The Nibelungenlied
2295
With rapid blows and furious / the son of Ute fair
Received the valiant Wolfhart / as came he to him there.
How strong soe'er the thane was, / his life must ended be
Never king so youthful / might bear himself more valiantly.
2296
Straight he smote Wolfhart / through well-made cuirass,
That from the wound all gaping / the flowing blood did pass.
Unto death he wounded / Dietrich's liegeman true,
Which thing in sooth might never / any save knight full gallant do.
2297
When the valiant Wolfhart / of the wound was ware,
His shield flung he from him / and high with hand in air
Raised he a mighty weapon / whose keen edge failed not.
Through helmet and through mail-rings / Giselher with might he smote.
2298
Grimly each the other / there to death had done.
Of Dietrich's men no longer / lived there ever one.
When old Master Hildebrand / Wolfhart's fall had seen,
In all his life there never / such sorrow him befell, I ween.
2299
Fallen now were Gunther's / warriors every one,
And eke the men of Dietrich. / Hildebrand the while had gone
Where Wolfhart had fallen / down in pool of blood
In his arms then clasped he / the warrior of dauntless mood.
2300
Forth from the hall to bear him / vainly did he try:
But all too great the burden / and there he still must lie.
The dying knight looked upward / from his bloody bed
And saw how that full gladly / him his uncle thence had led.
2301
Spake he thus mortal wounded: / " Uncle full dear to me,
Now mayst thou at such season / no longer helpful be.
To guard thee well from Hagen / indeed me seemeth good,
For bears he in his bosom / a heart in sooth of grimmest mood.
2302
" And if for me my kinsmen / at my death would mourn,
Unto the best and nearest / by thee be message borne
That for me they weep not, / — of that no whit is need.
At hand of valiant monarch / here lie I gloriously dead.
2303
" Eke my life so dearly / within this hall I've sold,
That have sore cause for weeping / the wives of warriors bold.
If any make thee question, / then mayst thou freely say
That my own hand nigh hundred / warriors hath slain to-day. "
2304
Now was Hagen mindful / of the minstrel slain,
From whom the valiant Hildebrand / erstwhile his life had ta'en.
Unto the Master spake he: / " My woes shalt thou repay.
Full many a warrior gallant / thou hast ta'en from us hence away. "
2305
He smote upon Hildebrand / that loud was heard the tone
Of Balmung resounding / that erst did Siegfried own,
But Hagen bold did seize it / when he the hero slew.
The old warrior did guard him, / as he was knight of mettle true.
2306
Dietrich's doughty liegeman / with broadsword did smite
That did cut full sorely, / upon Tronje's knight;
Yet had the man of Gunther / never any harm.
Through his cuirass well-jointed / Hagen smote with mighty arm.
2307
Soon as his wound perceived / the aged Hildebrand,
Feared he more of damage / to take from Hagen's hand;
Across his back full deftly / his shield swung Dietrich's man,
And wounded deep, the hero / in flight " fore Hagen's fury ran.
2308
Now longer lived not any / of all that goodly train
Save Gunther and Hagen, / doughty warriors twain.
With blood from wound down streaming / fled Master Hildebrand,
Whom soon in Dietrich's presence, / saw ye with saddest tidings stand.
2309
He found the chieftain sitting / with sorrow all distraught,
Yet mickle more of sadness / unto him he brought.
When Dietrich saw how Hildebrand / cuirass all blood-red wore,
With fearful heart he questioned, / what the news to him he bore.
2310
" Now tell me, Master Hildebrand, / how thus wet thou be
From thy life-blood flowing, / or who so harmeth thee.
In hall against the strangers / thou'st drawn thy sword, I ween.
'Twere well my straight denial / here by these had honored been. "
2311
Replied he to his master: / " From Hagen cometh all.
This deep wound he smote me / there within the hall
When I from his fury / thought to turn away.
'Tis marvel that I living / saved me from the fiend this day. "
2312
Then of Bern spake Dietrich: / " Aright hast thou thy share,
For thou didst hear me friendship / unto these knights declare,
And now the peace hast broken, / that I to them did give.
If my disgrace it were not, / by this hand no longer shouldst thou live. "
2313
" Now be not, Master Dietrich, / so sorely stirred to wrath.
On me and on my kinsmen / is wrought too great a scathe.
Thence sought we Ruediger / to bear all peacefully,
The which by men of Gunther / to us no whit would granted be. "
2314
" Ah, woe is me for sorrow! / Is Ruediger then dead,
In all my need there never / such grief hath happened.
The noble Gotelinde / is cousin fair to me.
Alack for the poor orphans / that there in Bechelaren must be! "
2315
Grief and anguish filled him / o'er Ruediger thus slain,
Nor might at all the hero / the flowing tears restrain.
" Alack for faithful helper / that death from me hath torn.
King Etzel's trusty liegeman / never may I cease to mourn.
2316
" Canst thou, Master Hildebrand, / true the tidings say,
Who might be the warrior / that Ruediger did slay? "
" That did the doughty Gernot / with mighty arm, " he said:
" Eke at hand of Ruediger / lieth the royal hero dead. "
2317
Spake he again to Hildebrand: / " Now let my warriors know,
That straightway they shall arm them, / for thither will I go.
And bid to fetch hither / my shining mail to me.
Myself those knights will question / of the land of Burgundy. "
2318
" Who here shall do thee service? " / spake Master Hildebrand;
" All that thou hast yet living, / thou seest before thee stand.
Of all remain I only; / the others, they are dead. "
As was in sooth good reason, / filled the tale his soul with dread,
2319
For in his life did never / such woe to him befall.
He spake: " Hath death so reft me / of my warriors all,
God hath forsaken Dietrich, / ah me, a wretched wight!
Sometime a lofty monarch / I was, high throned in wealth and might. "
2320
" How might it ever happen? " / Dietrich spake again,
" That so worthy heroes / here should all be slain
By the battle-weary / strangers thus beset?
Ill fortune me hath chosen, / else death had surely spared them yet.
2321
" Since that fate not further / to me would respite give,
Then tell me, of the strangers / doth any longer live? "
Answered Master Hildebrand: / " God wot, never one
Save Hagen, and beside him / Gunther lofty king alone. "
2322
" Alack, O faithful Wolfhart, / must I thy death now mourn,
Soon have I cause to rue me / that ever I was born.
Siegstab and Wolfwein / and eke Wolfbrand!
Who now shall be my helpers / in the Amelungen land?
2323
" Helfrich, thane full valiant, / and is he likewise slain?
For Gerbart and Wichart / when shall I cease to plain?
Of all my life's rejoicing / is this the latest day.
Alack that die for sorrow / never yet a mortal may! "
With rapid blows and furious / the son of Ute fair
Received the valiant Wolfhart / as came he to him there.
How strong soe'er the thane was, / his life must ended be
Never king so youthful / might bear himself more valiantly.
2296
Straight he smote Wolfhart / through well-made cuirass,
That from the wound all gaping / the flowing blood did pass.
Unto death he wounded / Dietrich's liegeman true,
Which thing in sooth might never / any save knight full gallant do.
2297
When the valiant Wolfhart / of the wound was ware,
His shield flung he from him / and high with hand in air
Raised he a mighty weapon / whose keen edge failed not.
Through helmet and through mail-rings / Giselher with might he smote.
2298
Grimly each the other / there to death had done.
Of Dietrich's men no longer / lived there ever one.
When old Master Hildebrand / Wolfhart's fall had seen,
In all his life there never / such sorrow him befell, I ween.
2299
Fallen now were Gunther's / warriors every one,
And eke the men of Dietrich. / Hildebrand the while had gone
Where Wolfhart had fallen / down in pool of blood
In his arms then clasped he / the warrior of dauntless mood.
2300
Forth from the hall to bear him / vainly did he try:
But all too great the burden / and there he still must lie.
The dying knight looked upward / from his bloody bed
And saw how that full gladly / him his uncle thence had led.
2301
Spake he thus mortal wounded: / " Uncle full dear to me,
Now mayst thou at such season / no longer helpful be.
To guard thee well from Hagen / indeed me seemeth good,
For bears he in his bosom / a heart in sooth of grimmest mood.
2302
" And if for me my kinsmen / at my death would mourn,
Unto the best and nearest / by thee be message borne
That for me they weep not, / — of that no whit is need.
At hand of valiant monarch / here lie I gloriously dead.
2303
" Eke my life so dearly / within this hall I've sold,
That have sore cause for weeping / the wives of warriors bold.
If any make thee question, / then mayst thou freely say
That my own hand nigh hundred / warriors hath slain to-day. "
2304
Now was Hagen mindful / of the minstrel slain,
From whom the valiant Hildebrand / erstwhile his life had ta'en.
Unto the Master spake he: / " My woes shalt thou repay.
Full many a warrior gallant / thou hast ta'en from us hence away. "
2305
He smote upon Hildebrand / that loud was heard the tone
Of Balmung resounding / that erst did Siegfried own,
But Hagen bold did seize it / when he the hero slew.
The old warrior did guard him, / as he was knight of mettle true.
2306
Dietrich's doughty liegeman / with broadsword did smite
That did cut full sorely, / upon Tronje's knight;
Yet had the man of Gunther / never any harm.
Through his cuirass well-jointed / Hagen smote with mighty arm.
2307
Soon as his wound perceived / the aged Hildebrand,
Feared he more of damage / to take from Hagen's hand;
Across his back full deftly / his shield swung Dietrich's man,
And wounded deep, the hero / in flight " fore Hagen's fury ran.
2308
Now longer lived not any / of all that goodly train
Save Gunther and Hagen, / doughty warriors twain.
With blood from wound down streaming / fled Master Hildebrand,
Whom soon in Dietrich's presence, / saw ye with saddest tidings stand.
2309
He found the chieftain sitting / with sorrow all distraught,
Yet mickle more of sadness / unto him he brought.
When Dietrich saw how Hildebrand / cuirass all blood-red wore,
With fearful heart he questioned, / what the news to him he bore.
2310
" Now tell me, Master Hildebrand, / how thus wet thou be
From thy life-blood flowing, / or who so harmeth thee.
In hall against the strangers / thou'st drawn thy sword, I ween.
'Twere well my straight denial / here by these had honored been. "
2311
Replied he to his master: / " From Hagen cometh all.
This deep wound he smote me / there within the hall
When I from his fury / thought to turn away.
'Tis marvel that I living / saved me from the fiend this day. "
2312
Then of Bern spake Dietrich: / " Aright hast thou thy share,
For thou didst hear me friendship / unto these knights declare,
And now the peace hast broken, / that I to them did give.
If my disgrace it were not, / by this hand no longer shouldst thou live. "
2313
" Now be not, Master Dietrich, / so sorely stirred to wrath.
On me and on my kinsmen / is wrought too great a scathe.
Thence sought we Ruediger / to bear all peacefully,
The which by men of Gunther / to us no whit would granted be. "
2314
" Ah, woe is me for sorrow! / Is Ruediger then dead,
In all my need there never / such grief hath happened.
The noble Gotelinde / is cousin fair to me.
Alack for the poor orphans / that there in Bechelaren must be! "
2315
Grief and anguish filled him / o'er Ruediger thus slain,
Nor might at all the hero / the flowing tears restrain.
" Alack for faithful helper / that death from me hath torn.
King Etzel's trusty liegeman / never may I cease to mourn.
2316
" Canst thou, Master Hildebrand, / true the tidings say,
Who might be the warrior / that Ruediger did slay? "
" That did the doughty Gernot / with mighty arm, " he said:
" Eke at hand of Ruediger / lieth the royal hero dead. "
2317
Spake he again to Hildebrand: / " Now let my warriors know,
That straightway they shall arm them, / for thither will I go.
And bid to fetch hither / my shining mail to me.
Myself those knights will question / of the land of Burgundy. "
2318
" Who here shall do thee service? " / spake Master Hildebrand;
" All that thou hast yet living, / thou seest before thee stand.
Of all remain I only; / the others, they are dead. "
As was in sooth good reason, / filled the tale his soul with dread,
2319
For in his life did never / such woe to him befall.
He spake: " Hath death so reft me / of my warriors all,
God hath forsaken Dietrich, / ah me, a wretched wight!
Sometime a lofty monarch / I was, high throned in wealth and might. "
2320
" How might it ever happen? " / Dietrich spake again,
" That so worthy heroes / here should all be slain
By the battle-weary / strangers thus beset?
Ill fortune me hath chosen, / else death had surely spared them yet.
2321
" Since that fate not further / to me would respite give,
Then tell me, of the strangers / doth any longer live? "
Answered Master Hildebrand: / " God wot, never one
Save Hagen, and beside him / Gunther lofty king alone. "
2322
" Alack, O faithful Wolfhart, / must I thy death now mourn,
Soon have I cause to rue me / that ever I was born.
Siegstab and Wolfwein / and eke Wolfbrand!
Who now shall be my helpers / in the Amelungen land?
2323
" Helfrich, thane full valiant, / and is he likewise slain?
For Gerbart and Wichart / when shall I cease to plain?
Of all my life's rejoicing / is this the latest day.
Alack that die for sorrow / never yet a mortal may! "
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