Book XVI · LOHENGRIN, part 6 of 14

¶Of the twain, Frimutel was the father, and therefore Anfortas bore 425 E'en such face and such form as his sister--Then the heathen, he looked once more On the maiden and then on her brother--What they bare him of drink or meat No morsel he ate, yet he sat there as one who made feint to eat.

¶Then to Parzival spake Anfortas, 'Sir King, it doth seem to me That thy brother, who sitteth by me, he faileth the Grail to see!' 430 And Feirefis spake that he saw naught, nor knew what It was 'the Grail'; And they hearkened his words, the Templars, and a marvel they deemed the tale. And Titurel needs must hear it, in his chamber the old king lay, And he quoth, 'If he be a heathen, then such thought shall he put away As that eyes unbaptized may win them the power to behold the Grail! 435 Such barriers are built around It, his sight to the task shall fail.'

¶Then they bare to the hall these tidings, and the host and Anfortas told How that which the folk did nourish, Feirefis, he might ne'er behold, Since from heathen eyes It was hidden, and they prayed him to seek the grace Of Baptism, by its virtue he should win him in Heaven a place. 440

¶'If I, for your sake, be baptizèd, will that help me to win my love?' Spake Gamuret's son, the heathen--'As a wind shall all sorrows prove, That wooing or war shall have brought me, to the grief that I now must feel! If long or short the time be since I first felt the touch of steel, And fought 'neath a shield, such anguish ne'er hath fallen unto my share, 445 And tho' love should, I ween, be hidden, yet my heart would its grief declare!'

¶'Of whom dost thou speak?' quoth the Waleis, 'Of none but that lady bright, Who is sister to this, thy comrade--If thou, as a faithful knight, Wilt help me to win the maiden, I will give her with kingly hand Great riches, and men shall hail her as queen over many a land!' 450 'If to Baptism thou wilt yield thee,' spake the host, 'then her love is thine, (And as thou I right well may hail thee, since the Grail and Its realm are mine, And our riches methinks are equal)'--Quoth Feirefis Angevin, 'Then help me to bliss, my brother, that the love of thine aunt I win. And, if Baptism be won by battle, then help me to strife I pray, 455 That I, for sweet love's rewarding, may do service without delay. And mine ear well doth love the music when the spear-shafts in splinters break, And the helmet rings clear 'neath the sword-thrust, and the war-cry the echo wakes.'

¶Then Parzival laughed out gaily, and Anfortas, he laughed yet more, 'Nay, nay,' quoth the host, 'such blessing is no guerdon for deeds of war. 460 I will give unto thee the maiden, by true Baptism's grace and power, But the god and the love of a heathen shalt thou leave in the self-same hour; And to-morrow, at early dawning, will I give to thee counsel true, Whose fruit shall be seen in the crowning of thy life with a blessing new!'

¶Now Anfortas, before his sickness, in many a distant land 465 Had won him fair fame, for Love's sake, by the deeds of his knightly hand. And the thoughts of his heart were gentle, and generous he was and free, And his right hand had won full often the guerdon of victory; So they sat in the wondrous presence of the Grail, three heroes true, The best of their day, and the bravest that sword-blade in battle drew. 470

¶An ye will, they enough had eaten--They, courteous, the tables bare From the hall, and as serving-maidens, low bent they, those maidens fair. And Feirefis Angevin saw them as forth from the hall they passed, And in sorrow and deeper anguish I ween was the hero cast. And she who his heart held captive, she bare from the hall the Grail, 475 And leave did they crave of their monarch, nor his will to their will should fail.

¶How the queen, herself, she passed hence; how men did their task begin; Of the bedding soft they brought him who for love's pain no rest might win; How one and all, the Templars, with kindness would put away His grief, 'twere too long to tell ye--speak we now of the dawning day. 480

¶In the light of the early morning came his brother, Parzival, With the noble knight Anfortas, and in this wise the tale they tell; This knight who to love was captive, proud Zassamank's lord and king, They prayed, of true heart, to follow, and they would to the Temple bring, And before the Grail they led him--And there had they bidden stand 485 The wisest men of the Templars--knights and servants, a goodly band, Were there ere the heathen entered: the Font was a ruby rare, And it stood on a rounded pillar that of Jasper was fashioned fair, And of old Titurel, he gave it, and the cost was great I ween-- Then Parzival spake to his brother, 'This maid wouldst thou have for queen, 490 Then the gods thou hast served henceforward thou shalt for her sake forswear, And ever thine arms, as a true knight, 'gainst the foes of the true God bear, And, faithful, still do His bidding'--'Yea, aught that may win my love,' Quoth the heathen, 'I'll do right gladly, and my deeds shall my truth approve.' Now the Font, toward the Grail had they turned it, filled with water, nor hot nor cold, 495 And a priest by its side did wait them, and grey-haired he was, and old; He had plunged 'neath baptismal waters full many a paynim child, And he spake to the noble heathen, and gentle his speech and mild-- 'If thy soul thou wouldst wrest from the Devil, thou shalt serve Him who reigns on high, And Threefold is He, yet but One God for aye is the Trinity. 500 God is Man, and the Word of His Father, God is Father at once and Son, And alike shall the twain be honoured, and the Spirit with them is One! In the Threefold Name shall it cleanse thee, this water, with Threefold might, And from shadow of heathen darkness shalt thou pass into Christian light. In water was He baptizèd, in Whose likeness was Adam made, 505 And each tree from the water draweth its sap, and its leafy shade. By water all flesh is nourished, and all that on earth doth live, And the eyes of man are quickened, such virtue doth water give; And many a soul it cleanseth, till it shineth so pure and white That the angels themselves in heaven methinks shall be scarce so bright!' 510