, and they take to their aim good care,85That each on the shield of the other, as he willeth, shall smite him fair.And no point do they leave unguarded, and they give to their seat good heed,As men who are skilled in jousting, and sharply each spurs his steed.
And bravely the joust was ridden, and each gorget asunder broke,And the spears bent not, but in splinters they flew from each mighty stroke;90And sore was he wroth, the heathen, that this man might his joust abide,For never a knight but had fallen who a course 'gainst his spear would ride.Think ye that their swords they wielded as their chargers together drew?Yea, the combat was sharp and bitter, and each must give proof anewAlike of his skill and his manhood—The strange beast, Ecidemon,95Had many a wound, and beneath it the helmet sore blows had won;And the horses were hot and wearied, and many new turns they tried—Then down they sprung from their chargers, and their sword-blades afresh they plied.
And the heathen wrought woe to the Christian, 'Thasmé!' was his battle-cry,And when 'Tabronit!' he shouted he drew ever a step anigh.100And the Christian, he showed his valour in many an onslaught bold;So pressed they upon each other—Nor would I the tale withholdOf how the fight was foughten, yet must I the strife bemoan,How, one flesh and one blood thus sharing, each wrought evil unto his own;For both were the sons of one father, and brothers, I ween, were they,105And methinks upon such foundation faith and friendship their stone should lay!
And love ne'er had failed the heathen, and his heart was for combat fain,For the love of Queen Sekundillé fresh honour he thought to gain;Tribalibot's land she gave him, and she was his shield in strife—So bravely he fought, how think ye that the Christian might guard his life?110On love let his thoughts be steadfast, else sure is he here undone,And he hath from the hand of the heathen in this combat his death-blow won.O thou Grail, by thy lofty virtue such fate from thy knight withhold!Kondwiramur, thine husband in such deadly stress behold!Here he standeth, of both the servant, in such danger and peril sore115That as naught ye may count the ventures he hath dared for your sake of yore!Then on high flashed the sword of the heathen, and many such blow had slain,To his knee Parzival was beaten—Now see how they fought, the twain,If twain ye will still account them, yet in sooth shall they be but one,For my brother and I are one body, e'en as husband and wife are one!120
The heathen wrought woe to the Christian—Of Asbestos, I ween, his shield,That wondrous wood that never to flame or decay shall yield;I' sooth, right well she loved him who gave him a gift so fair,Turquoise, Chrysoprase, Emerald, Ruby, rich jewels beyond compareDecked with shining lines its surface, on the boss shone a precious stone,125Antrax, afar they call it, as Carbuncle it here is known.And as token of love, for his guarding, Sekundillé the queen would giveThat wondrous beast, Ecidemon—in her favour he fain would live,And e'en as she willed he bare it, as his badge, did that gallant knight—Here with purity faith joined issue, and truth with high truth would fight.130
For love's sake upon the issue of this combat each risked his life,Each had pledged his hand to the winning of honour and fame in strife;And the Christian, in God he trusted since the day that he rode awayFrom the hermit, whose faithful counsel had bidden him trust alwayIn Him who could turn his sorrow into bliss without thought of bale—135To Him should he pray for succour, whose succour should never fail.
And fierce and strong was the heathen, when 'Tabronit,' he cried,For there, 'neath the mount Kaukasus did the queen, Sekundillé', abide;Thus gained he afresh high courage 'gainst him who ne'er knew of yoreThe weight of such deadly combat, for in sooth was he pressed full sore—140To defeat was he aye a stranger, and ne'er had he seen its face,Tho' his foemen right well must know it, as they yielded them to his grace!
With skill do they wield their weapons, and sparks spring from the helmets fair,And a whistling wind ariseth as the blades cleave the summer air;God have Gamuret's son in His keeping! and the prayer it shall stand for both,145For the twain shall be one nor, I think me, to own it were either loth.For had they but known each other their stake ne'er had been so great,For blessing, and joy, and honour, were risked on that combat's fate,For he who shall here be victor, if true brother and knight he be,Of all this world's joy is he forfeit, nor from grief may his heart be free!150
Sir Parzival, why delay thee to think on thy queen and wife,Her purity and her beauty, if here thou wouldst save thy life?For the heathen, he bare two comrades who kindled his strength anew,The one, in his strong heart, steadfast, lay ever a love so true;And the other, the precious jewels that burnt with a mystic glow,155Thro' whose virtue his strength waxed greater, and his heart must fresh courage know.And it grieveth me sore that the Christian was weary and faint with fight,Nor swiftly might he avoid him, and his blows they were robbed of might;And if the twain fail to aid thee, O thou gallant Parzival,Thy queen and the Grail, then I think me this thought it shall help thee well,160Shall thy fair babes thus young be orphaned? Kardeiss and Lohengrin,Whom thy wife, e'en as thou didst leave her, for her joy and her hope must win—For children thus born in wedlock, the pledge of a love so pure,I ween are a man's best blessing, and a joy that shall aye endure!
New strength did he win, the Christian, and he thought, none too soon, I ween,165On his love so true and faithful, on Kondwiramur, his queen,How he won his wife at the sword's point, when sparks from the helm did spring'Neath the mighty blows he dealt him, Klamidé, the warrior king.'Tabronit! and Thasmé!' and above them rung clear his battle-cry,'Pelrapär!' as aloud he cried it to his aid did his true love fly,170O'er kingdoms four she sought him, and her love gave him strength anew,And lo! from the shield of the heathen the costly splinters flew,Each one a hundred marks' worth—and the sword so strong and keenThat Ither of Gaheviess bare first brake sheer on the helmet's sheen,And the stranger, so rich and valiant, he stumbled, and sought his knee—175For God, He no longer willed it that Parzival lord should beOf this weapon of which in his folly he had robbed a gallant knight—Then up sprang afresh the heathen who ne'er before fell in fight,Not yet is the combat ended, and the issue for both shall standIn the power of the God of battles, and their life lieth in His hand!180
And a gallant knight was the heathen, and he spake out, right courteously,(Tho' the tongue was the tongue of a heathen yet in fair French his speech should be,)'Now I see well, thou gallant hero, thou hast no sword wherewith to fight,And the fame shall be small I win me if I fight with an unarmed knight,But rest thee awhile from conflict, and tell me who thou shalt be,185For the fame that so long I cherished it surely had fallen to theeHad the blow not thy sword-blade shattered—Now, let peace be betwixt us twain,And our wearied limbs will we rest here ere we get us to strife again.'Then down on the grass they sat them, and courteous and brave were they,Nor too young nor too old for battle—fit foemen they were that day!190
Then the heathen, he spake to the Christian, 'Believe me, Sir Knight, that ne'erDid I meet with a man so worthy the crown of such fame to bearAs a knight in strife may win him—Now, I prithee, tell thou to meThy name, and thy race, that my journey may here not unfruitful be!Quoth the son of fair Herzeleide, 'Thro'fearshall I tell my name?195For thou askest of me such favour as a victor alone may claim!'Spake the heathen prince from Thasmé, 'Then that shame shall be mine, I ween,For first will I speak my title, and the name that mine own hath been;"Feirefis Angevin" all men call me, and such riches are mine, I trow,That the folk of full many a kingdom 'neath my sceptre as vassals bow!'200
Then, e'en as the words were spoken, to the heathen quoth Parzival,'How shall "Angevin" be thy title, since as heirdom tomeit fell,Anjou, with its folk and its castles, its lands and its cities fair?Nay, choose thee some other title, if thou, courteous, wouldst hear my prayer!If thro' thee I have lost my kingdom, and the fair town Béalzenan,205Then wrong hadst thou wrought upon me ere ever our strife began!If one of us twain is an Angevin then by birthright that one am I!—And yet, of a truth, was it told me, that afar 'neath an Eastern sky,There dwelleth a dauntless hero, who, with courage and knightly skill,Such love and such fame hath won him that he ruleth them at his will.210And men say, he shall be my brother—and that all they who know his nameAccount him a knight most valiant, and he weareth the crown of fame!'
In a little space he spake further, 'If, Sir Knight, I thy face might see,I should know if the truth were told me, if in sooth thou art kin to me.Sir Knight, wilt thou trust mine honour, then loosen thine helmet's band,215I will swear till once more thou arm thee to stay from all strife mine hand!
Then out he spake, the heathen, 'Of such strife have I little fear,For e'en were my body naked, my sword, I still hold it here!Of a sooth must thou be the vanquished, for since broken shall be thy swordWhat availeth thy skill in combat keen death from thine heart to ward,220Unless, of free will, I spare thee? For, ere thou couldst clasp me round,My steel, thro' the iron of thy harness, thy flesh and thy bone had found!'Then the heathen, so strong and gallant, he dealt as a knight so true,'Nor mine nor thine shall this sword be!' and straight from his hand it flew,Afar in the wood he cast it, and he quoth, 'Now, methinks, Sir Knight,225The chance for us both shall be equal, if further we think to fight!'
Quoth Feirefis, 'Now, thou hero, by thy courteous breeding fair,Since in sooth thou shalt have a brother, say, what face doth that brother bear?And tell me here of his colour, e'en as men shall have told it thee.'Quoth the Waleis, 'As written parchment, both black and white is he,230For so hath Ekuba told me.' 'Then that brother am I alway,'Quoth the heathen—Those knights so gallant, but little they made delay,But they loosed from their heads the helmet, and they made them of iron bare,And Parzival deemed that he found there a gift o'er all others fair,For straightway he knew the other, (as a magpie, I ween, his face,)235And hatred and wrath were slain here in a brotherly embrace.Yea, friendship far better 'seemed them, who owed to one sire their life,Than anger, methinks, and envy—Truth and Love made an end of strife.
Then joyful he spake, the heathen, 'Now well shall it be with me,And I thank the gods of my people that Gamuret's son I see.240Blest be Juno, the queen of heaven, since, methinks, she hath ruled it so,And Jupiter, by whose virtue and strength I such bliss may know,Gods and goddesses, I will love ye, and worship your strength for aye—And blest be those shining planets, 'neath the power of whose guiding rayI hither have made my journey—For ventures I here would seek,245And foundthee, brother, sweet and aweful, whose strong hand hath made me weak.And blest be the dew, and the breezes, that this morning my brow have fanned.Ah! thou courteous knight who holdest love's key in thy valiant hand!Ah! happy shall be the woman whose eyes on thy face shall light,Already is bliss her portion who seeth so fair a sight!'250
'Ye speak well, I would fain speak better of a full heart, had I the skill;Yet alas! for I lack the wisdom, tho' God knoweth, of right goodwillThe fame of your worth and valour by my words would I higher raise,And as eye, and as heart should serve me, the twain, they should speak your praise;As your fame and your glory lead them, so behind in your track they fare—255And ne'er from the hand of a foeman such peril hath been my shareAs the peril your hand hath wrought me! and sooth are these words I say.'In this wise quoth the knight of Kanvoleis; yet Feirefis spake alway;
'With wisdom and skill, I wot well, hath Jupiter fashioned thee,Thou true and gallant hero! Nor thy speech shall thus distant be,260For "ye" thou shalt no more call me, of one sire did we spring we twain.'And with brotherly love he prayed him he would from such speech refrainAnd henceforward 'thou' to call him, yet Parzival deemed it ill,And he spake, 'Now, your riches, brother, shall be e'en as the Baruch's still,And ye of us twain are the elder, my poverty and my youth265They forbid me "thou" to call ye, or discourteous were I in truth.
Then the Prince of Tribalibot, joyful, with many a word would praiseHis god, Jupiter, and to Juno thanksgiving he fain would raise,Since so well had she ruled the weather, that the port to which he was boundHe had safely reached, and had landed, and there had a brother found.270
Side by side did they sit together, and neither forgot the graceOf courtesy, to the other, each knight fain had yielded place.Then the heathen spake, 'My brother, wilt thou sail with me to my land,Then two kingdoms, rich and powerful, will I give thee into thine hand.Thy father and mine, he won them when King Eisenhart's life was run,275Zassamank and Assagog are they—to no man he wrong hath done,Save in that he left me orphaned—of the ill that he did that dayAs yet have I not avenged me, for an ill deed it was alway.For his wife, the queen who bare me, thro' her love must she early die,When she knew herself love-bereavèd, and her lord from her land did fly.280Yet gladly that knight would I look on, for his fame hath been told to meAs the best of knights, and I journey my father's face to see!'
Then Parzival made him answer, 'Yea I, too, I saw him ne'er;Yet all men they speak well of him, and his praises all lands declare,And ever in strife and conflict to better his fame he knew,285And his valour was high exalted, and afar from him falsehood flew.And women he served so truly that all true folk they praised his name,And all that should deck a Christian lent honour unto his fame,For his faith it for aye stood steadfast, and all false deeds did he abhor,But followed his true heart's counsel—Thus ever I heard of yore290From the mouth of all men who knew him, that man ye were fain to see,And I ween ye would do him honour if he yet on this earth might be,And sought for fame as aforetime—The delight of all women's eyesWas he, till king Ipomidon with him strove for knighthood's prize,At Bagdad the joust was ridden, and there did his valiant life295For love's sake become death's portion, and there was he slain in strife;In a knightly joust we lost him from whose life do we spring, we twain;If here ye would seek our father, then the seas have ye sailed in vain!'
'Alas, for the endless sorrow!' quoth the knight. 'Is my father dead?Here joy have I lost, tho' it well be that joy cometh in its stead.300In this self-same hour have I lost me great joy, and yet joy have found,For myself, and thou, and my father, we three in one bond are bound;For tho' men asthreemay hold us, yet I wot well we are butone,And no wise man he counts that kinship 'twixt father, methinks, and son,For in truth for more must he hold it—Withthyselfhast thou fought to-day,305To strife withmyselfhave I ridden, and I went near myself to slay;Thy valour in good stead stood us, from myself hast thou saved my life—Now Jupiter see this marvel, since thy power so hath ruled the strifeThat from death hast thou here withheld us!' Then tears streamed from his heathen eyes,As he laughed and wept together—Yea, a Christian such truth might prize,310For our baptism truth should teach us, since there are we named anewIn the Name of Christ, and all men they hold the Lord Christ for true!
Quoth the heathen, e'en as I tell ye, 'No longer will we abideIn this place, but if thou, my brother, for a short space with me wilt ride,From the sea to the land will I summon, that their power be made known to thee,315The richest force that Juno e'er guided across the sea.And in truth, without thought of falsehood, full many a gallant knightWill I show thee, who do me service, and beneath my banners fight,With me shalt thou ride towards them.' Then Parzival spake alway,'Have ye then such power o'er these people that your bidding they wait to-day320And all the days ye are absent?' Quoth the heathen, 'Yea, even so,If for half a year long I should leave them, not a man from the place would go,Be he rich or poor, till I bade him. Well victualled their ships shall be,And neither the horse nor his rider setteth foot on the grassy lea,Save only to fetch them water from the fountain that springeth fair,325Or to lead their steeds to the meadow to breathe the fresh summer air.'
Then Parzival quoth to his brother, 'If it be so, then follow meTo where many a gracious maiden, and fair pleasures, ye well may see,And many a courteous hero who shall be to us both akin—Near by with a goodly army lieth Arthur, the Breton king,330'Twas only at dawn I left them, a great host and fair are they,And many a lovely lady shall gladden our eyes to-day.'When he heard that he spake of women, since he fain for their love would live,He quoth, 'Thou shalt lead me thither, but first thou shalt answer giveTo the question I here would ask thee—Of a truth shall we kinsmen see335When we come to the court of King Arthur? For ever 'twas told to meThat his name it is rich in honour, and he liveth as valiant knight'—Quoth Parzival, 'We shall see there full many a lady bright,Nor fruitless shall be our journey, our own folk shall we find there,The men of whose race we have sprung, men whose head shall a king's crown bear.'340
Nor longer the twain would sit there, and straightway did ParzivalSeek again the sword of his brother that afar in the woodland fell,And again the hero sheathed it, and all hatred they put away,And e'en as true friends and brothers together they rode that day.
Yet ere they might come to King Arthur men had heard of the twain a tale—345On the self-same day it befell so that the host, they must sore bewailThe loss of a gallant hero, since Parzival rode away—Then Arthur, he took good counsel, and he spake, 'Unto the eighth dayWould they wait for Parzival's coming, nor forth from the field would fare'—And hither came Gramoflanz' army, and they many a ring prepare,350And with costly tents do they deck them, and the proud knights are lodged full well,Nor might brides e'er win greater honour than here to this four befell.Then from Château Merveil rode thither a squire in the self-same hour,And he said, in their column mirrored, had they seen in their fair watch-towerA mighty fight, and a fearful—'And where'er men with swords have fought,355I wot well, beside this combat their strife shall be held as naught.'And the tale did they tell to Gawain, as he sat by King Arthur's side,And this knight, and that, spake wondering to whom might such strife betide?Quoth Arthur the king, 'Now I wager that I know of the twainoneknight,'Twas my nephew of Kanvoleis fought there, who left us ere morning light!'360
And now, lo the twain rode hither—They had foughten a combat fair,As helmet and shield sore dinted with sword-stroke might witness bear.And well skilled were the hands that had painted these badges of strife, I trow,(For 'tis meet in the lust of combat that a knight's hand such skill should show,)Then they rode by the camp of King Arthur—As the heathen knight rode past365Full many a glance of wonder at his costly gear was cast.And with tents the plain was covered—Then rode they to Gawain's ring,And before his tent they halted—Did men a fair welcome bring,And lead them within, and gladly behold them? Yea, even so,And Gawain, he rode swiftly after when he did of their coming know;370For e'en as he sat by King Arthur he saw that his tent they sought,And, as fitted a courteous hero, joyful greeting to them he brought.
And as yet they bare their armour—Then Gawain, the courteous knight,He bade his squires disarm them—In the stress of the deadly fightEcidemon, the beast, was cloven; the robe that the heathen ware375In many a place bare token of the blows that had been its share,'Twas a silk of Saranthasmé, decked with many a precious stone,And beneath, rich, snow-white, blazoned with his bearings his vesture shone.And one over against the other stood the gems in a double row;By the wondrous Salamanders was it woven in fierce flame's glow!380All this glory a woman gave him, who would stake on his skill in strifeHer crown alike and her kingdom, as she gave him her love and life.'Twas the fair Queen Sekundillé (and gladly he did her will,And were it for joy or for sorrow he hearkened her bidding still)And, e'en as her true heart willed it, of her riches was he the lord,385For her love, as his rightful guerdon, had he won him with shield and sword.
Then Gawain, he bade his people of the harness to have good care,That naught should be moved from its station, shield, or helmet, or vesture fair.And in sooth a gift too costly e'en the blazoned coat had beenIf poor were the maid who a love-gift would give to her knight, I ween,390So rich were the stones that decked it, the harness of pieces four—And where wisdom with goodwill worketh, and of riches there be full store,There love well can deck the loved one! And proud Feirefis, he stroveWith such zeal for the honour of women, he well was repaid by Love!
And soon as he doffed his harness they gazed on the wondrous sight,395And they who might speak of marvels said, in sooth, that this heathen knight,Feirefis, was strange to look on! and wondrous marks he bore—Quoth Gawain to Parzival, 'Cousin, I ne'er saw his like before,Now who may he be, thy comrade? For in sooth he is strange to see!'Quoth Parzival, 'Are we kinsmen, then thy kinsman this knight shall be,400As Gamuret's name may assure thee—Of Zassamank is he king,There my father he won Belakané who this prince to the world did bring.'Then Gawain, he kissed the heathen—Now the noble FeirefisWas black and white all over, save his mouth was half red, I wis!
Then they brought to the twain fair raiment, and I wot well their cost was dear.405(They were brought forth from Gawain's chamber.) Then the ladies, they drew anear,And the Duchess she bade Sangivé and Kondrie first kiss the knightEre she and Arnivé proffered in greeting their lips so bright.And Feirefis gazed upon them, and, methinks, he was glad at heartAt the sight of their lovely faces, and in joy had he lot and part.410
Then Gawain spake to Parzival, 'Cousin, thou hast found a new battle-field,If aright I may read the token of thy helmet and splintered shield,Sore strife shall have been your comrade, both thine and thy brother's too!Say, with whom did ye fight so fiercely?' Then Parzival spake anew,'No fiercer fight have I foughten, my brother's hand pressed me sore415To defend me, no charm more potent than defence 'gainst death's stroke I bore.As this stranger, whom yet I knew well, I smote, my sword brake in twain,Yet no fear did he show, and 'vantage he scorned of mischance to gain,For afar did he cast his sword-blade, since he feared lest 'gainst me he sin,Yet naught did he know when he spared me that we twain were so near akin.420But now have I won his friendship, and his love, and with right goodwillWould I do to him faithful service as befitteth a brother still!'
Then Gawain spake, 'They brought me tidings of a dauntless strife and bold,In Château Merveil the country for six miles may ye well behold,The pillar within the watch-tower showeth all that within that space425Doth chance,—and he spake, King Arthur, thatonewho there strife did face,Should bethoucousin mine of Kingrivals, now hast thou the tidings brought,And we know of a sooth the combat was even as we had thought.Now believe me, the truth I tell thee, for eight days here our feast we'ld holdIn great pomp, and await thy coming, shouldst thou seek us, thou hero bold.430Now rest here, ye twain, from your combat—but methinks, since ye thus did fight,Ye shall each know the other better, and hatred shall own love's might.'
That eve would Gawain sup early, since his cousin of far Thasmé,Feirefis Angevin, and his brother, had tasted no food that day.And high and long were the cushions that they laid in a ring so wide,435And many a costly covering of silk did their softness hide.And long, and wide, and silken, were the clothes that above them went,And the store of Klingsor's riches they spread forth within the tent.Then four costly carpets silken, and woven so fair to see,Did they hang one against the other, so the tale it was told to me;440And beneath them, of down were the pillows, and each one was covered fair,And in such wise the costly couches for the guests would the squires prepare.
And so wide was the ring that within it six pavilions right well might standNor the tent ropes should touch each other—(Now wisdom doth fail mine hand,I will speak no more of these marvels). Then straightway Gawain he sent445To King Arthur, he fain would tell him who abode here within his tent,He had come, the mighty heathen, of whom Ekuba erst did tellOn Plimizöl's plain! And the tidings they rejoiced King Arthur well.
And he who should bear the tidings, he was Iofreit, and Idol's son;And he bade the king sup early, and so soon as the meal was done,450With his knights and his host of ladies, to ride forth a train so fair,And a fit and worthy welcome for Gamuret's son prepare.Quoth the king, 'All who here are worthy, of a sooth, will I bring with me.'Quoth Iofreit, 'Ye fain will see him, so courteous a knight is he,And a marvel is he to look on—From great riches he forth must fare,455For the price of his coat emblazoned is such as no man might bear,And no hand might count its equal, not in Löver or Brittany,Or in England, or e'en from Paris to Wizsant beside the sea—Nay, all the rich lands between them, were their wealth in the balance weighed,Then the cost of his goodly raiment, I think me, were yet unpaid!'460
Then again came the knight Iofreit, when he to the king had toldThe guise that should best befit him when he greeted the heathen bold.And within the tent of Gawain the seats were ordered fair,In courteous rank and seemly, and the guests to the feast repair.And the vassals of Orgelusé, and the heroes within her train465Who gladly for love had served her, they sate there beside Gawain.Their seats they were on his right hand, on his left were Klingsor's knights,And over against the heroes sat many a lady bright,All they who were Klingsor's captives, in sooth were they fair of face,And Parzival and his brother, by the maidens they took their place.470
Then the Turkowit, Sir Florant, and Sangivé, that noble queen,Sat over against each other, and in like wise, the board between,Sat Gowerzein's Duke, brave Lischois, and his wife, the fair Kondrie.Iofreit and Gawain forgat not each other's mate to be,As of old would they sit together, and together, as comrades, eat.475The Duchess, with bright eyes shining, by Arnivé must find her seat,Nor forgat they to serve each other with courteous and kindly grace—At the side sat fair Orgelusé, while Arnivé by Gawain found place.
And all shame and discourteous bearing from the circle must take their flight,And courteous they bare the viands to each maid and each gallant knight.480Then Feirefis looked on his brother, and he spake unto Parzival;'Now Jupiter ruled my journey so that bliss to my lot would fallSince his aid shall have brought me hither, and here mine own folk I see,And I praise the sire that I knew not, of a gallant race was he!'
Quoth the Waleis, 'Ye yet shall see them, a folk ye right well may love,485With Arthur their king and captain, brave knights who their manhood prove.So soon as this feast is ended, as methinks it will be ere long,Ye shall see them come in their glory, many valiant men and strong.Of the knights of the good Round Table there shall sit at this board but three,Our host, and the knight Iofreit, and such honour once fell to me,490In the days that I showed me worthy, that they prayed me I would be oneOf their band, nor was I unwilling, but e'en as they spake 'twas done,'
Now 'twas time, since all well had eaten, the covers to bear awayFrom before both man and maiden, and this did the squires straightway.The host would no longer sit there; then the Duchess and Arnivé spake,495And they prayed that the twain, Sangivé and Kondrie, they with them might take;And go to the strange-faced heathen, and entreat him in courteous wise—When Feirefis saw them near him, from his seat did the prince arise,And with Parzival, his brother, stepped forward the queens to meet,By his hand did the Duchess take him, and with fair words the knight would greet;500And the ladies and knights who stood there she bade them be seated all—Then the king and his host came riding, with many a trumpet call;And they heard the sound of music, of tambour, and flute, and horn,With many a blast drew nearer the king of Arnivé born;And the heathen this pomp and rejoicing must hold for a worthy thing—505And Guinevere rode with King Arthur, so came they to Gawain's ring;And goodly the train that followed of ladies and gallant knights,And Feirefis saw among them fair faces with youth's tints bright;And King Gramoflanz rode among them, for Arthur's guest was he,And Itonjé, his love so loyal, true lady, from falsehood free!510
Then the gallant host dismounted, with many a lady sweet,And Guinevere bade Itonjé her nephew, the heathen, greet.Then the queen herself drew anear him, and she kissed the knight Feirefis,And Gramoflanz and King Arthur received him with friendly kiss;And in honour they proffered service unto him, those monarchs twain,515And many a man of his kinsfolk to welcome the prince was fain.And many a faithful comrade Feirefis Angevin had found,Nor in sooth was he loth to own here that he stood upon friendly ground.
Down they sat them, both wife and husband, and many a gracious maid,And many a knight might find there (if in sooth he such treasure prayed,)520From sweet lips sweet words of comfort—If for wooing such knight were fain,Then from many a maid who sat there no hatred his prayer would gain,No true woman shall e'er be wrathful if a true man for help shall pray,For ever the right she holdeth to yield, or to say him 'Nay,'And if labour win joy for payment then such guerdon shall true love give—525And I speak but as in my lifetime I have seen many true folk live—And service sat there by rewarding, for in sooth 'tis a gracious thingWhen a knight may his lady hearken, for joy shall such hearing bring.
And Feirefis sat by King Arthur, nor would either prince delayTo the question each asked the other courteous answer to make straightway—530Quoth King Arthur, 'May God be praised, for He honoureth us I ween,Since this day within our circle so gallant a guest is seen,No knight hath Christendom welcomed to her shores from a heathen landWhom, an he desired my service, I had served with such willing hand!'
Quoth Feirefis to King Arthur, 'Misfortune hath left my side,535Since the day that my goddess Juno, with fair winds and a favouring tide,Led my sail to this Western kingdom! Methinks that thou bearest theeIn such wise as he should of whose valour many tales have been told to me;If indeed thou art called King Arthur, then know that in many a landThy name is both known and honoured, and thy fame o'er all knights doth stand.'540
Quoth Arthur, 'Himself doth he honour who thus spake in my praise to theeAnd to other folk, since such counsel he won of his courtesyFar more than of my deserving—for he spake of his kindly will.Yea, in sooth shall my name be Arthur, and the tale would I hearken stillOf how to this land thou camest, if forlove'ssake thou bearest shield,545Then thy love must be fair, since to please her thou ridest so far afield!If her guerdon be not withholden then love's service shall wax more fair,Else must many a maid win hatred from the knight who her badge doth bear!'
'Nay, 'twas otherwise,' quoth the heathen; 'Now learn how I came to thee,I led such a mighty army, they who guardians of Troy would be,550And they who its walls besiegèd, the road to my hosts must yield—If both armies yet lived, and lusted to face me on open field,Then ne'er might they win the victory, but shame and defeat must knowFrom me and my host, of a surety their force would I overthrow!—And many a fight had I foughten, and knightly deeds had done,555Till as guerdon at length the favour of Queen Sekundill' I won.And e'en as her wish so my will is, and her love to my life is guide,She bade me to give with a free hand, and brave knights to keep at my side,And this must I do to please her; and I did even as she would,'Neath my shield have I won as vassals full many a warrior good,560And her love it hath been my guerdon—An Ecidemon I bearOn my shield, even as she bade me, at her will I this token wear.Since then, came I e'er in peril, if but on my love I thoughtShe hath helped me, yea, Jupiter never such succour in need hath brought!'
Quoth Arthur, 'Thy gallant father, Gamuret, he hath left thee heir565To the heart that on woman's service thus loveth afar to fare.Of such service I too can tell thee, for but seldom hath greater deedsBeen done for a woman's honour, or to win of her love the meed,Than were done for the sake of the Duchess who sitteth beside us here.For her love many gallant heroes have splintered full many a spear,570Yea, the spear-shafts were e'en as a forest! And many have paid the costOf her service in bitter sorrow, and in joy and high courage lost!'
And then the tale he told him of the fame that Gawain had found,And the knights of the host of Klingsor, and the heroes who sat around,And of Parzival, his brother, how he fought fierce combats twain,575For the sake of Gramoflanz' garland, on Ioflanz' grassy plain;'And what other have been his ventures, who never himself doth spareAs thro' the wide world he rideth, that shall he himself declare;For he seeketh a lofty guerdon, and he rideth to find the Grail.And here shall it be my pleasure that ye twain, without lack or fail,580Shall tell me the lands and the peoples against whom ye shall both have fought.'Quoth the heathen, 'I'll name the princes whom I here as my captives brought':
'King Papirus of Trogodjenté, Count Behantins of Kalomedenté,Duke Farjelastis of Africk, and King Tridanz of Tinodent;King Liddamus of Agrippé, of Schipelpjonte King Amaspartins,585King Milon of Nomadjentesin, of Agremontein, Duke Lippidins;Gabarins of Assigarzionté, King Translapins of Rivigatas,From Hiberborticon Count Filones, from Sotofeititon, Amincas,From Centrium, King Killicrates, Duke Tiridé of Elixodjon,And beside him Count Lysander, from Ipopotiticon.590King Thoaris of Orastegentesein, from Satarthjonté Duke Alamis,And the Duke of Duscontemedon, and Count Astor of Panfatis.From Arabia King Zaroaster, and Count Possizonjus of Thiler,The Duke Sennes of Narjoclin, and Nourjenté's Duke, Acheinor,Count Edisson of Lanzesardin, Count Fristines of Janfusé,595Meiones of Atropfagenté, King Jetakranc of Ganpfassasché,From Assagog and Zassamank princes, Count Jurans of Blemunzîn.And the last, I ween, shall a Duke be, Affinamus of Amantasîn!'
'Yet one thing for a shame I deemed it—In my kingdom 'twas told to meGamuret Angevin, my father, the best of all knights should be600That ever bestrode a charger—Then so was my will and mind,That, afar from my kingdom faring, my father I thought to find;And since then strife hath been my portion, for forth from my kingdoms twainA mighty host and powerful 'neath my guidance hath crossed the main,And I lusted for deeds of knighthood; if I came to a goodly land,605Then I rested not till its glory paid tribute into mine hand.And thus ever I journeyed further—I won love from two noble queens,Olympia and Klauditté; Sekundillé the third hath been.And well have I served fair women!—Now first must I learn to-dayThat my father is dead! My brother, the tale of thy ventures say.'610
And Parzival quoth, 'Since I seek it, The Grail, in full many a fight,Both far and near, have I striven, in such wise as beseems a knight,And my hand of their fame hath robbed them who never before might fall—If it please ye the tale to hearken, lo! here will I name them all!'
'King Schirniel of Lirivoin, and his brother of Avendroin, King Mirabel,615King Piblesun of Lorneparz, of Rozokarz, King Serabel,Of Sirnegunz, King Senilgorz, and Strangedorz of Villegarunz,Rogedal the Count of Mirnetalle and Laudunal of Pleyedunz.From Semblidag King Zyrolan, from Itolac Onipreiz,From Zambron the Count Plenischanz, and Duke Jerneganz of Jeropleis,620Count Longefiez of Teuteleunz, Duke Marangliess of Privegarz,From Lampregun Count Parfoyas, from Pictacon Duke Strennolas;Postefar of Laudundrehte, Askalon's fair king, Vergulacht,Duke Leidebron of Redunzehte, and from Pranzile Count Bogudaht,Collevâl of Leterbé, Jovedast of Arl, a Provençal,625Count Karfodyas of Tripparûn, all these 'neath my spear must fall.In knightly joust I o'erthrew them the while I the Grail must seek!Would I say those I felled inbattle, methinks I o'er-long must speak,It were best that I here keep silence—Of those who were known to me,Methinks that the greater number I here shall have named to ye!'630
From his heart was he glad, the heathen, of his brother's mighty fame,That so many a gallant hero 'neath his hand had been put to shame,And he deemed in his brother's honour he himself should have honour won,And with many a word he thanked him for the deeds that he there had done.
Then Gawain bade his squires bear hither (yet e'en as he knew it not)635The costly gear of the heathen, and they held it was fair I wot.And knights alike and ladies, they looked on its decking rare,Corslet, and shield, and helmet, and the coat that was blazoned fair.Nor narrow nor wide the helmet—And a marvel great they thoughtThe shine of the many jewels in the costly robe inwrought,640And no man I ween shall ask me the power that in each did dwell,The light alike and the heavy, for I skill not the tale to tell;Far better might they have told it, Heraclius or HerculesAnd the Grecian Alexander; and better methinks than thesePythagoras, the wise man, for skilled in the stars was he,645And so wise that no son of Adam I wot well might wiser be.
Then the women they spake, 'What woman so e'er thus hath decked this knightIf he be to her love unfaithful he hath done to his fame despite.'Yet some in such favour held him, they had been of his service fain—Methinks the unwonted colour of his face did their fancy gain!650Then aside went the four, Gawain, Arthur, Gramoflanz, and Parzival,(And the women should care for the heathen, methinks it would please them well.)
And Arthur willed ere the morrow a banquet, rich and fair,On the grassy plain before him they should without fail prepare,That Feirefis they might welcome as befitting so brave a guest.655'Now be ye in this task not slothful, but strive, as shall seem ye best,That henceforth he be one of our circle, of the Table Round, a knight.'And they spake, they would win that favour, if so be it should seem him right.Then Feirefis, the rich hero, he brotherhood with them sware;And they quaffed the cup of parting, and forth to their tents would fare.660And joy it came with the morning, if here I the truth may say,And many were glad at the dawning of a sweet and a welcome day.
Then the son of Uther Pendragon, King Arthur, in this wise spake:For Round Table a silk so costly, Drianthasmé, he bade them take—Ye have heard how it once was ordered, afar on Plimizöl's plain,665How they spread them there a Round Table, in such wise was it spread again—'Twas cut in a round, and costly it was, and right fair to see,And on the green turf around it the seats of the knights should be.It was even a goodly gallop from the seats to the Table Round,For the Table's self it was not, yet the likeness they there had found.670And a cowardly man might shame him to sit there with such gallant knights,And with sin would his food be tainted since he ate it not there of right.
Thro' the summer night 'twas measured, the ring, both with thought and care,And from one end unto the other with pomp they the seats prepare.And the cost were too great for a poor king, as they saw it in noontide light,675When the trappings, so gay and costly, shone fair in the sun-rays bright.Gramoflanz and Gawain would pay it, the cost, since within their landHe was but a guest, King Arthur, tho' he dealt with a generous hand.
And the night, it seldom cometh but, as it is wont, the sunBringeth back the day and the daylight when the hours of the night are run;680And e'en so it befell, and the dawning was clear and calm and bright,And many a flowery chaplet crowned the locks of many a knight;And with cheeks and lips unpainted saw ye many a lovely maid,And, if Kiot the truth hath spoken, knight and lady they were arrayedIn diverse garb and fashion, with head-gear both high and low,685As each in their native country their faces were wont to show—'Twas a folk from far kingdoms gathered and diverse their ways were found—If to lady a knight were lacking she sat not at the Table Round,But if she for knightly service had promised a guerdon fair,She might ride with her knight, but the others, they must to their tents repair.690
When Arthur the Mass had hearkened, then Gramoflanz did they seeWith Gowerzein's Duke and Florant; to the king came the comrades three,And each one a boon would crave here, for each of the three was fainTo be one of the good Round Table, nor this grace did they fail to gain.And if lady or knight would ask me who was richest of all that band,695Who sat as guests in the circle, and were gathered from every land,Then here will I speak the answer, 'twas Feirefis Angevin,But think not from my lips of his riches a further tale to win.
Thus in festive guise, and gaily, they rode to the circle wide,And often to maid had it chancèd (so closely the guests must ride)700Were her steed not well girthed she had fallen—with banners waving highFrom every side of the meadow to each other the groups drew nigh;And a Buhurd fair was ridden without the Table Round,And in courtly guise and skilful no man rodewithinits bound;There was space without for the chargers, and they handled their steeds with skill,705And rode each one against the other till the ladies had looked their fill.
Then in order fair they seat them when 'twas time for the guests to eat,And cup-bearer, steward, and butler, they bethink them as shall be meet,How, courteous, to do their office—No lack of food had they,And many a maid was honoured as she sat by her knight that day.710And many thro' fond heart's counsel had been served by knightly deed—And Feirefis, and the Waleis, to the maidens they gave good heed,And they looked on the one and the other, and a fair choice was theirs, I ween,For never on field or meadow may the eye of man have seenSo many sweet lips and fair faces as shone there at the Table Round,715And the heathen was glad for their beauty, and the joy that his heart had found.Now hail to the hour that cometh, and the tidings they soon shall hearFrom the welcome lips of a maiden who draweth the host anear;For a maiden came towards them, and her raiment was fair to see,And e'en as in France the custom so 'twas fashioned right cunningly.720Her mantle was costly velvet, and blacker, I ween, its hueThan the coat of a sable jennet; and with gold was it woven thro'With turtle-doves, all shining, the badge of the Grail were they.And they looked and they marvelled at her as toward them she made her way,For swiftly she came, and her head-gear was high and white, her face725With many a veil was shrouded, and her features no man might trace.
Then with even pace and seemly she rode o'er the turf so green,And saddle and reins and trappings were costly enow I ween;And they let her within the circle—Now she who would tidings bringNo fool was she, but wise maiden—So rode she around the ring,730And they showed her where sat King Arthur, nor her greeting should fail that day,In French was her speech, and in this wise the monarch she fain would pray;They should wreak not on her their vengeance for the words that she spake of yore,But hearken unto her message since welcome the news she bore.And the king and the queen she pleaded to give unto her their aid,735That she failed not to win from the hero the grace that she fain had prayed.
Then to Parzival she turned her, since his place by the king's was found,And she stayed not, but down from her charger she sprang swiftly unto the ground,And with courteous mien, as beseemed her, fell low at the hero's feet,And, weeping, she prayed that in friendship her coming he now would greet,740And forget his wrath against her, and forgive her without a kiss.And they joined to her prayer their pleadings, King Arthur and Feirefis.Of a sooth Parzival must hate her, yet he hearkened to friendship's prayer,And of true heart and free forgave her—Tho' I say not the maid was fair,Yet methinks she was honour-worthy—Then swiftly she sprang upright,745And thanked those who had won her pardon for the wrong she had done the knight.Then she raised her hand to her head-gear, were it wimple or veil, no lessWas it cast on the ground, and all men knew Kondrie, the sorceress.And they knew of the Grail the token and the badge that the maiden bare,And all men I ween must marvel—Her face it was e'en as fair750As man and maiden saw it when to Plimizöl's banks she came,Of her countenance have I told ye, and to-day was it still the same,And yellow her eyes as the topaz, long her teeth, and her lips in hueWere even as is a violet, that man seeth notredbutblue!
Yet methinks had her will been evil she had borne not the head-gear rare755That aforetime, on Plimizöl's meadow, it had pleasured the maid to wear.The sun it had worked no evil, if its rays thro' her hair might winYet scarce had they shone so fiercely as to darken one whit her skin.
Then courteous she stood, and she spake thus, and good were her words to hear,In the self-same hour her tidings came thus to the listening ear;760'Oh! well is thee, thou hero, thou Gamuret's son so fair,Since God showeth favour to thee whom Herzeleide of old did bear.And welcome is he, thy brother, Feirefis, the strange of hue,For the sake of my Queen Sekundillé, and the tidings that erst I knewOf the gallant deeds of knighthood that his valiant hand hath done,765For e'en from the days of his childhood great fame for himself he won!'
And to Parzival she spake thus, 'Now rejoice with a humble heart,Since the crown of all earthly blessings henceforward shall be thy part,For read is the mystic writing—The Grail, It doth hail thee king,And Kondwiramur, thy true wife, thou shalt to thy kingdom bring,770For the Grail, It hath called her thither—Yea, and Lohengrin, thy son,For e'en as thou left her kingdom twin babes thou by her hadst won.And Kardeiss, he shall have in that kingdom a heritage rich I trow!And were no other bliss thy portion than that which I tell thee now—That with true lips and pure, thou shalt greet him, Anfortas the king, again,775And thy mouth thro' the mystic question shall rid him of all his pain,For sorrow hath been his portion—If joy's light thro' thy deed shall shineOn his life, then of all earth's children whose bliss shall be like to thine?'
Seven stars did she name unto him in Arabic, and their might,Right well Feirefis should know it, who sat there, both black and white.780And she spake, 'Sir Parzival, mark well the names that I tell to thee,There is Zevâl the highest planet, and the swift star Almustri;Almaret and the shining Samsi, great bliss unto thee they bring,Alligafir is fifth, and Alketer stands sixth in the starry ring;And the nearest to us is Alkamer; and no dream shall it be, my rede,785For the bridle of heaven are they, to guide and to check its speed,'Gainst its swiftness their power, it warreth—Now thy sorrow is passed away,For far as shall be their journey, and far as shall shine their ray.So wide is the goal of thy riches and the glory thine hand shall win,And thy sorrow shall wane and vanish—Yet this thing It holds for sin,790The Grail and Its power, It forbids thee unlawful desire to know,And the company of sinners henceforth must thou shun, I trow;And riches are thine, and honour, but from these shall thy life be free—Now thy youth was by sorrow cherished, and her lesson she taught to thee,But by joy she afar is driven, for thou hast thy soul's rest won,795And in grief thou o'er-long hast waited for the joy that is now begun.'
Nor seemed ill to the knight her tidings—Thro' joy must his eyelids knowA rain of crystal tear-drops from a true heart's overflow.And he quoth, 'If thou speakest, Lady, the thing that indeed shall be,If God as his knight doth claim me, and they are elect with me,800My wife and my child, then I wot well, tho' a sinful man am I,God looketh with favour on me, and hath dealt with me wondrously!Of a sooth hast thou here repaid me for the grief thou on me hast brought,Yet I deem well thy wrath had spared me save that evil myself had wrought,Nor to bliss was I then predestined—but thou bringest such tidings fair805That my sorrow hath found an ending—And these arms do thy truth declare,For when by the sad Anfortas I sat in Monsalväsch' hall,Full many a shield I looked on that hung fair on the castle wall,And with turtle-doves all were blazoned, such as shine on thy robe to-day.But say, to the joy that awaits me, when and how may I take my way,810For I would not there were delaying?' Then she quoth, 'Lord and master dear,Butoneknight alone shall ride with thee; choose thou from these warriors hereAnd trust thou to my skill and knowledge to guide thee upon thy way,For thy succour Anfortas waiteth, wouldst thou help him, make no delay!'
Then they heard, all they who sat there, how Kondrie had come again815And the tidings she bare; and teardrops fell soft like a summer's rainFrom the bright eyes of Orgelusé, since Parzival should speakThe words that should heal Anfortas, nor that healing be long to seek.Then Arthur, the fame-desirous, spake to Kondrie in courtesy,'Now, Lady, wilt ride to thy lodging? Say, how may we care for thee?'820And she quoth, 'Is she here, Arnivé, what lodging she shall prepare,That lodging shall well content me till hence with my lord I fare;If a captive she be no longer, then fain would I see them all,The queen, and the other ladies, whom Klingsor, in magic thrall,For many a year hath fettered'—Then they lifted her on her steed,825Two knights, and unto Arnivé did the faithful maiden speed.
Now the feast drew nigh to its ending—By his brother sat Parzival,And he prayed him to be his comrade, nor his words did unheeded fall,For Feirefis spake him ready to Monsalväsch' Burg to ride—In the self-same hour upstood they, the guests, o'er the ring so wide,830And Feirefis prayed this favour from Gramoflanz, the king,If in sooth he should love his cousin of that love he would token bring;'Both thou and Gawain, ye must help me, whether princes or kings they be,Or barons, or knights, none betake them from this field till my gifts they see.Myself had I shamed if I rode hence and never a gift should leave,835And the minstrel-folk they shall wait here till they gifts from my hand receive.And Arthur, this thing would I pray thee, seek that none of these knights disdain,Tho' lofty their birth, a token of friendship from me to gain;For the shame, on thyself shalt thou take it—one so rich shall they ne'er have known—Give me messengers unto the haven that the presents to all be shown!'840
Then they sware them unto the heathen that no man of them should departFrom the field till four days were ended, and the heathen was glad at heart,And wise messengers Arthur gave him, who should forth to the haven fare—Feirefis took him ink and parchment, and a letter he bade them bear,Nor the writing, I ween, lacked tokens of his hand from whom it came,845And seldom methinks a letter such goodly return might claim!
Then soon must the messengers ride hence—Parzival stood the host before,And in French did he tell the story from Trevrezent learnt of yore,How the Grail, throughout all ages, may never by man be known,Save by him whom God calleth to It, whose name God doth know alone.850And the tale shall be told in all lands; no conflict may win that prize,And 'tis vain on that Quest to spend them, since 'tis hidden from mortal eyes!'
And for Parzival and his brother the maidens must mourn that day,Farewell they were loth to bid them—Ere the heroes rode on their wayThro' the armies four they gat them, and they prayed leave from each and all,855And joyful, they took their journey, well armed 'gainst what might befall.And the third day hence to Ioflanz from the heathen's host they broughtGreat gifts, so rich and costly, men ne'er on such wealth had thought.Did a king take of them, his kingdom was rich for evermore—And to each as beseemed his station the precious gifts they bore,860And the ladies, they had rich presents, from Triant and Nouriente—How the others rode I know not, but the twain, they with Kondrie went!