Book XVI · LOHENGRIN, part 8 of 14
¶Now aright have ye heard the story of the children of Frimutel, Five they were, and three are living, and death unto two befell. 600 And the one was Schoysiané, who was pure in the sight of God, And the other was Herzeleide, and falsehood her soul abhorred; And the sword and the life of knighthood, Trevrezent, he had laid them down For the love of God, and His service, and the hope of a deathless crown. And the gallant knight, Anfortas, pure heart and strong hand he bore, 605 And well for the Grail he jousted, but for women he fought no more. And Lohengrin grew to manhood, and cowardice from him flew, And his heart yearned for deeds of knighthood, to the Grail he did service true.
¶Would ye further hear the story? A maiden, in days of yore, Whose heart was free from falsehood, the crown of a fair land bore-- 610 Her heirdom was rich and noble, and lowly and pure her heart, And no taint of earthly longing had found in her soul a part. And wooers she had in plenty, of crownèd kings, I ween, And princes, whose race and kingdom fit mate for her own had been. Yet so humble she was, the maiden, she thought not of earthly love-- 615 And the counts of her realm waxed wrathful, since no pleading her soul could move, And their anger raged hot against her that she gave not her maiden hand To one who should be fit ruler o'er her folk, and her goodly land. In God was her trust, whatever men might in their anger speak, And guiltless, she bare the vengeance her folk on her head would wreak. 620 But she called of her land the princes, and they journeyed from far and near, From many a distant country, the will of their queen to hear. And she sware she would have no husband, and no man as her lord would own Save him whom God's Hand should send her, his love would she wait alone.
¶Of the land of Brabant was she princess--From Monsalväsch he came, the knight 625 Whom God at His will should send her, and his guide was a swan so white. He set foot in her land at Antwerp, and she knew that her heart spake true, And gallant was he to look on, and all men the hero knew For a noble knight and manly, and his face, it was wondrous fair, And his fame was in every kingdom where men did his deeds declare. 630 And a wise man he was, free-handed, with never a doubting heart, And faithful and true, and falsehood it found in his life no part.
¶A fair welcome the princess gave him--now list ye unto his rede, Rich and poor stood there around him, and they gave to his words good heed, And he spake thus, 'My Lady Duchess, if thou wilt not mine hand refuse, 635 But wilt have me for lord and husband, for thy sake I a kingdom lose-- But hearken to what I pray thee, ask thou never who I may be, And seek not to know my country, for so may I abide with thee. In the day thou dost ask the question of my love shalt thou be bereft-- Take thou warning, lest God recall me to the land which erewhile I left.' 640 Then she pledged her faith as a woman that her love, it should ne'er wax less, She would do e'en as he should bid her, and never his will transgress So long as God wit should give her--Her love did he win that night, And Lord of Brabant and its Duchess they hailed him with morning light.
¶And the marriage feast was costly, and many a knight the land 645 That of right should be his, as vassal, must take from his princely hand. For he gave ever righteous judgment, and many a gallant deed Of knighthood he did, and, valiant, he won of fair fame his meed. Fair children were born unto them--The folk of Brabant yet know Of the twain, how he came unto them, and wherefore he thence must go, 650 And how long he dwelt among them ere her question broke the spell, And drove him forth, unwilling, for so shall the story tell. The friendly swan, it sought him, and a little boat did bring, And he sailed thence, and left as tokens his sword, and his horn, and ring. So Lohengrin passed from among them, for in sooth this gallant knight 655 Was Parzival's son, and none other, if the tale ye would know aright. By water-ways he sought it, the home of the Grail, again-- And what of the lovely duchess who longed for her lord in vain? Why drove she hence her true love? since he bade her be warned of yore, And forbade her to ask the question when he landed on Brabant's shore-- 660 Here Herr Erec should speak, for, I think me, he knoweth the tale to tell Of revenging for broken pledges, and the fate that such speech befell!
¶If Chrêtien of Troyes, the master, hath done to this tale a wrong, Then Kiot may well be wrathful, for he taught us aright the song, To the end the Provençal told it--How Herzeleide's son the Grail 665 Did win, as was fore-ordainèd when Anfortas thereto did fail. And thus, from Provence, the story to the German land was brought, And aright was it told, and the story doth lack in its ending naught. I, Wolfram of Eschenbach, think me that here-of will I speak no more-- Of Parzival's race, and his kindred, of that have I told afore; 670 To the goal of his bliss have I brought him--he whose life such an end shall gain, That his soul doth not forfeit Heaven for sins that his flesh shall stain, And yet, as true man and worthy, the world's favour and grace doth keep Hath done well, nor hath lost his labour, nor his fame shall hereafter sleep! And if good and gracious women shall think I be worthy praise, 675 Since I tell to its end my story, then joyful shall be my days. And since for the love of a woman I have sung it, this song of old, I would that, in sweet words gentle, my guerdon by her be told!
¶APPENDICES
¶EXCURSUS A
¶WOLFRAM'S SOURCE
¶In examining into the source whence Wolfram derived this poem, it may be well to restate briefly the problem as indicated in the Preface. We may take it as an acknowledged fact, disputed by none, that for the bulk of his work, from the commencement of Books III. to XIII., and inclusive of part of the latter, Wolfram drew from a French source; he himself says that this source was the poem of 'Kiot the Provençal,' and, while acquainted with the work of Chrêtien de Troyes, he distinctly avows his preference for Kiot over Chrêtien, saying that Chrêtien had told the story wrongly, for which Kiot might well be wrathful with him. From this we gather that, granting the existence of the two French versions, Kiot's had preceded Chrêtien's.