“So chill now groweth mine harness,” said Volker unto his friend, “That I trow in no long season will the night-tide draw to an end.
Yea, and I feel by the dawn-breeze that hard at hand is the day.”
Then waked they many a hero that still in slumber lay.
Now on the guests in the great hall the morning light shone fair,
And Hagen fell to question the good knights gathered there
If they would go to the minster the chanting of mass to hear;
For now after Christian custom the bells of prime rang clear.
The chanting was but a discord: sooth, marvel therein was none
That Christian men and heathen sang not in unison.
Yet minded to go to the minster were they of Gunther’s train;
And they rose up all from the couches whereon through the night they had lain.
{p. 253}
Then did the warriors clothe them in such royal-rich array
That to no king’s kingdom ever in any after-day
Brought heroes goodlier vesture. But wroth waxed Hagen thereat,
And he cried: “It were well ye arrayed you in other raiment than that!
Ye know too well of a surety how doth the matter stand.
Therefore instead of roses take ye weapons in hand,
And instead of caps bejewelled your helmets gleaming bright,
Forasmuch as we have full warning of wicked Kriemhild’s spite.
This day for our lives must we battle: this unto you I say.
Instead of silken tunics ye must wear steel hauberks to-day;
And instead of costly mantles must bear shields massy and broad,
That if any rage against you ye may nowise be overawed.
My well-belovèd masters, kinsmen and liegemen mine,
With hearts of sincere repentance draw nigh to the holy shrine,
And lay before God Almighty your burden of need and fear;
For know ye this of a surety, that death to us all is near.
Forget not past transgressions, the sins wherein ye had part,
And stand in your God’s presence with humble and contrite heart.
Yea, hearken ye all to the warning, every valiant thane—
If God in Heaven help not, ye shall hear no mass again.”
Onward then to the minster princes and liegemen passed.
In the holy outer precinct were they bidden all stand fast
By Hagen, that each from other might so be sundered by none;
For he said: “As yet none knoweth what by the Huns shall be done.
Set down, O ye my kinsmen, your shields before your feet;
And, if any in insolent fashion us stranger guests shall greet,
With deadly wounds requite it. Lo, Hagen’s rede is this;
And thereby shall ye prove by trial that so for your honour it is.”
Those comrades, Volker and Hagen, planted them side by side
In front of the wide-walled minster: there fixed did they abide;
For they did it of this set purpose, that the Queen might enter not
Unjostled by their shoulders—unto such stern mood were they wrought.
{p. 254}
Then came the Lord of the Hunland, and beside him his fair Queen paced.
With royal-rich apparel was Kriemhild’s beauty graced.
And valiant warriors many in the train of these drew nigh.
’Neath the tramp of the feet of the vassals of the Queen the dust rose high.
When the great King beheld them all mail-clad as for fight,
Those princes and their liegemen, he cried unto them forthright:
“What meaneth this?—behold I my friends in battle-gear?
By my troth, it should vex me sorely if any harmed them here!
All wrong, whatsoever atonement they asked, would I requite.
If to their heart and their spirit any have done despite,
I will show unto them and to all men what indignation have I.
What redress they demand soever, nothing do I deny.”
To the King made answer Hagen: “None doeth despite unto us.
It is ever the wont of my masters to go in armour thus,
Whose guests they be soever, till three full days have run.
We would make our complaint unto Etzel, if a wrong unto us had been done.”
Now the word that Hagen answered full well was heard of the Queen.
How flashed ’twixt her half-closed eyelids her hate’s glance bitter-keen!
But as touching her fatherland’s custom not she would utter the truth,
Albeit Burgundia’s daughter had known it full well from her youth.
How grim and stern soever was the Queen’s mood unto her foe,
Had any revealed her purpose unto Etzel the King, I trow,
He had verily prevented the thing that thereafter befell;
But their pride thought scorn of complaining, and nought unto him would they tell.
To the minster-door paced Kriemhild with a multitude in her train;
Yet to step aside at her coming they two would nowise deign
Two handbreadths: wroth were the Hunfolk, as men that chafe being wronged,
For in passing the stalwart heroes their Queen was jostled and thronged.
Wroth with their reckless defiance were Etzel’s chamberlains:
Full fain from the path had they thrust them, and angered those insolent thanes,
Had they but dared in the presence of the great King to do aught.
So then there was thronging and pressing, but more than this was there nought.
{p. 255}
When again they turned them homeward from holy chant and prayer,
High-borne upon goodly chargers hosts of the Hunfolk were.
In Kriemhild’s train moreover was many a winsome maid,
And warriors full seven thousand in the Queen’s war-band were arrayed.
Amidst of her ladies Kriemhild at the casement sat on high
At Etzel’s side: that pageant well-pleased he saw sweep by.
They would fain see the far-famed heroes ride in the tourney-ring.
What gallant Burgundian barons were in presence of the King!
Now came Burgundia’s marshal bringing the mighty steeds,
And came with Dankwart the valiant to minister unto their needs
The squires of the princes and barons, the lords of Burgundia-land;
And they brought out the good steeds saddled for the Niblung warrior-band.
So soon as they all were mounted, the Princes and their men,
Volker the fearless captain gave them his counsel then
After their own land’s fashion to close in the wild mellay.
Then into the lists the heroes rode in gallant array.
That which the minstrel counselled, was none that against it spake.
Then in the lists did the clashing and clanging of arms awake.
Into the spacious tilt-yard thronged many a thane to the strife:
And high over all sat gazing King Etzel and his wife.
Unto the place of the tourney six hundred warriors came—
Knights were they all of Dietrich—to meet those guests of fame.
They would clash in the mimic battle with the sons of Burgundy:
Had their lord but given them licence, they had done it joyfully.
Ha, they were goodly warriors that rode to the barriers!
But tidings of their purpose were borne unto Dietrich’s ears:
Forthright their clashing in tourney with Gunther’s men he forbade.
He feared for his vassals, lest mischief befall them—good cause he had!
And so, when the knights of Dietrich were thus withheld from the fray,
On came the men of Bechlaren, even Rüdiger’s array;
Five hundred in front of the palace rode under buckler-fence.
Well pleased had been the Margrave, afar had they tarried thence.
{p. 256}
On through the press fast riding he came to his retinue,
And he spake unto all his liegemen: “It must needs be known unto you
How chafed and ungentle of spirit the warriors of Rhineland be.
Ye therefore refrain from the tourney, and so shall ye pleasure me.”
So when these war-fain heroes had turned from the lists away,
Then came Thuringia’s champions, as telleth the ancient lay,
And valiant men from Daneland a thousand with these there were.
Then the shards of the shivered lances went leaping high through the air.
Into the ringing tourney Irnfried and Hawart rode,
But the champions of the Rhineland their onset proudly abode;
And they clashed with the knights Thuringian in the hero-sport of spears:
Full many a goodly shield-rim did the lightening lances pierce.
Then came the good knight Bl?del, and followed him thousands three.
Etzel the King and Kriemhild watched full eagerly
The meeting of charging squadrons, the gallant glorious fray:
But in fierce joy Kriemhild waited till her hate should have its way.
(C) On a vision she dreamed, the fulfilment whereof ere long was seen—
“If haply any be wounded, then, ah then, I ween,
This sport may grow into earnest: then over my scornful foe
Should I stand in revenge triumphant—small were my grief, I trow!”
Then clashed Gibeke and Schrutan with the strangers front to front,
And with them Hornbog and Ramung, after the Hunnish wont:
Yet stayed by the knights Burgundian were the onsets of them all.
The splintered spear-shafts whirling flew over the palace-wall.
Yet, how featly they rode soever, it was nought but empty sound.
With clanging of smitten bucklers rang wide echoes round
From mansion and hall, as the champions of Gunther clashed with the Hun.
High praise and glorious honour by his mighty men were won.
So strenuous was their pastime as in grapple of giants they met,
That drenched were the saddle-housings with foam-flakes and with sweat
From the goodly chargers dripping, as in gentle and joyous sport
The heroes against the Hunfolk matched them in chivalrous sort.
{p. 257}
Then the noble viol-minstrel, Volker the aweless, said:
“I trow these knights be faint-hearts; to meet us fairly they dread.
Yet hear I talk of their hatred, how bitter against us it is.
Sooth, never a better season may they find to prove it than this!
Now once more unto the stables,” again Lord Volker cried,
“Let the squires lead back the horses. Peradventure again will we ride
When draweth the day unto even, if haply the time suffice.
Perchance to the knights Burgundian will the Queen give valour’s prize!”
Then into the lists came riding one of such lordly mien
That in all the host of the Hunfolk no goodlier man was seen.
Perchance from a casement a dear one gazed on his pomp and his pride:
Like a maid was he richly apparelled, yea, like a young knight’s bride.
Then again in his scorn spake Volker: “Who now can forbear to smite?
He must needs take a buffet, yon minion of women, yon carpet-knight.
He hath set his life on the hazard: not I will be turned from my path!
As for yon wife of King Etzel, nothing I reck of her wrath.”
“Now nay, by my love I charge thee,” said Gunther, “do not thus!
All folk will blame if the first blood be wantonly shed by us.
Let the Huns be the first wrong-doers: it were more for our honour, I ween.”
—And all this while King Etzel at the casement sat with the Queen.
“I make one more in the tourney,” cried Hagen instantly.
“We will let yon dames at their casements and the knights that throng us see
How knightly is our jousting: y............