Book XI: Arnive

Weary he closed his eyelids, and he slept in a slumber deepTill the light of the early morning must waken him from his sleep.And many a window saw he within that chamber wall,And clear glass was before each window--Thro' a doorway the light did fall,'Twas open, without was an orchard, thither gat him the gallant knightFor the air, and the song-birds' music, and to see what might meet his sightAnd but little space had he sat there, when the castle he saw againAs at eventide he saw it when he fought on the grassy plain.And he saw from the hall of the palace full many a maiden gaze,And many were fair to look on; and he thought, with a great amaze,That a wondrous watch they must keep there, since they wearied not thro' the night,And little might they have slumbered, for as yet scarce had dawned the light.

Then he thought, 'For the sake of these ladies will I lay me to sleep once more.'Then again to his couch he gat him, and for covering he drew him o'erThe mantle the maid had lent him--Did no man his slumber break?Nay, sorely the host had vexed him, if one should his guest awake.Then of true heart bethought the maiden, who soft by her mother lay,And she roused her from out her slumber, and she took to the guest her way,And again he slept so sweetly--Then she thought her, that gentle maid,That fain would she do him service, and she sat her beside his bed,Fair was she, and sweet to look on, and but seldom at eventide,Or in hour of the early dawning, such venture has sought my side!Short space ere Gawain awakened and beheld how she watched him there,And he looked and he laughed upon her, 'God reward thee, thou maiden fair,That thou breakest for me thy slumber, on thyself dost thou vengeance take,Since nor service nor joust so knightly have I ridden for thy sweet sake!'And she answered, that gracious maiden, 'On thy service no claim have I,But look thou with favour on me, and thy will do I willingly,And all who are with my father, yea, mother alike and child,Do hail thee their lord and master, for love of thy dealings mild!'

Then he quoth, 'Is it long since thou camest? Had I of thy coming knownFain would I have asked a question, perchance thou the truth hadst shown:Yestreen and again this morning fair ladies have looked on meFrom a mighty tower, of thy goodness now tell me who may they be?'But the maiden she shrunk in terror, and she cried, 'Ask me not, Sir Knight,Since ne'er may I give an answer--I prithee to hear aright,If I knew, yet I might not tell thee, nor do thou my silence chide,But ask thou what else shall please thee and my lips naught from thee shall hide,But on this thing alone keep silence, and follow thou what I say!'But Gawain, he would ever ask her, and ever an answer pray,What ladies were they who sat there, and looked from that stately hall?And the maiden she wept full sorely, and aloud in her grief did call.

'Twas yet in the early dawning, and her father he sought her side,Nor I deem me had he been wrathful if here did such chance betideThat Gawain with the maid had striven, and had forced her unto his will,And the maiden, so fair and gentle, in such wise did she hold her still,For beside the couch was she seated--Then her father he mildly spake,'Now weep not so sore, my daughter, for if one a jest doth makeWhereof thou at first art wrathful, yet I ween ere the time be long,Shall thy sorrow be changed to gladness, and thy wailing to joyful song!'

Quoth Gawain, 'Nay, mine host, naught hath chanced here save that which thine eye may see;This maiden I fain would question, but naught would she tell to me,For she thinketh, 'tis my undoing, and silence hath she implored:But now if it shall not vex thee let my service here find reward,And tell me, mine host, if it please thee, how it stands with those ladies there,For I know not the place or the country where I looked on such maidens fair,So many there are, and their raiment showeth clear to my wondering sight!'Then the host wrung his hands for sorrow, and he spake, 'Ask me not, Sir Knight,In the name of God, ask no question--For wherever thy foot shall speed,Or whatever thine eyes shall light on, no need shall be like their need!'

'Then soothly I'll mourn for their sorrow,' quoth Gawain, 'but mine host now sayWhy vex thee so sore for my question? Thine answer why thus delay?''Sir Knight, for thy manhood mourn I, if thou wilt not thy question spareThen strife sure shall be thy portion, and sorrow thine heart shall bear.And thy sorrow of joy shall rob us, myself and my children three,Who were born for thy gallant service true service to yield to thee.'Quoth Gawain, 'Yet for this thou shalt tell me, or if thou still say me, Nay,And I learn not from thee the story yet the truth will I know alway!'

Then the host he spake out truly, 'Sir Knight, I must sorely rue,The question thou here dost ask me--Thou goest to strife anew,Arm thee well, and a shield I'll lend thee--In "Terre Merveil" thou art,And the "Lit Merveil" shall be here--And ne'er hath a knightly heartWithstood all the many dangers that in Château Merveil shall be!Turn aside, ere thy death o'ertake thee, for life should be dear to thee!For wherever thine hand shall have striven, or what ventures soe'er it foundAs child's play have been thy perils to those which beset this ground!'

Quoth Gawain, 'Yet 'twould sorely vex me, if I, but to save me pain,Rode hence, doing naught, and those ladies had looked for mine aid in vain.Long since have I heard of this castle, and since it so near doth standNo man from the task shall bring me; to the venture I set my hand!'Then the host he did sore bemoan him, and he spake to his guest so true,'Now as naught is all other peril, what perils around thee drew,To the peril of this adventure, to its awe, and its anguish dire,And naught but the truth am I speaking, for no man ever spake me liar!But that gallant knight, Sir Gawain, for naught would he turn aside,But he quoth, 'Now mine host give counsel how the strife I may best abide,If thy words be the words of wisdom, and God give me the strength thereto,Thy will and thy rede I'll follow, and knightly the deeds I'll do!Sir Host, of a sooth it were ill done, did I fail here a blow to strike,And coward should I be accounted of foeman and friend alike.'Then first did the host bemoan him, such sorrow he ne'er might know,And he quoth to his guest, 'If it may be that Heaven such grace shall showThat death be not here thy portion, then this land unto thee shall fall.And the stake is full many a maiden fast bound in a magic thrall,No man ere this day hath freed them--And with them many noble knightsShall lie as yet imprisoned; and if thou with hand of mightShall loose them, thou winnest glory, and God showeth grace to thee,And joyful, o'er light and beauty, king and ruler thou sure shalt be!And maidens from many a country shall honour thee as their king.Nor think, if thou now dost ride hence, such deed shame on thee should bring,Since on this field Lischois Giwellius hath yielded him to thine hand,And left unto thee his honour; who erstwhile in every landHath done gallant deeds of knighthood, of right may I praise his name,No knight showed a higher courage, or won him a fairer fame.And in no heart the root of virtue it showeth such fair increaseIn blossom and flower of God's planting, save in Ither of Gaheviess!'

'And he who at Nantes slew Prince Ither my ship bare but yesterday,Five steeds hath he given unto me, (God keep him in peace alway,)Princes and kings once rode them, but now they afar must fare,And tidings of him who o'erthrew them must they carry to Pelrapär.For thus have they sworn the victor--His shield telleth many a taleOf jousting so fair and knightly--He rode hence to seek the Grail!'

Quoth Gawain, 'Say, whence came he hither? Mine host, since he rode so near,Knew he naught of the wondrous venture? Or did he the marvel hear?''Sir Knight, ne'er a word hath he heard here, I guarded me all too well,Lest unseemly my deed be reckoned if unasked I the tale should tell.And hadst thou thyself not asked me thou never from me hadst knownThe venture that here awaits thee, wrought of terror and pain alone.If thou wilt not forego this peril, and thy life shall the forfeit pay,Then never a greater sorrow have we known than we know to-day.But if thou shalt here be victor, and over this land shalt reign,Then my poverty hath an ending, and my loss shall be turned to gain;Such trust in thy free hand have I, I shall joy without sorrow knowIf thy glory here winneth glory, and thy body be not laid low!'

'Now arm thee for deadly warfare!'--unarmed was as yet Gawain,'Now I prithee bring here my harness!' and the host to his will was fain.And from head to foot she armed him, the maiden fair and tall,And her father he sought the charger--Now a shield hung upon the wall,And the wood it was tough and well hardened, (else Gawain ne'er this tale might tell,)And the shield and the horse were brought him--and the host he bethought him well;And, as once more he stood before him, he spake, 'List thou well, Sir Knight,I will tell thee how thou shalt bear thee, and guard thee thy life in fight:'

'My shield shalt thou carry with thee! Of war shall it bear no traceFor but seldom I strive in battle, nor I count it me as disgrace.When thou comest, Sir Knight, to the castle, do this, it shall serve thy steed:At the doorway a merchant sitteth, buy of him that which thou shalt need,Then give him thy steed, he will hold it, nor care thou what thou shalt buy,As a pledge will he hold thy charger, and will give it thee joyfullyIf unhurt from the Burg thou comest!' Quoth Gawain, 'Say, shall I not ride?''Nay, nay, for sore peril neareth, and the maidens their faces hide!'

'Thou shalt find that fair palace lonely, deserted by great and small,And no token of living creature shalt thou see in that stately hall.And may God's grace watch o'er thy footsteps, and His blessing go with thine handWhen thou comest into the chamber where the "Lit Merveil" shall stand.And the couch, and the rollers beneath it, in Morocco they first were madeFor the Ruler of all the Faithful; and were it in the balance weighed'Gainst all treasures of crown and kingdom it still would outweigh them all.And I wot, there shall ill o'ertake thee, and God knoweth what shall befall,But I pray that the end be joyful! Yet hearken, Sir Knight, to me,This sword and this shield that thou holdest, in thine hand must they ever be,For surely when thou shalt think thee that the peril hath done its worst,Then first mayst thou look for conflict, and then shall the storm-cloudburst!'

Then mournful I ween was the maiden, as Gawain to the saddle sprung,And all they who stood around her they wept and their hands they wrung,Then he quoth to his host, 'God grant me that hereafter I may repayThe care and the kindly counsel I have won from thy lips to-day.'Then leave did he pray of the maiden, and her sorrow was sore to see,He rode hence, and they whom he left here they mourned for him bitterly.And now, if ye fain would hearken what unto Gawain befell,The tale of his wondrous venture right gladly to ye I'll tell.

And in this wise I heard the story--As he came to the castle gate,A merchant with merchandise costly without did his coming wait.And so rich were his wares, and precious, that in sooth I were glad at heartIf I, in so great a treasure, my portion might bear and part.Then, Sir Gawain, he sprang from his charger, for ne'er had he seen beforeOutspread in the open market such goods as were here in store.And the booth was of velvet fashioned, four-square, and both wide and high,And that which lay there for purchase no monarch might lightly buy.The Baruch of Bagdad scarcely had paid that which lay therein;Nor the Patriarch of Rankulat might think him such prize to win.Yea, and great as shall be the treasure that was found but awhile agoIn the land of the Greeks yet their Emperor such riches might hardly know!And e'en if these twain had helped him the price he had failed to payThat a man must count for the treasure that here before Gawain lay.

Then the knight greeted well the merchant as he looked on the wondrous storeOf marvels that lay before him, but he stayed not to turn it o'er,But bade him show clasp and girdle; then he quoth to the hero bold,'For many a year have I sat here, yet no man doth my wares behold;None but ladies have looked upon them! yet if manhood shall nerve thine handOf all here shalt thou be the master; they were brought from a distant land,If here thou shalt be the victor, (for in sooth hast thou come for fight,)And the venture shall well betide thee, I will deal with thee well, Sir Knight!For all that my booth containeth is thine if thou win the day!So trust thou in God and His mercy, and take to the Burg thy way.Plippalinòt in sooth hath sent thee, and thy coming well praised shall beOf many a gracious maiden if thy prowess shall set her free!'

'Now wouldst thou withstand this venture leave here for awhile thy steed,If thou trust it unto my keeping, I will give to the charge good heed.'Quoth Gawain, 'Yea, I'll gladly do so, if unseemly be not the task,Too greatly I fear thy riches such grace from thine hand to ask,For ne'er since I rode upon it such keeper my steed hath known'--Out quoth the merchant freely, 'Sir Knight, all shall be thine own,Myself, and the wares I guard here, (nor further of them I'll speak,)They are his, who in safety faceth the danger thou here dost seek!'

And so bold was I ween the hero that on foot did he go straightway,Undaunted, to face the peril untold that before him lay.And, as I before have told ye, the Burg it stood high and wide,And its bulwarks so stoutly builded did guard it on either side.If for thirty years they stormed it, not a berry or leaf would yield,However the foe might threaten; in the midst was a grassy field,(Yet the Lechfeld I ween is longer,) many turrets they towered on high,And the story it tells that Gawain, as the palace he did espy,Saw the roof shine all many-coloured, as peacock's plumes its glow,And so bright it was that its glory was dimmed nor by rain nor snow.

And within was it richly furnished, and decked to delight the eye,And the pillars were richly carven, and the windows were arched on high,And many a fair couch costly had they set there against the wall,Nor touched they the one to the other, and rich covers lay over all.And but now had the maidens sat there, but each one had taken thought,And no one of them all remained there, and of welcome Gawain found naught.Yet their joy came again with his coming, and the day of their bliss was he,And 'twere well they had looked upon him, none fairer their eyes might see.Yet none there might dare behold him, tho' to serve them he aye was fain,And yet in this thing were they guiltless--Thro' the palace strode knight Gawain,And he looked on this side and the other, and he sought well the chamber o'er,If to left or to right I know not, but he saw there an open door,And wherever that door might lead him the hero was fain to go,If high fame he might gain for his seeking, or die there a death of woe!

So stepped he within the chamber, and behold! the shining floor,As glass it lay smooth beneath him, and the Lit-Merveil he saw,The wonder-couch; and beneath it four rollers as crystal clear,And fashioned of fire-red rubies: as the swift wind afar and nearDid it speed o'er the shining pavement, no floor might fairer be,Chrysolite, sardius, jasper, inwrought there the eye might see.For so had Klingsor willed it, and the thought it was his alone,From far-off lands his magic had brought to the Burg each stone.

So smooth 'neath his feet the pavement, scarce might be his footing hold,Then fain would he seek the venture, but, so is the marvel told,As ever he stood before it the couch from its station fled,And swift as the winds of heaven o'er the glittering floor it sped.(And Gawain he found all too heavy the shield that his hand gripped fast,And yet did his host give counsel it should ne'er on one side be cast.)Thought Gawain, 'Now, how may I reach thee, since still thou dost fly from me?Methinks thou shalt have a lesson, it may be I may spring to thee!'Then still stood the couch before him, and straight from the ground he leaptAnd stood firm in the midst of the marvel, and again o'er the floor it swept,And hither and thither turning in the four walls its goal it found,And blow upon blow fell swiftly, till the Burg echoed back the sound.

And many a charge did he ride there, with crash, as of thunder-cloud,Or as trumpeters blow together when their blasts thro' the hall ring loud,And the one vieth with the other, and each for a fair prize blows.Less loud should have been their tumult than the tumult that there arose!And waken and watch must Sir Gawain, altho' on a bed he lay.How best might the hero guard him? The noise he was fain to stay,And his head with his shield he covered--There he lay, and would wait His willWho hath help in His power, and helpeth all those who entreat Him still,And shutteth His ear to no man who in sorrow for aid doth pray.And the man who is wise and steadfast, as dawneth his sorrow's day,Doth call on the hand of the Highest, that shall ne'er be too short to reach,And the aid that shall meet their lacking He sendeth to all and each.And so was it now with Gawain--Thro' Whose grace he had gotten fame,He called on His power and His mercy to shelter him here from shame.

Then stilled for a space the clamour--The couch stood within the hall,And an equal space had they measured from its station to either wall.Yet now waxed his peril greater, for five hundred missiles, swungWith craft from hands yet hidden, were against Sir Gawain flung.And they fell on the couch as he lay there; but the shield it was hard and new,And it sheltered him well, and I think me of the blows did he feel but few.And the stones were as river pebbles, so heavy, and hard, and round,And in many a place on the surface of the shield might their trace be found.

At length was the stone-shower ended, and never before he knewSuch sharp and such heavy missiles as those which toward him flew.For now full five hundred cross-bows were bended, their bolts they sped,And each one was aimed at the hero as he lay on the Wonder-Bed.(And he who hath faced such peril in sooth he of darts may tell:)Yet their wrath was soon spent, and silence for awhile on the chamber fell.And he who would seek for comfort he ne'er on such couch should lie!Little solace or rest may he find there, but peace from his face shall fly!And youth would wax grey and agèd, if such comfort should be its shareAs fell to the lot of Gawain, when he lay on that couch so fair.Yet nor weariness nor terror had weakened or hand or heart,Tho' the stones and the bolts of the cross-bow had done on his limbs their part,And spite of both shield and corslet, sore bruisèd and cut was he:And he thought that, this peril ended, the venture should ended be--But yet with his hand must he battle, and the prize of the victor win,For a doorway e'en now flew open, and one trode the hall within;And the man was a mighty peasant, and fearful of face, and grim,And the hide of the grey sea-otter was his covering on head and limb,And his hosen were wide, and he carried a club in his strong right hand,And 'twas thicker I ween than a pitcher that round-bellied doth firmly stand.

So came he unto Sir Gawain, (and his coming it pleased him ill,)Yet he thought, 'He doth bear no harness, mine arms shall withstand him still,'Upright on the couch he sat him, as nor terror nor pain he knew,And the peasant, as he would flee him, a space from the bed withdrew,And he cried in a voice so wrathful, 'From me hast thou naught to fear,Yet such peril I'll loose upon thee that thy life must thou buy full dear;The devil himself doth aid thee, else wert thou not still in life,Bethink thee, for death cometh swiftly, and the ending of all thy strife,No more can the devil shield thee, that I tell thee ere hence I pass!'Then he gat him once more thro' the doorway, and Gawain gripped his sword-hilt fast,And the shafts did he smite asunder of the arrows that thro' his shieldHad passed, and had pierced his armour, nor yet to his hand would yield.

Then a roar, as of mighty thunder, on the ear of Gawain did fall,As when twenty drums were sounding to dance in the castle hall.Then the hero, so firm and dauntless, whose courage ne'er felt the smartOf the wounds that cowardice pierceth, thought thus in his steadfast heart:'What evil shall now befall me? Must I yet more sorrow know?For sorrow enow have I seen here, yet here will I face my foe!'He looked toward the peasant's doorway, and a mighty lion sprang thro',And its size was e'en that of a warhorse, and straight on Gawain it flew.But Gawain he was loth to fly here, and his shield he held fast before,As best for defence should serve him, and he sprang down upon the floor.And the lion was hunger-ravening, yet little should find for food,Tho' raging it sprang on the hero, who bravely its rush withstood.

The shield it had near torn from him, with the first grip its talons fierceIt drave thro' the wood, such hardness but seldom a beast may pierce.Yet Gawain did right well defend him, his sword-blade aloft he swung,And on three feet the beast must hold him, while the fourth from the shield yet hung.And the blood gushed forth on the pavement, and Gawain he firmer stood,And the fight raged hither and thither, as the lion, on the hero good,Sprang ever with snorting nostrils, and gleaming fangs and white--And if on such food they had reared it, that its meat was a gallant knight,I had cared not to sit beside it! Nor such custom pleased Gawain well,Who for life or for death must fight it--and the strife ever fiercer fell.

So sorely the beast was wounded, the chamber with blood ran o'er;Fierce sprang the lion upon Gawain, and would bear him unto the floor,But Gawain a sword-thrust dealt him, thro' the heart the swift blade spedTill his hand smote full on the breast-bone, and the lion at his feet fell dead.And now all the deadly peril and the conflict was over-past--In the same hour Gawain bethought him, 'Where now shall my lot be cast?Since to sit in this blood I like not, and I must of the couch beware,For it runneth a race so frantic 'twere foolish to sit me there!'

But yet was his head so deafened with the blows that upon him fell,And many his wounds, and the life-blood did forth from its fountains well,And his strength waxed faint, and it left him, and he fell on the chamber floor;His head lay on the lion's body, and the shield might he hold no more.And if wisdom and power were his portion, of the twain was he reft I ween,And tho' fair was the Burg, yet within it full rough had his handling been.

His senses forsook him wholly--no such pillow I ween was hisAs that which on Mount Ribbelé Gymele gave to Kahenis;Both fair and wise was the maiden--and his honour he slept away--But here honour ran swift-footed to Gawain as he prostrate lay.For in sooth ye shall well have hearkened, and shall know how such chance befell,That thus lay the hero lifeless, from the first have ye heard it well.

Then in secret one looked upon him, and the chamber with blood was red,And the lion alike and the hero they lay as the twain were dead.'Twas a fair and gracious maiden who saw thro' a loop-hole high,And her face it grew wan, and the colour from her lips and her cheek must fly.And youth was so heavy-hearted that old age sore must mourn her tale.Yet Arnivé was wise, and her wisdom did here o'er the woe prevail,And still for this deed must I praise her, she drew near to aid Gawain,And from peril of death she freed him who freedom for her would gain.

Then herself she was fain to behold him, and they gazed thro' the window small,And naught might they tell, those women, of what waited them in the hall.Was it news of a joyful future? Or of woe that should last for aye?And the queen's heart it sore misgave her that the hero had died that day,(And the thought brought her grief and sorrow,) since he sought him no better bed,But silent he lay, and rested on the corse of the lion his head.And she spake, 'From my heart I mourn thee, if thy manhood so true and braveHath won thee no better guerdon, and thy life thou hast failed to save.If death here hath been thy portion for our sake, who shall strangers be,And thy truth to such fate hath brought thee, then for ever I'll mourn for thee.And thy virtue I'll praise, tho' the counting of thy years I may never know!'And she spake to the weeping women, as they looked on the knight laid low,'Ye maids who shall be baptizèd, and by water have won a placeIn God's kingdom, pray ye unto Him, that He show to this hero grace!'

Then she sent below two maidens, and she bade them to seek Gawain,And softly draw nigh unto him, nor pass from his side againTill they brought her full assurance how it went with the gallant knight,If perchance he should yet be living, or had found his death in fight.So she gave to the twain commandment--Did they weep those maidens fair?Yea, both must weep full sorely for the grief that was here their share,When they found the hero lying, for his wounds they ran with bloodTill the shield in blood was swimming--then they bent o'er the hero good,And with gentle hand the helmet one loosened from off his head,And she saw a light foam gathered upon his lips so red,And she waited a space and hearkened, if perchance she might hear his breath,For but now had she thought him living, yet she deemed it might well be death.And his over-dress was of sable, and the mystic beasts it bore,Such as Ilinot the Breton as his badge with great honour wore.(And courage and fame were his portion from his youth till his dying day.)From the coat with her ready fingers the sable she tore away,And she held it before his nostrils, for thus might she better knowIf yet he should live, since his breathing would stir the hair to and fro.

And the breath was yet there, and straightway she bade her companion bringFair water, the gentle maiden did swift on her errand spring.Then the maid placed her ring so golden betwixt his teeth closed fast,And deft was her hand in the doing, and between his lips she passed,Drop by drop, e'en as he might take it, the water, and little spaceEre he lifted once more his eyelids, and he looked on the maiden's face.And he thanked them, those two sweet children, and offered them service meet--Alas! that ye here should find me, unseemly laid at your feet!If ye will on this chance keep silence, for good will I count the deed,And courtesy shall ye honour if ye give to my words good heed!'

Quoth the maid, 'Thou hast lain, and thou liest, as one who the prize doth hold,In sooth thou art here the victor and in joy shall thy life wax old,To-day is thy day of triumph! But comfort us now I pray,Is it so with thy wounds that, naught fearing, we may joy in thy joy to-day?'Then he quoth, 'Would ye see me living, then help shall ye bring to me.'And he prayed of those gracious maidens that a leech to his wounds should see,Or one who was skilled in healing, 'But if yet I must face the strife,Go ye hence, give me here my helmet, and gladly I'll guard my life!'But they spake, 'Nay, the strife is over, Sir Knight, send us not away,Yet one shall go, and the guerdon of messenger win straightway.To the four queens shall she betake her, and shall say that thou livest still,And a chamber shall they prepare thee, and leechcraft with right goodwill,And with salves shall thy wounds be tended, and so mild shall their working beThat thy pain shall be swiftly lessened, and healing be brought to thee!'Then one of the maids sprang swiftly, and she ran with no halting tread,With the news that the knight was living straightway to the court she sped.'In sooth shall he be so living, if ever it be God's will,Rich in joy may we be henceforward and glad without fear of ill,For naught but good help he needeth,' 'Dieu Merci!' then quoth they all.Then the old queen wise her maidens did straightway around her call,And she bade them a bed prepare him, and a carpet she spread before,And a fire on the hearth burnt brightly, and precious the salves they bore.And the queen with wisdom mixed them for the healing of cut or bruise.In that hour from among her women four maids did Arnivé choose,And she bade them disarm the hero, and his harness bear soft away,And with wisdom should they deal with him lest he feel himself shamed alway.'A silk shall ye bear about ye, in its shadow the knight disarm,If yet he can walk he may do so, if else, bear him in your armsTo where I by the bed await him, for his couch will I rightly care,If the strife in such wise hath fallen that no deadly wound he bear,Then I think me I soon may heal him, but if wounded he be to deathThen cloven our joy--with the hero are we slain tho' we yet draw breath!'

And all this was done as she bade them, disarmed was the knight Gawain,Then they led him where help they gave him who well knew to ease his pain.And of wounds did they find full fifty, or perchance they were even more,But the darts had not pierced too deeply since ever his shield he bore.Then the queen in her wisdom took her warm wine, and a sendal blue,And Dictam, the herb of healing, and she wiped with her hand so trueThe blood from his wounds, and she closed them, and the flow of the life-blood stayed.And wherever his helm was indented the stones on his head had madeSore bruises, yet they must vanish 'fore the salves and their healing power,And the master-skill of Arnivé who tended him in that hour!

And she quoth, 'Ease I well may give thee, whiles Kondrie doth come to me,And all help that may be in leechcraft of her friendship she telleth free.Since Anfortas so sore doth suffer, and they seek aid from far and near,This salve shall from death have kept him, from Monsalväsch 'twas brought me here.'When Gawain heard she spake of Monsalväsch, then in sooth was he glad at heart,For he deemed it was near--Then this hero, who ne'er had in falsehood part,Spake thus to the queen, 'Now, Lady, my senses that far were fled,Hast thou won back again, and mine anguish I ween hast thou minishèd,What of strength shall be mine, or of wisdom, I owe to thine hand alone,Thy servant am I!' But the queen spake, 'Sir Knight, thou such faith hast shownThat we all must rejoice in thy welfare, and strive for it faithfully.But follow my rede, nor speak much, a root will I give to theeThat shall win thee refreshing slumber, thou shalt care not for drink or meatTill the night, then such food I'll bring thee thou shalt need not ere morn to eat.'

Then a root 'twixt his lips she laid there, and straightway he fell asleep,And throughout the day he slumbered, and in coverings they happed him deep.Rich in honour and poor in shaming, soft and warm, there in peace he lay,Yet he sneezed, and at whiles he shivered, for the salve wrought on him alway.And a company of fair women passed within and without the door,And fair was the light of their faces, and stately the mien they bore.And she bade them, the Queen Arnivé, that silence they all should keep,None should call, and no maiden answer, so long as the knight should sleep.And she bade them fast close the palace, nor burger, nor squire, nor knight,Should hear what had there befallen till the dawn of the morning light.

But new sorrow drew nigh to the women--The knight slept till even grey,Then Arnivé the queen in her wisdom drew the root from his lips away.And straightway he woke, and he thirsted, and they brought him of drink and meat,And he raised himself and, rejoicing, as they brought him so would he eat:And many a maid stood before him, such fair service he ne'er had known,So courteous their mien and bearing--then he looked at them one by oneAnd he gazed at each and the other, yet still his desire was setOn the lady Orgelusé, for ne'er saw he woman yet,In all the days of his lifetime, who so near to his heart did lie;Tho' many his prayer had hearkened, and some did their love deny!Then out spake the gallant hero to Arnivé, his leech so wise,'Lady, 'twill ill beseem me, nor deal I in courteous guise,If these ladies stand here before me, I would they might seated be,Or if such be thy will it were better shouldst thou bid them to eat with me!''Nay, Sir Knight, none I ween may sit here save I, the queen, alone,And shamed would they surely hold them were such service not gladly done,For our joy shalt thou be; yet I think me that if this be thy will indeed,Whate'er shall be thy commandment, we will give to thy words good heed.'But nobly born were those ladies, and their courtesy did they show,For all with one voice they prayed him he would e'en let the thing be so,And while he should eat they would stand there; so waited they on the guestAnd passed hence when the meal was ended and Gawain was laid to rest.