The lowliest one among them might gain the love of a king, if she had striven.
When they their bath had taken, wine to them was brought;
In all the land of Normandy none better need be sought;
And soon the weary maidens the best of mead were drinking.
To Hartmut thanks were given; to gain such praises how could he e’er be thinking!
Soon the lovely maiden was seated in the hall.
Gerlind bade her daughter then, with her maidens all,
To don their clothing quickly, the finest and most fitting,
If they Queen Hilda’s daughter wished to see, among her maidens sitting.
At once the well-born Ortrun clothed her in her best;
To seek Gudrun then straightway gladly did she haste.
The grandchild of wild Hagen quickly went to meet her;
When they saw each other, the happiness of both was never greater.
Each one kissed the other, ’neath a band of gold on her head;
The hue of both was brighter for the golden light they shed.
Each in her way was happy; Ortrun’s eyes were beaming,
To see the high-born washer in finest clothes now clad, so comely seeming.
The poor Gudrun was blithesome, as we have said before,
That soon her friendly kinsmen she would see once more.
The maidens sat together, with playful talk now gladdened;
Whoever looked upon them might gain a happy heart, however saddened.
“ ’Tis well for me,” said Ortrun, “that I have lived till now,
When as the wife of Hartmut you here yourself will show.
To one who loves my brother gladly will I give her
The crown of my mother, Gerlind, that I of right should wear did I outlive her.”
“Ortrun, may God reward you,” thus the maiden spake;
“Whatever you shall bid me, that will I do for your sake.
You have bewept so often the sorrows I was bearing,
From you will I ne’er be sundered, and every day shall you my love be sharing.”
Then with maiden wiliness spake the fair Gudrun:
“Now you ought, Sir Hartmut, to send out runners soon,
Through all the Norman kingdom, to give to friends your bidding,
As many as will hear it, to come to your palace now, to see our wedding.
“When peace is in your borders, this to you I say,
Before your host of warriors I will wear the crown one day.
How many he has who woos me thus shall I be knowing;
Then before your liegemen myself and all my kin will I be showing.”
The maid in truth was crafty; from the castle on that day
A hundred men or over did Hartmut send away.
So, when the Hegeling fighters should for him be seeking,
Fewer foes should meet them: for this was Gudrun their going thence bespeaking.
Then spake the old Queen Gerlind: “Now, fair daughter mine,
You two must leave each other; when another morn shall shine,
Then may you be together, with none your bliss forbidding.”
She left Gudrun, low bowing, and begged that God would her in his ways be leading.
Then did Hartmut leave her. All hearkened to her word;
They gave to the maiden cup-bearers, and carvers at the board:
The high-born lady’s wishes they bade should well be heeded;
Nor food nor drink she wanted: busy were they to bring her all she needed.
Then spake one lovely maiden among the Hegeling band:
“When we on this are thinking, how from our fatherland
Our foes have brought us hither, to live unblest forever,
We still are bowed with sorrow; when in our homes, such woe we thought of never.”
She then began a-weeping, where sat her lady fair.
When this was seen by others who stood beside her there,
They felt yet greater sorrow their heavy hearts now filling.
All then wept together; but they saw their mistress, fair Gudrun, was smiling.
They thought that now forever they far from home must stay:
But their lady ne’er was thinking to bide so long away;
They would, ere four days later, their freedom all be knowing.
The time had come already to whisper to Gerlind that they would soon be going.
Beyond her wont a little to laugh had the maid begun;
For fourteen years now bygone she never bliss had known.
Of her glee the bad she-devil quickly now was hearing;
She gave the hint to Ludwig, for care she felt, and anger past all bearing.
She went at once to Hartmut, and said: “Oh, son of mine,
List to the truth I tell you! throughout this land of thine,
All within it dwelling shall see both strife and toiling.
Why it is I know not, the fair young queen, Gudrun, is now so smiling.
“I know not how it happened, or how the news she heard,
But men sent out by her kinsmen hither to come have dared.
Therefore, knightly Hartmut, some way must you be choosing,
Lest, thro’ the friends she looks for, your worthy name and life you may be losing.”
He said: “Be not so fearful. I grudge it not to the maid
That she, with all her women, should for a time be glad.
All her nearest kinsmen far from me are dwelling;
What harm can they be doing? I need not guard ’gainst ills they may be dealing.”
Gudrun, now over-wearied, some of her maidens sent
To see if her bed were ready, for she on sleep was bent;
For a night at least her sorrow she could now be leaving.
Then went with them most kindly King Hartmut’s chamberlain, his service giving.
Youths of the Norman palace before her bore the light;
On her they ne’er had waited until that very night.
Thirty beds or over now were found made ready;
Nice were they and cleanly, meet for Gudrun and many a well-born lady.
On them were pillows lying from far Arabia brought,
With green, like leaves of clover, and other hues, inwrought.
Bedspreads on them hanging were sewed in strips most fairly;
And red as fire was shining the gold mixed in with silken threads not sparely.
Beneath the silken bedspreads fishes’ skins were laid,
To make them thicker and warmer. The fair and lovely maid,
Thither come from the Hegelings, Hartmut would be wooing,
For he as yet knew nothing of the harm to him that her friends would soon be doing.
Then said the high-born maiden: “To sleep you now may go,
All you that wait on Hartmut; we, too, the same will do.
I, and my ladies with me, one night at least will rest us;
For, since our coming hither, freedom from hardest toil hath never blest us.”
All who there were gathered of Hartmut’s knights and men,
The wise as well as youthful, thence to go were seen;
They to rest then hasted, the ladies’ bower now leaving.
Wine and mead unstinted to the homeless maids were others freely giving.
Then said Hilda’s daughter: “Now shut for me the door.”
They barred the ladies’ bedroom with heavy bolts full four:
The room was shut so tightly that what therein was doing,
However much one listened, outside he nought could hear, nor might be knowing.
Awhile they all were
