Book VI · ARTHUR, part 2 of 12
¶And in this wise he called upon them, 'Fie! Fie! on ye, coward knights! Hold ye not Gawain for a marvel? Have ye not in a hundred fights 80 Won honour and fame as heroes, who fight for a hero king? Know now that ye stand dishonoured, and broken your goodly ring!' Ah! then there arose a clamour, and none but was fain to know Of the deed of knightly prowess, that should shame their honour so. When they heard how but one knight dared them, that but one knight a foe did wait, 85 Then sorely they mourned the promise that they sware to their king of late. Then Knight Segramor sprang swiftly from amid the angry throng, He ran, for in sooth he walked not, and ever his heart did long To be in the midst of conflict, where conflict might chance to be, An they failèd with cords to bind him, in the thick of the fight was he! 90 And nowhere the Rhine's swift waters may flow so strong and wide, Tho' the stream should run swift between them, an men fought on the further side, He stayed not to test the waters, if the current be hot or cold, But straightway the stream he breasted, as fitted a swimmer bold!
¶Swift-foot to the tent of the monarch, the eager youth he sped, 95 For the day was but yet in its dawning, and the king he lay yet abed. Then straight thro' the lists he hied him, and he gat him thro' the door, And the covering all of sable, with hasty hand he tore From the twain who lay warm beneath it, and slumbered a slumber deep, Yet his haste moved them but to laughter, tho' he waked them from out their sleep! 100 And loudly he cried on his cousin--'Queen, Lady, Guinevere, Since the world knoweth well our kinship, thou must do me this service here, Speak thou for me to thine husband, and pray thou of him this grace, Since a knightly venture nears us, my lot first the foe to face!'
¶Yet Arthur spake, 'Now bethink thee of the oath thou didst swear to me, 105 In all things my will to follow, nor rashly to venture thee; For if thou a joust now ridest, hereafter shall many a knight Crave leave at mine hand to ride forth, and seek for fame in fight, And 'twere ill thus our force to weaken, for know thou that near at hand, Anfortas of Monsalväsch with a mighty host doth stand. 110 This wood of his he guardeth, and since we but little know Where he and his force shall hold them, such chance well might work us woe!'
¶Yet Guinevere wrought so wisely Segramor was well-nigh fain To die of joy, from King Arthur, his lady this grace did gain. And on fame and honour only was the gallant youth intent, 115 Nor for gold had he sold the venture on which his heart was bent.
¶Now the hero young and beardless, well armed his steed bestrode, And over the fresh young greensward his charger at full speed rode; And the bushes were bent beneath him, and the golden bells rang clear On trapping alike and armour; and I deem well an need were here 120 To seek for the magic pheasant mid thicket and thorny brake, He who fain this knight had followed, the bells for his guide might take! Thus rashly rode the hero, to him whom Frau Minne's spell Fast fettered in magic fetters, and no blow at the first there fell, For the peace by his word was broken--There held fast by threefold might, 125 And the power of red blood-drops threefold stood ever the stranger knight.
¶(Yea, well I myself have known this, how Frau Minne with power may hold, And holding, the senses scatter, and with passion of grief untold Shall fill the heart to o'erflowing--'Twas a woman who wrought this ill, And vanquished, she doth condemn me, and refuseth me comfort still. 130 Thus draweth she guilt upon her, for the sin shall be hers, I ween, And afar must I fly from the presence, that of old time my joy hath been.)
¶Thus Segramor quoth unto him, 'Now it seemeth but ill to me That thus near our army lieth, and our presence rejoiceth thee! And thou holdest his fame too lightly, whom with pride we may hail our king, 135 And 'tis meet thou for this do penance,--or the death-chime for me shall ring! Thus armed, all too near thou ridest; yet first would I courteous pray That thou yield thee at this my bidding, or my wrong will I here repay, And my blow shall be swift, and thy falling shall scatter these snow-flakes white! And I call on thee here to yield thee, ere I put thee to shame, Sir Knight!' 140
¶Yet Parzival still kept silence--for Frau Minne, so fair and young, In a sorer conflict held him--Then his steed Segramor swung Aside, as for jousting ready, round wheeled him the war-horse good On whose back the gallant hero yet sate in mystic mood, And ever he gazed on the blood-drops; as his charger turned him round 145 Awhile from his eyes they vanished, and fame in their stead he found! For swift as the blood-drops crimson thus passed from his dazzled sight, He hearkened the voice of the foeman, and braced him anew for fight.
¶Then as Segramor rode against him, Parzival sought afresh the spear That he found by the woodland chapel, with blazon of colours clear; 150 For tough was the shaft, and he gripped it, and he held the point full low, As his foeman dashed fair against him, his shield rang with the ringing blow. Then he spurred him anew to the onslaught, and the joust he so well repaid, That the knight in his golden armour was low in the snowdrift laid! Yet still was the spear unsplintered, tho' it bare him from off his horse; 155 And Parzival still kept silence, and he wheeled him upon his course, And his eyes sought once more the blood-drops, and e'en as they met his sight Frau Minne with fetters bound him, and held him in cords of might, And he spake never word, nor question, but gazed ever upon the ground, And, dreaming, he lost the knowledge which he for a space had found! 160
¶But affrighted, the gallant charger had fled back into its stall, And its rider arose, little comfort might he find, though he soft might fall! Outstretched had he lain in the snowdrift, in such wise e'en as men shall go To rest, yet but ill he sleepeth, who sleepeth on couch of snow! And such bed had sorrow brought me! for he to whom ill betides 165 Hath but mocking for his bedfellow, but the lucky doth God's hand guide.