[Illustration]

And down he bent, and on her pure white brow
Printed the kiss of God’s redeeming love.

Then chimed the distant bells, and louder yet
The gradual growing music of sweet sounds.

And Gurnemanz:  “The hour has come, midday. 
Permit me now to lead thee to the Grail!”

And Parsifal was clothed in holy garb,—­
The dove-embroidered mantle of the Grail,—­
Which Gurnemanz had brought him from the hut,
And grasped the sacred Spear and followed on.

Again they climbed the rocky passages,
And reached at last the castle’s pillared hall,
Crowned with the mighty dome of blazing light. 
Slowly the knights in mourning garb marched in,
Bearing the corpse of saintly Titurel. 
Slowly the servitors marched sadly in,
Bearing the pale Amfortas on his couch. 
And going on in front the acolytes
Bore in the Grail in heavy covered shrine. 
And as they marched, they sang this solemn hymn: 

  “Here do we bear the Holy Grail,
     Long hidden in this shrine;
   No more its wondrous grace is seen,
     No more its glories shine!

  “Here saintly Titurel we bear,
     The faithful knight and king;
   When he no more the Grail could see,
     He died in sorrowing!

  “And here Amfortas now we bear—­
     God shrive him from the past;
   For he has sworn to do his trust
     And show the Grail at last!”

And suffering Amfortas turned and groaned,
And raised himself a little on his couch,
And cried:  “O woe is me!  O woe is me! 
My tears are flowing from my very heart. 
Would I had died before I saw this hour. 
Yet death is mercy that I cannot hope.”

Then solemnly the knights, with sacred awe,
Uncovered saintly Titurel, and looked
Once more upon that well-beloved face,
And there was sound of weeping everywhere. 
And sadly did Amfortas speak the words: 
“My father, blest among God’s heroes ever! 
Thou before whom the angels loved to bow,
Forgive me for my most unfilial sin,—­
I sought for death, yet struck thee to the heart,
By holding back the vision of the Grail. 
O thou who now in radiance divine
Dost see the blest Redeemer face to face,
Beseech for me that when I show the Grail
It may give life anew to these dear knights—­
But death to me—­sweet death for which I long. 
O death, kind mercy of the living God,
Stifle this heart and rid me of my pain! 
Father, I plead with thee to cry to Him: 
‘Redeemer, give my son release and peace!’”

Thereat the knights came pressing up and cried: 
“Unveil the Grail and do thine office now! 
The death-rite of thy father doth demand it!”

But in a mad despair Amfortas rose,
And wildly rushed among the startled knights,
And cried:  “No, no, I cannot do it now! 
Death is so near me, only let me die! 
Why should I turn again to dreadful life? 
Rather I plead with you to slay me here! 
See, here I stand, the open wound is here! 
Thus am I poisoned, here flows forth the blood! 
Draw ye your swords and plunge them to the hilt! 
Kill both the sinner and his awful pain! 
Then will the Grail forever shine for you,
And blessing come to you for evermore!”