Book XIV · GRAMOFLANZ, part 2 of 11

¶'Sire, King Arthur hath hither sent us, and ever hath he been known As one whom all men have honoured, and whom all shall as victor own. Yea, honour enow is his portion--And yet wouldst thou mar his fame, Since upon the son of his sister thou thinkest to bring this shame! 80 And e'en had Sir Gawain wrought thee worse ill by far, I ween, That the fame of the great Round Table might here for a shield have been. For brotherhood all have sworn him who sit at that noble board, And stainless shall be their knighthood who own Arthur for king and lord!

¶Quoth the king, 'The strife I sware him e'en to-day my hand shall dare, 85 And Gawain to-day shall face me, if well or if ill he fare. For this hath been truly told me, that King Arthur draweth near With his queen, and his host of warriors; I bid them welcome here! Tho' it may be the angry Duchess shall counsel him to mine ill, Yet hearken and heed, ye children, the strife shall be foughten still. 90 For here have I many a follower, and hindered of none will be, What one man can do unto me that bear I right joyfully! And if now I should fear to face that to which I my pledge have sworn, Of Love's service and Love's rewarding henceforward were I forlorn! In her favour I found aforetime my life and my life's best bliss-- 95 God knoweth how he hath pleased her, she oweth me much for this!-- And tho' ever I did disdain me to fight with one man alone, Yet Gawain hath so bravely borne him that him as I my peer I'll own. And I think me I shame my manhood when such easy strife I fight; And yet have I fought, believe me, (ye can ask if it seem ye right,) 100 With folk whom mine hand hath proven to be valiant men and true, But ne'er have I fought but one man! No praise shall be here my due, From the lips of gracious women, tho' the victory be mine to-day-- And greatly my heart rejoiceth that her bands have been reft away For whose sake I fight this conflict; so many a distant land 105 Are vassals unto King Arthur, and pay tribute unto his hand, It may well be with him she cometh, for whose sake both joy and pain Unto death I would gladly suffer, if she be for my service fain. And what better fate can befall me than that this my fair lot shall be, That she looketh upon my service, and her eyes shall my victory see!' 110

¶And near to the king sat Bené, nor her heart for the strife did fail, For full oft had she seen his valour, and she deemed he might well prevail. But yet had she known that Gawain was brother unto the maid, And 'twas he who now stood in peril, of a sooth had she been dismayed.

¶A golden ring from Itonjé she brought him for token fair, 115 'Twas the same as her gallant brother did over the Sabbins bear O'er the Poinzacleins came Bené in a boat, and this word she spake, 'From Château Merveil doth my lady, with the others, her journey take.' And she spake from the lips of Itonjé such steadfast words and true, That more, from the lips of a maiden, I ween never monarch knew. 120 And she prayed him to think of her sorrow, since all gain did she hold as naught For the gain of his love, and his service was all that her true heart sought. And glad was the king at the tidings, yet would fight with her brother still-- 'Twere better I had no sister, such rewarding would please me ill!

¶Then they bare unto him his harness, 'twas costly beyond compare-- 125 No hero, by love constrainèd, who fought for love's guerdon fair, Were he Gamuret, or Galoes, or Killicrates, the valiant king, Had better decked his body the love of a maid to win-- And no richer silk had been woven in Ipopotiticon, Or brought from Kalomedenté, or the city of Akraton, 130 Or from far-off Agatyrsjenté, than the silk for his garment wove-- Then he kissed the small ring golden, the pledge of Itonjé's love, For he knew her for true and faithful, and tho' peril upon him pressed, Yet the thought of her love and her longing would guard, as a shield, his breast.

¶All armed was now the monarch; twelve maidens on palfreys fair, 135 Each one a spear-shaft holding, the awning aloft would bear. And the king, he rode beneath it, and its shadow was o'er his head, As on to the strife he craved for the gallant hero sped. And on either side of the monarch there rode fair maidens twain, Tall and stately were they to look on, the noblest of all his train. 140 The messengers of King Arthur no longer they made delay, And, behold! they met with Gawain as they rode on their homeward way, And ne'er had they felt such sorrow, their voices they raised on high, And they cried aloud for his peril, and their love and their loyalty.

¶For the strife had near found its ending, and victor was Gawain's foe, 145 For his strength, it was more than Gawain's, and well-nigh had he laid him low, When the pages who rode towards them called loudly on Gawain's name, For well did they know the hero, and it grieved them to see his shame. Then he, who erewhile would fight him, of conflict would have no more, But he cast from his hand his weapon, and he cried, as he wept full sore, 150 'Accursèd am I, and dishonoured, and all blessing from me hath flown, Since my luckless hand, unwitting, so sinful a strife hath known. Methinks it is too unseemly! yea, guilty am I alway, And born 'neath a star of Ill Fortune, and forced from all bliss to stray. And the arms that to-day I carry are the same that of old I bore, 155 For they are of Ill-luck the token, e'en to-day as they were of yore. Alas! that with gallant Gawain I have foughten so fierce a fight, 'Tis myself whom I here have vanquished, and my joy shall have taken flight. With the first blow I struck against him misfortune hath reached my side, And peace shall have sped far from me, and her face from my face doth hide!' 160