And one spake up:  “Why lies that woman there,—­
A foul and snarling thing on holy ground? 
Methinks her healing balm is witching drug
To work a further poison in the King.... 
She hates us!  See her now!  How hellishly
She looks at us with hot and spiteful eyes! 
She is a heathen witch and sorceress!”

But Gurnemanz, who knew her well, replied: 
“What harm has ever come to you from her? 
And oft she serves us in the kindliest ways. 
For when we want a messenger to send
To distant lands where warrior-knights in fight
Are serving God, she quick takes up the task;
Before you scarcely know is gone and back. 
A marvel is her wondrous speed of flight. 
Nor does she ask your help at any time,
Nor tire you with her presence, nor her words. 
But in the hour of danger, she is near,—­
Inspiring by her brave and fiery zeal,
Nor asking of you all one word of thanks. 
Methinks a curse may still be on her life,—­
She is so wild and strange, so sad her very eyes. 
But now, whate’er the past, she is with us,
And serves us to atone for earlier guilt. 
Perchance her work may shrive her of her sins. 
Surely she does full well to serve us well,
And in the serving-help herself and us.”

Then spake again a knight:  “Perchance her guilt
It was, that brought calamity on all our land.”

But Gurnemanz:  “My thought of her goes far
In memory to days and years long past. 
And it was always when she was away
And we alone, that sudden mishap fell. 
This I have seen through many, many years. 
The aged King, our Titurel beloved,
He knew her well for many years beyond. 
’Twas he who found her sleeping in these woods,
All stiff and rigid, pale and seeming dead,
When he was building yonder castle-towers. 
And so did I myself, in recent days,
Find her asleep and rigid in the woods,—­
’Twas when calamity on us had come
So evil and so shameful from our foe,—­
That dread magician of the mountain heights. 
Say, Kundry, wake and answer me this word? 
Where hadst thou been in those dark evil days,—­
At home, afar, awake or fast asleep,—­
When our good King did lose the holy Spear? 
Why were you not at hand to give us help?”

And Kundry muttered:  “Never do I help!”
Then said a knight:  “O brother Gurnemanz,
If she is now so true in serving us,
And if she does such strange and wondrous deeds,
Then send her for the missing holy Spear
For which the King and all the land are fain.”

But Gurnemanz with gloomy looks replied: 
“That were a quest beyond her, beyond all—­
That lies within the guarded will of God. 
O how my heart leaps up in memory
Of that blest symbol of the Saviour’s power! 
O wounding, healing, wonder-working Spear,
Companion of the Grail in grace divine,
A radiant shaft for consecrated hands.