Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.1981, Page 170
Så er vita vill sinn drengskapar leik,
ftarf drengskap ok vaskleik. (ch. 4, 11:32-34)
(A man who does not know how to wield weapons, is ill-equipped
to fight. A man who wants to make trial of his manliness, needs
courage and valor.)
are a general concluding observation regarding King Arthur’s words to
Kay in which he expresses displeasure at Kay’s part in Parceval’s depar-
ture from court, when the latter is still an inexperienced youth and un-
skilled in the use of arms. At the same time as the couplets signal the end
of Arthur’s speech and summarize his distress, they also terminate chap-
ter IV. The lines do not translate precisely the corresponding French text
(vv. 1282-1300). Couplets also occur within a chapter; therefore, they do
not seem intended primarily as a terminating device. For example,
rhymed verses are interpolated in the episode in which Gormanz instructs
Parceval in martial arts. Parceval is depicted as an enthusiastic and eager
pupil. His obvious aptitude for chivalric skilis elicits an authorial com-
ment:
Gott kemr aldin af godum vidi:
svå er ok godr ma5r me5 godum sidi. (ch. 5, 14:20-21)
(Good fruit comes from a good tree: in the same way, a good man
has good habits.)
The homely and proverbial tone of the lines is unmistakable, as Gustaf
Cederschiold pointed out.30 The couplets correspond generally to Perce-
val, vv. 1480-84, but can hardly be considered a translation. The above
authorial interjection in the midst of chapter 5 is shortly followed by
couplets at the end of the chapter. This time the concluding verses are not
of a general nature but, instead, form part of Parceval’s reply to Gor-
manz, his promise to be steadfast:
Aldri verdr mér hugr fyllandi,
vid ongvan fjann er nu er lifandi;
30 Fornsogur Sudrlanda, p. XVI. Cederschiold also observes that “gransen mellan verk-
liga, nationella ordspråk ock lyckligt ofversatta sentenser ar i flere fali ej latt att utstaka.”
He counts the couplets in question to the latter group.
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