Quoth Gawain, 'In the court of King Arthur have I many a brother dear, And kinsman true, yet to no man may I grant what thou prayest here. My cause is so good, I think me, that Fate so shall rule the fight That I stand at the last the victor, tho' my foe be a man of might. God reward thee that thou, of thy kindness, this conflict for me wouldst face, 375 But the day is not yet in its dawning when another may take my place!'
Now Arthur the prayer had hearkened, of their speech he an end would make, Once more in the ring beside them his seat did the monarch take. And the cup-bearers did not tarry, the noble youths they bare Many golden cups so precious, and wroughten with jewels fair, 380 Nor one alone could fill them--and when their task was o'er The folk uprose, and gat them each one to his rest once more.
And night-fall had come upon them--Naught did Parzival delay, But he wrought in such wise that his harness might be ready ere break of day. Were a strap or a fastening broken, of that did he have good care, 385 And he bade them look well unto it, that all should be fit and fair. And a shield new and strong must they bring him, for his own, in many a fight, With many a blow was cloven, and they brought him a shield of might; And the serving-men who bare it, they knew not the knight, I trow, And Frenchmen were some among them, as the venture doth bid ye know. 390 And the steed that erewhile to jousting the Knight of the Grail must bear, Of that did a squire bethink him, and ne'er might it better fare. But now 'twas the hour for slumber, and the night had o'ercome the day, And Parzival slept, and before him all ready his armour lay.
And King Gramoflanz, he rued it that the day such chance had brought 395 That another man in his presence for the sake of his garland fought; Nor his folk might still his longing for the strife that the morn should bring, And the thought, that he had delayed him, full sorely it vexed the king. What, then, should the hero do here? Since honour he sought and fame, He scarce might await the dawning, and the strife that with daylight came, 400 But ere sunrise himself and his charger were clad all in harness rare-- Did women, with wealth o'erburdened, the cost of his decking share? I wot that, without their aiding, it costly and fair should be, For the sake of a maid did he deck him, in her service no laggard he! So he rode hence to seek his foeman, and sorely it vexed the king 405 That the early light of the morning Sir Gawain had failed to bring.