1546
" Hight is his brother Gelfrat, / and is a thane full rare,
Lord o'er Bavarian country. / Full ill with you 'twill fare,
Will ye pass his border. / Watchful must ye be,
And eke with the ferryman / 'twere well to walk right modestly.
1547
" He is so angry-minded / that sure thy bane 'twill be,
Wilt thou not show the warrior / all civility.
Wilt thou that he transport thee, / give all the boatman's due.
He guardeth well the border / and unto Gelfrat is full true.
1548
" If he be slow to answer, / then call across the flood
That thy name is Amelrich. / That was a knight full good,
Who for a feud did sometime / go forth from out this land.
The ferryman will answer, / when he the name doth understand.
1549
Hagen high of spirit / before those women bent,
Nor aught did say, but silent / upon his way he went.
Along the shore he wandered / till higher by the tide
On yonder side the river / a cabin standing he espied.
1550
He straight began a calling / across the flood amain.
" Now fetch me over, boatman, " / cried the doughty thane.
" A golden armband ruddy / I'll give to thee for meed.
Know that to make this crossing / I in sooth have very need. "
1551
Not fitting 'twas high ferryman / his service thus should give,
And recompense from any / seldom might he receive;
Eke were they that served him / full haughty men of mood.
Still alone stood Hagen / on the hither side the flood.
1552
Then cried he with such power / the wave gave back the sound,
For in strength far-reaching / did the knight abound:
" Fetch me now, for Amelrich, / Else's man, am I,
That for feud outbroken / erstwhile from this land did fly. "
1553
Full high upon his sword-point / an armband did he hold,
Fair and shining was it / made of ruddy gold,
The which he offered to him / for fare to Gelfrat's land.
The ferryman high-hearted / himself did take the oar in hand.
1554
To do with that same boatman / was ne'er a pleasant thing;
The yearning after lucre / yet evil end doth bring.
Here where thought he Hagen's / gold so red to gain,
Must he by the doughty / warrior's fierce sword be slain.
1555
With might across the river / his oar the boatman plied,
But he who there was named / might nowhere be espied.
His rage was all unbounded / when he did Hagen find,
And loud his voice resounded / as thus he spake his angry mind:
1556
" Thou mayst forsooth be called / Amelrich by name:
Whom I here did look for, / no whit art thou the same.
By father and by mother / brother he was to me.
Since me thou thus hast cozened, / so yet this side the river be. "
1557
" Nay, by highest Heaven, " / Hagen did declare.
" Here am I a stranger / that have good knights in care.
Now take in friendly manner / here my offered pay,
And guide me o'er the ferry; / my favor hast thou thus alway. "
1558
Whereat replied the boatman: / " The thing may never be.
There are that to my masters / do bear hostility;
Wherefore I never stranger / do lead into this land.
As now thy life thou prizest, / step straightway out upon the strand. "
1559
" Deny me not, " quoth Hagen, / " for sad in sooth my mood.
Take now for remembrance / this my gold so good,
And carry men a thousand / and horses to yonder shore. "
Quoth in rage the boatman: / " Such thing will happen nevermore. "
1560
Aloft he raised an oar / that mickle was and strong,
And dealt such blow on Hagen, / (but rued he that ere long,)
That in the boat did stumble / that warrior to his knee.
In sooth so savage boatman / ne'er did the knight of Tronje see.
1561
With thought the stranger's anger / the more to rouse anew,
He swung a mighty boat-pole / that it in pieces flew
Upon the crown of Hagen; — / he was a man of might.
Thereby did Else's boatman / come anon to sorry plight.
1562
Full sore enraged was Hagen, / as quick his hand he laid
Upon his sword where hanging / he found the trusty blade.
His head he struck from off him / and flung into the tide.
Known was soon the story / to the knights of Burgundy beside.
1563
While the time was passing / that he the boatman slew,
The waters bore him downward, / whereat he anxious grew.
Ere he the boat had righted / began his strength to wane,
So mightily was pulling / royal Gunther's doughty thane.
1564
Soon he yet had turned it, / so rapid was his stroke,
Until the mighty oar / beneath his vigor broke.
As strove he his companions / upon the bank to gain,
No second oar he found him. / Yet soon the same made fast again.
1565
With quickly snatched shield-strap, / a fine and narrow band.
Downward where stood a forest / he sought again the land,
And there his master found he / standing upon the shore.
In haste came forth to meet him / many a stately warrior more.
" Hight is his brother Gelfrat, / and is a thane full rare,
Lord o'er Bavarian country. / Full ill with you 'twill fare,
Will ye pass his border. / Watchful must ye be,
And eke with the ferryman / 'twere well to walk right modestly.
1547
" He is so angry-minded / that sure thy bane 'twill be,
Wilt thou not show the warrior / all civility.
Wilt thou that he transport thee, / give all the boatman's due.
He guardeth well the border / and unto Gelfrat is full true.
1548
" If he be slow to answer, / then call across the flood
That thy name is Amelrich. / That was a knight full good,
Who for a feud did sometime / go forth from out this land.
The ferryman will answer, / when he the name doth understand.
1549
Hagen high of spirit / before those women bent,
Nor aught did say, but silent / upon his way he went.
Along the shore he wandered / till higher by the tide
On yonder side the river / a cabin standing he espied.
1550
He straight began a calling / across the flood amain.
" Now fetch me over, boatman, " / cried the doughty thane.
" A golden armband ruddy / I'll give to thee for meed.
Know that to make this crossing / I in sooth have very need. "
1551
Not fitting 'twas high ferryman / his service thus should give,
And recompense from any / seldom might he receive;
Eke were they that served him / full haughty men of mood.
Still alone stood Hagen / on the hither side the flood.
1552
Then cried he with such power / the wave gave back the sound,
For in strength far-reaching / did the knight abound:
" Fetch me now, for Amelrich, / Else's man, am I,
That for feud outbroken / erstwhile from this land did fly. "
1553
Full high upon his sword-point / an armband did he hold,
Fair and shining was it / made of ruddy gold,
The which he offered to him / for fare to Gelfrat's land.
The ferryman high-hearted / himself did take the oar in hand.
1554
To do with that same boatman / was ne'er a pleasant thing;
The yearning after lucre / yet evil end doth bring.
Here where thought he Hagen's / gold so red to gain,
Must he by the doughty / warrior's fierce sword be slain.
1555
With might across the river / his oar the boatman plied,
But he who there was named / might nowhere be espied.
His rage was all unbounded / when he did Hagen find,
And loud his voice resounded / as thus he spake his angry mind:
1556
" Thou mayst forsooth be called / Amelrich by name:
Whom I here did look for, / no whit art thou the same.
By father and by mother / brother he was to me.
Since me thou thus hast cozened, / so yet this side the river be. "
1557
" Nay, by highest Heaven, " / Hagen did declare.
" Here am I a stranger / that have good knights in care.
Now take in friendly manner / here my offered pay,
And guide me o'er the ferry; / my favor hast thou thus alway. "
1558
Whereat replied the boatman: / " The thing may never be.
There are that to my masters / do bear hostility;
Wherefore I never stranger / do lead into this land.
As now thy life thou prizest, / step straightway out upon the strand. "
1559
" Deny me not, " quoth Hagen, / " for sad in sooth my mood.
Take now for remembrance / this my gold so good,
And carry men a thousand / and horses to yonder shore. "
Quoth in rage the boatman: / " Such thing will happen nevermore. "
1560
Aloft he raised an oar / that mickle was and strong,
And dealt such blow on Hagen, / (but rued he that ere long,)
That in the boat did stumble / that warrior to his knee.
In sooth so savage boatman / ne'er did the knight of Tronje see.
1561
With thought the stranger's anger / the more to rouse anew,
He swung a mighty boat-pole / that it in pieces flew
Upon the crown of Hagen; — / he was a man of might.
Thereby did Else's boatman / come anon to sorry plight.
1562
Full sore enraged was Hagen, / as quick his hand he laid
Upon his sword where hanging / he found the trusty blade.
His head he struck from off him / and flung into the tide.
Known was soon the story / to the knights of Burgundy beside.
1563
While the time was passing / that he the boatman slew,
The waters bore him downward, / whereat he anxious grew.
Ere he the boat had righted / began his strength to wane,
So mightily was pulling / royal Gunther's doughty thane.
1564
Soon he yet had turned it, / so rapid was his stroke,
Until the mighty oar / beneath his vigor broke.
As strove he his companions / upon the bank to gain,
No second oar he found him. / Yet soon the same made fast again.
1565
With quickly snatched shield-strap, / a fine and narrow band.
Downward where stood a forest / he sought again the land,
And there his master found he / standing upon the shore.
In haste came forth to meet him / many a stately warrior more.