But in a mood so haughty had they been thither sent,
To no man were they willing to be for a mark beholden.
Hagen, the king, was lordly, and took it ill that their pride should them embolden.
To the king they now betook them; many were they who came;
There they found, for pastime, for each some merry game:
Draughts were many playing, or spear and shield were trying;
For these they cared but little, but ever were in Hagen’s praises vying.
As happens oft in Ireland, with every kind of fun
Forthwith the men made merry. In this old Wâ-te won
A friend for himself in Hagen; but to win the ladies’ praises,
Horant, the knight from Denmark, his time in lightsome frolic with them passes.
Fru-te and also Wâ-te were knights full brave and bold;
When standing near each other, both alike looked old.
Their locks were gray and hoary, and with gold were twisted;
But where the bold were needed, to show their bravery earnestly they listed.
The followers of King Hagen wore their shields at court,
With clubs as well as bucklers; there they strove in sport,
In the sword-play slashing; thrusts of spears they parried;
Well themselves they shielded. The youthful knights in games were never wearied.
Then asked the brave King Hagen of Wâ-te and his men,
“If, where they erst were living, such fights were ever seen,
Or such heavy onslaughts, as his good knights were dealing,
Here in his Irish kingdom?” A smile of scorn o’er Wâ-te’s face was stealing.
Then quoth the knight from Sturmland: “The like I never saw;
If any here could teach it, from here would I not withdraw
Till a year was fully ended, and I had learned it rightly.
Whoe’er should be my master, for his care and pains would I not reward him lightly.”
The king to him then answered: “For the love to you I bear,
I will bid my best of masters teach you his art with care,
Till the three strokes are easy, that, in field-storms raging,
Men give to one another; by this will you be helped when battle waging.”
Then came a fencing-master, and began his craft to show
To Wâ-te, the daring fighter; in him he found a foe
Who fear for his life soon gave him. Wâ-te his onset parried,
With all the skill of a fencer. The face of Fru-te the Dane a smile now carried.
To save himself, the teacher gave a spring as wide
As doth an untamed leopard. Wâ-te his weapon plied,
And in his hand it clattered, until the fire-sparks glistened
Upon his foeman’s buckler; he well might thank the youth who to him had listened.
Then said the king, wild Hagen: “Give me the sword in hand.
I will take a little pastime with him of the Sturmisch land;
I will be his teacher, and he my four strokes be learning.
He for this will thank me.” Soon was the king high praise from Wâ-te earning.
To him old Wâ-te answered: “A pledge I now must hear
That I from you, great Hagen, no guile soe’er may fear;
Should I by you be wounded, with ladies’ scorn shall I redden.”
In the fight was Wâ-te nimble; such quickness to believe should none be bidden.
The simple, untaught fencer smote Hagen many a blow;
Till, like a wet brand steaming, was the king before his foe.
The learner outdid his teacher: well his strength he boasted.
The host laid strokes unnumbered upon the guest, who in his skill had trusted.
Many looked on gladly to see the strength of both.
To own the skill of Wâ-te the king was nothing loth;
He might have shown his anger, and brought no shame upon him.
Great was the strength of Wâ-te, but yet ’twas seen that Hagen had outdone him.
To the king then spake old Wâ-te: “Let each no favor show,
While we together struggle. Well have I learned from you
Your four strokes to be plying; my thanks be you now sharing.”
Such thanks he later showed him as doth a fighting Frank or Saxon daring.
No more a truce was thought of by Wâ-te and the king;
With strokes that loud were crashing, the hall began to ring.
Harder blows than ever they gave, as now they battled;
All their thrusts were sudden; the knobs upon their swords snapped off and rattled.
The two sat down to rest them; then Hagen said to his guest:
“You fain would be a learner, but you in truth are the best
That ever I was teaching the skill that the foeman dazes.
Wherever you are fighting, you in the field will win most worthy praises.”
Then to the king spake Irold: “My lord, the strife is done
That you so well were waging; such fights have we seen won,
In the land of our king and master. Oft, at home, we freely
Try our skill with weapons; knights and squires there meet in matches daily.”
Then again spoke Hagen: “Did I this understand,
I never a fighting weapon had taken in my hand.
No youth have I ever met with who was so quick at learning.”
When to these words they listened, the face of many a one to smiles was turning.
Now by the king ’twas granted to his guests to pass the day
As they might all be choosing. Glad of this were they,
The men from out the Northland. When the hours grew weary,
They vied huge stones in hurling; or else in shooting arrows made them merry.
Tale VI
How Sweetly Horant Sang
Horant delights the court with his singing, and he with his friend Morunc are introduced to the bower of Hilda. He tells her of Hettel’s suit, which she, charmed by the singing of Horant, receives with favor. They invite her to visit their ship, with her father and mother, and the invitation is accepted.
It came to pass one evening, good luck did so befall,
That Horant, the knight of Daneland, sang before them all.
His singing was so wondrous that all who listened near him
Found his song well-pleasing; the little birds all hushed their notes to hear him.
King Hagen heard him gladly, and with him all his men:
The song of the Danish Horant friends for him did gain.
Likewise the queenly mother hearkened with ear befitting,
As it sounded thro’ the opening where she upon the leaded roof was sitting.
Then spake the fair young Hilda: “What is it that I hear?
Just now a song the sweetest was thrilling on mine ear,
That e’er from any singer I heard until this hour.
Would to God in heaven my chamberlain to raise such notes had power!”
Then she bade them bring her him who so sweetly sung;
Soon as the knight came forward, thanks were on her tongue.
For her with song the evening blissfully was ended;
By Lady Hilda’s women the minstrel-knight was carefully befriended.
Then spake the
