“ To see the sights King Hagen into a boat had gone:
Not all the booths were open, nor all the goods were shown,
When Wâ-te’s men heaved anchor up from the sea-sands deftly,
And Hilda with her maidens was borne away from the land of her fathers swiftly.
[445]
For no one’s hate and anger Wâ-te greatly cares;
Little he recks what happens to the shops of costly wares:
Hilda, the queenly mother, was sundered from her daughter;
The men, in the ship long hidden, up-sprang and sorrow made for Hagen on the water. ”

“ Lands must you sell and castles, nor ever sorrow feel that thus you’ve chosen.
[1160]
“And, warriors brave, now hearken to what we more will say;
If foes our life begrudge us, and us in fight shall slay,
Be not our death forgotten, let it on them be wroken:
Your swords in Hartmut’s kingdom must make your daring there be loudly spoken.
[1161]
“This we further bid you, my good and well-born knights:
E’en though, with toil the hardest, every warrior fights,
Let not those homeless maidens be by you forsaken;
Until the strife is settled, let not their hope and trust in you be shaken.” ”

“ To him then answered Horant: “To you will we make known our woes and dangers.
[314]
“He bears the name of ‘Hettel, Lord of the Hegeling land’;
Brave and mighty is he, and sways with a heavy hand.
We of all our happiness have been robbed and plundered;
Of right are we embittered, since from our land and home we now are sundered.”
[315]
To him spoke Hagen kindly: “This to your good shall turn;
I will in full repay you the losses that you mourn.
If I make myself a beggar, by thus so freely giving,
Yet from the king of the Hegelings you need not ask for help while I am living. ”

“ When men in the storm of warfare deep wounds have had, how else can they find healing?”
[33]
Then said to her King Sigeband: “Lady, you mock at me;
In all these warlike pastimes I will most earnest be;
And for the strife so worthy my wish shall never waver:
No man shall find it easy the ways of well-born kings to teach me ever.”
[34]
She said: “You now for warriors must send throughout the land;
Stores of wealth and clothing must be given with open hand.
I too will send out heralds my kinsmen all to rally,
And to show them my good wishes; we then shall find our life to pass more gaily.” ”

“ Before you yet shall leave me, there shall be high times for the guests with me abiding.”
[1605]
To her Lord Herwic answered: “Lady, you know the way,
How those who send their kinsmen to lands which others sway
Again at home to see them are always greatly longing:
With pain our friends are waiting until again they see us homeward thronging.”
[1606]
Then spake again Queen Hilda: “Grudge not, I beg, to me
One happiness and honor, for none can greater be;
Herwic, king most worthy, the boon now deign to give me,
That I, poor lonely woman, may see my daughter crowned, ere she shall leave me.” ”

“ The weeping of the maidens by the sleeping queen was heard,
Who quick began to chide them with many a surly word:
“Why, you heedless maidens, are you not to the seashore going,
There to wash my clothing, and rinse them with clean water o’er them flowing?”
[1202]
Then said Gu-drun, in sorrow: “I know not where to go,
For in the night has fallen a deep and heavy snow.
That we by death be stricken unless you now are willing,
Do not send us washing; to stand without our shoes will us be killing.” ”

“ She bade her faithful chamberlain to stand before the house;
That so there might be no one who could the threshold cross
Until the songs were ended, soon heard with praises truthful.
None went into her bower but Horant only and Morunc the youthful.
[395]
She bade the bard be seated: “Now sing to me once more,”
Thus spake the high-born maiden, “those songs I heard before.
For this I feel sore craving; than aught beside ’tis sweeter
Unto your lays to listen; than any gem or pastime ’tis far better.” ”

“ Wrought most bitter sorrow: a deadly wound by that warrior brave was done him.
[887]
When Horant saw that his kinsman beneath his blow lay dead,
Then he bade that his banner be borne with his own o’erhead.
The voice of him who was dying told whose life he had taken
With his hand so rashly; sorely he mourned the friend who never would waken.
[888]
Loudly called out Herwic: “Murder here is done!
Since we can see no longer, and daylight now is gone,
We all shall kill each other, friends and foes together.
If this shall last till morning, two may be left to fight, but not another.” ”

“ How mournful were the tidings before the king she laid!—
That in his home and castle his knights were lying dead,
Or else were left by Hartmut now with death-wounds bleeding;
That foes had seized his daughter, and with her many maids were homeward speeding.
[807]
She said: “Now tell King Hettel that I am here alone;
Evil hath me o’ertaken, and now, with pride o’ergrown,
Our mighty foeman, Ludwig, back to his land is faring;
A thousand men or better lie at our gates, and the pains of death are bearing.” ”

“ And many on them broken; but they, their foes now seeking,
Soon the sands were treading, and many a knight his wrath on them was wreaking.
[869]
Ere they had reached the shoreland, one saw the watery flood
Dyed by the killed and wounded, in hue as red as blood;
Everywhere, so widely the reddened waves were flowing,
One could not shoot beyond them, how far soe’er he might his spear be throwing.
[870]
Heavier toil and losses heroes never found,
And never so many warriors lay trampled on the ground:
Enough were they for a kingdom who lay, unwounded, dying. ”

“ Fast with steel well studded; then the knights were laden
With armor white as silver: this made glad the heart of the queenly maiden.
[693]
To full a thousand warriors were given clothes and steeds;
Out of stalls men brought them, as oft the horse one leads,
When, along the highways, men to the fight go riding.
Of all the king’s good horses they left but very few at rest abiding. ”

“ Again King Herwic asked her: “To us yet further tell,
Why is it such brave princes in fear like this should dwell,
That they so many warriors always should be needing?
Had I that band of fighters, to gain a kingdom I would them be leading.”
[1231]
To him Gu-drun thus answered: “Of that we nothing know;
And where their lands are lying, that neither can we show:
But from the Hegeling kingdom, although it is not near them,
They fear that harm awaits them from foes who soon may come, who hatred bear them.” ”

“ Lost are child and husband! Gu-drun I ne’er shall see, from me forever stolen.”
[927]
Then both knights and maidens with sharpest woe were torn;
Their sorrow knew no healing. Loudly the queen forlorn
Was heard, throughout the palace, for her husband mourning.
“Ah, wretched me,” cried Hilda, “that now to Hartmut’s side the luck is turning!”
[928]
Then spake the brave old Wâ-te: “My lady, end your moan:
Home are they coming never, but when to men are grown
The youths within our kingdom, sad days will have an ending;
To Ludwig and to Hartmut the like we’ll do, our wrath upon them spending.” ”

“ Before them saw bold Hartmut; Hettel could not believe he’d be so daring.
[621]
From this did endless evil soon come upon the land:
These guests high-born and worthy were yet an unknown band;
Hartmut and his kinsmen their host’s goodwill were sharing,
And he the hope still harbored that the maid would yet the crown with him be wearing.
[622]
Now before Queen Hilda by ladies he was seen
To stand with lofty breeding, and with a stately mien.
There the proud young Hartmut wore a look so knightly,
That he the love of ladies well might ask, and ’twould be granted rightly. ”

“ When now they all had ridden to the ships upon the strand,
Queen Hilda and her ladies were lifted down on the sand.
The young and lovely maidens to see the ships were taken:
The traders’ booths were open, and the goods did wonder great in the queen awaken.
[443]
Many fair-wrought jewels lay in sight in the shops,
Such as men prize highly; King Hagen to see them stops,
And many with him also: soon as the goods were shown them,
The maidens, too, must see them, and rings and bands of gold were pressed upon them. ”

“ The old and wicked Gerlind ran to Gu-drun in haste;
As if she were her bondwoman, herself at her feet she cast,
Saying: “Most high-born lady, thou alone canst save us
From Wâ-te and his followers; else will his wrath, I ween, of life bereave us.”
[1509]
To her said Hilda’s daughter: “I hear you asking now
That I to you be friendly; how should I kindness show?
Nought that e’er I wished for to grant me were you willing:
To me you showed but hatred; and now my heart with hate for you is swelling.” ”

“ While, on their watery pathway, with proud and happy hearts, the knights were singing.
[1697]
Queen Hilda gave, at parting, a kind farewell to them.
Tho’ rich were Herwic’s followers when first to her they came,
Yet gifts she gave full many to them, when homeward faring.
When one is seen so lavish, the name of a wonder-worker is he rightly bearing.
[1698]
Gu-drun then spake to her mother: “May blessings on you be!
Mourn not for the fallen; by both my lord and me
Shall love to you be given: no more you need be feeling
Heaviness or sorrow; your woes shall Herwic’s kindness now be healing.” ”

“ Not less than sixty thousand together came, their help for Hilda giving.
[1102]
On the river Waal Sir Morunc had upon the wave
Of broad-built ships full sixty, strong to bear the brave
Who with the Hegelings sailing would o’er the sea be carried,
To free Gu-drun, the maiden, who sadly now among the Normans tarried.
[1103]
From out the Northland also finest ships were brought,
With horses and with clothing, as good as could be sought:
Decked were all the helmets, the weapons glittered brightly,
Ready for the onset bravely they came, in armor fair and knightly. ”

“ In it dwelt King Sigeband, with his proud and queenly wife.
Again each pilgrim sailor thought to lose his life;
For should the lord of Ireland aught of them be learning,
They feared that he would slay them; but Hagen stood between, his anger turning.
[140]
Then spake unto the pilgrims that brave and warlike man:
“Your peace will I make gladly, altho’ I do not reign;
I hold no sway in the kingdom, but thither will I be sending,
And ’twixt yourself and my father of the hatred old I soon will make an ending. ”

“ There to knights and warriors must the fight go badly,
Where the friends of Hettel to win his daughter back were striving gladly.
[878]
The evening sun sank lower; and for King Hettel now
His losses grew the greater. King Ludwig’s men, I trow,
Did their best in fighting, but could not flee the slaughter;
Their foes they wounded deeply, and guarded thus Gu-drun from those who sought her.
[879]
The strife began at morning; by night alone ’twas stopped,
And steadily had lasted; they ne’er their weapons dropped.
The old and young together gained no shame in fighting. ”

“ About King Hettel and Hilda, and all they had been hearing.
They saw the men of Hettel coming in throngs, their shields and weapons bearing.
[602]
Horant, lord of Daneland, then to his liegemen spake,
And bade for the errand-bearers a safeguard now to make,
And that the men of Hartmut should be by them well guided
To the court of his lord, King Hettel; they grudged no toil, and well his bidding heeded.
[603]
When thro’ the Hegeling kingdom the heralds took their way,
So lordly was their bearing, that often men did say:
“These folk are rich and mighty, whatever they are seeking.” ”

“ And never time were finding (for the warriors took no rest)
To ask for dead and dying the grace of God in heaven,
For sins of which they were guilty; that they for their misdeeds should be forgiven.
[915]
Saying mass and singing were later heard on the strand.
Never was God so worshipped, in any other land,
For the dead in stormy fighting. Wherever men were lying
With their death-wounds smitten, holy priests they brought to shrive the dying. ”

“ Weeping now and wailing was heard on either hand;
No one there was happy, when from the father-land
The foe with Hilda’s daughter and with her maidens hasted.
Many, now but children, for this, when men, to work them woe ne’er rested.
[804]
Those who were seized by Hartmut down to the shore he took;
All their lands were wasted; their homes went up in smoke.
Now his hopes and wishes happily were granted:
Both Gu-drun and Hildeburg he with him carried off,—the prize he wanted.
[805]
Well he knew that Hettel was many a league away,
And war was grimly waging; no more would Hartmut stay. ”

“ Greatly do I wonder what might these guests befall,
Had now the grim old Wâ-te been there, and seen it all,
The while the men of Hartmut, with Ludwig, brave and daring,
Thro’ the halls were rushing, and from her home the fair Gu-drun were tearing.
[794]
Both Wâ-te and King Hettel, if to them that day
A warning had been given, would stoutly have barred the way;
They their foemen’s helmets with swords would so have riven
That back to their homes in Normandy, without Gu-drun, would they have soon been driven.
[795]
Now within the castle were all in saddest mood;
So men to-day might sorrow. ”

“ To this his kinsmen helped him, and later of his worth were all men hearing.
[19]
He, with knights five hundred, then was dubbed with the sword;
Whatever they could wish for was given them at his word,—
Both shields, and, for their wearing, every kind of clothing.
The youthful king so dauntless, thro’ life, of fame and honor wanted nothing.
[20]
For many a day thereafter his sway did Ireland bless,
And never did his greatness at any time grow less.
To all he freely listened; the poor man’s wrongs he righted;
Widely known was his goodness; no truer knight than he his word e’er plighted. ”