Classic Poem

1442

" That never any people / more lordly life might show
Than they both do joy in, / — that shalt thou surely know, —
Wherein do share their kinsmen / and all their doughty train.
When from them we parted, / of our journey were they fain. "

1443

" My thanks for these high greetings / ye bring at his command
And from my royal sister. / That high in joy they stand,
The monarch and his kinsmen, / rejoiceth me to hear.
For, sooth to say, the tidings / asked I now in mickle fear. "

1444

The twain of youthful princes / were eke come thitherward,
As soon as they the tidings / from afar had heard.
Right glad were seen the messengers / for his dear sister's sake
By the young Giselher, / who in such friendly manner spake:

1445

" Right hearty were your welcome / from me and brother mine,
Would ye but more frequent / ride hither to the Rhine;
Here found ye friends full many / whom glad ye were to see,
And naught but friendly favors / the while that in this land ye be. "

1446

" To us how high thy favor, " / spake Schwemmel, " know we well;
Nor with my best endeavor / might I ever tell
How kindly is the greeting / we bear from Etzel's hand
And from your noble sister, / who doth in highest honor stand.

1447

" Your sometime love and duty / recalleth Etzel's queen,
And how to her devoted / in heart we've ever been,
But first to royal Gunther / do we a message bear,
And pray it be your pleasure / unto Etzel's land to fare.

1448

" To beg of you that favor / commanded o'er and o'er
Etzel mighty monarch / and bids you know the more,
An will ye not your sister / your faces give to see,
So would he know full gladly / wherein by him aggrieved ye be,

1449

" That ye thus are strangers / to him and all his men.
If that his spouse so lofty / to you had ne'er been known,
Yet well he thought to merit / that him ye'd deign to see;
In sooth could naught rejoice him / more than that such thing might be. "

1450

Then spake the royal Gunther: / " A sennight from this day
Shall ye have an answer, / whereon decide I may
With my friends in counsel. / The while shall ye repair
Unto your place of lodging, / and right goodly be your fare. "

1451

Then spake in answer Werbel: / " And might such favor be
That we the royal mistress / should first have leave to see,
Ute, the lofty lady, / ere that we seek our rest? "
To him the noble Giselher / in courteous wise these words addressed.

1452

" That grace shall none forbid you. / Will ye my mother greet,
Therein do ye most fully / her own desire meet.
For sake of my good sister / fain is she you to see,
For sake of Lady Kriemhild / ye shall to her full welcome be. "

1453

Giselher then led him / unto the lofty dame,
Who fain beheld the messengers / from Hunland that came.
She greeted them full kindly / as lofty manner taught,
And in right courteous fashion / told they to her the tale they brought.

1454

" Pledge of loyal friendship / sendeth unto thee
Now my lofty mistress, " / spake Schwemmel. " Might it be,
That she should see thee often, / then shalt thou know full well,
In all the world there never / a greater joy to her befell. "

1455

Replied the royal lady: / " Such thing may never be.
Gladly as would I oft-times / my dearest daughter see,
Too far, alas, is distant / the noble monarch's wife.
May ever yet full happy / with King Etzel be her life.

1456

" See that ye well advise me, / ere that ye hence are gone,
What time shall be your parting; / for messengers I none
Have seen for many seasons / as glad as greet I you. "
The twain gave faithful promise / such courtesy full sure to do.

1457

Forthwith to seek their lodgings / the men of Hunland went,
The while the mighty monarch / for trusted warriors sent,
Of whom did noble Gunther / straightway question make,
How thought they of the message. / Whereupon full many spake

1458

That he might well with honor / to Etzel's land be bound,
The which did eke advise him / the highest 'mongst them found,
All save Hagen only, / whom sorely grieved such rede.
Unto the king in secret / spake he: " Ill shall be thy meed.

1459

" What deed we twain compounded / art thou full well aware,
Wherefor good cause we ever / shall have Kriemhild to fear,
For that her sometime husband / I slew by my own hand.
How dare we ever journey / then unto King Etzel's land? "

1460

Replied the king: " My sister / no hate doth harbor more.
As we in friendship kissed her, / vengeance she forswore
For evil that we wrought her, / ere that from hence she rode, —
Unless this message, Hagen, / ill for thee alone forebode. "

1461

" Now be thou not deceived, " / spake Hagen, " say what may
The messengers from Hunland. / If thither be thy way,
At Kriemhild's hands thou losest / honor eke and life,
For full long-avenging / is the royal Etzel's wife. "