Book IX · TREVREZENT, part 10 of 16

¶'When he died, Frimutel, our father, they chose them his eldest son As Lord of the Grail and Its knighthood, thus Anfortas his kingdom won, 780 And of riches and crown was he worthy, and we were but children still-- When he came to the years of manhood, when love joyeth to work her will On the heart, and his lips were fringèd with the down of early youth, Frau Minne laid stress upon him who for torment hath little ruth. But if love the Grail King seeketh other than he find writ, 785 'Tis a sin, and in sorrow and sighing full sore shall he pay for it!'

¶'And my lord and brother chose him a lady for service fair, Noble and true he deemed her, I say not what name she bare; Well he fought in that lady's honour, and cowardice from him fled, And his hand many a shield-rim shattered, by love's fire was he venture led. 790 So high stood his fame that no hero in knightly lands afar Could he brook to be thought his equal, so mighty his deeds of war, And his battle-cry was "Amor," yet it seemeth unto me Not all too well such cry suiteth with a life of humility.'

¶'One day as the king rode lonely, in search of some venture high 795 (Sore trouble it brought upon us,) with love's payment for victory, For love's burden lay heavy on him, in a joust was he wounded sore With a poisoned spear, so that healing may be wrought on him nevermore. For thine uncle, the King Anfortas, he was smitten thro' the thigh By a heathen who with him battled, for he jousted right skilfully. 800 He came from the land of Ethnisé, where forth from fair Paradise Flow the streams of the River Tigris, and he thought him, that heathen wise, He should win the Grail, and should hold It--On his spear had he graven his name, From afar sought he deeds of knighthood, over sea and land he came. The fame of the Grail drew him thither, and evil for us his strife, 805 His hand joy hath driven from us and clouded with grief our life!'

¶'But thine uncle had battled bravely and men praised his name that day-- With the spear-shaft yet fast in his body he wended his homeward way. And weeping arose and wailing as he came once again to his own, And dead on the field lay his foeman, nor did we for his death make moan!' 810

¶'When the king came, all pale and bloodless, and feeble of strength and limb, Then a leech stretched his hand to the spear-wound, and the iron he found fast within, With the hilt, wrought of reed, and hollow, and the twain from the wound he drew. Then I fell on my knees, and I vowed me to God, with a heart so true, That henceforward the pride of knighthood, and its fame, would I know no more, 815 If but God would behold my brother and would succour his need so sore. Then flesh, wine, and bread I forswore there, and all food that by blood might live, That lust might no longer move me my life I to God would give, And I tell thee, O son of my sister, that the wailing arose anew When my weapons I put from off me and ungirded my sword so true, 820 And they spake, 'Who shall guard our mysteries? who shall watch o'er the wondrous Grail?' And tears fell from the eyes of the maidens, but their weeping might naught avail!

¶'To the Grail, then, they bare Anfortas, if Its virtue might bring relief; But, alas! when his eyes beheld It yet heavier waxed his grief As the life sprang afresh within him, and he knew that he might not die; 825 And he liveth, while here I hide me in this life of humility, And the power of the Grail, and Its glory, with their monarch have waxen weak. For the venom, his wound that poisoned, tho' the leeches their books did seek Yet found they nor help nor healing--Yea, all that their skill might learn 'Gainst the poison of Aspis, Elkontius, of Liseis, and Ecidemon, 830 All spells 'gainst the worm empoisoned, 'gainst Jecis or Meàtris; Or all that a wise man knoweth of roots or of herbs; I wis Naught was there in all might help him; nor rede I a longer tale Since God willeth not his healing what man's skill may aught avail?'

¶'Then we sent to the mystic waters, in a far-off land they rise, 835 Pison, Gihon, Tigris, Euphrates, the rivers of Paradise, And so near they flow that the perfumes which breathe from its scented air Shall yet to their streams be wafted--If their waters perchance might bear Some plant from the wondrous garden that might succour us in our woe, But vain thought, and fruitless labour, fresh sorrow our heart did know!' 840

¶'Nor here did we end our labour, for again for the bough we sought Which the Sibyl unto Æneas as a shield 'gainst Hell's dangers brought. 'Gainst the smoke and the fire of Phlegethon, and the rivers that flow in Hell Would it guard, and for long we sought it, for we thought, if such chance befell That the spear in Hell-fire was welded, and the poison from Hell did spring 845 That thus of our joy had robbed us, then this bough might salvation bring!'

¶'But Hell, it knew naught of the poison! There liveth a wondrous bird Who loveth too well her fledglings--Of the Pelican's love we heard, How she teareth her breast and feedeth her young with the quickening food Of her own life-blood, and then dieth--So we took of that bird the blood, 850 Since we thought that her love might help us, and we laid it upon the sore As best we could--Yet, I wot well, no virtue for us it bore!'

¶'A strange beast, the Unicorn, liveth, and it doth in such honour keep The heart of a spotless maiden that it oft at her knee will sleep. And the heart of that beast we took us, and we took us the red-fire stone 855 That lies 'neath its horn, if the king's wound might its healing virtue own. And we laid on the wound the carbuncle, and we put it the wound within, Yet still was the sore empoisoned nor aid from the stone might win!'

¶'And sore with the king we sorrowed--Then a magic herb we found, (Men say, from the blood of a dragon it springeth from out the ground,) 860 With the stars, and the wind, and the heaven, close-bound, doth it win its power, Lest perchance, by the flight of the dragon, when the stars bring the circling hour, And the moon draweth near to her changing, (for sorer then grows the pain,) The herb might our grief have aided--Yet its magic we sought in vain!'