Now he who his rest had broken, if rest he perchance might win,Methinks they who hear the story had counted it him for sin.For, e'en as the venture telleth, sore toil had the hero known,And in sooth did he face such peril that his fame thro' all lands hath flown.Lancelot on the sword-bridge battled, and Meljakanz must sue for grace,5Yet as naught was I ween his danger to the woe that Gawain must face.And that which is told of Garel, the valiant and knightly king,Who o'erthrew the lion 'fore the palace and made Nantes with his daring ring—And he sought the knife too, Garel, but he paid for his deed full dearIn the pillar of marble—greater was the venture ye read of here!10For the darts that were shot against Gawain, as his manly courage bade,For a mule were too great a burden if they all on its back were laid!The Perilous Ford hath its dangers; and Erec must sorrow know,When for Schoie-de-la-kurt he battled, and Mabonagrein would fain lay low,Yet ne'er had he faced such peril as fell here to knight Gawain.15Nor Iwein, the gallant hero, who water would pour amain,Nor feared of the stone the venture—Were these perils all knit in one,He who knoweth to measure danger saith Gawain greater deeds had done!What peril is this I tell of? If ye will, I the woe will name,Or too early perchance the telling? Swift-foot Orgelusé came,20And straight to the heart of the hero hath she taken her silent way,That heart that hath ne'er known trembling, that courage hath ruled alway.And how came it so stately lady might hide in so small a space?For narrow I ween was the pathway that led to her resting-place.And all sorrow he knew aforetime was as nought to this bitter woe,25And a low wall it was that hid her when his heart did her presence knowIn whose service he never faltered, but was watchful as he was true.Nor find ye here food for laughter, that one who ne'er terror knew,A hero so brave in battle, should yield to a woman's hand.Alas! woe is me for the marvel that no man may understand!30And Frau Minne she waxeth wrathful 'gainst him who the prize hath won,Yet dauntless and brave hath she found him, and shall find him, till life be done.Who harm on a wounded foeman shall work doth his honour stain,Yet in strength 'gainst his will did Love bind him, and it turnèd to him for gain.Frau Minne, wouldst have men praise thee? Then this will I say to thee,35This strife shall be not to thine honour, since sore wounded Gawain shall be.And ever throughout his life-days has he lived as thou didst command,And he followed in this his father, and the men of his mother's land.For they yielded thee loyal service since the days Mazadan was king,Who Terre-de-la-Schoie from Fay-Morgan in thy service did gallant bring.40And this do men tell of his children, no man from his fealty fell.And Ither of Gaheviess bare it, thy badge, and he served thee well;And never in woman's presence did one speak of the hero's nameBut their hearts yearned in love towards him, and they spake it, nor thought it shame,How then when they looked upon him? Then the tale first was told aright!45Frau Minne, a faithful servant didst thou lose in that gallant knight!Slay Gawain if thou wilt, as his cousin Ilinot by thine hand was slain,Since thy power with the bitter torment of desire did the knight constrain,Till he strove for the love of his lady all the days of his fair young life,Florie of Kanedig was she, and he served her in many a strife.50And he fled from the land of his fathers in the days of his youth's unrest,And was reared by this queen, and Britain ne'er saw him but as a guest.And the burden of Love weighed on him, and from Florie's land he fled,Till the day that in true love's service, as I told ye, men found him dead.And often the kin of Gawain thro' love have known sorrow sore,55And of those by Frau Minne wounded could I name to ye many more.And why did the snow and the blood-drops move Parzival's faithful heart?'Twas hiswifewrought the spell, I think me! Yea, others have known thine art,Galoes and Gamuret hast thou vanquished, and in sooth hast thou laid them low,And the twain for their true love's guerdon must the death of a hero know.60And Itonjé, Gawain's fair sister, must love Gramoflanz the king,And grieve for her love; and sorrow, Frau Minne, thou once didst bringOn fair Surdamur and her lover: since thou sufferest not Gawain's kinTo seek them another service, so on him wouldst thou honour win!Be mighty towards the mighty but here let Gawain go free,65His wounds they so sorely pain him, and the hale should thy foemen be!But many have sung of love's working who never so knew love's power,For myself, I would hold me silent—But true lovers shall mourn this hourWhat chanced unto him of Norway, for the venture he faced right well,And now, without help or warning, love's tempest upon him fell!70Quoth the hero, 'Alas, for restless my resting-place shall be,One couch did so sorely wound me, and the other hath brought to meSore torment of love and longing! Orgelusé must favour showUnto me her true knight and servant, or small joy shall my life-days know!'As unresting he turned, and he stretched him, the bands from his wounds were torn,75So restless he lay and wakeful awaited the coming morn.And at last the day shone on him, and many a battlefieldAnd sword-strife more rest had brought him than the rest which his couch might yield.Would one liken his woe unto Gawain's, and be e'en such a lover true,Of his love-wounds let him be healèd, and then smitten by darts anew,80And methinks he shall find that the sorrow and torment shall vex him moreThan all the sum of the sorrow he hath borne for love's sake before!Nor love's torments alone vexed Gawain—Ever clearer it grew, the light,Till dark seemed the lofty tapers that erstwhile had shone so bright.Then up sprang from his couch the hero, and as blood, and as iron, red85With wounds, and with rust, was his linen, yet beside him he saw outspreadHosen and shirt of woollen, and the change pleased our hero well,And robes lined with fur of the marten, and a garment that o'er them fell,(In Arras its stuff was woven, and from Arras 'twas hither sent,)And boots had they lain beside it, none too narrow for his content.90In these garments anew he clothed him, and forth from the chamber wentGawain, and hither and thither his steps thro' the palace bent,Till he found the hall of his venture, no riches he e'er had knownTo liken unto the glories within this fair castle shown.And there at one side of the palace a narrow dome he found,95And it rose high above the building, and a staircase within it wound,And above stood a shining pillar; nor of wood was it shapen fair,But so large and so strong that the coffin of Kamilla it well might bear.And Klingsor, the wise, he brought it from the kingdom of Feirefis,And his cunning and skill had fashioned both the hall and the stair I wis!100No tent might so round be fashioned; did the Master Geometras willTo raise such a work he had failèd, for unknown to his hand the skill.'Twas magic alone that wrought it—The venture it bids us knowOf diamond, amethyst, topaz, carbuncle with red-fire glow,Of chrysolite, emerald, ruby, and sardius, the windows tall,105That each one like to the other encircled this wondrous hall.And rich as the window columns, and carven, the roof o'erhead,And herein was a greater marvel than all marvels ye yet have read;For, the vault below, no pillar was like to that column fairThat stood in the midst of the circle, and wondrous the power it bare,110For so the venture telleth—Gawain fain would gaze around,And alone did he climb the watch-tower, and precious the jewels he found.And he saw there a greater wonder, and the sight never vexed his eye,For he thought him upon the column all the lands of the earth did lie.And he saw the countries circle, and the mighty mountains' crest115Meet, e'en as two hosts in battle, as one vision the other pressed.And folk did he see in the pillar, and on horse or afoot they went,They ran, and they stood: in a window he sat him on seeing bent.Came the agèd Queen Arnivé, with Sangivé her child, and thereWere two maidens, the gentle daughters that Sangivé erewhile did bear.120And the four queens they came unto Gawain, and he saw them and sprang upright;And thus quoth the Queen Arnivé, 'Methinks thou shouldst sleep, Sir Knight,For though rest may no longer please thee, thou art wounded too sore, I trow,That thou further toil and labour shouldst yet for a season know!'Quoth the knight, 'Lady mine and my mistress, since thy wisdom hath brought to me125My wit, and my strength, all my lifetime thy servant I fain would be!'Quoth the queen, 'If I so may read them, the words thou didst speak but now,And thou ownest me as thy mistress, then Sir Knight, to my bidding bow,And kiss at my will these ladies, as thou mayest, without thought of shame,Since nor mother nor maid before thee but a kingly birth may claim!'130Then glad was Gawain at her bidding, and he kissed those ladies three,And Sangivé was first, then Itonjé, and the third was the fair Kondrie.And the five sat them down together, and Gawain saw those maidens twain,Their face and their form so gracious, and he looked, and he looked again;Yet one woman so worked upon him, for yet in his heart she lay,135That their beauty by Orgelusé's he deemed but a cloudy day.For he held with the Lady of Logrois none other might well compare,And his heart and his thoughts were captive to this lady so sweet and fair.Now 'twas done, and Gawain had been greeted with a kiss by those ladies three,And so fair were they all that I wot well their beauty would fatal be140To a heart that was yet unwounded—Then he spake to the elder queen,And he prayed her to tell of the pillar, and the marvels he there had seen.Quoth Arnivé, 'By day and by night-time that pillar, I ween, doth throwIts light for six miles around it, so long as its power I know.And all that within that circuit doth chance on its face we see,145In water, or on the meadow, and true shall the vision be.The bird and the beast we see here, the guest and the woodman true,He who to this land is a stranger, or its ways of aforetime knew.Yea, all may we find within it, and it shineth for six miles round;And so fast and so firm it standeth none moveth it from the ground,150And no hammer shall ever harm it, and no smith hath, I ween, the skill.'Twas stolen from Queen Sekundillé, I think me, against her will!'Now Gawain he saw at this moment on the column a goodly pair,A knight with a lady riding, and he thought him the maid was fair,And clearly and well he saw them—and armed were both steed and knight,155And his helmet was plumed and jewelled, and it gleamed in the morning light.And they rode at a hasty gallop thro' the defile out on the plain:Tho' I wot well he little knew it, yet they rode but to seek Gawain!And they came by the self-same pathway that Lischois he rode afore,The proud knight whom Gawain had vanquished, and in joust from his charger bore.160And the lady she held the bridle of the knight who to joust would ride,And the sight to Gawain brought sorrow, and swiftly he turned aside,And behold! 'twas no lying vision, for without on the grassy plainBy the river rode Orgelusé, and a knight at her side drew rein.E'en as hellebore within the nostril pierceth sharp, and a man doth sneeze,165Thro' his eye to his heart came the Duchess, and she robbed him of joy and ease!Alas! I wot well 'gainst Frau Minne all helpless shall be Gawain—Then he looked on the knight who rode there, and he spake to the queen again,'Lady, a knight I see there, who rideth with well-aimed spear,Nor will cease from the goal he seeketh—Well! I ween he may find it here,170Since he craveth some deed of knighthood I am ready with him to fight,But say, who shall be the maiden?' she quoth, ''Tis the lady brightWho is Duchess and queen of Logrois,—Now 'gainst whom doth she bear ill-will?For the Turkowit rideth with her, and unconquered shall he be still.With his spear such fame hath he won him, as were riches for kingdoms three,175And against a hand so valiant 'twere best not to venture thee;For strife is it all too early, and thou shalt be hurt too sore,And e'en wert thou whole I should rede thee to strive with him nevermore!'Quoth Gawain, 'If indeed I be lord here then he who so near shall seekDeeds of knighthood, shall shame mine honour if vengeance I fail to wreak.180Since he lusteth for strife, O Lady, thou shalt give me mine armour here!'Then the ladies, the four, bewailed them with many a bitter tear:And they quoth, 'Wilt thou deck thy glory? wilt thou greater honour know?Strive not now, shouldst thou fall before him then greater shall wax our woe.But e'en if thou be the victor, if thou girdest thine harness on185Thou must die who so sore art wounded, and with thee are we all undone!'Gawain, he was sorely anguished, and the cause have ye heard aright,For he counted himself dishonoured by the coming of such a knightAnd his wounds, they must sorely pain him, yet love's torment it vexed him more,And the grief of these four fair ladies, and the love they towards him bore.190Then he bade them to cease from weeping, and harness and sword he craved,And his charger; and those fair women they led forth the hero brave.And he bade them go forth before him, and adown the steps they windTo the hall where the other maidens so sweet and so fair they find.Then Gawain for his perilous journey was armed 'neath the light of eyes195Tear-dimmed, and they secret held it, and none knew save the merchant wise.And they bade him the steed make ready, and the hero he slowly steptTo the place where his charger waited—nor light on its back he leapt,But scarcely his shield might he carry, for in sooth was he wounded sore.And thro' centre and rim was it piercèd, and traces of battle bore!200Then again he bestrode his charger, and he turned from the Burg away,And he rode to his host so faithful; and never he said him Nay,But all that he asked he gave him, a spear both strong and new,(Many such had, I ween, been his tribute from that plain where they jousted true,)Then Gawain bade him ship him over, in a ferry they sought the shore,205And the Turkowit, who high courage and the thought of sure victory bore;For so well against shame was he armèd that ill-deeds from before him fled,And his fame was so high accounted, that they made of the sward their bedWho would ride a joust against him—From their charger they needs must fall,And of those who had faced his valour, his spear had o'erthrown them all.210And this was the rule of the hero, that by spear-thrust, and no sword-blade,Would he win to him fame in battle, or his honour be prostrate laid.And to him who should face his onslaught, and o'erthrow him, the self-same dayWould he yield, nor defend him further, but would give him his pledge straightway.And thus heard Gawain the story from him who the pledge did hold,215For his pledge Plippalinòt took there, when the tale of the joust was told.Did one fall while the other sat still, with goodwill of the heroes twainDid he take that which one must forfeit, and the other methinks should gain,Of the charger I speak, hence he led it, for he deemed they enough had fought.Who was victor, and who the vanquished, from the Burg were the tidings brought,220For the women, they looked on the jousting, and many a conflict saw.Then he bade Gawain seat him firmly, and the charger he led to shore,And his shield and his spear he gave him—and the Turkowit swiftly cameAs one who his joust can measure, nor too high nor too low his aim.And Gawain turned his horse against him—of Monsalväsch, Gringuljet,225And it answered unto the bridle, and his spear 'gainst the foe he set.Now forward!—the joust be ridden—Here rideth King Lot's fair son,Undaunted his heart—Now know ye where the helm hath its fastening won?For there did his foeman strike him; but Gawain sought another aim,And swift thro' the helmet's visor with sure hand the spear-point came,230And plain to the sight of all men was the fate of the joust that day,On his spear short and strong the helmet from his head Gawain bare away,And onward it rode, the helmet! But the knight on the grass lay low,Who was blossom and flower of all manhood till he met with such mighty foe.But now he in joust was vanquished, and the jewels from his helm were seen235To vie with the dew on the herbage and the flowers on the meadow green.And Gawain, he rode back unto him, and his pledge did he take that day,And the boatman he claimed the charger, who was there should say him Nay?Thou art joyful, and yet hast small reason,' spake the lady of Gawain's love,(As of old were her words of mocking,) 'Since wherever thy shield doth move240The lion's paw doth follow—And thou thinkest fresh fame to gainSince the ladies have looked on thy jousting—-Well thou mayst in thy bliss remain,Since the Lit Merveil hath dealt gently and but little harm hath wrought!And yet is thy shield all splintered as if thou hadst bravely fought—Thou art doubtless too sorely wounded to yearn for a further fray?245And such ill to the 'Goose' be reckoned, that I called thee but yesterday.So eager wert thou to vaunt thee, as a sieve hast thou piercèd thro'Thy shield, one would deem it riddled with the darts that toward thee flew.Butto-daymayst thou well shun danger—If thy finger shall wounded beRide hence to the maids of the castle, for well will they care for thee!250Far other strife werehisportion, to whom I a task would give,Did thine heart yet yearn for my favour, and thou wouldst in my service live!'Quoth Gawain to the Duchess, 'Lady, tho' deep were my wounds I trowThey ere this have found help and healing—If such help I from thee might knowThat thou, gracious, wouldst own my service, no peril would be so great,255But I, for thy love and rewarding, the issue would gladly wait!'Quoth she, 'Then shalt thou ride with me new honour perchance to gain!'Then rich in all joy and contentment was that valiant knight Gawain—And the Turkowit went with the boatman, and he bade him the tidings bearTo the Burg, and there pray the maidens to have of the knight good care.260And his spear it was yet unsplintered, tho' both horses they spurred amainTo joust, his right hand yet held it, and he bare it from off the plain.And many a maiden saw him, and wept as he rode away.Quoth Arnivé, 'Our joy and comfort hath chosen to him to-dayA joy for the eyes and a sorrow for the heart, yea, both flower and thorn,265Alas! that he rides with the Duchess, since he leaveth us here forlorn.To the Perilous Ford he rideth, and his wounds sure shall work him ill!'(Maids four hundred must weep for his going, yet new tasks would he fain fulfil.)But yet tho' his wounds they pained him, his sorrow had taken flightWhen he looked upon Orgelusé, so fair was her mien and bright.270Then she quoth, 'Thou shalt win me a garland of fresh leaves from off a tree,And I for the gift will praise thee—If thou doest this deed for meThou shalt find in my love rewarding!' Then he quoth, 'Wheresoe'er it stand,The tree that shall bring such blessing as reward unto this mine hand,If I not in vain bemoan me, but win hearing for this my grief,275Then thy garland, tho' death it bring me, shall lack not a single leaf!'And tho' many a blossom bloomed there yet their colour it was as naughtTo the colour of Orgelusé, and Gawain on her beauty thoughtTill it seemed him his grief of aforetime and his anguish had fled away—And thus with her guest did she journey a space from the Burg that day,280And the road it was straight and easy, and it led thro' a forest fair,And Tamris I ween and Prisein were the names that the trees did bear,And the lord of the wood was Klingsor—Then Gawain the hero spake,'Say, where shall that garland blossom which the spell of my grief shalt break?'(In sooth he had best o'erthrown her, as oft shall have chanced I trow285To many a lovely lady.) Then she quoth, 'Thou shalt see the boughWhose plucking shall win thee honour!' O'er the field ran a deep ravine,And so near did they ride to the chasm that the tree from afar was seen.Then she quoth, 'Now, Sir Knight, one guardeth that tree who my joy hath slain,If thou bring me a bough from off it, no hero such prize shall gain290As from me shall be thy rewarding! And here must I hold my way,Nor further may I ride with thee; but make thou no more delay,God have thee in His safe keeping! Thine horse must thou straightway bringTo the gulf, and with sure hand urge it o'er the Perilous Ford to spring.'So still on the plain she held her, and on rode the gallant knight,295And he hearkened the rush of water that had riven a path with mightThro' the plain—it was deep as a valley, and no man its waves might ford;Then Gawain spurred his steed towards it, and he sprung o'er the flood so broad,And yet but the charger's fore-feet might light on the further side,And they fell in the foaming torrent; and the lady in anguish cried,300For swift and wide was the water; yet Gawain he had strength enow,Tho' heavy the weight of his armour, for he saw where there grew a boughThat hung o'er the foaming torrent, and he grasped it, for life was dear,And he gained on the bank a footing, and he drew from the waves his spear.Up and down the stream swam the charger, and Gawain to its aid would go,305Yet so swift was the rush of the water he followed with pain its flow,For heavy I ween his harness, and his wounds they were deep and sore:Then he stretched out his spear as a whirlpool bare the charger towards the shore—For the rain and the rush of the waters had broken a passage wide,And the bank at the place was shelving, and the steed swept towards the side—310And he caught with the spear its bridle, and drew it towards the landTill the hero at last might reach it and lay on the rein his hand.And Gawain, the gallant hero, drew his horse out upon the plain,And the steed shook itself in safety, nor the torrent as prize might gainThe shield—Then he girt his charger, and the shield on his arm he took:315And if one weepeth not for his sorrow methinks I the lack may brook,Tho' in sooth was he in sore peril—For love he the venture dared,For the fair face of Orgelusé, his hand to the bough he bared.And I wot, 'twas a gallant journey, and the tree it was guarded well,He wasone, were hetwain, for that garland his life must the payment tell.320King Gramoflanz, he would guard it, yet Gawain he would pluck the bough.The water, men called it Sabbins, and the tribute was harsh enowThat Gawain would fetch when both charger and knight did the wild waves breast.Tho' the lady was fair,Ihad wooed not! To shun her methinks were best.When Gawain erst the bough had broken and its leaves in his helm did wave,325Uprode a knight towards him, and his bearing was free and brave.Nor too few were his years nor too many; and in this he his pride had shown,What evil so e'er befell him he fought not withonealone,Twoor more must they be, his foemen! So high beat his gallant heart,That whate'eronemight do to harm him unscathed might he thence depart.330To Gawain this son of King Irôt a fair 'good-morrow' gave,'Twas King Gramoflanz—'To the garland that doth there in thine helmet waveI yield not my claim!' thus quoth he, 'Sir Knight, were yetwoI trow,Who here for high honour seeking had reft from my tree a bough,I had greeted ye not, but had fought ye, but since thou alone shalt be,335Thou canst ride hence, for strife unequal I deem it a shame to me!'And Gawain, too, was loth to fight him, for no armour the king did wear,And naught but a yearling falcon he did on his white hand bear.(And the sister of Gawain gave it, Itonjé the maid was hight.)His headgear in Sinzester fashioned was of peacock's plumage bright,340And green as grass was the mantle of velvet that wrapped him round,And with ermine lined, and on each side it swept even unto the ground.None too tall yet strong was the charger on which the king did ride,From Denmark by land they brought it, or it came o'er the waters wide.And the monarch he rode unarmèd, nor even a sword would bear.345Quoth King Gramoflanz, 'Thou hast foughten, if thy shield may the truth declare,For but little unharmed remaineth, and it seemeth sure to meThat the "Lit Merveil" was thy portion, and this venture hath fallen to thee!''Now hast thou withstood the peril that myself I were fain to dare,Had not Klingsor been ever friendly, and warfare with her my share350Who in Love's strife is ever victor, since her beauty doth win the day;And she beareth fierce wrath against me, and in sooth hath she cause alway!Eidegast have I slain, her husband, and with him I slew heroes four;Orgelusé herself, as my captive, I thence to my kingdom bore,And my crown and my land would I give her, yet what service my hand might yield,355Of all would she naught, but with hatred her heart 'gainst my pleading steeled.And a whole year long I held her, and a whole year long I prayed,Yet never she hearkened to me, and ever my love gainsaid.And thus from my heart I bemoan me, since I know that her love to theeShe hath promised, since here I meet thee, and death wouldst thou bring to me.360If withherthou hadst hither ridden, perchance had I here been slain,Or perchance ye had died together—such guerdon thy love might gain!''And my heart other service seeketh, and mine aid lieth in thine hand,Since here thou hast been the victor thou art lord o'er this wonder-land;And if thou wilt show me kindness help me now a fair maid to win365For whose sake my heart knoweth sorrow, to King Lot is she near of kin,And no maiden of all earth's maidens hath wrought me such grief and pain!Her token I bear—I prithee, if thou seest that maid againSwear thou to her faithful service—I think me she means me fair,And for her sake I fight, for her favour I many a peril dare;370For since with true words Orgelusé her love hath denied to me,Wherever for fame I battled, whate'er might my portion be,Of joy or of grief,shehath caused it, Itonjé, for whom I fight,Yet alas! I have ne'er beheld her! Now do me this grace, Sir Knight,If aid thou art fain to give me, then take thou this golden ring,375And unto my lovely lady, I prithee, the token bring.Thou art free from strife, I fight not till thou bring with thee two or more.What honour were mine if I slew thee? I ever such strife forbore!''Yet in sooth I can well defend me, as a man should,' quoth knight Gawain,'Thou thinkest small fame will it bring thee if I here at thine hand be slain,380But what honour shallIhave won me by breaking this bough, I pray?For none will account it glory if I slay thee unarmed to-day!But yet will I do thy message—Give me here the finger-ring,And thy sorrow of heart, and thy service, I will to thy lady bring.'Then the king he thanked him freely—But Gawain he quoth in this wise,385'Now tell me, Sir Knight, who may he be who doth conflict with me despise?''An thou count it me not for dishonour,' quoth the king, 'here my name be told,King Irôt he was my father, who was slain by King Lot of old.And King Gramoflanz do men call me, and my heart doth such valour knowThat never, for evil done me, will I fight with but one for foe,390Saving one man alone, hight Gawain, ofhimhave I heard such fameThat to fight with him I am ready, and vengeance from him I claim.For his father he dealt with treason, in fair greeting my father slew,Good cause have I here for mine anger and the words that I speak are true.Now dead is King Lot, and Gawain, his fame o'er all knights stands high395Of the Table Round, and I yearn still till the day of our strife draw nigh.'Then out quoth King Lot's son dauntless, 'Wouldst pleasure thy lady still,If indeed she shall be thy lady, and dost speak of her father ill?And reckonest to him false treason, and her brother art fain to slay!Then indeed must she be false maiden if she mourn not thy deeds alway!400If true daughter she were, and sister, for the twain would she surely speak,And forbid thee, methinks, thine hatred on kinsmen so near to wreak.If so be that thy true love's father hath broken his troth, yet thouShouldst, as kinsman, avenge the evil that men spake of the dead, I trow!Hissonwill not fear to do so, and little methinks he'll care405If small aid in his need he findeth from the love of his sister fair.He, himself, will be pledge for his father, and his sin be uponmyhead,For Sir King, I who speak am Gawain, and thou warrest not with the dead!But I, from such shame to free him, what honour be mine or fame,In strife will I give to the scourging ere thou slander my father's name!'410Quoth the king, 'Art thou he whom I hated with a hatred as yet unstilled?For alike with both joy and sorrow thy valour my soul hath filled.Andonething in thee doth please me, that at last I may fight with thee,And I rede thee to wit that great honour in this hast thou won from me,Since I vowed but to fight with thee only—And our fame shall wax great alway,415If many a lovely lady we bring to behold the fray.For I can bring fifteen hundred, and thou art of a fair host kingAt Château Merveil; and on thy side thine uncle can others bringFrom the land that he rules, King Arthur, and Löver its name shall be,And the city is Bems by the Korka, as well shall be known to thee.420There lieth he now with his vassals, and hither can make his way,In eight days, with great joy; so I bid thee to meet me the sixteenth day,When I come, for my wrong's avenging, to Ioflanz upon the plain,And the pay for this garland's plucking I there from thine hand shall gain!'Then King Gramoflanz prayed of Gawain to ride unto Rosche Sabbin,425'For nearer methinks than the city no way o'er the flood thou'lt win!'But out quoth the gallant Gawain, 'I will back e'en as erst I came,But in all else thy will I'll follow.' Then they sware them by their fair fameThat with many a knight and lady at Ioflanz they'ld meet for strifeOn the chosen day, and alone there would battle for death or life.430And on this wise Gawain he parted for awhile from the noble knight,And joyful he turned his bridle, and the bough decked his helm so bright.And he checked not his steed, but spurred it to the edge of the gulf once more,Nor Gringuljet missed his footing, but he sprang well the chasm o'er,And he fell not again, the hero—Then the lady she turned her rein435As he sprang to the ground, and tightened the girths of his steed again,And swiftly to give him welcome, I ween, she to earth did spring,And low at his feet she cast her, and she spake, 'I such need did bringUpon thee, Sir Knight, as I wot well was more than thy worth might ask,And yet have I felt such sorrow, for the sorrow of this thy task,440And the service that thou hast done me, as I deem she alone doth knowWho loveth in truth, and, faithful, doth weep o'er her lover's woe!'Then he quoth, 'Is this truth, and thy greeting be not falsehood in friendly guise,Thenthyselfdost thou honour, Lady! For in this shall I be so wiseThat I know a knight's shield claimeth honour, and thou didst against knighthood sin,445For so high doth it stand that from no man methinks doth he mocking win,Who as true knight hath ever borne him—This, Lady, I needs must say,Whoever had looked upon me had known me for knight alway,Yet knighthood thou wouldst deny me when first thou my face didst see,But henceforth that may rest—Take this garland I won at thy will for thee,450But I bid thee henceforth beware thee that never thy beauty brightShall again in such wise mislead thee to dishonour a gallant knight,For I wot, ere such scorn and mocking again at thine hand I bore,Thy love thou shouldst give to another, I would ask for it nevermore!'Then she spake as she wept full sorely, that lady so sweet and fair,455'Sir Knight, did I tell unto thee the woe that my heart doth bear,Thou wouldst own that full sore my sorrow—If I shall discourteous be,Then he whom I wrong may forgive me of true heart with forgiveness free.For of such joy no man can rob me as the joy that I lost awhileIn that knight of all knights the bravest, Eidegast, who knew naught of guile!460So brave and so fair my true love, his fame was as sunlight's ray,And for honour he strove so truly that all others, in this his day,Both here and afar, born of woman, they owned that his praise stood highO'er that of all men, and no glory might e'er with his glory vie.A fountain, for aye upspringing, of virtue, his gallant youth,465And falsehood ne'er shamed his honour nor darkened the light of truth.Into light came he forth from the darkness, and his honour aloft he bore,That none who spake word of treason might reach to it evermore.From the root in a true heart planted it waxed and it spread amain,Till he rose o'er all men as Saturn doth high o'er the planets reign.470And true as the one-horned marvel, since the truth I am fain to tell,The knight of my love and desiring,—for whose fate maids may weep full well,Thro' its virtue I ween it dieth—And I, I was as his heart,And my body was he! Ah! woe is me, that I must from such true love part!And King Gramoflanz,heslew him, the knight thou but now didst see,475And the bough thou hast brought unto me from the tree of his ward shall be.''Sir Knight, did I ill-entreat thee, I did it for this alone,I would prove if thine heart were steadfast, and my love might to thee atone.I know well my words did wound thee, yet they were but to prove thee meant,And I pray thee, of this thy goodness, be thine anger with pity blent,480And forgive me the ill I did thee. I have found thee both brave and true,As gold that is tried in the furnace shineth forth from the flame anew,So, methinks, doth it shine, thy courage. He, for whose harm I brought thee here,As I thought me afore, and I think still, his valour hath cost me dear.'Quoth Gawain, 'If awhile death spare me, such lesson I'll read the king485As shall put to his pride an ending, and his life in sore peril bring.My faith as a knight have I pledged him, hereafter, a little space,To meet him in knightly combat, nor our manhood shall we disgrace.And here I forgive thee, Lady, and if thou wilt not disdainMy counsel so rough, I'll tell thee wherewith thou mayst honour gain,490What shall 'seem thee well as a woman, nor in aught shall unfitting be,Here we twain are alone, I pray thee show favour and grace to me!'But she quoth, 'In an arm thus mail-clad but seldom I warmly lay;Yet would I not strive against thee, thou shalt on a fitting dayWin rewarding for this thy service—Thy sorrow will I bemoan,495Till thou of thy wounds art healèd and all thought of thine ill be flown;To Château Merveil I'll ride with thee.' 'Now waxeth my joy indeed!'Quoth the hero, of love desirous, and he lifted her on her steed,And close clung his arm around her: 'twas more than she deemed him worthWhen first by the spring she saw him, and mocked him with bitter mirth.500Then joyful Gawain he rode hence; yet the lady she wept alway,And he mourned with her woe, and he prayed her the cause of her grief to say,And in God's Name to cease from weeping! Then she quoth, 'I must mourn, Sir Knight,Because of the hand that slew him, the knight of my love, in fight;For that deed to my heart brought sorrow, tho' I naught but delight had known505When Eidegast's love rejoiced me; yet was I not so o'erthrownBut since then I might seek his mischief, whatever the cost might be,And many fierce jousts have been ridden that were aimed at his life by me.And here, methinks, canst thou aid me, and avenge me on him, my foe,And repay me for this sore sorrow that my heart doth for ever know.'510'For the winning his death I took gladly the service he proffered me,A king, who of earthly wishes the master and lord should be,Sir Knight, he was named Anfortas—As his love-pledge to me he sentThat which standeth without thy portals, from Tabronit it came, that tent,And great I ween is its value—But alas! for that gallant king,515Such reward did he win in my service as all joy to an end must bringWhere fain I my love had given, there must I fresh sorrow know,For bitter indeed was his guerdon!—As great, or e'en greater, woeThan the death of Eidegast brought me, was my lot thro' Anfortas' fate.Now say, how shall I, of all women most wretched, in this estate,520If myheartyet be true, be other than of senses and mind distraught,Yea, at times have I been beside me when I on Anfortas thought;After Eidegast did I choose him, my avenger and love to be—Now hearken and hear how Klingsor won that booth thou erewhile didst see:When it fell so the brave Anfortas, who this token had sent to me,525Was of love and of joy forsaken, then I feared lest I shamed should be;For Klingsor, such power he wieldeth by the force of his magic spell,That maiden or man to his purpose can he force as shall please him well.All gallant folk that he seeth, unharmed may they ne'er go free—Thus my riches to him I proffered, if so be he sware peace with me.530And he that should brave the venture, and he that should win the prize,TohimI my love should offer; but if so be that in his eyesMy love were a thing unworthy, the booth should be mine again.But now hast thou done my bidding, and it falleth unto us twain;And 'twas sworn in the ears of many, for thereby I hoped to lure535My foe (yet in this I failèd) for the strife he might ne'er endure.''Now courtly and wise is Klingsor; for his honour it pleased him wellThat many a deed of knighthood, at my will, in his land befell,By the hand of my valiant servants, with many a thrust and blow.All the week, every day as it passes, and the weeks into years do grow,540My troops in their changing order beset him by night and day,For at great cost my snares so cunning for Gramoflanz did I lay.And many have striven with him, yet must him as victor own;Yet I still for his life am thirsting, and at last shall he be o'erthrown.And some were too rich for my payment, and but for my love would serve,545Then I bid them forthatdo me service, but reward did they ne'er deserve.''And never a man beheld me but his service I swiftly won,Saveone, and he bare red armour; to my folk he much ill had done,For hither he rode from Logrois, and he there did my knights o'erthrowIn such wise that they fell before him, and it pleased me but ill I trow.550And, between Logrois and thy meadow, five knights they followed fair,And he cast them to earth, and their chargers the boatman from thence must bear.Then as he my knights had vanquished, I myself did the hero prayFor my love and my land to serve me, but naught would that red knight say,Save he had a wife who was fairer, and should aye to his heart be dear.555Then wroth was I at his answer, and the name of his wife would hear:"Wouldst thou know the name of my chosen?—She reigneth at Pelrapär,AndParzivalall men call me, and naught for thy love I care,Other sorrow the Grail doth give me!" Then in anger he rode away;Now, I prithee, here give me counsel, if evil I did that day,560When I, by heart-sorrow driven, proffered love to that gallant knight?Should I count my fair fame dishonoured?' Quoth Gawain to that lady bright,'A gallant knight is he, truly, who thus thy desire hath crossed,Had he to thy bidding hearkened no fame thou thro' him hadst lost!'Then Gawain, the courteous hero, and the lady his rein beside,565Gazed lovingly on each other—and so far on their way did ride,That they drew anear to the castle, where the venture erewhile befell,And they who looked forth might see them—-'Now, Lady, 'twould please me wellIf thou do this thing that I ask thee, from all men my name withhold,Which the knight who once stole my charger aloud in thine hearing told.570But do this that I say, if any shall pray thee to tell my name,Say, "I know not the name of my true knight, none spake it when here he came."'Then she quoth, 'I will keep it secret, since thou wouldst not 'twere spoken here.'And the knight and the lovely lady they rode to the Burg anear.Now the knights they had heard of the coming of one who, with valiant hand,575Faced the venture, and slew the lion, and the Turkowit dared withstand,Yea, and had in fair joust o'erthrown him; and now on the flowery plain,The meadow of strife, rode the hero, and they looked on the knight Gawain,From the battlements could they see him; and the forces together draw;And with ringing blast of trumpet they pass thro' the castle door,580And rich banners on high were tossing, and their steeds o'er the plain they flew,And he deemed that they came for battle, so swift they towards him drew.As Gawain from afar might see them to the lady he spake again,'Do they come here with thought of battle?' But she quoth, 'They are Klingsor's men,From afar have they seen thy coming, and they ride their new lord to greet,585With joy would they bid thee welcome! Refuse not this honour meet,Since 'tis gladness that doth constrain them.' There, too, in a vessel fairPlippalinòt came to meet them, and his daughter with him did bear;And swift o'er the flowery meadow the maiden towards them stept,And joyful she hailed the hero for whom she aforetime wept.590Then Gawain gave her courteous greeting, and stirrup and foot she kissed,And she turned her to Orgelusé, nor the lady her welcome missed.And she prayed him to 'light from his charger the while that she held the rein,And then to the ship she led them, the lady and knight Gawain;And there, in the place of honour, a carpet and cushions lay,595And the Duchess by Gawain sat her, as the maiden the twain did pray.And her office the maid forgat not, she disarmèd the hero there,And in sooth it is said that the mantle she did for his robing bearWhich had served him that night for cover, when he did 'neath her rooftree lie,And now was the hour for its wearing and it wrapped him right royally.600So clad was Gawain in her mantle, and his own robe beneath he wore,And the harness he laid from off him on one side the maiden bore.And now as they sat together for the first time the lady fairMight look on his face and know him—Then unto the twain they bareTwo game-birds that well were roasted, and with them a flask of wine,605And two cakes did the maiden bring them on a cloth that was white and fine—The birds were the prey of the falcon—but Gawain and his lady brightMust seek water themselves, if to wash them ere they ate here should seem them right,And this did the twain; and joyful was the knight that he now might eatWith her, for whose sake he would suffer joy, or sorrow, as seemed her meet.610And oft as the cup she gave him that her sweet lips had touched, anewSprang his joy that he thus drank with her, and his sorrow behind him drew,And it halted nor might o'ertake him, and his gladness on swift foot sped,So fair was her mouth and so rosy her lips that from grief he fled.And no longer his wounds they pained him—Then the ladies from out the tower615They looked on the feast, and below them there rode in the self-same hour,On the further side of the river, brave knights who would show their skill.And the boatman alike and his daughter Gawain thanked with right goodwill,Ere yet he might ferry them over, and the lady spake with him there,For the food and the drink they had brought them—Then out quoth the lady fair,620'Now what hath that knight befallen, who yestreen, ere I rode away,Was o'erthrown in a joust by another? Was he slain, or doth live alway?'Quoth the boatman, 'He liveth, Lady, and he spake but this day with me,He was given to me for his charger: if thy will be to set him free,In his stead will I have the "swallow" that Queen Sekundillé sent625To Anfortas, be thine the hero, with the harp were I well content!''Both the harp and the other riches that the booth may within it hold,'Quoth the lady, 'are his who sits here, he may give them, or aye withhold,Let him do as he will! If he love me, Lischois he methinks will loose,Nor freedom unto the other, my prince, will he here refuse.630Florand of Itolac is he, of my night-watch was he the chief,And as he as Turkowit served me, so his sorrow shall be my grief!'Quoth Gawain to his lovely lady, 'Ere it weareth to eventideThou shalt look on the twain in freedom!' Then they came to the further side,And the Duchess, so fair to look on, he lifted upon her steed,635And many a noble horseman were waiting them on the mead,And greeting fair they gave them; and they turned to the Burg again,And joyful they rode around them and skilful they drew the rein,And the Buhurd was fair to look on—What more shall I tell ye here?Gawain, and his lovely lady, at the castle they found good cheer,640In such wise did the ladies greet them at Château Merveil that day,And good fortune had here befallen that such bliss should be his alway.Then Arnivé she straightway led him to a chamber, and they who knewOf such lore his hurts they tended, and they bound up his wounds anew.Quoth Gawain unto Arnivé, 'Give me, Lady, a messenger!'645Then straightway she sent a maiden, and the maid brought again with herA footman, both true and manly, as behovèd him well to be.And an oath did he swear unto Gawain, to serve him right faithfully,And, were it for joy or for sorrow, his errand to secret holdFrom all men, both there and elsewhere, till he came where it might be told.650Then they brought to him ink and parchment, and Gawain, King Lot's fair son,Wrote clear with his hand the message, and thus did the writing run—To them who abode in Löver's fair country, King Arthur braveAnd his queen, with a faith unstainèd, true service and good he gave;And he said, had he fame deservèd, and they would not his praise were slain,655They should come to his aid in his trouble, and show to him truth again,And with following of knights and ladies to Ioflanz their way should wend,Where he came himself, and his honour would in mortal strife defend.And further, this thing he told them, the foemen on either sideHad pledged themselves in all honour and pomp to the field to ride;660And therefore he, Gawain, prayed them, both lady alike and knight,If they bare goodwill towards him, with their king to behold the fight.For so should it be to their honour. He commended him to them allWho were of his service worthy, for the strife that should there befall!—No seal did he put to the letter, yet token enough it bare665Of him who should be the writer. Quoth Gawain to the footman there,'No longer shalt thou delay thee, the king and the queen abideIn the city of Bems by the Korka; seek the queen in the morning-tideAnd the thing she shall bid thee, do thou. But this shalt thou secret hold,That I in this land am master shall unto no ear be told.670Nor of this thing be thou forgetful, that thou shalt my servant be,And do thou, without delaying, the errand I give to thee!'Then the footman from thence he gat him, and Arnivé she softly went,And she asked of him what was his errand? and whither his road was bent?And he quoth, 'Nay, I may not tell thee, for an oath have I sworn to-day,675God keep thee, for I must ride hence!' To the army he took his way.
Now he who his rest had broken, if rest he perchance might win,Methinks they who hear the story had counted it him for sin.For, e'en as the venture telleth, sore toil had the hero known,And in sooth did he face such peril that his fame thro' all lands hath flown.Lancelot on the sword-bridge battled, and Meljakanz must sue for grace,5Yet as naught was I ween his danger to the woe that Gawain must face.And that which is told of Garel, the valiant and knightly king,Who o'erthrew the lion 'fore the palace and made Nantes with his daring ring—And he sought the knife too, Garel, but he paid for his deed full dearIn the pillar of marble—greater was the venture ye read of here!10For the darts that were shot against Gawain, as his manly courage bade,For a mule were too great a burden if they all on its back were laid!The Perilous Ford hath its dangers; and Erec must sorrow know,When for Schoie-de-la-kurt he battled, and Mabonagrein would fain lay low,Yet ne'er had he faced such peril as fell here to knight Gawain.15Nor Iwein, the gallant hero, who water would pour amain,Nor feared of the stone the venture—Were these perils all knit in one,He who knoweth to measure danger saith Gawain greater deeds had done!
What peril is this I tell of? If ye will, I the woe will name,Or too early perchance the telling? Swift-foot Orgelusé came,20And straight to the heart of the hero hath she taken her silent way,That heart that hath ne'er known trembling, that courage hath ruled alway.And how came it so stately lady might hide in so small a space?For narrow I ween was the pathway that led to her resting-place.And all sorrow he knew aforetime was as nought to this bitter woe,25And a low wall it was that hid her when his heart did her presence knowIn whose service he never faltered, but was watchful as he was true.Nor find ye here food for laughter, that one who ne'er terror knew,A hero so brave in battle, should yield to a woman's hand.Alas! woe is me for the marvel that no man may understand!30And Frau Minne she waxeth wrathful 'gainst him who the prize hath won,Yet dauntless and brave hath she found him, and shall find him, till life be done.Who harm on a wounded foeman shall work doth his honour stain,Yet in strength 'gainst his will did Love bind him, and it turnèd to him for gain.
Frau Minne, wouldst have men praise thee? Then this will I say to thee,35This strife shall be not to thine honour, since sore wounded Gawain shall be.And ever throughout his life-days has he lived as thou didst command,And he followed in this his father, and the men of his mother's land.For they yielded thee loyal service since the days Mazadan was king,Who Terre-de-la-Schoie from Fay-Morgan in thy service did gallant bring.40And this do men tell of his children, no man from his fealty fell.And Ither of Gaheviess bare it, thy badge, and he served thee well;And never in woman's presence did one speak of the hero's nameBut their hearts yearned in love towards him, and they spake it, nor thought it shame,How then when they looked upon him? Then the tale first was told aright!45Frau Minne, a faithful servant didst thou lose in that gallant knight!
Slay Gawain if thou wilt, as his cousin Ilinot by thine hand was slain,Since thy power with the bitter torment of desire did the knight constrain,Till he strove for the love of his lady all the days of his fair young life,Florie of Kanedig was she, and he served her in many a strife.50And he fled from the land of his fathers in the days of his youth's unrest,And was reared by this queen, and Britain ne'er saw him but as a guest.And the burden of Love weighed on him, and from Florie's land he fled,Till the day that in true love's service, as I told ye, men found him dead.And often the kin of Gawain thro' love have known sorrow sore,55And of those by Frau Minne wounded could I name to ye many more.And why did the snow and the blood-drops move Parzival's faithful heart?'Twas hiswifewrought the spell, I think me! Yea, others have known thine art,Galoes and Gamuret hast thou vanquished, and in sooth hast thou laid them low,And the twain for their true love's guerdon must the death of a hero know.60And Itonjé, Gawain's fair sister, must love Gramoflanz the king,And grieve for her love; and sorrow, Frau Minne, thou once didst bringOn fair Surdamur and her lover: since thou sufferest not Gawain's kinTo seek them another service, so on him wouldst thou honour win!
Be mighty towards the mighty but here let Gawain go free,65His wounds they so sorely pain him, and the hale should thy foemen be!But many have sung of love's working who never so knew love's power,For myself, I would hold me silent—But true lovers shall mourn this hourWhat chanced unto him of Norway, for the venture he faced right well,And now, without help or warning, love's tempest upon him fell!70
Quoth the hero, 'Alas, for restless my resting-place shall be,One couch did so sorely wound me, and the other hath brought to meSore torment of love and longing! Orgelusé must favour showUnto me her true knight and servant, or small joy shall my life-days know!'As unresting he turned, and he stretched him, the bands from his wounds were torn,75So restless he lay and wakeful awaited the coming morn.And at last the day shone on him, and many a battlefieldAnd sword-strife more rest had brought him than the rest which his couch might yield.
Would one liken his woe unto Gawain's, and be e'en such a lover true,Of his love-wounds let him be healèd, and then smitten by darts anew,80And methinks he shall find that the sorrow and torment shall vex him moreThan all the sum of the sorrow he hath borne for love's sake before!
Nor love's torments alone vexed Gawain—Ever clearer it grew, the light,Till dark seemed the lofty tapers that erstwhile had shone so bright.Then up sprang from his couch the hero, and as blood, and as iron, red85With wounds, and with rust, was his linen, yet beside him he saw outspreadHosen and shirt of woollen, and the change pleased our hero well,And robes lined with fur of the marten, and a garment that o'er them fell,(In Arras its stuff was woven, and from Arras 'twas hither sent,)And boots had they lain beside it, none too narrow for his content.90
In these garments anew he clothed him, and forth from the chamber wentGawain, and hither and thither his steps thro' the palace bent,Till he found the hall of his venture, no riches he e'er had knownTo liken unto the glories within this fair castle shown.And there at one side of the palace a narrow dome he found,95And it rose high above the building, and a staircase within it wound,And above stood a shining pillar; nor of wood was it shapen fair,But so large and so strong that the coffin of Kamilla it well might bear.And Klingsor, the wise, he brought it from the kingdom of Feirefis,And his cunning and skill had fashioned both the hall and the stair I wis!100
No tent might so round be fashioned; did the Master Geometras willTo raise such a work he had failèd, for unknown to his hand the skill.'Twas magic alone that wrought it—The venture it bids us knowOf diamond, amethyst, topaz, carbuncle with red-fire glow,Of chrysolite, emerald, ruby, and sardius, the windows tall,105That each one like to the other encircled this wondrous hall.And rich as the window columns, and carven, the roof o'erhead,And herein was a greater marvel than all marvels ye yet have read;
For, the vault below, no pillar was like to that column fairThat stood in the midst of the circle, and wondrous the power it bare,110For so the venture telleth—Gawain fain would gaze around,And alone did he climb the watch-tower, and precious the jewels he found.And he saw there a greater wonder, and the sight never vexed his eye,For he thought him upon the column all the lands of the earth did lie.And he saw the countries circle, and the mighty mountains' crest115Meet, e'en as two hosts in battle, as one vision the other pressed.And folk did he see in the pillar, and on horse or afoot they went,They ran, and they stood: in a window he sat him on seeing bent.
Came the agèd Queen Arnivé, with Sangivé her child, and thereWere two maidens, the gentle daughters that Sangivé erewhile did bear.120And the four queens they came unto Gawain, and he saw them and sprang upright;And thus quoth the Queen Arnivé, 'Methinks thou shouldst sleep, Sir Knight,For though rest may no longer please thee, thou art wounded too sore, I trow,That thou further toil and labour shouldst yet for a season know!'Quoth the knight, 'Lady mine and my mistress, since thy wisdom hath brought to me125My wit, and my strength, all my lifetime thy servant I fain would be!'
Quoth the queen, 'If I so may read them, the words thou didst speak but now,And thou ownest me as thy mistress, then Sir Knight, to my bidding bow,And kiss at my will these ladies, as thou mayest, without thought of shame,Since nor mother nor maid before thee but a kingly birth may claim!'130Then glad was Gawain at her bidding, and he kissed those ladies three,And Sangivé was first, then Itonjé, and the third was the fair Kondrie.And the five sat them down together, and Gawain saw those maidens twain,Their face and their form so gracious, and he looked, and he looked again;Yet one woman so worked upon him, for yet in his heart she lay,135That their beauty by Orgelusé's he deemed but a cloudy day.For he held with the Lady of Logrois none other might well compare,And his heart and his thoughts were captive to this lady so sweet and fair.
Now 'twas done, and Gawain had been greeted with a kiss by those ladies three,And so fair were they all that I wot well their beauty would fatal be140To a heart that was yet unwounded—Then he spake to the elder queen,And he prayed her to tell of the pillar, and the marvels he there had seen.
Quoth Arnivé, 'By day and by night-time that pillar, I ween, doth throwIts light for six miles around it, so long as its power I know.And all that within that circuit doth chance on its face we see,145In water, or on the meadow, and true shall the vision be.The bird and the beast we see here, the guest and the woodman true,He who to this land is a stranger, or its ways of aforetime knew.Yea, all may we find within it, and it shineth for six miles round;And so fast and so firm it standeth none moveth it from the ground,150And no hammer shall ever harm it, and no smith hath, I ween, the skill.'Twas stolen from Queen Sekundillé, I think me, against her will!'
Now Gawain he saw at this moment on the column a goodly pair,A knight with a lady riding, and he thought him the maid was fair,And clearly and well he saw them—and armed were both steed and knight,155And his helmet was plumed and jewelled, and it gleamed in the morning light.And they rode at a hasty gallop thro' the defile out on the plain:Tho' I wot well he little knew it, yet they rode but to seek Gawain!
And they came by the self-same pathway that Lischois he rode afore,The proud knight whom Gawain had vanquished, and in joust from his charger bore.160And the lady she held the bridle of the knight who to joust would ride,And the sight to Gawain brought sorrow, and swiftly he turned aside,And behold! 'twas no lying vision, for without on the grassy plainBy the river rode Orgelusé, and a knight at her side drew rein.E'en as hellebore within the nostril pierceth sharp, and a man doth sneeze,165Thro' his eye to his heart came the Duchess, and she robbed him of joy and ease!
Alas! I wot well 'gainst Frau Minne all helpless shall be Gawain—Then he looked on the knight who rode there, and he spake to the queen again,'Lady, a knight I see there, who rideth with well-aimed spear,Nor will cease from the goal he seeketh—Well! I ween he may find it here,170Since he craveth some deed of knighthood I am ready with him to fight,But say, who shall be the maiden?' she quoth, ''Tis the lady brightWho is Duchess and queen of Logrois,—Now 'gainst whom doth she bear ill-will?For the Turkowit rideth with her, and unconquered shall he be still.With his spear such fame hath he won him, as were riches for kingdoms three,175And against a hand so valiant 'twere best not to venture thee;For strife is it all too early, and thou shalt be hurt too sore,And e'en wert thou whole I should rede thee to strive with him nevermore!'Quoth Gawain, 'If indeed I be lord here then he who so near shall seekDeeds of knighthood, shall shame mine honour if vengeance I fail to wreak.180Since he lusteth for strife, O Lady, thou shalt give me mine armour here!'Then the ladies, the four, bewailed them with many a bitter tear:And they quoth, 'Wilt thou deck thy glory? wilt thou greater honour know?Strive not now, shouldst thou fall before him then greater shall wax our woe.But e'en if thou be the victor, if thou girdest thine harness on185Thou must die who so sore art wounded, and with thee are we all undone!'
Gawain, he was sorely anguished, and the cause have ye heard aright,For he counted himself dishonoured by the coming of such a knightAnd his wounds, they must sorely pain him, yet love's torment it vexed him more,And the grief of these four fair ladies, and the love they towards him bore.190Then he bade them to cease from weeping, and harness and sword he craved,And his charger; and those fair women they led forth the hero brave.And he bade them go forth before him, and adown the steps they windTo the hall where the other maidens so sweet and so fair they find.
Then Gawain for his perilous journey was armed 'neath the light of eyes195Tear-dimmed, and they secret held it, and none knew save the merchant wise.And they bade him the steed make ready, and the hero he slowly steptTo the place where his charger waited—nor light on its back he leapt,But scarcely his shield might he carry, for in sooth was he wounded sore.And thro' centre and rim was it piercèd, and traces of battle bore!200
Then again he bestrode his charger, and he turned from the Burg away,And he rode to his host so faithful; and never he said him Nay,But all that he asked he gave him, a spear both strong and new,(Many such had, I ween, been his tribute from that plain where they jousted true,)Then Gawain bade him ship him over, in a ferry they sought the shore,205And the Turkowit, who high courage and the thought of sure victory bore;For so well against shame was he armèd that ill-deeds from before him fled,And his fame was so high accounted, that they made of the sward their bedWho would ride a joust against him—From their charger they needs must fall,And of those who had faced his valour, his spear had o'erthrown them all.210And this was the rule of the hero, that by spear-thrust, and no sword-blade,Would he win to him fame in battle, or his honour be prostrate laid.And to him who should face his onslaught, and o'erthrow him, the self-same dayWould he yield, nor defend him further, but would give him his pledge straightway.
And thus heard Gawain the story from him who the pledge did hold,215For his pledge Plippalinòt took there, when the tale of the joust was told.Did one fall while the other sat still, with goodwill of the heroes twainDid he take that which one must forfeit, and the other methinks should gain,Of the charger I speak, hence he led it, for he deemed they enough had fought.Who was victor, and who the vanquished, from the Burg were the tidings brought,220For the women, they looked on the jousting, and many a conflict saw.Then he bade Gawain seat him firmly, and the charger he led to shore,And his shield and his spear he gave him—and the Turkowit swiftly cameAs one who his joust can measure, nor too high nor too low his aim.And Gawain turned his horse against him—of Monsalväsch, Gringuljet,225And it answered unto the bridle, and his spear 'gainst the foe he set.
Now forward!—the joust be ridden—Here rideth King Lot's fair son,Undaunted his heart—Now know ye where the helm hath its fastening won?For there did his foeman strike him; but Gawain sought another aim,And swift thro' the helmet's visor with sure hand the spear-point came,230And plain to the sight of all men was the fate of the joust that day,On his spear short and strong the helmet from his head Gawain bare away,And onward it rode, the helmet! But the knight on the grass lay low,Who was blossom and flower of all manhood till he met with such mighty foe.But now he in joust was vanquished, and the jewels from his helm were seen235To vie with the dew on the herbage and the flowers on the meadow green.And Gawain, he rode back unto him, and his pledge did he take that day,And the boatman he claimed the charger, who was there should say him Nay?
Thou art joyful, and yet hast small reason,' spake the lady of Gawain's love,(As of old were her words of mocking,) 'Since wherever thy shield doth move240The lion's paw doth follow—And thou thinkest fresh fame to gainSince the ladies have looked on thy jousting—-Well thou mayst in thy bliss remain,Since the Lit Merveil hath dealt gently and but little harm hath wrought!And yet is thy shield all splintered as if thou hadst bravely fought—Thou art doubtless too sorely wounded to yearn for a further fray?245And such ill to the 'Goose' be reckoned, that I called thee but yesterday.So eager wert thou to vaunt thee, as a sieve hast thou piercèd thro'Thy shield, one would deem it riddled with the darts that toward thee flew.Butto-daymayst thou well shun danger—If thy finger shall wounded beRide hence to the maids of the castle, for well will they care for thee!250Far other strife werehisportion, to whom I a task would give,Did thine heart yet yearn for my favour, and thou wouldst in my service live!'
Quoth Gawain to the Duchess, 'Lady, tho' deep were my wounds I trowThey ere this have found help and healing—If such help I from thee might knowThat thou, gracious, wouldst own my service, no peril would be so great,255But I, for thy love and rewarding, the issue would gladly wait!'Quoth she, 'Then shalt thou ride with me new honour perchance to gain!'Then rich in all joy and contentment was that valiant knight Gawain—And the Turkowit went with the boatman, and he bade him the tidings bearTo the Burg, and there pray the maidens to have of the knight good care.260
And his spear it was yet unsplintered, tho' both horses they spurred amainTo joust, his right hand yet held it, and he bare it from off the plain.And many a maiden saw him, and wept as he rode away.Quoth Arnivé, 'Our joy and comfort hath chosen to him to-dayA joy for the eyes and a sorrow for the heart, yea, both flower and thorn,265Alas! that he rides with the Duchess, since he leaveth us here forlorn.To the Perilous Ford he rideth, and his wounds sure shall work him ill!'(Maids four hundred must weep for his going, yet new tasks would he fain fulfil.)
But yet tho' his wounds they pained him, his sorrow had taken flightWhen he looked upon Orgelusé, so fair was her mien and bright.270Then she quoth, 'Thou shalt win me a garland of fresh leaves from off a tree,And I for the gift will praise thee—If thou doest this deed for meThou shalt find in my love rewarding!' Then he quoth, 'Wheresoe'er it stand,The tree that shall bring such blessing as reward unto this mine hand,If I not in vain bemoan me, but win hearing for this my grief,275Then thy garland, tho' death it bring me, shall lack not a single leaf!'
And tho' many a blossom bloomed there yet their colour it was as naughtTo the colour of Orgelusé, and Gawain on her beauty thoughtTill it seemed him his grief of aforetime and his anguish had fled away—And thus with her guest did she journey a space from the Burg that day,280And the road it was straight and easy, and it led thro' a forest fair,And Tamris I ween and Prisein were the names that the trees did bear,And the lord of the wood was Klingsor—Then Gawain the hero spake,'Say, where shall that garland blossom which the spell of my grief shalt break?'
(In sooth he had best o'erthrown her, as oft shall have chanced I trow285To many a lovely lady.) Then she quoth, 'Thou shalt see the boughWhose plucking shall win thee honour!' O'er the field ran a deep ravine,And so near did they ride to the chasm that the tree from afar was seen.Then she quoth, 'Now, Sir Knight, one guardeth that tree who my joy hath slain,If thou bring me a bough from off it, no hero such prize shall gain290As from me shall be thy rewarding! And here must I hold my way,Nor further may I ride with thee; but make thou no more delay,God have thee in His safe keeping! Thine horse must thou straightway bringTo the gulf, and with sure hand urge it o'er the Perilous Ford to spring.'
So still on the plain she held her, and on rode the gallant knight,295And he hearkened the rush of water that had riven a path with mightThro' the plain—it was deep as a valley, and no man its waves might ford;Then Gawain spurred his steed towards it, and he sprung o'er the flood so broad,And yet but the charger's fore-feet might light on the further side,And they fell in the foaming torrent; and the lady in anguish cried,300For swift and wide was the water; yet Gawain he had strength enow,Tho' heavy the weight of his armour, for he saw where there grew a boughThat hung o'er the foaming torrent, and he grasped it, for life was dear,And he gained on the bank a footing, and he drew from the waves his spear.
Up and down the stream swam the charger, and Gawain to its aid would go,305Yet so swift was the rush of the water he followed with pain its flow,For heavy I ween his harness, and his wounds they were deep and sore:Then he stretched out his spear as a whirlpool bare the charger towards the shore—For the rain and the rush of the waters had broken a passage wide,And the bank at the place was shelving, and the steed swept towards the side—310And he caught with the spear its bridle, and drew it towards the landTill the hero at last might reach it and lay on the rein his hand.
And Gawain, the gallant hero, drew his horse out upon the plain,And the steed shook itself in safety, nor the torrent as prize might gainThe shield—Then he girt his charger, and the shield on his arm he took:315And if one weepeth not for his sorrow methinks I the lack may brook,Tho' in sooth was he in sore peril—For love he the venture dared,For the fair face of Orgelusé, his hand to the bough he bared.And I wot, 'twas a gallant journey, and the tree it was guarded well,He wasone, were hetwain, for that garland his life must the payment tell.320King Gramoflanz, he would guard it, yet Gawain he would pluck the bough.The water, men called it Sabbins, and the tribute was harsh enowThat Gawain would fetch when both charger and knight did the wild waves breast.Tho' the lady was fair,Ihad wooed not! To shun her methinks were best.
When Gawain erst the bough had broken and its leaves in his helm did wave,325Uprode a knight towards him, and his bearing was free and brave.Nor too few were his years nor too many; and in this he his pride had shown,What evil so e'er befell him he fought not withonealone,Twoor more must they be, his foemen! So high beat his gallant heart,That whate'eronemight do to harm him unscathed might he thence depart.330To Gawain this son of King Irôt a fair 'good-morrow' gave,'Twas King Gramoflanz—'To the garland that doth there in thine helmet waveI yield not my claim!' thus quoth he, 'Sir Knight, were yetwoI trow,Who here for high honour seeking had reft from my tree a bough,I had greeted ye not, but had fought ye, but since thou alone shalt be,335Thou canst ride hence, for strife unequal I deem it a shame to me!'
And Gawain, too, was loth to fight him, for no armour the king did wear,And naught but a yearling falcon he did on his white hand bear.(And the sister of Gawain gave it, Itonjé the maid was hight.)His headgear in Sinzester fashioned was of peacock's plumage bright,340And green as grass was the mantle of velvet that wrapped him round,And with ermine lined, and on each side it swept even unto the ground.
None too tall yet strong was the charger on which the king did ride,From Denmark by land they brought it, or it came o'er the waters wide.And the monarch he rode unarmèd, nor even a sword would bear.345Quoth King Gramoflanz, 'Thou hast foughten, if thy shield may the truth declare,For but little unharmed remaineth, and it seemeth sure to meThat the "Lit Merveil" was thy portion, and this venture hath fallen to thee!'
'Now hast thou withstood the peril that myself I were fain to dare,Had not Klingsor been ever friendly, and warfare with her my share350Who in Love's strife is ever victor, since her beauty doth win the day;And she beareth fierce wrath against me, and in sooth hath she cause alway!Eidegast have I slain, her husband, and with him I slew heroes four;Orgelusé herself, as my captive, I thence to my kingdom bore,And my crown and my land would I give her, yet what service my hand might yield,355
Of all would she naught, but with hatred her heart 'gainst my pleading steeled.And a whole year long I held her, and a whole year long I prayed,Yet never she hearkened to me, and ever my love gainsaid.And thus from my heart I bemoan me, since I know that her love to theeShe hath promised, since here I meet thee, and death wouldst thou bring to me.360If withherthou hadst hither ridden, perchance had I here been slain,Or perchance ye had died together—such guerdon thy love might gain!'
'And my heart other service seeketh, and mine aid lieth in thine hand,Since here thou hast been the victor thou art lord o'er this wonder-land;And if thou wilt show me kindness help me now a fair maid to win365For whose sake my heart knoweth sorrow, to King Lot is she near of kin,And no maiden of all earth's maidens hath wrought me such grief and pain!Her token I bear—I prithee, if thou seest that maid againSwear thou to her faithful service—I think me she means me fair,And for her sake I fight, for her favour I many a peril dare;370For since with true words Orgelusé her love hath denied to me,Wherever for fame I battled, whate'er might my portion be,Of joy or of grief,shehath caused it, Itonjé, for whom I fight,Yet alas! I have ne'er beheld her! Now do me this grace, Sir Knight,If aid thou art fain to give me, then take thou this golden ring,375And unto my lovely lady, I prithee, the token bring.Thou art free from strife, I fight not till thou bring with thee two or more.What honour were mine if I slew thee? I ever such strife forbore!'
'Yet in sooth I can well defend me, as a man should,' quoth knight Gawain,'Thou thinkest small fame will it bring thee if I here at thine hand be slain,380But what honour shallIhave won me by breaking this bough, I pray?For none will account it glory if I slay thee unarmed to-day!But yet will I do thy message—Give me here the finger-ring,And thy sorrow of heart, and thy service, I will to thy lady bring.'Then the king he thanked him freely—But Gawain he quoth in this wise,385'Now tell me, Sir Knight, who may he be who doth conflict with me despise?'
'An thou count it me not for dishonour,' quoth the king, 'here my name be told,King Irôt he was my father, who was slain by King Lot of old.And King Gramoflanz do men call me, and my heart doth such valour knowThat never, for evil done me, will I fight with but one for foe,390Saving one man alone, hight Gawain, ofhimhave I heard such fameThat to fight with him I am ready, and vengeance from him I claim.For his father he dealt with treason, in fair greeting my father slew,Good cause have I here for mine anger and the words that I speak are true.Now dead is King Lot, and Gawain, his fame o'er all knights stands high395Of the Table Round, and I yearn still till the day of our strife draw nigh.'
Then out quoth King Lot's son dauntless, 'Wouldst pleasure thy lady still,If indeed she shall be thy lady, and dost speak of her father ill?And reckonest to him false treason, and her brother art fain to slay!Then indeed must she be false maiden if she mourn not thy deeds alway!400If true daughter she were, and sister, for the twain would she surely speak,And forbid thee, methinks, thine hatred on kinsmen so near to wreak.If so be that thy true love's father hath broken his troth, yet thouShouldst, as kinsman, avenge the evil that men spake of the dead, I trow!Hissonwill not fear to do so, and little methinks he'll care405If small aid in his need he findeth from the love of his sister fair.He, himself, will be pledge for his father, and his sin be uponmyhead,For Sir King, I who speak am Gawain, and thou warrest not with the dead!But I, from such shame to free him, what honour be mine or fame,In strife will I give to the scourging ere thou slander my father's name!'410
Quoth the king, 'Art thou he whom I hated with a hatred as yet unstilled?For alike with both joy and sorrow thy valour my soul hath filled.Andonething in thee doth please me, that at last I may fight with thee,And I rede thee to wit that great honour in this hast thou won from me,Since I vowed but to fight with thee only—And our fame shall wax great alway,415If many a lovely lady we bring to behold the fray.For I can bring fifteen hundred, and thou art of a fair host kingAt Château Merveil; and on thy side thine uncle can others bringFrom the land that he rules, King Arthur, and Löver its name shall be,And the city is Bems by the Korka, as well shall be known to thee.420There lieth he now with his vassals, and hither can make his way,In eight days, with great joy; so I bid thee to meet me the sixteenth day,When I come, for my wrong's avenging, to Ioflanz upon the plain,And the pay for this garland's plucking I there from thine hand shall gain!'
Then King Gramoflanz prayed of Gawain to ride unto Rosche Sabbin,425'For nearer methinks than the city no way o'er the flood thou'lt win!'But out quoth the gallant Gawain, 'I will back e'en as erst I came,But in all else thy will I'll follow.' Then they sware them by their fair fameThat with many a knight and lady at Ioflanz they'ld meet for strifeOn the chosen day, and alone there would battle for death or life.430
And on this wise Gawain he parted for awhile from the noble knight,And joyful he turned his bridle, and the bough decked his helm so bright.And he checked not his steed, but spurred it to the edge of the gulf once more,Nor Gringuljet missed his footing, but he sprang well the chasm o'er,And he fell not again, the hero—Then the lady she turned her rein435As he sprang to the ground, and tightened the girths of his steed again,And swiftly to give him welcome, I ween, she to earth did spring,And low at his feet she cast her, and she spake, 'I such need did bringUpon thee, Sir Knight, as I wot well was more than thy worth might ask,And yet have I felt such sorrow, for the sorrow of this thy task,440And the service that thou hast done me, as I deem she alone doth knowWho loveth in truth, and, faithful, doth weep o'er her lover's woe!'
Then he quoth, 'Is this truth, and thy greeting be not falsehood in friendly guise,Thenthyselfdost thou honour, Lady! For in this shall I be so wiseThat I know a knight's shield claimeth honour, and thou didst against knighthood sin,445For so high doth it stand that from no man methinks doth he mocking win,Who as true knight hath ever borne him—This, Lady, I needs must say,Whoever had looked upon me had known me for knight alway,Yet knighthood thou wouldst deny me when first thou my face didst see,But henceforth that may rest—Take this garland I won at thy will for thee,450But I bid thee henceforth beware thee that never thy beauty brightShall again in such wise mislead thee to dishonour a gallant knight,For I wot, ere such scorn and mocking again at thine hand I bore,Thy love thou shouldst give to another, I would ask for it nevermore!'
Then she spake as she wept full sorely, that lady so sweet and fair,455'Sir Knight, did I tell unto thee the woe that my heart doth bear,Thou wouldst own that full sore my sorrow—If I shall discourteous be,Then he whom I wrong may forgive me of true heart with forgiveness free.For of such joy no man can rob me as the joy that I lost awhileIn that knight of all knights the bravest, Eidegast, who knew naught of guile!460So brave and so fair my true love, his fame was as sunlight's ray,And for honour he strove so truly that all others, in this his day,Both here and afar, born of woman, they owned that his praise stood highO'er that of all men, and no glory might e'er with his glory vie.A fountain, for aye upspringing, of virtue, his gallant youth,465And falsehood ne'er shamed his honour nor darkened the light of truth.Into light came he forth from the darkness, and his honour aloft he bore,That none who spake word of treason might reach to it evermore.From the root in a true heart planted it waxed and it spread amain,Till he rose o'er all men as Saturn doth high o'er the planets reign.470And true as the one-horned marvel, since the truth I am fain to tell,The knight of my love and desiring,—for whose fate maids may weep full well,Thro' its virtue I ween it dieth—And I, I was as his heart,And my body was he! Ah! woe is me, that I must from such true love part!And King Gramoflanz,heslew him, the knight thou but now didst see,475And the bough thou hast brought unto me from the tree of his ward shall be.'
'Sir Knight, did I ill-entreat thee, I did it for this alone,I would prove if thine heart were steadfast, and my love might to thee atone.I know well my words did wound thee, yet they were but to prove thee meant,And I pray thee, of this thy goodness, be thine anger with pity blent,480And forgive me the ill I did thee. I have found thee both brave and true,As gold that is tried in the furnace shineth forth from the flame anew,So, methinks, doth it shine, thy courage. He, for whose harm I brought thee here,As I thought me afore, and I think still, his valour hath cost me dear.'
Quoth Gawain, 'If awhile death spare me, such lesson I'll read the king485As shall put to his pride an ending, and his life in sore peril bring.My faith as a knight have I pledged him, hereafter, a little space,To meet him in knightly combat, nor our manhood shall we disgrace.And here I forgive thee, Lady, and if thou wilt not disdainMy counsel so rough, I'll tell thee wherewith thou mayst honour gain,490What shall 'seem thee well as a woman, nor in aught shall unfitting be,Here we twain are alone, I pray thee show favour and grace to me!'But she quoth, 'In an arm thus mail-clad but seldom I warmly lay;Yet would I not strive against thee, thou shalt on a fitting dayWin rewarding for this thy service—Thy sorrow will I bemoan,495Till thou of thy wounds art healèd and all thought of thine ill be flown;To Château Merveil I'll ride with thee.' 'Now waxeth my joy indeed!'Quoth the hero, of love desirous, and he lifted her on her steed,And close clung his arm around her: 'twas more than she deemed him worthWhen first by the spring she saw him, and mocked him with bitter mirth.500
Then joyful Gawain he rode hence; yet the lady she wept alway,And he mourned with her woe, and he prayed her the cause of her grief to say,And in God's Name to cease from weeping! Then she quoth, 'I must mourn, Sir Knight,Because of the hand that slew him, the knight of my love, in fight;For that deed to my heart brought sorrow, tho' I naught but delight had known505When Eidegast's love rejoiced me; yet was I not so o'erthrownBut since then I might seek his mischief, whatever the cost might be,And many fierce jousts have been ridden that were aimed at his life by me.And here, methinks, canst thou aid me, and avenge me on him, my foe,And repay me for this sore sorrow that my heart doth for ever know.'510
'For the winning his death I took gladly the service he proffered me,A king, who of earthly wishes the master and lord should be,Sir Knight, he was named Anfortas—As his love-pledge to me he sentThat which standeth without thy portals, from Tabronit it came, that tent,And great I ween is its value—But alas! for that gallant king,515Such reward did he win in my service as all joy to an end must bringWhere fain I my love had given, there must I fresh sorrow know,For bitter indeed was his guerdon!—As great, or e'en greater, woeThan the death of Eidegast brought me, was my lot thro' Anfortas' fate.Now say, how shall I, of all women most wretched, in this estate,520If myheartyet be true, be other than of senses and mind distraught,Yea, at times have I been beside me when I on Anfortas thought;After Eidegast did I choose him, my avenger and love to be—Now hearken and hear how Klingsor won that booth thou erewhile didst see:When it fell so the brave Anfortas, who this token had sent to me,525Was of love and of joy forsaken, then I feared lest I shamed should be;For Klingsor, such power he wieldeth by the force of his magic spell,That maiden or man to his purpose can he force as shall please him well.All gallant folk that he seeth, unharmed may they ne'er go free—Thus my riches to him I proffered, if so be he sware peace with me.530And he that should brave the venture, and he that should win the prize,TohimI my love should offer; but if so be that in his eyesMy love were a thing unworthy, the booth should be mine again.But now hast thou done my bidding, and it falleth unto us twain;And 'twas sworn in the ears of many, for thereby I hoped to lure535My foe (yet in this I failèd) for the strife he might ne'er endure.'
'Now courtly and wise is Klingsor; for his honour it pleased him wellThat many a deed of knighthood, at my will, in his land befell,By the hand of my valiant servants, with many a thrust and blow.All the week, every day as it passes, and the weeks into years do grow,540My troops in their changing order beset him by night and day,For at great cost my snares so cunning for Gramoflanz did I lay.And many have striven with him, yet must him as victor own;Yet I still for his life am thirsting, and at last shall he be o'erthrown.And some were too rich for my payment, and but for my love would serve,545Then I bid them forthatdo me service, but reward did they ne'er deserve.'
'And never a man beheld me but his service I swiftly won,Saveone, and he bare red armour; to my folk he much ill had done,For hither he rode from Logrois, and he there did my knights o'erthrowIn such wise that they fell before him, and it pleased me but ill I trow.550And, between Logrois and thy meadow, five knights they followed fair,And he cast them to earth, and their chargers the boatman from thence must bear.Then as he my knights had vanquished, I myself did the hero prayFor my love and my land to serve me, but naught would that red knight say,Save he had a wife who was fairer, and should aye to his heart be dear.555Then wroth was I at his answer, and the name of his wife would hear:"Wouldst thou know the name of my chosen?—She reigneth at Pelrapär,AndParzivalall men call me, and naught for thy love I care,Other sorrow the Grail doth give me!" Then in anger he rode away;Now, I prithee, here give me counsel, if evil I did that day,560When I, by heart-sorrow driven, proffered love to that gallant knight?Should I count my fair fame dishonoured?' Quoth Gawain to that lady bright,'A gallant knight is he, truly, who thus thy desire hath crossed,Had he to thy bidding hearkened no fame thou thro' him hadst lost!'
Then Gawain, the courteous hero, and the lady his rein beside,565Gazed lovingly on each other—and so far on their way did ride,That they drew anear to the castle, where the venture erewhile befell,And they who looked forth might see them—-'Now, Lady, 'twould please me wellIf thou do this thing that I ask thee, from all men my name withhold,Which the knight who once stole my charger aloud in thine hearing told.570But do this that I say, if any shall pray thee to tell my name,Say, "I know not the name of my true knight, none spake it when here he came."'Then she quoth, 'I will keep it secret, since thou wouldst not 'twere spoken here.'And the knight and the lovely lady they rode to the Burg anear.
Now the knights they had heard of the coming of one who, with valiant hand,575Faced the venture, and slew the lion, and the Turkowit dared withstand,Yea, and had in fair joust o'erthrown him; and now on the flowery plain,The meadow of strife, rode the hero, and they looked on the knight Gawain,From the battlements could they see him; and the forces together draw;And with ringing blast of trumpet they pass thro' the castle door,580And rich banners on high were tossing, and their steeds o'er the plain they flew,And he deemed that they came for battle, so swift they towards him drew.As Gawain from afar might see them to the lady he spake again,'Do they come here with thought of battle?' But she quoth, 'They are Klingsor's men,From afar have they seen thy coming, and they ride their new lord to greet,585With joy would they bid thee welcome! Refuse not this honour meet,Since 'tis gladness that doth constrain them.' There, too, in a vessel fairPlippalinòt came to meet them, and his daughter with him did bear;And swift o'er the flowery meadow the maiden towards them stept,And joyful she hailed the hero for whom she aforetime wept.590
Then Gawain gave her courteous greeting, and stirrup and foot she kissed,And she turned her to Orgelusé, nor the lady her welcome missed.And she prayed him to 'light from his charger the while that she held the rein,And then to the ship she led them, the lady and knight Gawain;And there, in the place of honour, a carpet and cushions lay,595And the Duchess by Gawain sat her, as the maiden the twain did pray.And her office the maid forgat not, she disarmèd the hero there,And in sooth it is said that the mantle she did for his robing bearWhich had served him that night for cover, when he did 'neath her rooftree lie,And now was the hour for its wearing and it wrapped him right royally.600So clad was Gawain in her mantle, and his own robe beneath he wore,And the harness he laid from off him on one side the maiden bore.
And now as they sat together for the first time the lady fairMight look on his face and know him—Then unto the twain they bareTwo game-birds that well were roasted, and with them a flask of wine,605And two cakes did the maiden bring them on a cloth that was white and fine—The birds were the prey of the falcon—but Gawain and his lady brightMust seek water themselves, if to wash them ere they ate here should seem them right,And this did the twain; and joyful was the knight that he now might eatWith her, for whose sake he would suffer joy, or sorrow, as seemed her meet.610And oft as the cup she gave him that her sweet lips had touched, anewSprang his joy that he thus drank with her, and his sorrow behind him drew,And it halted nor might o'ertake him, and his gladness on swift foot sped,So fair was her mouth and so rosy her lips that from grief he fled.
And no longer his wounds they pained him—Then the ladies from out the tower615They looked on the feast, and below them there rode in the self-same hour,On the further side of the river, brave knights who would show their skill.And the boatman alike and his daughter Gawain thanked with right goodwill,Ere yet he might ferry them over, and the lady spake with him there,For the food and the drink they had brought them—Then out quoth the lady fair,620'Now what hath that knight befallen, who yestreen, ere I rode away,Was o'erthrown in a joust by another? Was he slain, or doth live alway?'
Quoth the boatman, 'He liveth, Lady, and he spake but this day with me,He was given to me for his charger: if thy will be to set him free,In his stead will I have the "swallow" that Queen Sekundillé sent625To Anfortas, be thine the hero, with the harp were I well content!'
'Both the harp and the other riches that the booth may within it hold,'Quoth the lady, 'are his who sits here, he may give them, or aye withhold,Let him do as he will! If he love me, Lischois he methinks will loose,Nor freedom unto the other, my prince, will he here refuse.630Florand of Itolac is he, of my night-watch was he the chief,And as he as Turkowit served me, so his sorrow shall be my grief!'
Quoth Gawain to his lovely lady, 'Ere it weareth to eventideThou shalt look on the twain in freedom!' Then they came to the further side,And the Duchess, so fair to look on, he lifted upon her steed,635And many a noble horseman were waiting them on the mead,And greeting fair they gave them; and they turned to the Burg again,And joyful they rode around them and skilful they drew the rein,And the Buhurd was fair to look on—What more shall I tell ye here?Gawain, and his lovely lady, at the castle they found good cheer,640In such wise did the ladies greet them at Château Merveil that day,And good fortune had here befallen that such bliss should be his alway.Then Arnivé she straightway led him to a chamber, and they who knewOf such lore his hurts they tended, and they bound up his wounds anew.
Quoth Gawain unto Arnivé, 'Give me, Lady, a messenger!'645Then straightway she sent a maiden, and the maid brought again with herA footman, both true and manly, as behovèd him well to be.And an oath did he swear unto Gawain, to serve him right faithfully,And, were it for joy or for sorrow, his errand to secret holdFrom all men, both there and elsewhere, till he came where it might be told.650Then they brought to him ink and parchment, and Gawain, King Lot's fair son,Wrote clear with his hand the message, and thus did the writing run—To them who abode in Löver's fair country, King Arthur braveAnd his queen, with a faith unstainèd, true service and good he gave;And he said, had he fame deservèd, and they would not his praise were slain,655They should come to his aid in his trouble, and show to him truth again,And with following of knights and ladies to Ioflanz their way should wend,Where he came himself, and his honour would in mortal strife defend.And further, this thing he told them, the foemen on either sideHad pledged themselves in all honour and pomp to the field to ride;660And therefore he, Gawain, prayed them, both lady alike and knight,If they bare goodwill towards him, with their king to behold the fight.For so should it be to their honour. He commended him to them allWho were of his service worthy, for the strife that should there befall!—
No seal did he put to the letter, yet token enough it bare665Of him who should be the writer. Quoth Gawain to the footman there,'No longer shalt thou delay thee, the king and the queen abideIn the city of Bems by the Korka; seek the queen in the morning-tideAnd the thing she shall bid thee, do thou. But this shalt thou secret hold,That I in this land am master shall unto no ear be told.670Nor of this thing be thou forgetful, that thou shalt my servant be,And do thou, without delaying, the errand I give to thee!'
Then the footman from thence he gat him, and Arnivé she softly went,And she asked of him what was his errand? and whither his road was bent?And he quoth, 'Nay, I may not tell thee, for an oath have I sworn to-day,675God keep thee, for I must ride hence!' To the army he took his way.