To Ortwin Wâ-te and Fru-te each his mind did say;
Talking aside on the seashore, many a threat was spoken
Against their Norman foemen, who into the Hegeling castle erst had broken.
“Men must we now be sending,” to them young Ortwin said,
“Who shall tidings bring us, if they be not yet dead,
About my long-lost sister and many a homeless maiden;
For when on them I’m thinking, my heart is heavy, oft with sorrow laden.”
Together they bethought them, whom they hence should send,
By whom the news they wished for might with truth be gained,
And who could tell them rightly where to find the maiden;
By them, too, must the errand on which they came, from foes be wisely hidden.
Then spake the youthful Ortwin, who from Ortland came,
A faithful knight as any: “Myself for the search I name;
The maid, Gudrun, is my sister, child of my father and mother;
Of all, however worthy, am I more fit to go than any other.”
Then spake the kingly Herwic: “I too will go with thee;
To live or die I am ready, seeking the maid to free.
To you she is a sister, but to me for a wife they gave her;
To her am I ever faithful, nor for a day uncared-for will I leave her.”
Then quoth Wâ-te angrily: “ ’Tis childish thus to speak,
Brave and chosen warriors: such risks you should not seek,
And this for truth I tell you. Spurn you not my warning;
Should you be found by Hartmut, you’ll on his gallows hang, your rashness mourning.”
To him King Herwic answered: “Though good or ill betide,
Friends should aye be friendly, standing side by side.
I and my friend, young Ortwin, will ne’er the task give over,
Whatever shall befall us, and search will make till we Gudrun recover.”
When now upon this errand both were bent to go,
They sent for friends and kinsfolk, and did their wishes show.
They bade them to be faithful, and said the oaths then taken
Must never be forgotten, and they who went must never be forsaken.
“Of your pledges I remind you,” the youthful Ortwin said:
“If we, by foemen taken, should be in bondage led,
You with gold must free us, and so our bonds must loosen;
Lands must you sell and castles, nor ever sorrow feel that thus you’ve chosen.
“And, warriors brave, now hearken to what we more will say;
If foes our life begrudge us, and us in fight shall slay,
Be not our death forgotten, let it on them be wroken:
Your swords in Hartmut’s kingdom must make your daring there be loudly spoken.
“This we further bid you, my good and well-born knights:
E’en though, with toil the hardest, every warrior fights,
Let not those homeless maidens be by you forsaken;
Until the strife is settled, let not their hope and trust in you be shaken.”
Their faith then freely pledging, each gave to the king his hand;
And all the best among them swore that home and land
They nevermore would look on, but still afar would tarry,
Until again to their homesteads they from the Norman land the maids should carry.
All of them were faithful, but yet were weeping sore;
They feared the hate of Ludwig, and ills for them in store.
That they could send no others they were deeply mourning;
And all were sadly thinking, “No one now can death from them be turning.”
All day they talked together; it now was near its end:
The sun, that low was sinking, thro’ clouds its beams did send:
Erelong it sank o’er Gulstred, and there at last was hidden.
Ortwin and Herwic tarried, that night to go, by the waning light forbidden.
Tale XXIV
How Their Coming Was Made Known to Gudrun
While Gudrun and Hildeburg are washing on the seashore, a swan announces to them the approach of Queen Hilda’s army for their rescue, and tells them that two knights will come the next morning to inform them still further of this.
Of them we speak no longer; we now will let you hear
Yet more about the maidens: how hope their lot did cheer
Who on a far-off seashore must wearily toil at washing:
Gudrun and Hildeburg must wash all day on the sands where waves were dashing.
’Twas the time of springtide fasting, and at the noon of day.
To them a swan came floating; thereat Gudrun ’gan say:
“O bird so fair and lovely, such pain for me thou art feeling,
That now thou hither speedest from a far-off land, across the water sailing.”
Then to her in answer spake the friendly swan,
Although a God-sent angel, in speech most like a man:
“Words from God I bring you; if you for this be seeking,
Tidings I give of your kindred; of these, most high-born maid, would I be speaking.”
When the lovely maiden his speech so wondrous heard,
Scarce could she believe it, that thus an untamed bird,
Now, within her hearing, in tones like these had spoken.
While to him she listened, it seemed that his words from the mouth of a man had broken.
Then said the bird-like angel: “Hopeful you now may be,
Homeless, sorrowing maiden; gladness shall come to thee.
If you would hear of your birthland, listen while I tell you;
From there I bring you tidings, for God hath sent me, of your woes to heal you.”
At this, Gudrun, the fair one, upon the sands down fell;
Crossing her arms, the maiden her lowly prayers did tell.
Then she said to Hildeburg: “God hath us in his keeping,
And help to us has granted; we now no more shall sorrow know, nor weeping.”
To the bird then said the maiden: “Christ has sent thee here
To us, poor homeless maidens, our heavy hearts to cheer;
Good and trusted harbinger, tidings tell yet other:
Is now Queen Hilda living? Of poor Gudrun is she the much-loved mother.”
The Heaven-sent bird thus answered: “This can I say to thee;
Hilda, thy queenly mother, in health did I lately see.
To search for thee already her warriors she has banded;
Such throngs no kin or widow, seeking for friends, on foeman’s shore e’er landed.”
Then spake the high-born maiden: “Good tidings thou dost bear:
Be thou with me not weary, still more I fain would hear.
Lives yet my brother Ortwin, as king in Ortland dwelling,
And Herwic, my betrothèd? ’Twould gladden me could’st thou this news be telling.”
The bird-like angel answered: “That can I gladly tell;
Herwic and young King Ortwin are both alive and well.
Upon the swelling billows, that rose and sank unending,
I saw those knightly sailors; each with even stroke to his oar was bending.”
She said: “This tell me also, if ’tis known to thee,
Whether Morunc and Irold are now upon the sea,
And hither come to seek me; the truth I fain would gather.
Gladly I would see them, for they are kin to Hettel, who was my father.”
To her the bird thus answered: “That
