uld
scarcely see the branches, and even the foliage almost
disappeared. The sweet songs were pleasant and resounded through
the forest, which re-echoed them....

As I poured water upon the ruby, the sun, which had just come
out, disappeared, the birds' song round about ceased, a black
storm approached, dark heavy storm-clouds came from all four
quarters of the vault of heaven. It seemed no longer bright day
... soon a thousand flashes of lightning played round me in the
forest ... there came storm, rain, and hail ... the storm became
so great that the forest broke down.

He never shews a real love for Nature even in his lyrics, for the
wish for flowers in _Winter Complaint_ can hardly be said to imply
that:

He who cares for flowers must lament much at this heavy, dismal
time; a wife helps to shorten the long nights. In this way I will
shorten long winter without the birds' song.

Wolfram von Eschenbach, too, is very sparing of references to Nature:
time is given by such phrases as 'when twilight began,' or 'as the
day broke,' 'at the bright glow of morning' ... 'as day already
turned to evening.'

His interest in real things was driven into the background by
love-making and adventures--_Arthur's Round Table_ and the _Holy
Grail_; all the romance of knighthood. When he described a forest or
a garden, he always decked it out lavishly.

For instance, the garden in Orgeluse:

A garden surrounding a mountain, planted with noble trees where
pomegranates, figs, olives, vines, and other fruits grew richly
... a spring poured from the rock, and (for all this would have
been nothing to him without a fair lady) there he found what did
not displease him--a lady so beautiful and fair that he was
charmed at the sight, the flower of womanly beauty.

Comparisons are few and not very poetic. In _Songs of the Heart_--

The lady of the land watered herself with her heart's tears.

Her eyes rained upon the child.

Her joy was drowned in lamentation.

Gawan and Orgeluse,

Spite their outer sweetness, as disagreeable as a shower of rain
in sunshine.

There were many fair flowers, but their colours could not compare
with that of Orgeluse.

His heroes are specially fond of birds. Young Parzival

Felt little care while the little birds sang round him; it made
his heart swell, he ran weeping into the house.

an