Book V · ANFORTAS, part 9 of 10

¶In the fear for the life of her husband Jeschuté, that lady fair, Mourned sore for his woe, yet the foemen to part might she little dare. 710 Then Parzival bade him rise up, and speak to his lady bright The words of peace and of pardon; and thus quoth the vanquished knight, 'Lady, since this my shaming in strife hath been for thy sake, So be it, the kiss of forgiveness from my lips shalt thou herewith take. Thro' thee have I lost much honour--What boots it? I pardon sware!' 715 Then swift from her steed on the meadow sprang the lady with white limbs bare, Tho' the blood that ran from his nostrils had dyed his mouth with red, Yet she kissed him e'en as he bade her, so was Parzival's bidding sped.

¶Then the three rode on together till a hermit's cell they saw In the rocky wall, and our hero his bridle was fain to draw; 720 For he saw there a shrine so holy, and a spear with fair colours blent Stood beside the shrine; 'twas the dwelling of the hermit Trevrezent.

¶There Parzival dealt with honour--On the relic an oath he sware, Himself laid the oath upon him, and he spake and they hearkened fair; 'If I have worth or valour, as 'seemeth a gallant knight-- 725 If I have it or not let those witness who have looked on my shield in fight; Yea, let them approve my knighthood, for knighthood's power may claim, As the shield-bearer oft shall tell us, high guerdon of praise and fame, And the name of knight is honoured--My body to shame for aye Will I give, and my fame and honour henceforth shall be put away; 730 (With these words I my bliss would pledge here in the Hand that shall highest be, And that Hand is God's Hand, I think me)--All loss, bitter mockery, In this life and the next be my portion from His power, if this lady fair E'er did thee wrong when it chanced her that the clasp from her robe I tare-- (Of a token of gold I robbed her)--A fool and no man was I, 735 Not yet had I waxed to wisdom--And sore did she weep thereby, And anguish and grief she suffered; yea, guiltless was she that day-- And forfeit my bliss and mine honour if the words be not truth I say! Now see, dost thou hold her guiltless thou shalt give her her ring again, From the clasp I in such wise parted that my folly must bear the blame!' 740

¶Then the Duke took the ring, and the blood-stains he wiped from his lips away, And he kissed her, his heart's best treasure--And a covering she won straightway; The ring he placed on her finger, with his surcoat her shame would hide, Tho' hewn by the hand of hero, of rich silk was it fashioned wide. But seldom in coat emblazoned mine eyes have a woman seen, 745 And this one was marred in combat. No war-cry was hers, I ween, That should summon the knights to Tourney, and never a spear she brake Whatever her garb--In Tourney far better the part they'ld take, Lambekein, methinks, and the good squire, if together they thought to fight-- But now was the lady pardoned, and her sorrow had taken flight. 750

¶Quoth Orilus, 'Now, thou hero, the oath thou didst freely swear, Great joy and small grief hath brought me; tho' shaming I needs must bear, Yet gladness therefrom I win me--In all honour I will repay This lady true for her sorrow when I put her in shame away. And since all alone I left her she was guiltless did aught betide; 755 Yet so did she speak of thy beauty, methought there was more beside. But now may God reward thee, thou hast shown her from falsehood free, I have done her a wrong--Thro' the young wood have I ridden in search of thee Afar from Briziljan's forest.' Then Parzival took the spear, Wild Taurian, Dodine's brother, erewhile had he left it here. 760 Now say where the heroes rested, or how they would pass the night-- Helmet and shield had suffered, they were shattered and hewn in fight. Then Parzival to the lady, and her husband, a farewell bade; The Duke to his hearth would bid him, 'twas in vain howsoe'er he prayed.

¶So here, as the venture telleth, they parted, those heroes twain, 765 And the Prince Orilus he sought him his pavilion and folk again. And glad were his faithful people with one mind when at last they saw Their lord and his gracious lady dwell in peace and in love once more. Nor longer was there delaying, the Duke he aside would lay His arms, and the rust and blood-stains from his face did he wash away; 770 By her hand he led the Duchess where atonement he fain would make, Weeping she lay beside him for joy, not for sorrow's sake. For such is the way of women, know ye not the saying well? 'Tearful eyes make sweet lips,' of such lore methinks I yet more might tell! For Love knoweth joy as sorrow, and he who the twain would weigh 775 In a balance shall find them equal an he testeth the scales alway!

¶At peace were they now, full surely, forthwith to the bath they went, Twelve fair maidens they waited on her, with them had she shared her tent, They had tended her since, all guiltless, the wrath of her love she bare; (At night might she lie well covered, tho' by day she ill-clad must fare) 780 And joyful they bathed their lady--But now are ye fain to hear How Orilus won him tidings that King Arthur would now draw near.

¶For thus spake a knight to his master, 'On a grassy plain I saw In fair and knightly order a thousand tents, yea, more, For Arthur the noble monarch, the King of the Breton's land 785 With a wondrous fair host of maidens his court holdeth nigh at hand; Methinks scarce a mile are they distant, nor shout of knights shall fail, On either side Plimizöl's waters their camp lies adown the vale.'

¶Then the Duke in haste and gladness forth from his bath he stept-- Would ye know how she fared, Jeschuté? No longer the lady wept, 790 But she went, the fair and gentle, from her bath to her couch straightway, And far fairer, I ween, her garments than she ware for many a day. And closely they clung together, the prince and the princess wise, And Love came to the aid of gladness, and joy here hath won the prize. Then the maidens they clad their lady, but the knights their lord's armour brought, 795 And much had ye praised the vesture of Jeschuté, 'twas fairly wrought And birds caught in snares they brought them, on their couch did they sit the twain, And joyful they ate; many kisses from her lord did Jeschuté gain!