How Siegfried fought with the Saxons
139
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.
140
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.
141
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.
142
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.
143
" 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.
144
" 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.
145
" 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.
146
" 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. "
147
" 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. "
148
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.
149
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. "
150
" 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. "
151
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. "
152
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.
153
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.
154
" 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:
155
" '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.
156
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. "
157
" 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.
158
" 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. "
139
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.
140
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.
141
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.
142
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.
143
" 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.
144
" 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.
145
" 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.
146
" 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. "
147
" 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. "
148
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.
149
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. "
150
" 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. "
151
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. "
152
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.
153
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.
154
" 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:
155
" '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.
156
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. "
157
" 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.
158
" 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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