And a heavy sword, the sharpest, he proudly with him bore;
But now the aged Wâ-te almost too long had waited;
Wild and grim was Hagen, and high his spear he raised ’gainst his foe belated.
Loudly then he shouted, and bade his men make haste;
None of all his followers would he allow to rest,
Hoping these guests, now fleeing, who had been such traitors,
Might be with speed o’ertaken, and either should be slain, or bound in fetters.
The king had now about him fighters many and brave,
But yet he could not follow across the wild sea-wave;
His ships were all unready, and many of them leaking,
When now he would be sailing; of Hagen’s blame for this were all soon speaking.
On the gravelly seashore standing, no other way he knew
But that more ships be builded for him and his liegemen true,
And workmen called together, who must therein be speedy:
All came who now were able, and these he found to be both skilled and ready.
Upon the seventh morning, there left the Irish land
The men sent forth by Hettel to ask for Hilda’s hand,
And bring to him the lady. They were a thousand barely;
Hagen brought against them thirty hundred men, if reckoned fairly.
The daring knights of Denmark sent men home before,
To carry word to Hettel that Hagen’s child they bore,
And to his land would bring her, with honor him befitting.
Though now they little thought it, still harder work erelong must they be meeting.
To them their master, Hettel, in happy mood then spoke:
“My sorrows now are over. Great toils my liegemen took
For me in Hagen’s kingdom, and now have brought me gladness;
Since they on their errand left me, fear for their doom has filled my heart with sadness.
“Dear friends, if with your tidings you have not me betrayed,
And do not tell me falsely that you have seen the maid
Near to my land and kingdom, and in my friends’ safe-keeping,
For your tale will I reward you, and gladly will your praise be ever speaking.”
They said: “No lie we tell you, that we the maid have seen;
But when we miles had measured, the daughter of the queen
Sadly said, for our welfare she feared, and was heavy-hearted,
Lest the king, her father, to follow with his ships e’en then had started.”
For the tidings, Hettel gave them a hundred marks in worth;
For all his knights there gathered, men at once brought forth
Swords as well as helmets, and shields for them were bidden:
Thus from Hettel’s castle they went, as if to court, to bring the maiden.
All the men he was able Hettel for this now sought;
Greatly was he hoping, and much thereof he thought,
So great a host to muster, and these so well outfitted,
That never to king’s fair daughter so fine a welcome might again be meted.
In haste were all then bidden who ought with him to go;
They still made ready slowly, till gifts he should bestow
Of all things that they needed; they for this were waiting.
At length by him were gathered a thousand men or more, for Hilda’s greeting.
Gay were they in clothing— ’gainst this could none say nay—
Poor as well as wealthy were shining in war-array:
To bring the lovely ladies to their new home and dwelling
Were Hettel’s lieges earnest; with lofty hopes of this their hearts were swelling.
Soon as they left the castle, shouts the land did fill,
As they their way were making thro’ lowland and o’er hill;
Men saw upon the pathways crowds still thronging nearer:
Hettel hastened forward, to see the maid, than every other dearer.
At last the aged Wâ-te, the knight from the Sturmisch land,
Had reached the Waalisch marches and stepped upon the sand.
There on the shore were gathered the sailors, water-weary;
Shelter they sought for Hilda, and in a friendly land were glad to tarry.
Stakes for tents were driven near to the broad sea-flood
By the followers of Wâ-te; they were in happy mood.
Erelong the news was bruited, and soon to them was given,
That Hettel, king of the Hegelings, had left his home, and now was near them even;
And that he with many liegemen was riding down to the shore,
To meet his well-belovèd. Now hoped the maids the more
That she with greatest honor should, as her birth befitted,
Be brought into his kingdom. No more the thought of strife their hearts affrighted.
The guests for nothing wanted, they had both wine and food;
Those who were living near them freely on them bestowed
The best that they were able; the wants of all they heeded;
Whate’er they had they gave them, and left them not to lack for aught they needed.
Hettel now drew nearer to those who had reached his land;
And with him, gathered hastily, the strong and goodly band,
Drawn from his father’s kingdom. They came bedecked so gaily,
And in such glittering armor, the guests looked on full glad, and praised them freely.
Then the men of the Hegelings came down upon the plain,
And soon the rushing riders a tilting-match began;
All with youthful boldness for knightly prizes striving:
Then came the Danish Fru-te, and with him Wâ-te, wise as any living.
They were seen from afar by Hettel; happy in heart was he.
His horse he set a-prancing; right glad was he to see
Two of his bravest liegemen, sent by him o’er the water,
With fighters bold to Ireland, in hopes to win for him wild Hagen’s daughter.
On him, too, looked they gladly, their worthy king, so good;
Each day they spent there with him found them in happy mood.
Wâ-te with all his fellows, while far away they were living,
Had known much bitter hardship: for this would Hettel now reward be giving.
As he met his friendly liegemen, King Hettel wore a smile;
Then said he to them kindly: “Much have I feared erewhile
For you, my faithful helpers, and a heavy heart was bearing,
Lest in Hagen’s castles my men were held, and all were bondage sharing.”
Then for love he kissed them, both those gray old men;
His eyes had never rested on so glad a sight as then,
Nor on a fairer pasture had fed, with longing fonder.
I ween that never to Hettel was aught so full of bliss and sudden wonder.
Then spake the aged Wâ-te: No harm to us was done;
But yet a sway so mighty I ne’er before have known,
As this that wild King Hagen over his lands now wieldeth:
His followers bear them proudly, and he himself in strength to no one yieldeth.
“It was a day as happy as ever could be thought,
When we to you sent tidings that we had Hilda brought,
The loveliest of maidens (no falsehood have I spoken,
Believe the tale I tell you) that ever in this world my eyes did look on.”
The high-born knight then added: “Belike with greatest speed
Will come these daring foemen; for this should you take heed
Lest the angry Hagen soon shall overtake us
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