von Eschenbach Wolfram

“ When the knight gat him unto his mother, who her son in her arms did fold.
Spake the woman, as woman grieving: 'Wilt thou tarry with me no more,
King Gandein's son? Woe is me! yet my womb this burden bore
And the son of my husband art thou. Is the eye of God waxed blind, 155
Or His ear grown deaf in the hearing, that my prayer doth no credence find?
Is fresh sorrow to be my portion? I have buried my heart's desire,
And the light of mine eyes; will He rob me, who have suffered a grief so dire,
Who judgeth with righteous judgment? ”

“ Heavy-hearted that he, my cousin, serveth no more for true love's meed!'
He hath won him another heart-grief as his brother's death is told,
And he spake aloud in his sorrow, 'Now mine anchor hath found its hold
And its haven in bitter rueing,' and the badge did he lay aside, 535
And his grief taught him bitter anguish, and aloud the hero cried,
'Galoes of Anjou! henceforward shall never a man deny
That on earth ne'er was born thine equal for manhood and courtesy,
And the fruit of a free hand knightly from thine heart did it bloom amain. ”

“ For the land that as king had crowned me must I leave, and yet more, I ween,
The fairest of wives, and the sweetest, that ever a man hath seen.
For no lovelier form I think me on earth of mankind was born,
And I yearn for her tender greeting, and full sore for her love I mourn!
And yet know I a deeper sorrow and I strive for a higher prize, 145
For the day when the Burg of Monsalväsch, and the Grail shall rejoice my eyes!
Now, Siguné, dear my cousin, thou wast all too wroth with me,
For heavy indeed my sorrow, yet thou fain wouldst my foeman be!' ”

“ For Gaschier and his gallant charger full swiftly were they laid low,
And the knight with his arms and harness he fell in the shock of strife;
If he thought it for good or for evil, by his pledge must he win his life.
Then Gamuret quoth, the hero, 'Thou hast pledged unto me thine hand,
Yet the weapon it well hath wielded! Ride thou to the Scottish band,610
And bid them to cease from troubling; if they to thy will are fain,
Thou canst follow me to the city.' Then the knight hied him o'er the plain. ”

“ Nay, ever the fire of my anger doth kindle and flame anew, 5
And the sorrow her treason wrought me, it grieveth me still I trow!
I, whom men have named the singer, I, Wolfram of Eschenbach,
The words that against a woman I spake, I may ne'er take back.
Nay, I hold fast my wrath for ever, and clasp it closer still,
As I think how in soul and body alike hath she wrought me ill! 10
How can I do aught but hate her, till death setteth seal on life?
Yet it grieveth me sore that others should mingle in this our strife ”

“ Than the heritage thou hast won thee, and the crown of an evil fame!
And could I but think thy mother had wrought here a deed of shame 680
I had said that his child thou wert not! Yet her faith it but wrought her woe,
And of her naught but good be spoken! And thy father, as all men know,
In his manhood was true and steadfast, and in many a distant land
He won for him meed of honour, and his praise o'er all men did stand.
For great heart and little falsehood as a roof did defend his breast,685
A dam 'gainst the flood of evil, and a home for his love to rest. ”

“ Had I touched with bare hand her vesture I were blest to eternity!
An I vantage take of her slumbers to myself untrue I seem,
Methinks we were both dishonoured did I waken her from her dream,
For a woman's sleep is holy, and all men shall own its sway.'
Thus the Waleis, who ne'er had feared him, lay still till the dawn of day.380
Thus he whom men called the Red Knight, a maiden he left the queen,
Yet surely she deemed in the morning his wife she o'er night had been,
And for love of her lord her tresses she bound with the morning light
As matrons are wont to bind them. ”

“ Ere his bones should lie dishonoured—If Good Fortune by Gawain stand
In strife shalt thou well acknowledge, 'neath the might of his strong right hand
That his body in faith he keepeth, and falsehood afar doth hold.
If another hath done thee evil methinks art thou over-bold, 770
His shame dost thou speak too loudly, who never hath done thee ill—
If he winneth, perchance, thine homage, and thou ownest him guiltless still,
Yet hast thou in short space spoken such words of a blameless knight
As have shamèd for aye thine honour, if this folk read the thing aright!' ”

“ Stripped bare will I be of all honour, naked and reft of fame,
Ere I trust my renown unto letters, and give to a book my name! 40
It vexes me, soul and body, that so many should bear the name
And speak with the tongue of women, who reck not of woman's fame;
That those who have known no falsehood, and those who are swift to fall,
Should carry one name in common, be counted as sisters all!
A truth that has faltered never, a faith that has aye withstood, 45
Is the only glory of woman, the crown of her womanhood! ”

“ Who shall shelter the word of wisdom if wise men their aid withhold?
But a song that is woven of falsehood is best left in the outer cold,10
Homeless, upon the snowdrift, that the mouth may wax chill and sore
That hath spread for truth the story—such rewarding hath God in store
As all true folk must wish him whose guerdon in toil is told—
Who is swift to such deeds, I wot me, but blame for reward shall hold,
And if good men and true shall praise him, then folly doth rule their mind;15
He will flee such who true shame knoweth, and in knighthood his rule would find. ”

“ Then the King of Arragon smote him Uther Pendragon old,
From his charger adown on the meadow fell the king of the Bretons bold,250
And the flowers stood fair around him—Ah! I courteous am I, I trow,
Since the Breton before Kanvoleis I lay on such couch alow,
Where never the foot of a peasant hath trodden unto this day,
Nay, perchance they may never tread there—'tis the truth and no lie I say—
No more might he keep his saddle as he sat on his steed of yore, 255
But his peril his friends forgat not, they fought fiercely the hero o'er. ”

“ And I hold him for such a hero that Assagog's kingdom fair 795
Should fail not to yield him homage, since the crown he may never wear,
Our prince Eisenhart! In her service was he slain who shall now be wife
To thy kinsman, as knight so faithful he gave for her love his life.
With my kiss have I sealed forgiveness, yet my lord and my friend I lost!
If thy cousin by knightly dealing will repay of his death the cost 800
I will fold my hands as his vassal: and wealth shall be his and fame,
All that Eisenhart from Tánkaneis as his heritage thought to claim. ”

“ OBILOT
Awhile shall this venture follow the knight, who to fly was fain
From shame, nor with guile had dealings, that hero bold, Gawain.
For many a one hath held him for as brave, yea, for braver knight
Than Parzival, who the hero of this wonder-tale is hight.
Yet he who his friend would ever with his words to the heavens upraise5
Is slow to speak well of another, or to yield him his meed of praise;
But him shall the people follow whose praises with truth are wrought,
Else whatever he speak, or hath spoken, shall ne'er under roof be brought. ”

“ Yet well might she crown his service who served her for love alone!
And that I am so long her captive, methinks may she well bemoan.
If my joy thou to life wouldst quicken, then give me thine aid, I pray,
And teach her herself to honour in such wise that her love repay 850
In a measure the ill thou didst me, and that which thro' thee I lost,
When the goal of my joy fled from me and my pathway by thee was crossed,
But for thee, I, methinks, had reached it, and if thou art foeman true
Thou wilt help me with this fair maiden, and my gladness shall wax anew!' ”

“ Had failed not to wreak stern vengeance for the ill that Kay wrought that day;465
Then her brother and fair Jeschuté she led by the hand straightway,
And Parzival looked upon them as the three to his tent drew near,
And his face, thro' the rust of his armour, it shone ever fair and clear,
As roses dew-dipped had flown there: his harness aside he laid,
And he stood before Kunnewaaré, and thus spake the gentle maid: 470
'To God shalt thou first be welcome, as welcome thou art to me,
Since thy manhood thou well hast proven, and the faith that I had in thee! ”

“ Here long hath he dwelt among us in such wise that never an ear
The tale of a deed unknightly, or wrong he had done, might hear.
He held him afar from falsehood, to guile was he aye a foe;
The lock and the seal of knighthood all too soon must we bury low.
His heart wise in courteous wisdom, and steadfast as seal and sign,800
Taught him ever the fairest counsel that a man's heart might aye divine,
Whereby with true love and courage a man woman's love may woo
And show manhood's truth—Fruit-bearing it seedeth itself anew
The plant of all woman's sorrow! ”

“ And many fair maidens saw it, when at Kanedig fierce we fought
For the hawk; there was I the victor, and my hand fame to thee hath brought
And that didst thou see with King Arthur—At his court doth she dwell to-day,385
My sister, sweet Kunnewaaré, and grave is her mien alway,
For her lips may not move to laughter till the day that her eyes shall light
On him who of all shall be reckoned the fairest and bravest knight.
Would he come unto me, that hero! Ah! then should a strife be seen
As to-day in the early morning already my lot hath been. ”

“ From us of faith and honour?—If honoured thou fain wouldst be,
Then, courteous, make confession that near of kin are we; 300
True cousin am I, no bastard, and e'en if such chance had been,
Even then, in this thy dealing, thou hadst done me a wrong, I ween!
A knight am I in whom no man hath found a taint of shame,
And I think me that free from falsehood, yea, to death will I guard my fame,
For in God have I ever trusted, and, methinks, He holds not in store305
Such fate for the days of the future as I knew not in days of yore. ”

“ Then such garb becomes thee ill!265
For to-day all men call Good Friday, and the world it rejoiceth still
O'er the day that her chains were riven; tho' she mourneth her Saviour's pain.
Speak, knowest thou of faith more faithful than the faith God hath kept with men,
Since He hung on the cross for men's sake? Such woe as He bare for thee,
Sir Knight, sure must work thee sorrow, since baptized thou shalt surely be!270
For our sin His life was forfeit, or else had mankind been lost,
And Hell as his prey had held us, and Hell's torments had paid sin's cost. ”

“ And how canst thou, Frau Minne, true worth and knightly fame, 205
And manly strength and courage, thus vanquish and put to shame?
For the least is to thee as the greatest, and the earth shall no hero boast,
Who thinketh to scorn thine empire, but he learneth unto his cost
[Pg 166] That thou canst, an thou wilt, o'erthrow him; yea, all men thy power obey,
For thy sceptre we own as mighty, and wide as the world its sway. 210
Yet this one thing it doth thee honour, tho' thou rulest all else but ill,
Joy maketh her dwelling with thee, and for this would I praise thee still! ”

“ From out her head thro' sorrow; and the lad he beheld her there,
And he saw Schionatulander, the prince, on her knee lie dead,
And the maiden she wailed above him, and her joy had for ever fled.440
('If sad be their mien or joyful, my mother she bade me still
Greet all men, whoe'er might meet me) God keep thee from greater ill,
For in sooth a sorry treasure have I found on thy knee to-day!
Who hath wounded this knight?' (For an answer the lad he would press alway)
'Did one with a javelin slay him? For Lady, he sure is dead; 445
Wilt thou tell me naught? Who hath slain him? ”

“ And old are the twain, and the others as yet they shall children be,
And the first maid is called Itonjè, and the second shall be Kondrie,
And the third she is named Arnivè, and Sangivè the fourth is hight!'
Then fain to behold the wonders of that castle was many a knight,
Yet their journey brought little profit, for sorrow o'ertook them there.985
Yet I mourn not o'ermuch for their sorrow; for he who would labour bear,
And strife, for the sake of a woman, for guerdon shall gladness know,
Tho' grief shall be mixed with his gladness, and his joy shall be crossed with woe. ”