Part 18

Then spake the royal Etzel: / "Beloved lady mine, Seemed not too far the journey, / I'd bid from yond the Rhine Whom thou wouldst gladly welcome / hither unto my land." Thereat rejoiced the lady / when she his will did understand.

1405

Spake she: "Wilt thou true favor / show me, master mine, Then shall thou speed thy messengers / to Worms across the Rhine. Were but my friends acquainted / what thing of them I would, Then to this land came hither / full many a noble knight and good."

1406

He spake: "Whene'er thou biddest, / straight the thing shall be. Thyself mightst ne'er thy kinsmen / here so gladly see, As I the sons of Ute, / high and stately queen. It grieveth me full sorely / that strangers here so long they've been.

1407

"If this thing doth please thee, / beloved lady mine, Then gladly send I thither / unto those friends of thine As messengers my minstrels / to the land of Burgundy." He bade the merry fiddlers / lead before him presently.

1408

Then hastened they full quickly / to where they found the king By side of Kriemhild sitting. / He told them straight the thing, How they should be his messengers / to Burgundy to fare. Full stately raiment bade he / for them straightway eke prepare.

1409

Four and twenty warriors / did they apparel well. Likewise did the monarch / to them the message tell, How that they King Gunther / and his men should bid aright. Them eke the Lady Kriemhild / to secret parley did invite.

1410

Then spake the mighty monarch: / "Now well my words attend. All good and friendly greeting / unto my friends I send, That they may deign to journey / hither to my country. Few be the guests beside them / that were so welcome unto me.

1411

"And if they be so minded / to meet my will in aught, Kriemhild's lofty kinsmen, / that they forego it not To come upon the summer / here where I hold hightide, For that my joy in living / doth greatly with my friends abide."

1412

Then spake the fiddle-player, / Schwemmelein full bold: "When thinkst thou in this country / such high feast to hold, That unto thy friends yonder / tell the same we may?" Thereto spake King Etzel: / "When next hath come midsummer day."

1413

"We'll do as thou commandest," / spake then Werbelein. Unto her own chamber / commanded then the queen To bring in secret manner / the messengers alone. Thereby did naught but sorrow / befall full many a thane anon.

1414

She spake unto the messengers: / "Mickle wealth I give to you, If my will in this matter / right faithfully ye do, And bear what tidings send I / home unto our country. I'll make you rich in treasure / and fair apparelled shall ye be.

1415

"And friends of mine so many / as ever see ye may At Worms by Rhine river, / to them ye ne'er shall say That any mood of sorrow / in me ye yet have seen. Say ye that I commend me / unto the knights full brave and keen."

1416

"Pray them that to King Etzel's / message they give heed, Thereby to relieve me / of all my care and need, Else shall the Huns imagine / that I all friendless am. If I but a knight were, / oft would they see me at their home.

1417

"Eke say ye unto Gernot, / brother to me full dear, To him might never any / disposed be more fair; Pray him that he bring hither / unto this country All our friends most steadfast, / that we thereby shall honored be.

1418

"Say further eke to Giselher / that he do have in mind, That by his guilt I never / did cause for sorrow find; Him therefore would I gladly / here with mine own eyes see, And give him warmest welcome, / so faithful hath he been to me.

1419

"How I am held in honor, / to my mother eke make plain. And if of Tronje Hagen / hath mind there to remain, By whom might they in coming / through unknown lands be shown? The way to Hunland hither / from youth to him hath well been known."

1420

No whit knew the messengers / wherefore she did advise That they of Tronje Hagen / should not in any wise Leave by the Rhine to tarry. / That was anon their bane: Through him to dire destruction / was doomed full many a doughty thane.

1421

Letters and kindly greeting / now to them they give; They fared from thence rich laden, / and merrily might live. Leave then they took of Etzel / and eke his lady fair, And parted on their journey / dight in apparel rich and rare.

TWENTY-FOURTH ADVENTURE

How Werbel and Schwemmel brought the Message

1422

When to the Rhine King Etzel / his messengers had sent, With hasty flight fresh tidings / from land to land there went: With messengers full quickly / to his high festival He bade them, eke and summoned. / To many thereby did death befall.

1423

The messengers o'er the borders / of Hunland thence did fare Unto the land of Burgundy; / thither sent they were Unto three lordly monarchs / and eke their mighty men. To Etzel's land to bid them / hastily they journeyed then.

1424

Unto Bechelaren / rode they on their way, Where found they willing service. / Nor did aught delay Ruediger to commend him / and Gotelinde as well And eke their fairest daughter / to them that by the Rhine did dwell.

1425

They let them not unladen / with gifts from thence depart, So did the men of Etzel / fare on with lighter heart. To Ute and to her household / sent greeting Ruediger, That never margrave any / to them more well disposed were.

1426

Unto Brunhild also / did they themselves commend With willing service offered / and steadfast to the end. Bearing thus fair greeting / the messengers thence did fare, And prayed the noble margravine / that God would have them in his care.

1427

Ere the messengers had fully / passed o'er Bavarian ground, Had the nimble Werbel / the goodly bishop found. What greetings to his kinsmen / unto the Rhine he sent, That I cannot tell you; / the messengers yet from him went

1428

Laden with gold all ruddy, / to keep his memory. Thus spake the Bishop Pilgrim: / "'Twere highest joy to me Might I my sister's children / here see in home of mine, For that I may but seldom / go unto them to the Rhine."

1429

What were the ways they followed / as through the lands they fared, That can I nowise tell you. / Yet never any dared Rob them of wealth or raiment, / for fear of Etzel's hand: A lofty king and noble, / mighty in sooth was his command.

1430

Before twelve days were over / came they unto the Rhine, And rode into Worms city / Werbel and Schwemmelein. Told were soon the tidings / to the kings and their good men, How that were come strange messengers. / Gunther the king did question then.

1431

And spake the monarch further: / "Who here may understand Whence do come these strangers / riding unto our land?" Yet was never any / might answer to him make, Until of Tronje Hagen / thus unto King Gunther spake:

1432

"To us hath come strange tidings / to hand this day, I ween, For Etzel's fiddlers riding / hither have I seen. The same have by thy sister / unto the Rhine been sent: For sake of their high master / now give we them fair compliment."

1433

E'en then did ride the messengers / unto the castle door, And never royal minstrels / more stately went before. By the monarch's servants / well received they were: They gave them fitting lodging / and for their raiment had a care.

1434

Rich and wrought full deftly / was the travelling-dress they wore, Wherein they well with honor / might go the king before; Yet they at court no longer / would the same garments wear. The messengers inquired / if any were might wish them there.

1435

In sooth in such condition / many eke were found, Who would receive them gladly; / to such they dealt around. Then decked themselves the strangers / in garments richer far, Such as royal messengers / beseemeth well at court to wear.

1436

By royal leave came forward / to where the monarch sat The men that came from Etzel, / and joy there was thereat. Hagen then to meet them / in courteous manner went, And heartily did greet them, / whereat they gave fair compliment.

1437

To know what were the tidings, / to ask he then began How did find him Etzel / and each valiant man. Then answer gave the fiddler: / "Ne'er higher stood the land, Nor the folk so joyous: / that shall ye surely understand."

1438

They went unto the monarch. / Crowded was the hall. There were received the strangers / as of right men shall Kindly greeting offer / in other monarch's land. Many a valiant warrior / saw Werbel by King Gunther stand.

1439

Right courteously the monarch / began to greet them then: "Now be ye both right welcome, / Hunland's merry men, And knights that give you escort. / Hither sent are ye By Etzel mighty monarch / unto the land of Burgundy?"

1440

They bowed before the monarch; / then spake Werbelein: "My dear lord and master, / and Kriemhild, sister thine, Hither to thy country / give fairest compliment. In faith of kindly welcome / us unto you they now have sent."

1441

Then spake the lofty ruler: / "I joy o'er this ye bring. How liveth royal Etzel," / further spake the king, "And Kriemhild, my sister, / afar in Hunland?" Then answered him the fiddler: / "That shalt thou straightway understand.

1442

"That never any people / more lordly life might show Than they both do joy in, / --that shalt thou surely know,-- Wherein do share their kinsmen / and all their doughty train. When from them we parted, / of our journey were they fain."

1443

"My thanks for these high greetings / ye bring at his command And from my royal sister. / That high in joy they stand, The monarch and his kinsmen, / rejoiceth me to hear. For, sooth to say, the tidings / asked I now in mickle fear."

1444

The twain of youthful princes / were eke come thitherward, As soon as they the tidings / from afar had heard. Right glad were seen the messengers / for his dear sister's sake By the young Giselher, / who in such friendly manner spake:

1445

"Right hearty were your welcome / from me and brother mine, Would ye but more frequent / ride hither to the Rhine; Here found ye friends full many / whom glad ye were to see, And naught but friendly favors / the while that in this land ye be."

1446

"To us how high thy favor," / spake Schwemmel, "know we well; Nor with my best endeavor / might I ever tell How kindly is the greeting / we bear from Etzel's hand And from your noble sister, / who doth in highest honor stand.

1447

"Your sometime love and duty / recalleth Etzel's queen, And how to her devoted / in heart we've ever been, But first to royal Gunther / do we a message bear, And pray it be your pleasure / unto Etzel's land to fare.

1448

"To beg of you that favor / commanded o'er and o'er Etzel mighty monarch / and bids you know the more, An will ye not your sister / your faces give to see, So would he know full gladly / wherein by him aggrieved ye be,

1449

"That ye thus are strangers / to him and all his men. If that his spouse so lofty / to you had ne'er been known, Yet well he thought to merit / that him ye'd deign to see; In sooth could naught rejoice him / more than that such thing might be."

1450

Then spake the royal Gunther: / "A sennight from this day Shall ye have an answer, / whereon decide I may With my friends in counsel. / The while shall ye repair Unto your place of lodging, / and right goodly be your fare."

1451

Then spake in answer Werbel: / "And might such favor be That we the royal mistress / should first have leave to see, Ute, the lofty lady, / ere that we seek our rest?" To him the noble Giselher / in courteous wise these words addressed.

1452

"That grace shall none forbid you. / Will ye my mother greet, Therein do ye most fully / her own desire meet. For sake of my good sister / fain is she you to see, For sake of Lady Kriemhild / ye shall to her full welcome be."

1453

Giselher then led him / unto the lofty dame, Who fain beheld the messengers / from Hunland that came. She greeted them full kindly / as lofty manner taught, And in right courteous fashion / told they to her the tale they brought.

1454

"Pledge of loyal friendship / sendeth unto thee Now my lofty mistress," / spake Schwemmel. "Might it be, That she should see thee often, / then shalt thou know full well, In all the world there never / a greater joy to her befell."

1455

Replied the royal lady: / "Such thing may never be. Gladly as would I oft-times / my dearest daughter see, Too far, alas, is distant / the noble monarch's wife. May ever yet full happy / with King Etzel be her life.

1456

"See that ye well advise me, / ere that ye hence are gone, What time shall be your parting; / for messengers I none Have seen for many seasons / as glad as greet I you." The twain gave faithful promise / such courtesy full sure to do.

1457

Forthwith to seek their lodgings / the men of Hunland went, The while the mighty monarch / for trusted warriors sent, Of whom did noble Gunther / straightway question make, How thought they of the message. / Whereupon full many spake

1458

That he might well with honor / to Etzel's land be bound, The which did eke advise him / the highest 'mongst them found, All save Hagen only, / whom sorely grieved such rede. Unto the king in secret / spake he: "Ill shall be thy meed.

1459

"What deed we twain compounded / art thou full well aware, Wherefor good cause we ever / shall have Kriemhild to fear, For that her sometime husband / I slew by my own hand. How dare we ever journey / then unto King Etzel's land?"

1460

Replied the king: "My sister / no hate doth harbor more. As we in friendship kissed her, / vengeance she forswore For evil that we wrought her, / ere that from hence she rode,-- Unless this message, Hagen, / ill for thee alone forebode."

1461

"Now be thou not deceived," / spake Hagen, "say what may The messengers from Hunland. / If thither be thy way, At Kriemhild's hands thou losest / honor eke and life, For full long-avenging / is the royal Etzel's wife."

1462

Added then his counsel / the princely Gernot there: "Though be it thou hast reason / thine own death to fear Afar in Hunnish kingdom, / should we for that forego To visit our high sister, / that were in sooth but ill to do."

1463

Unto that thane did likewise / Giselher then say: "Since well thou know'st, friend Hagen, / what guilt on thee doth weigh, Then tarry here behind us / and of thyself have care, And let who dares the journey / with us unto my sister fare."

1464

Thereat did rage full sorely / Tronje's doughty thane: "So shall ye ne'er find any / that were to go more fain, Nor who may better guide you / than I upon your way. And will ye not give over, / know then my humor soon ye may."

1465

Then spake the Kitchen Master, / Rumold a lofty thane: "Here might ye guests and kinsmen / in plenty long maintain After your own pleasure, / for ye have goodly store. I ween ye ne'er found Hagen / traitor to you heretofore.

1466

"If heed ye will not Hagen, / still Rumold doth advise --For ye have faithful service / from me in willing wise-- That here at home ye tarry / for the love of me, And leave the royal Etzel / afar with Kriemhild to be.

1467

"Where in the world might ever / ye more happy be Than here where from danger / of every foeman free, Where ye may go as likes you / in goodliest attire, Drink wine the best, and stately / women meet your heart's desire.

1468

"And daily is your victual / the best that ever knew A king of any country. / And were the thing not true, At home ye yet should tarry / for sake of your fair wife Ere that in childish fashion / ye thus at venture set your life.

1469

"Thus rede I that ye go not. / Mighty are your lands, And at home more easy may ye / be freed from hostile hands Than if ye pine in Hunland. / How there it is, who knows? O Master, go not thither, / --such is the rede that Rumold owes."

1470

"We'll ne'er give o'er the journey," / Gernot then did say, "When thus our sister bids us / in such friendly way And Etzel, mighty monarch. / Wherefore should we refrain? Who goes not gladly thither, / here at home may he remain."

1471

Thereto gave answer Hagen: / "Take not amiss, I pray, These my words outspoken, / let befall what may. Yet do I counsel truly, / as ye your safety prize, That to the Huns ye journey / armed full well in warlike guise.

1472

"Will ye then not give over, / your men together call, The best that ye may gather / from districts one and all. From out them all I'll choose you / a thousand knights full good, Then may ye reck but little / the vengeful Kriemhild's angry mood."

1473

"I'll gladly heed thy counsel," / straight the king replied, And bade the couriers traverse / his kingdom far and wide. Soon they brought together / three thousand men or more, Who little weened what mickle / sorrow was for them in store.

1474

Joyful came they riding / to King Gunther's land. Steeds and equipment for them / all he did command, Who should make the journey / thence from Burgundy. Warriors many were there / to serve the king right willingly.

1475

Hagen then of Tronje / to Dankwart did assign Of their warriors eighty / to lead unto the Rhine. Equipped in knightly harness / were they soon at hand. Riding in gallant fashion / unto royal Gunther's land.

1476

Came eke the doughty Volker, / a noble minstrel he, With thirty goodly warriors / to join the company, Who wore so rich attire / 'twould fit a monarch well. That he would fare to Hunland, / bade he unto Gunther tell.

1477

Who was this same Volker / that will I let you know: He was a knight full noble, / to him did service owe Many a goodly warrior / in the land of Burgundy. For that he well could fiddle, / named the Minstrel eke was he.

1478

Thousand men chose Hagen, / who well to him were known. What things in storm of battle / their doughty arm had done, Or what they wrought at all times, / that knew he full well. Nor of them might e'er mortal / aught but deeds of valor tell.

1479

The messengers of Kriemhild, / full loath they were to wait, For of their master's anger / stood they in terror great. Each day for leave to journey / more great their yearning grew, But daily to withhold it / crafty Hagen pretext knew.

1480

He spake unto his master: / "Well shall we beware Hence to let them journey / ere we ourselves prepare In seven days thereafter / to ride to Etzel's land: If any mean us evil, / so may we better understand.

1481

"Nor may the Lady Kriemhild / ready make thereto, That any by her counsel / scathe to us may do. Yet if such wish she cherish, / evil shall be her meed, For many a chosen warrior / with us shall we thither lead."

1482

Shields well-wrought and saddles, / with all the mickle gear That into Etzel's country / the warriors should wear, The same was now made ready / for many a knight full keen. The messengers of Kriemhild / before King Gunther soon were seen.

1483

When were come the messengers, / Gernot them addressed: "King Gunther now is minded / to answer Etzel's quest. Full gladly go we thither / with him to make high-tide And see our lofty sister, / --of that set ye all doubt aside."

1484

Thereto spake King Gunther: / "Can ye surely say When shall be the high-tide, / or upon what day We shall there assemble?" / Spake Schwemmel instantly: "At turn of sun in summer / shall in sooth the meeting be."

1485

The monarch leave did grant them, / ere they should take their way, If that to Lady Brunhild / they would their homage pay, His high pleasure was it / they unto her should go. Such thing prevented Volker, / and did his mistress' pleasure so.

1486

"In sooth, my Lady Brunhild / hath scarce such health to-day As that she might receive you," / the gallant knight did say. "Bide ye till the morrow, / may ye the lady see." When thus they sought her presence, / might their wish not granted be.

1487

To the messengers right gracious / was the mighty king, And bade he from his treasure / on shields expansive bring Shining gold in plenty / whereof he had great store. Eke richest gifts received they / from his lofty kinsmen more.

1488

Giselher and Gernot, / Gere and Ortwein, That they were free in giving / soon full well was seen. So costly gifts were offered / unto each messenger That they dared not receive them, / for Etzel's anger did they fear.

1489

Then unto King Gunther / Werbel spake again: Sire, let now thy presents / in thine own land remain. The same we may not carry, / my master hath decreed That we accept no bounty. / Of that in sooth we've little need."

1490

Thereat the lord of Rhineland / was seen in high displeasure, That they should thus accept not / so mighty monarch's treasure? In their despite yet took they / rich dress and gold in store, The which moreover with them / home to Etzel's land they bore.

1491

Ere that they thence departed / they Lady Ute sought, Whereat the gallant Giselher / straight the minstrels brought Unto his mother's presence. / Kind greetings sent the dame, And wish that high in honor / still might stand her daughter's name.

1492

Then bade the lofty lady / embroidered silks and gold For the sake of Kriemhild, / whom loved she as of old, And eke for sake of Etzel, / unto the minstrels give. What thus so free was offered / might they in sooth right fain receive.

1493

Soon now had ta'en departure / the messengers from thence, From knight and fairest lady, / and joyous fared they hence Unto Suabian country; / Gernot had given behest Thus far for armed escort, / that none their journey might molest.

1494

When these had parted from them, / safe still from harm were they, For Etzel's might did guard them / wherever led their way. Nor ever came there any / that aught to take would dare, As into Etzel's country / they in mickle haste did fare.

1495

Where'er they friends encountered, / to all they straight made known How that they of Burgundy / should follow after soon From Rhine upon their journey / unto the Huns' country. The message brought they likewise / unto Bishop Pilgrim's see.

1496

As down 'fore Bechelaren / they passed upon their way, The tidings eke to Ruediger / failed they not to say, And unto Gotelinde, / the margrave's wife the same. At thought so soon to see them / was filled with joy the lofty dame.

1497

Hasting with the tidings / each minstrel's courser ran, Till found they royal Etzel / within his burgh at Gran. Greeting upon greeting, / which they must all bestow, They to the king delivered; / with joy his visage was aglow.

1498

When that the lofty Kriemhild / did eke the tidings hear, How that her royal brothers / unto the land would fare, In sooth her heart was gladdened; / on the minstrels she bestowed Richest gifts in plenty, / as she to her high station owed.

1499

She spake: "Now shall ye, Werbel / and Schwemmel, tell to me Who cometh of my kinsmen / to our festivity, Who of all were bidden / this our land to seek? Now tell me, when the message / heard he, what did Hagen speak?"

1500

Answered: "He came to council / early upon a day, But little was of pleasant / in what he there did say. When learned he their intention, / in wrath did Hagen swear, To death 'twere making journey, / to country of the Huns to fare.

1501

"Hither all are coming, / thy royal brothers three, And they right high in spirit. / Who more shall with them be, The tale to tell entire / were more than I might do. To journey with them plighted / Volker the valiant fiddler too."

1502

"'Twere little lost, full truly," / answered then the queen, "If by my eyes never / Volker here were seen. 'Tis Hagen hath my favor, / a noble knight is he, And mickle is my pleasure / that him full soon we here may see."

1503

Her way the Lady Kriemhild / then to the king did take, And in right joyous manner / unto her consort spake: "How liketh thee the tidings, / lord full dear to me? What aye my heart hath yearned for, / that shall now accomplished be."

1504

"Thy will my joy was ever," / the lofty monarch said. "In sooth for my own kinsmen / I ne'er have been so glad, To hear that they come hither / unto my country. To know thy friends are coming, / hath parted sadness far from me."