So when they were now all mustered upon the Danube strand, Then spake to his men King Gunther: “Who through the unknown land
Shall now on the right path guide us, that our feet err not from the same?”
Out spake the valiant Volker: “This office for mine I claim.”
“Nay, halt ye a space,” said Hagen: “halt, both squire and knight!
His friends must a man needs follow, it seemeth me meet and right.
But a tale of evil tidings now at my mouth must ye learn—
Home to the land Burgundian not one of us all shall return.
Unto me this morning early was it told of mermaids two
That for us was no more returning: now counsel I what ye shall do:
Gird on your armour, ye heroes: ward you with heedful care.
Stark foemen await us: ride ye as men that battleward fare.
I had hoped to prove those mermaids false in their prophecy,
When they said unto me, that no man of all our array should see
Again the home in the Rhineland, except the chaplain alone:
Therefore would I so gladly have drowned him a little agone.”
From rank unto rank of their thousands the evil tidings flew.
Pale with a ghastly foreboding many a good knight grew,
As the hideous terror gripped them of the bitter death so near
At the end of this festival-faring, and their hearts were cold with fear.
That place was nigh unto M?ring where they passed across the flood,
Where the ferryman of Elsè poured out his life in blood.
Again to the rest spake Hagen: “I have made for myself by the way
Foes, and our march shall shortly be beset by their array.
To-day have I slain their boatman while yet was the morning grey,
And by this have they heard the tidings. Haste ye, prepare for the fray,
{p. 218}
That, soon as Gelfrat and Elsè fall on our company,
They may fall on their own destruction, so stern shall their welcome be.
They will nowise fail to attack us, for I know how bold is the foe;
Wherefore let ye your horses all softly pacing go,
That none of them all may imagine that we flee before them in dread.”
“Yea, I will follow thy counsel,” the young Prince Giselher said.
“Now by whom to our host on-marching through the land shall the ways be shown?”
They answered: “Our guide shall be Volker, for unto him well-known
Be highways alike and byways, the lordly minstrel-knight.”
And lo, ere any could ask him, he was there, all-armed as for fight,
That valiant viol-minstrel: his helm on his head was laced;
With blazonry splendour-tinted was his armour overtraced:
On his spear was a crimson pennon, a fluttering tongue of flame.
—Ah, soon with his royal masters into terrible peril he came!
And by this of his certain knowledge unto Gelfrat had one brought word
Concerning the ferryman’s slaying; and another withal had heard
The tale, even Elsè the stalwart: they raged with wrathful pain,
And they summoned their vassals, and ready with speed was their warrior-train.
But a little while thereafter, as singeth still the Lay,
To their banner came riding champions, whose hands in many a fray
Had wrought wild havoc of carnage, a mighty chivalry;
Unto Gelfrat thronged seven hundred, yea, more it may haply be.
On the track of those grim foemen they set forth spurring in haste;
But their lords, their battle-leaders, afront of them all on-raced
Pursuing the fearless strangers: athirst for revenge they sped;
Yet on to their own destruction full many a friend they led.
Now Hagen the Lord of Troneg had ordered their marching so—
How could a hero better ward friends against a foe?—
That himself with the men of his war-band rode ever in the rear,
And with him Dankwart his brother: wise war-craft was verily here.
{p. 219}
Ran out the sands of the day-tide; all light faded away.
On the hero’s heart the peril of his comrades heavily lay.
With shield on arm still rode they on through Bavaria-land:
Well was it for them, for the onset of foes must they shortly withstand.
On either side of the highway and behind them thundering close
Heard they the sound of hoof-beats of reckless-riding foes.
Then cried the valiant Dankwart: “The foe be at point to set on!
Bind on your brows your helmets: I trow it were wisely done!”
Then, as needs must be, the riders drew rein, and rearward wheeled.
Gleamed dancing lights through the darkness, the glint of many a shield.
No longer might Hagen refrain him; he shouted his challenge-cry—
“Who followeth us on the highway?” From Gelfrat rang the reply,
And the lord of Bavarian marches flung fierce answer back:
“We are in search of our foemen, we follow fast on their track.
I know not who this morning my ferryman hath slain.
He was a valiant warrior, and mine heart is hot with pain!”
Made answer Hagen of Troneg: “And was that ferryman thine?
He refused to ferry us over: the guilt of his blood is mine;
I smote and I slew the strong one. Of a truth good cause had I,
For of this thy stalwart liegeman was mine own death brought full nigh.
I tendered to him fair guerdon, raiment and golden band,
And prayed him to ferry us over, hero, into thy land;
And thereat so flamed he with fury that he dealt me an evil blow
With his oar-blade strong and massy; and my wrath waxed grim enow.
Mine hand went unto my sword-hilt; from his wrath I warded mine head
With a wound that was past all healing, and lo, thine hero was dead.
For the deed am I ready to answer so soon as seemeth thee good.”
They addressed them straightway to battle, for exceeding fierce was their mood.
“Full well did I know,” cried Gelfrat, “that whene’er with his vassal-throng
Gunther passed over the river, to us would be wrought foul wrong
By the insolence of this Hagen! For this shall his heart’s blood pay!
Yea, for my ferryman’s murder his life shall atone straightway!”
{p. 220}
Then couched they over the bucklers for the onset-shock their spears,
Gelfrat and Hagen the mighty: their rage was exceeding fierce.
Dankwart the while and Elsè in fight clashed man against man.
Right well did they prove their prowess, and stern was the strife that began.
When was more gallant encounter of champions so renowned?
In the mighty shock of their clashing was Hagen borne to the ground,
Over his charger’s crupper by Gelfrat’s hand back-forced,
Since the breast-band had snapped asunder: then first was Hagen unhorsed.
With crashing of shivering lances then met their men withal.
Swift to his feet leapt Hagen, more terrible from that fall
Wherein by his enemy’s lance-thrust he was hurled from the selle to the sward.
As flaming fire against Gelfrat was the wrath of Troneg’s lord.
I know not in battle-travail who held each warrior’s steed,
For both had voided the saddle, and face to face on the mead
Stood they, Hagen and Gelfrat: then each at the other sprang.
Knights aided their lords: all round them the din of conflict rang.
How furiously soever Hagen on Gelfrat leapt,
Yet the sword of the noble Margrave from the hero’s buckler swept
A huge shard earthward-clanging; the sparks were as lightning-flame.
Then the champion of King Gunther even to death’s brink came.
He lifted his voice, and to Dankwart he cried for aid, and he said:
“Help me, O brother belovèd, for now am I hardly bestead
Of a mighty-handed hero; he putteth in peril my life!”
Answered him Dankwart the fearless, “Lo, I will part your strife!”
With a leap of his horse he was on them: so fierce and fell a blow
With the keen sword dealt he to Gelfrat, that in death he laid him low.
Then Elsè would fain take vengeance for the mighty champion slain;
But, so fast were they falling, backward borne were his vassal-train.
Slain was his hero-brother, himself had a grievous wound:
Full eighty of his war-thanes already were stretched on the ground
A prey unto death the relentless: of need must the princely knight
Flee from the men of Gunther in headlong-hasty flight.
{p. 221}
As the men of the land Bavarian fled from the face of their foes,
Ringing and clanging behind them ever echoed the dread death-blows,
As the vassals of Troneg’s hero held them close in chase.
Whoso would ’scape, small respite had he in that terrible race!
But amidst of pursuit and slaughter, to the rest cried Dankwart the thane:
“Halt! on the path of our journey backward turn we the rein.
Let us leave them riding in panic, while fast their gashes bleed.
Back to our friends let us hasten: of a truth ’tis the better rede.”
When back to the place of their conflict the............