Part 5

"Let us the brave knight-errant / receive so courteously That we in nought shall merit / his hate, for strong is he. He is so keen of spirit / he must be treated fair: He has by his own valor / done many a deed of prowess rare."

102

The monarch spake in wonder: / "In sooth thou tellest right. Now see how proudly yonder / he stands prepared for fight, He and his thanes together, / the hero wondrous keen! To greet him we'll go thither, / and let our fair intent be seen."

103

"That canst thou," out spake Hagen, / "well in honor do. He is of noble kindred, / a high king's son thereto. 'Tis seen in all his bearing; / meseems in truth, God wot, The tale is worth the hearing / that this bold knight has hither brought."

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Then spake the mighty monarch: / "Be he right welcome here. Keen is he and noble, / of fame known far and near. So shall he be fair treated / in the land of Burgundy." Down then went King Gunther, / and Siegfried with his men found he.

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The king and his knights with him / received so well the guest, That the hearty greeting / did their good will attest. Thereat in turn the stranger / in reverence bowed low, That in their welcome to him / they did such courtesy bestow.

106

"To me it is a wonder," / straightway spake the host, "From whence, O noble Siegfried, / come to our land thou dost, Or what here thou seekest / at Worms upon the Rhine." Him the stranger answered: / "Put thou away all doubts of thine.

107

"I oft have heard the tiding / within my sire's domain, How at thy court resided / --and know this would I fain-- Knights, of all the keenest, / --'tis often told me so-- That e'er a monarch boasted: / now come I hither this to know.

108

"Thyself have I heard also / high praised for knightly worth; 'Tis said a nobler monarch / ne'er lived in all the earth. Thus speak of thee the people / in all the lands around. Nor will I e'er give over / until in this the truth I've found.

109

"I too am warrior noble / and born to wear a crown; So would I right gladly / that thou of me shouldst own That I of right am master / o'er people and o'er land. Of this shall now my honor / and eke my head as pledges stand.

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"And art thou then so valiant / as hath to me been told, I reck not, will he nill he / thy best warrior bold, I'll wrest from thee in combat / whatever thou may'st have; Thy lands and all thy castles / shall naught from change of masters save."

111

The king was seized with wonder / and all his men beside, To see the manner haughty / in which the knight replied That he was fully minded / to take from him his land. It chafed his thanes to hear it, / who soon in raging mood did stand.

112

"How could it be my fortune," / Gunther the king outspoke, "What my sire long ruled over / in honor for his folk, Now to lose so basely / through any vaunter's might? In sooth 'twere nobly showing / that we too merit name of knight!"

113

"Nowise will I give over," / was the keen reply. "If peace through thine own valor / thy land cannot enjoy, To me shall all be subject: / if heritage of mine Through thy arm's might thou winnest, / of right shall all hence-forth be thine.

114

"Thy land and all that mine is, / at stake shall equal lie. Whiche'er of us be victor / when now our strength we try, To him shall all be subject, / the folk and eke the land." But Hagen spake against it, / and Gernot too was quick at hand.

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"Such purpose have we never," / Gernot then said, "For lands to combat ever, / that any warrior dead Should lie in bloody battle. / We've mighty lands and strong; Of right they call us master, / and better they to none belong."

116

There stood full grim and moody / Gernot's friends around, And there as well amongst them / was Ortwein to be found. He spake: "This mild peace-making / doth grieve me sore at heart, For by the doughty Siegfried / attacked all undeserved thou art.

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"If thou and thy two brothers / yourselves to help had naught, And if a mighty army / he too had hither brought, I trow I'd soon be able / to make this man so keen His manner now so haughty / of need replace by meeker mien."

118

Thereat did rage full sorely / the hero of Netherland: "Never shall be measured / 'gainst me in fight thy hand. I am a mighty monarch, / thou a king's serving-knight; Of such as thou a dozen / dare not withstand me in the fight."

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For swords then called in anger / of Metz Sir Ortwein: Son of Hagen's sister / he was, of Tronje's line. That Hagen so long was silent / did grieve the king to see. Gernot made peace between them: / a gallant knight and keen was he.

120

Spake he thus to Ortwein: / "Curb now thy wrathful tongue, For here the noble Siegfried / hath done us no such wrong; We yet can end the quarrel / in peace,--such is my rede-- And live with him in friendship; / that were for us a worthier deed."

121

Then spake the mighty Hagen: / "Sad things do I forebode For all thy train of warriors, / that this knight ever rode Unto the Rhine thus armed. / 'Twere best he stayed at home; For from my masters never / to him such wrong as this had come."

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But outspake Siegfried proudly, / whose heart was ne'er dismayed: "An't please thee not, Sir Hagen, / what I now have said, This arm shall give example / whereby thou plain shall see How stern anon its power / here in Burgundy will be."

123

"Yet that myself will hinder," / said then Gernot. All his men forbade he / henceforth to say aught With such unbridled spirit / to stir the stranger's ire. Then Siegfried eke was mindful / of one most stately maid and fair.

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"Such strife would ill befit us," / Gernot spake again; "For though should die in battle / a host of valiant men 'Twould bring us little honor / and ye could profit none." Thereto gave Siegfried answer, / good King Siegmund's noble son:

125

"Wherefore bides thus grim Hagen, / and Ortwein tardy is To begin the combat / with all those friends of his, Of whom he hath so many / here in Burgundy?" Answer him they durst not, / for such was Gernot's stern decree.

126

"Thou shalt to us be welcome," / outspake young Giselher, "And all thy brave companions / that hither with thee fare. Full gladly we'll attend thee, / I and all friends of mine." For the guests then bade they / pour out in store of Gunther's wine.

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Then spake the stately monarch: / "But ask thou courteously, And all that we call ours / stands at thy service free; So with thee our fortune / we'll share in ill and good." Thereat the noble Siegfried / a little milder was of mood.

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Then carefully was tended / all their knightly gear, And housed in goodly manner / in sooth the strangers were, All that followed Siegfried; / they found a welcome rest. In Burgundy full gladly / anon was seen the noble guest.

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They showed him mickle honor / thereafter many a day, And more by times a thousand / than I to you could say. His might respect did merit, / ye may full well know that. Scarce a man e'er saw him / who bore him longer any hate.

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And when they held their pastime, / the kings with many a man, Then was he ever foremost; / whatever they began, None there that was his equal, / --so mickle was his might-- If they the stone were putting, / or hurling shaft with rival knight.

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As is the knightly custom, / before the ladies fair To games they turned for pastime, / these knights of mettle rare; Then ever saw they gladly / the hero of Netherland. But he had fixed his fancy / to win one fairest maiden's hand.

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In all that they were doing / he'd take a ready part. A winsome loving maiden / he bore within his heart; Him only loved that lady, / whose face he ne'er had seen, But she full oft in secret / of him spake fairest words, I ween.

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And when before the castle / they sped in tournament, The good knights and squires, / oft-times the maiden went And gazed adown from casement, / Kriemhild the princess rare. Pastime there was none other / for her that could with this compare.

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And knew he she was gazing / whom in his heart he bore, He joy enough had found him / in jousting evermore. And might he only see her, / --that can I well believe-- On earth through sight none other / his eyes could such delight receive.

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Whene'er with his companions / to castle court he went, E'en as do now the people / whene'er on pleasure bent, There stood 'fore all so graceful / Siegelind's noble son, For whom in love did languish / the hearts of ladies many a one.

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Eke thought he full often: / "How shall it ever be, That I the noble maiden / with my own eyes may see, Whom I do love so dearly / and have for many a day? To me is she a stranger, / which sorely grieves my heart to say."

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Whene'er the kings so mighty / rode o'er their broad domain, Then of valiant warriors / they took a stately train. With them abroad rode Siegfried, / which grieved those ladies sore: --He too for one fair maiden / at heart a mickle burden bore.

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Thus with his hosts he lingered / --'tis every tittle true-- In King Gunther's country / a year completely through, And never once the meanwhile / the lovely maid did see, Through whom such joy thereafter / for him, and eke such grief should be.

FOURTH ADVENTURE

How Siegfried fought with the Saxons

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Now come wondrous tidings / to King Gunther's land, By messengers brought hither / from far upon command Of knights unknown who harbored / against him secret hate. When there was heard the story, / at heart in sooth the grief was great.

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Of these I now will tell you: / There was King Luedeger From out the land of Saxons, / a mighty warrior, And eke from land of Denmark / Luedegast the king: Whene'er they rode to battle / went they with mighty following.

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Come were now their messengers / to the land of Burgundy, Sent forth by these foemen / in proud hostility. Then asked they of the strangers / what tidings they did bring: And when they heard it, straightway / led them to court before the king.

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Then spake to them King Gunther: / "A welcome, on my word. Who 'tis that send you hither, / that have I not yet heard: Now shall ye let me know it," / spake the monarch keen. Then dreaded they full sorely / to see King Gunther's angry mien.

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"Wilt them, O king, permit us / the tidings straight to tell That we now have brought thee, / no whit will we conceal, But name thee both our masters / who us have hither sent: Luedegast and Luedeger, / --to waste thy land is their intent.

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"Their hate hast thou incurred, / and thou shalt know in sooth That high enraged against thee / are the monarchs both. Their hosts they will lead hither / to Worms upon the Rhine; They're helped by thanes full many-- / of this put off all doubts of thine.

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"Within weeks a dozen / their march will they begin; And if thy friends be valiant, / let that full quick be seen, To help thee keep in safety / thy castles and thy land: Full many a shield and helmet / shall here be cleft by warrior's hand.

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"Or wilt thou with them parley, / so let it quick be known, Before their hosts so mighty / of warlike men come down To Worms upon Rhine river / sad havoc here to make, Whereby must death most certain / many a gallant knight o'ertake."

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"Bide ye now the meanwhile," / the king did answer kind, "Till I take better counsel; / then shall ye know my mind. Have I yet warriors faithful, / from these I'll naught conceal, But to my friends I'll straightway / these warlike tidings strange reveal."

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The lordly Gunther wondered / thereat and troubled sore, As he the message pondered / in heart and brooded o'er. He sent to fetch grim Hagen / and others of his men, And bade likewise in hurry / to court bring hither Gernot then.

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Thus at his word his trusted / advisers straight attend. He spake: "Our land to harry / foes all unknown will send Of men a mighty army; / a grievous wrong is this. Small cause have we e'er given / that they should wish us aught amiss."

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"Our swords ward such things from us," / Gernot then said; "Since but the fated dieth, / so let all such lie dead. Wherefore I'll e'er remember / what honor asks of me: Whoe'er hath hate against us / shall ever here right welcome be."

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Then spake the doughty Hagen: / "Methinks 'twould scarce be good; Luedegast and Luedeger / are men of wrathful mood. Help can we never summon, / the days are now so few." So spake the keen old warrior, / "'Twere well Siegfried the tidings knew."

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The messengers in the borough / were harbored well the while, And though their sight was hateful, / in hospitable style As his own guests to tend them / King Gunther gave command, Till 'mongst his friends he learned / who by him in his need would stand.

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The king was filled with sorrow / and his heart was sad. Then saw his mournful visage / a knight to help full glad, Who could not well imagine / what 'twas that grieved him so. Then begged he of King Gunther / the tale of this his grief to know.

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"To me it is great wonder," / said Siegfried to the king, "How thou of late hast changed / to silent sorrowing The joyous ways that ever / with us thy wont have been." Then unto him gave answer / Gunther the full stately thane:

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"'Tis not to every person / I can the burden say That ever now in secret / upon my heart doth weigh: To well-tried friends and steady / are told our inmost woes." --Siegfried at first was pallid, / but soon his blood like fire up-rose.

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He spake unto the monarch: / "To thee I've naught denied. All ills that now do threaten / I'll help to turn aside. And if but friends thou seekest, / of them the first I'll be, And trow I well with honor / till death to serve thee faithfully."

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"God speed thee well, Sir Siegfried, / for this thy purpose fair: And though such help in earnest / thy arm should render ne'er, Yet do I joy at hearing / thou art so true to me. And live I yet a season, / right heartily repaid 'twill be.

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"Know will I also let thee / wherefore I sorrowing stand. Through messengers from my foemen / have tidings reached my land That they with hosts of warriors / will ride my country o'er; Such thing to us did never / thanes of any land before."

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"Small cause is that for grieving," / said then Siegfried; "But calm thy troubled spirit / and hearken to my rede: Let me for thee acquire / honor and vantage too, And bid thou now assemble / for service eke thy warriors true.

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"And had thy mighty enemies / to help them now at hand Good thanes full thirty thousand, / against them all I'd stand, Had I but one good thousand: / put all thy trust in me." Then answered him King Gunther: / "Thy help shall full requited be."

161

"Then bid for me to summon / a thousand of thy men, Since I now have with me / of all my knightly train None but twelve knights only; / then will I guard thy land. For thee shall service faithful / be done alway by Siegfried's hand.

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"Herein shall help us Hagen / and eke Ortwein, Dankwart and Sindold, / those trusted knights of thine; And with us too shall journey / Volker, the valiant man; The banner he shall carry: / bestow it better ne'er I can.

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"Back to their native country / the messengers may go; They'll see us there right quickly, / let them full surely know, So that all our castles / peace undisturbed shall have." Then bade the king to summon / his friends with all their warriors brave.

164

To court returned the heralds / King Luedeger had sent, And on their journey homeward / full joyfully they went. King Gunther gave them presents / that costly were and good, And granted them safe convoy; / whereat they were of merry mood.

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"Tell ye my foes," spake Gunther, / "when to your land ye come, Than making journeys hither / they better were at home; But if they still be eager / to make such visit here, Unless my friends forsake me, / cold in sooth shall be their cheer."

166

Then for the messengers / rich presents forth they bore, Whereof in sooth to give them / Gunther had goodly store: And they durst not refuse them / whom Luedeger had sent. Leave then they took immediate, / and homeward joyfully they went.

167

When to their native Denmark / the messengers returned, And the king Luedegast / the answer too had learned, They at the Rhine had sent him, / --when that to him was told, His wrath was all unbounded / to have reply in words so bold.

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'Twas said their warriors numbered / many a man full keen: "There likewise among them / with Gunther have we seen Of Netherland a hero, / the same that Siegfried hight." King Luedegast was grieved, / when he their words had heard aright.

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When throughout all Denmark / the tidings quick spread o'er, Then in hot haste they summoned / helpers all the more, So that King Luedegast, / 'twixt friends from far and near, Had knights full twenty thousand / all furnished well with shield and spear.

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Then too his men did summon / of Saxony Luedeger, Till they good forty thousand, / and more, had gathered there, With whom to make the journey / 'gainst the land of Burgundy. --At home likewise the meanwhile / King Gunther had sent forth decree

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Mighty men to summon / of his own and brothers twain, Who against the foemen / would join the armed train. In haste they made them ready, / for right good cause they had. Amongst them must thereafter / full many a noble thane lie dead.

172

To march they quick made ready. / And when they thence would fare, The banner to the valiant / Volker was given to bear, As they began the journey / from Worms across the Rhine; Strong of arm grim Hagen / was chosen leader of the line.

173

With them there rode Sindold / and eke the keen Hunold Who oft at hands of Gunther / had won rewards of gold; Dankwart, Hagen's brother, / and Ortwein beside, Who all could well with honor / in train of noble warriors ride.

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"King Gunther," spake then Siegfried, / "stay thou here at home; Since now thy knights so gallant / with me will gladly come, Rest thou here with fair ladies, / and be of merry mood: I trow we'll keep in safety / thy land and honor as we should.

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"And well will I see to it / that they at home remain, Who fain would ride against thee / to Worms upon the Rhine. Against them straight we'll journey / into their land so far That they'll be meeker minded / who now such haughty vaunters are."

176

Then from the Rhine through Hesse / the hosts of knights rode on Toward the land of Saxons, / where battle was anon. With fire and sword they harried / and laid the country waste, So that both the monarchs / full well the woes of war did taste.

177

When came they to the border / the train-men onward pressed. With thought of battle-order / Siegfried the thanes addressed: "Who now shall guard our followers / from danger in the rear?" In sooth like this the Saxons / in battle worsted never were.

178

Then said they: "On the journey / the men shall guarded be By the valiant Dankwart, / --a warrior swift is he; So shall we lose the fewer / by men of Luedeger. Let him and Ortwein with him / be chosen now to guard the rear."

179

Spake then the valiant Siegfried: / "Myself will now ride on, And against our enemies / will keep watch in the van, Till I aright discover / where they perchance may be." The son of fair Queen Siegelind / did arm him then immediately.

180

The folk he left to Hagen / when ready to depart, And as well to Gernot, / a man of dauntless heart. Into the land of Saxons / alone he rode away, And by his hand was severed / many a helmet's band that day.

181

He found a mighty army / that lay athwart the plain, Small part of which outnumbered / all those in his own train: Full forty thousand were they / or more good men of might. The hero high in spirit / saw right joyfully the sight.

182

Then had eke a warrior / from out the enemy To guard the van gone forward, / all armed cap-a-pie. Him saw the noble Siegfried, / and he the valiant man; Each one straight the other / to view with angry mien began.

183

Who he was I'll tell you / that rode his men before, --A shield of gold all shining / upon his arm he bore-- In sooth it was King Luedegast / who there the van did guard. Straightway the noble Siegfried / full eagerly against him spurred.

184

Now singled out for combat / him, too, had Luedegast. Then full upon each other / they spurred their chargers fast, As on their shields they lowered / their lances firm and tight, Whereat the lordly monarch / soon found himself in sorry plight.

185

After the shock their chargers / bore the knights so fast Onward past each other / as flew they on the blast. Then turned they deftly backward / obedient to the rein, As with their swords contested / the grim and doughty fighters twain.

186

When Siegfried struck in anger / far off was heard the blow, And flew from off the helmet, / as if 'twere all aglow, The fiery sparks all crackling / beneath his hand around. Each warrior in the other / a foeman worth his mettle found.

187

Full many a stroke with vigor / dealt eke King Luedegast, And on each other's buckler / the blows fell thick and fast. Then thirty men discovered / their master's sorry plight: But ere they came to help him / had doughty Siegfried won the fight.

188

With three mighty gashes / which he had dealt the king Through his shining breastplate / made fast with many a ring. The sword with sharpest edges / from wounds brought forth the blood, Whereat King Luedegast / apace fell into gloomy mood.

189

To spare his life he begged him, / his land he pledged the knight, And told him straight moreover, / that Luedegast he hight. Then came his knights to help him, / they who there had seen How that upon the vanguard / fierce fight betwixt the twain had been.

190

After duel ended, / did thirty yet withstand Of knights that him attended; / but there the hero's hand Kept safe his noble captive / with blows of wondrous might. And soon wrought greater ruin / Siegfried the full gallant knight.

191

Beneath his arm of valor / the thirty soon lay dead. But one the knight left living, / who thence full quickly sped To tell abroad the story / how he the others slew; In sooth the blood-red helmet / spake all the hapless tidings true.

192

Then had the men of Denmark / for all their grief good cause, When it was told them truly / their king a captive was. They told it to King Luedeger, / when he to rage began In anger all unbounded: / for him had grievous harm been done.

193

The noble King Luedegast / was led a prisoner then By hand of mighty Siegfried / back to King Gunther's men, And placed in hands of Hagen: / and when they did hear That 'twas the king of Denmark / they not a little joyful were.

194

He bade the men of Burgundy / then bind the banners on. "Now forward!" Siegfried shouted, / "here shall yet more be done, An I but live to see it; / ere this day's sun depart, Shall mourn in land of Saxons / full many a goodly matron's heart.

195

"Ye warriors from Rhineland, / to follow me take heed, And I unto the army / of Luedeger will lead. Ere we again turn backward / to the land of Burgundy Helms many hewn asunder / by hand of good knights there shall be."

196

To horse then hastened Gernot / and with him mighty men. Volker keen in battle / took up the banner then; He was a doughty Fiddler / and rode the host before. There, too, every follower / a stately suit of armor wore.

197

More than a thousand warriors / they there had not a man, Saving twelve knights-errant. / To rise the dust began In clouds along the highway / as they rode across the fields, And gleaming in the sunlight / were seen the brightly shining shields.

198

Meanwhile eke was nearing / of Saxons a great throng, Each a broadsword bearing / that mickle was and long, With blade that cut full sorely / when swung in strong right hand. 'Gainst strangers were they ready / to guard their castles and their land.

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