Then Wâ-te and Sir Fru-te down to the shore did bring
Many worthy followers, knights of Hettel, the king,
There to see fair Hilda, and there must they await her.
Upon their shining bucklers many a spear-shaft crashed in battle later.
Now came the fair young maiden, under a comely hat;
Then all the men of the Hegelings who on their horses sat
By the side of the king, their master, upon the grass alighted.
With merry hearts then gladly the well-bred throng their love and friendship plighted.
Irold, he of Ortland, and Morunc of the Frisian land,
Both of those brave champions, one on either hand,
Came with lovely Hilda, and Hettel soon were meeting;
Worthy was she of praises. Now thought the maid to give the king her greeting.
With her there came young maidens, twenty or even more,
All clad in fair white linen— whiter none e’er wore—
Or best of silken clothing, that could be found by any:
Proud were they to wear them, and, gaily decked, they there were seen by many.
The king, both good and stately, then began to greet
With well-bred, seemly bearing, the maid he thought was meet
To wear the crown hereafter. He gazed on her with yearning;
Her in his arms he folded, and fondly kissed the maid, her face upturning.
Then one by one he welcomed all the maidens fair;
But one there was among them so lofty in her air
She might of birth be kingly: in nought her kin were lacking.
She was one of the maidens who with the griffin long her home was making.
She bore the name of Hildeburg: from Hilda, Hagen’s wife,
She ever had won the honor befitting her worthy life;
Born in the land of Portugal, thence had she been taken.
She now saw many strangers: a longing sad for her friends did this awaken.
Hettel to all the maidens gave a welcome free,
Yet was their lot no brighter; for when they thought to see
An end of all their sadness, upon the coming morrow,
Soon as the day was dawning, there came to them again as great a sorrow.
Her throng of high-born followers were greeted on every side;
Near to Hagen’s daughter on a flowery meadow wide,
Under silken awnings, many there were seated.
But Hagen was now too near them; to them from him must many ills be meted.
Tale VIII
How Hagen Followed His Daughter
Hagen and his warriors follow in their ships, in order to rescue Hilda, and reach the Hegeling land: a battle takes place on the seashore. At Hilda’s entreaty, peace is made, and Hagen consents to her marriage with Hettel. Hagen returns home, leaving Hilda and her maidens in Hettel’s kingdom.
When the day was dawning, there was seen full well,
And known by Horant of Daneland, a cross upon a sail,
With other emblems blazoned, that pilgrims did betoken.
For such a band of pilgrims in Wâ-te’s heart was little love bespoken.
Loudly Morunc shouted to Irold brave and true:
“Now ask our lord, King Hettel, what he thinks to do?
A sail with the arms of Hagen comes to our shore too nearly:
Too long have we been sleeping, and well to be rid of this will cost us dearly.”
To Hettel the tale was carried that the father of his bride,
Hither from Ireland sailing, with ships broad-built and wide
As well as many a galley, now their shore was nearing.
From Wâ-te and from Fru-te their wisest thoughts the king was bent on hearing.
Both those knights of Denmark could hardly this believe,
Had not their eyes beheld it, that Hagen, with followers brave,
Seeking his daughter Hilda, to the river Waal was steering.
The men who came from Ortland lay happy on the beach, no danger fearing.
The fair and noble Hilda soon heard the wondrous tale,
Whereat the kindly maiden did loudly thus bewail:
“My father, if he comes hither, soon will make such slaughter,
That none e’er knew the sorrow that will be felt by many a wife and daughter.”
“We ’gainst that can guard us,” answered the knight Irold:
“However he may bluster, I would not take of gold
A mountain’s weight in barter, that day when foes are mated,
Could I see my uncle Wâ-te near wild Hagen come, with anger heated.”
Then the lovely maidens began to wail and mourn.
The ship was tossed and rolling, now by the west wind borne,
With warriors filled and crowded, near to Waal, the river.
They there, in heavy fighting, soon found a blood-stained resting-place forever.
Wâ-te bade that Hilda on board a ship should stay.
To guard the queenly maiden, while near the shore it lay,
On every side all hastily men their shields were bearing:
To keep a watch o’er the ladies, there were on board a hundred warriors daring.
Ready now for battle were all who to the strand
Had brought the lovely Hilda from her Irish fatherland,
Whence they the maid had stolen, to her father Hagen’s sorrow.
Many, sound and healthy, must sorely fear for their lives before the morrow.
Hettel was soon heard shouting and calling aloud to his men:
“Be on your guard, brave fighters! Who never gold did gain,
To him it shall be measured, in handfuls, without weighing.
Let this be not forgotten— that now your Irish foes you may be slaying.”
Bearing then their weapons, down they rushed to the sand;
Stirred with warlike bustle was all the Waalisch strand.
Thither to King Hettel flocked his champions daring;
Friends as well as foemen soon towards the selfsame spot were faring.
Now had Hagen also reached the sandy shore,
And men at him were hurling the spears they bravely bore:
Those upon the seashore well their lives then guarded
From the stormy Irish onset; but wounds yet all the more their bravery rewarded.
How seldom would a father have wished to send his child
Where sparks of fire, all-glowing, were struck by foemen wild
Forth from hardened helmets, in sight of many a maiden!
To have sailed with these roving fighters did now at last the lovely Hilda sadden.
By turns they smote each other with heavy spears and long:
Altho’ themselves they guarded beneath their bucklers strong,
Yet wounded thro’ their hauberks, they were gashed and bloody;
And soon with flowing life-blood the waters’ depths were deeply stained and ruddy.
Then to his trusty liegemen Hagen called aloud:
The sea gave back his shouting— truly his strength was good—
He bade them help to land him, their wounds by them unheeded;
Glad were they to do it: thereby were spears in many hearts imbedded.
Hagen now drew nearer, not far was he from the sand;
His sword it clattered loudly; Hettel, near at hand,
Was standing by the water, on the seashore waiting:
There, with daring followers, deeds he did that praise should aye be meeting.
Hagen, wild with anger, leaped into the wave,
And to the shore he waded. Then on that warrior brave
Came a shower of lances; like snowflakes falling
