We now will speak no longer of the toil the maidens bore
For knights as well as ladies. Queen Hilda evermore
Her thoughts to this had given how to win back her daughter,
Out of the Norman kingdom, whither from home the daring Hartmut brought her.
First were workmen bidden, near to the deep sea-flood,
Of ships to build her seven, strong, well made, and good;
With two-and-twenty barges, broad, with both ends rounded.
Whate’er for them was needed was quickly brought, and everything abounded.
Forty galleys also lay upon the sea;
On these her eyes were feeding. Longing great had she
To see the throng of fighters who should soon be sailing.
She their food made ready; for this the knights her praise were loudly telling.
The time was drawing nearer, when now to cross the sea
No more should they be waiting, who wished the maids to free,
That in a far-off kingdom in hardest toil were living.
Now Hilda sent for her liegemen; to those who called them clothes she first was giving.
The day that she had chosen was at the Christmas-tide,
When they must seek the foemen by whom King Hettel died.
Forthwith to friends and kinsmen Hilda gave her bidding,
That they to bring her daughter back from the Norman land must then be speeding.
Trusty men were bidden by Hilda first to go
To Herwic and his followers, that one and all should know
Of the inroad on the Normans that she had sworn and plotted.
To many Hegeling children this erelong an orphan’s life allotted.
The men sent out by Hilda to Herwic rode in haste:
For what they then were coming the king full quickly guessed;
Then went he forth to meet them, soon as he saw them nearing;
Gladly them he greeted, and soon from them Queen Hilda’s wish was hearing.
“Well you know, Lord Herwic, our woe and plight forlorn,
And how the Hegeling warriors to help the queen have sworn.
Yourself Queen Hilda trusteth more than any other;
To none Gudrun is dearer— the homeless maid, long sundered from her mother.”
The well-born knight thus answered: “I know in truth too well
How Hartmut had the boldness my fair betrothed to steal,
Because his love she slighted, and hearkened to my wooing;
For this Gudrun, my lady, her father lost, and still her lot is ruing.
“My pledge and hearty greeting bear to your lady good;
No more the Norman Hartmut by me shall be allowed
To hold so long in bondage my own betrothèd maiden:
For me, of all, ’tis fittest to bring the lady home, our lives to gladden.
“To Hilda and her kinsmen this answer you may say:
When Christmas time is over, on the sixth-and-twentieth day,
I will ride to the Hegelings, three thousand fighters taking.”
Then the men of Hilda waited no more, but home their way were making.
Now Herwic made him ready, and to the strife gave thought,
With many faithful liegemen who oft had bravely fought.
Those who to go were willing he for war outfitted;
Though wintry was the weather, they to take the field no longer waited.
Of help the widowed Hilda sorely felt the need:
Soon to her friends in Denmark she sent her men with speed,
To tell the knights and warriors no more at home to tarry;
For they to the Norman kingdom must ride, to free Gudrun from bondage dreary.
They bore to the youthful Horant this errand from the queen:
That he and all his kinsmen were to her lord of kin,
And the sorrows of her daughter should by them be heeded;
For death to her were better than ever that her child to Hartmut should be wedded.
Then sent the knight this answer: “Unto Queen Hilda say—
Though yet ’twill cost to women many a bitter day,
I still, with all my followers, will help be gladly giving;
For this will be heard the weeping of many a mother’s child, in the land now living.
“I bid you now, moreover, to say unto the queen—
Ere many days are ended, in her land will I be seen;
Tell her that my wishes all to war are bending,
And soon ten thousand warriors from out the Danish land will I be sending.”
The men sent there by Hilda of Horant took their leave:
They sped to the Waalisch marches, and found Morunc the brave
With all his men about him, a margrave rich and daring.
He gladly saw them coming, and of a loving welcome was not sparing.
Then spake the knightly Irold: “Since now by me ’tis known
That into the Hegeling kingdom, before seven weeks are gone,
I with all my followers am bidden to be riding,
For this will I be ready, whatever luck be there for us betiding.”
The news was spread by Morunc, within the Holstein land,
That Hilda now was sending for all her friends at hand;
He said that all good warriors must the field be taking.
To the Danish knight, brave Fru-te, they also gave the word, his help bespeaking.
The worthy knight, then answering, his ready will did show:
“Back to her home will we bring her. Thirteen years ago,
We swore the land of the Normans should with war be wasted;
’Twas then the friends of Hartmut stole the maid Gudrun, and homeward hasted.”
Wâ-te, the knight from Sturmland, to this at once gave thought,
How he might also help her. Altho’ he yet knew nought
Of the word that Hilda sent him, yet he at once bestirred him;
Of his knights a goodly number then in haste he called, who gladly heard him.
All of them were busy with care for the coming war;
Wâ-te the old from Sturmland brought from near and far
Full a thousand kinsmen, for the fight well fitted;
With these he hoped that Hartmut would soon be overcome and be outwitted.
The sad and homeless women in toil and pain were kept
By the cross and evil Gerlind: but fewer wrongs were heaped
Upon the Lady Hergart; (this name to her was given:)
She loved the king’s high cup-bearer, and greatly hoped to be a princess even.
For this fair Hilda’s daughter often sorely wept;
And Hergart, too, yet later woe and sorrow reaped,
Because she ne’er with others would their toils be sharing.
Whate’er to her might happen, Gudrun for all her ills was little caring.
Of the Hegelings none were idle, as you before have heard:
Though many for all their toiling would find but scant reward,
Yet all within the kingdom their ready help were lending.
Now the knights were thinking for the brother of Gudrun ’twere best they should be sending.
Riders then went swiftly into the land of the North,
And found in an open meadow the youth of kingly birth,
Where by the edge of a river many birds were flocking:
There with his trusty falconer he showed his skill, and spent his time in hawking.
As soon as, riding quickly, these by him were seen,
He said: “Those men now coming are sent to us by the queen;
They come to give her bidding, proudly hither hasting;
My mother thinketh wrongly that we
