The Nibelungenlied
2215
Full well did show him Ruediger / a knight of mettle true,
Doughty in goodly armor. / What warriors there he slew!
Beheld it a Burgundian, / and cause for wrath was there
Not longer now was distant / the death of noble Ruediger.
2216
Gernot, knight full doughty, / addressed the margrave then,
Thus speaking to the hero: / " Wilt thou of all my men
Living leave not any, / O noble Ruediger?
That gives me grief unmeasured; / the sight I may not longer bear.
2217
" Now must thy gift unto me / prove thy sorest bane,
Since of my friends so many / thou from me hast ta'en.
Now hither turn to front me, / thou bold and noble knight:
As far as might may bear me / I trust to pay thy gift aright. "
2218
Ere that full the margrave / might make his way to him,
Must rings of glancing mail-coats / with flowing blood grow dim.
Then sprang upon each other / those knights on honor bent,
And each from wounds deep cutting / sought to keep him all unshent.
2219
Their swords cut so keenly / that might withstand them naught.
With mighty arm Sir Ruediger / Gernot then smote
Through the flint-hard helmet, / that downward flowed the blood.
Therefor repaid him quickly / the knight of keen and valiant mood.
2220
The gift he had of Ruediger / high in hand he swung,
And though to death was wounded / he smote with blow so strong
That the good shield was cloven / and welded helmet through
The spouse of fair Gotelinde, / then his latest breath he drew.
2221
In sooth so sad requital / found rich bounty ne'er.
Slain fell they both together, / Gernot and Ruediger,
Alike in storm of battle, / each by the other's hand.
Sore was the wrath of Hagen / when he the harm did understand.
2222
Cried there the lord of Tronje: / " Great is here our loss.
In death of these two heroes / such scathe befalleth us,
Wherefor land and people / shall repine for aye.
The warriors of Ruediger / must now to us the forfeit pay. "
2223
" Alack for this my brother, / snatched by death this day!
What host of woes unbidden / encompass me alway!
Eke must I moan it ever / that noble Ruediger fell.
Great is the scathe to both sides / and great the sorrowing as well. "
2224
When then beheld Sir Giselher / his lover's sire dead,
Must all that with him followed / suffer direst need.
There Death was busy seeking / to gather in his train,
And of the men of Bechelaren / came forth not one alive again.
2225
Gunther and Giselher / and with them Hagen too,
Dankwart and Volker, / doughty thanes and true,
Went where found they lying / the two warriors slain,
Nor at the sight the heroes / might their grief and tears restrain.
2226
" Death robbeth us right sorely, " / spake young Sir Giselher:
" Yet now give o'er your weeping / and let us seek the air,
That the ringed mail grow cooler / on us storm-weary men.
God in sooth will grant us / not longer here to live, I ween. "
2227
Here sitting, and there leaning / was seen full many a thane,
Resting once more from combat, / the while that all lay slain
The followers of Ruediger. / Hushed was the battle's din.
At length grew angry Etzel, / that stillness was so long within.
2228
" Alack for such a service! " / spake the monarch's wife;
" For never 'tis so faithful / that our foes with life
Must to us make payment / at Ruediger's hand.
He thinks in sooth to lead them / again unto Burgundian land.
2229
" What boots it, royal Etzel, / that we did ever share
With him what he desired? / The knight doth evil there.
He that should avenge us, / the same a truce doth make. "
Thereto the stately warrior / Volker in answer spake:
2230
" Alas 'tis no such case here, / O high and royal dame.
Dared I but give the lie to / one of thy lofty name,
Thou hast in fiendish manner / Ruediger belied
He and all his warriors / have laid all thoughts of truce aside.
2231
" With so good heart obeyed he / his royal master's will
That he and all his followers / here in death lie still.
Look now about thee, Kriemhild, / who may thy hests attend.
Ruediger the hero / hath served thee faithful to the end.
2232
" Wilt thou my words believe not, / to thee shall clear be shown. "
To cause her heart a sorrow, / there the thing was done.
Wound-gashed they bore the hero / where him the king might see.
Unto the thanes of Etzel / ne'er might so great sorrow be.
2233
When did they the margrave / a corse on bier behold,
By chronicler might never / written be nor told
All the wild lamenting / of women and of men,
As with grief all stricken / out-poured they their hearts' sorrow then.
2234
Royal Etzel's sorrow / there did know no bound
Like to the voice of lion / echoing rang the sound
Of the king's loud weeping, / wherein the queen had share.
Unmeasured they lamented / the death of noble Ruediger.
Full well did show him Ruediger / a knight of mettle true,
Doughty in goodly armor. / What warriors there he slew!
Beheld it a Burgundian, / and cause for wrath was there
Not longer now was distant / the death of noble Ruediger.
2216
Gernot, knight full doughty, / addressed the margrave then,
Thus speaking to the hero: / " Wilt thou of all my men
Living leave not any, / O noble Ruediger?
That gives me grief unmeasured; / the sight I may not longer bear.
2217
" Now must thy gift unto me / prove thy sorest bane,
Since of my friends so many / thou from me hast ta'en.
Now hither turn to front me, / thou bold and noble knight:
As far as might may bear me / I trust to pay thy gift aright. "
2218
Ere that full the margrave / might make his way to him,
Must rings of glancing mail-coats / with flowing blood grow dim.
Then sprang upon each other / those knights on honor bent,
And each from wounds deep cutting / sought to keep him all unshent.
2219
Their swords cut so keenly / that might withstand them naught.
With mighty arm Sir Ruediger / Gernot then smote
Through the flint-hard helmet, / that downward flowed the blood.
Therefor repaid him quickly / the knight of keen and valiant mood.
2220
The gift he had of Ruediger / high in hand he swung,
And though to death was wounded / he smote with blow so strong
That the good shield was cloven / and welded helmet through
The spouse of fair Gotelinde, / then his latest breath he drew.
2221
In sooth so sad requital / found rich bounty ne'er.
Slain fell they both together, / Gernot and Ruediger,
Alike in storm of battle, / each by the other's hand.
Sore was the wrath of Hagen / when he the harm did understand.
2222
Cried there the lord of Tronje: / " Great is here our loss.
In death of these two heroes / such scathe befalleth us,
Wherefor land and people / shall repine for aye.
The warriors of Ruediger / must now to us the forfeit pay. "
2223
" Alack for this my brother, / snatched by death this day!
What host of woes unbidden / encompass me alway!
Eke must I moan it ever / that noble Ruediger fell.
Great is the scathe to both sides / and great the sorrowing as well. "
2224
When then beheld Sir Giselher / his lover's sire dead,
Must all that with him followed / suffer direst need.
There Death was busy seeking / to gather in his train,
And of the men of Bechelaren / came forth not one alive again.
2225
Gunther and Giselher / and with them Hagen too,
Dankwart and Volker, / doughty thanes and true,
Went where found they lying / the two warriors slain,
Nor at the sight the heroes / might their grief and tears restrain.
2226
" Death robbeth us right sorely, " / spake young Sir Giselher:
" Yet now give o'er your weeping / and let us seek the air,
That the ringed mail grow cooler / on us storm-weary men.
God in sooth will grant us / not longer here to live, I ween. "
2227
Here sitting, and there leaning / was seen full many a thane,
Resting once more from combat, / the while that all lay slain
The followers of Ruediger. / Hushed was the battle's din.
At length grew angry Etzel, / that stillness was so long within.
2228
" Alack for such a service! " / spake the monarch's wife;
" For never 'tis so faithful / that our foes with life
Must to us make payment / at Ruediger's hand.
He thinks in sooth to lead them / again unto Burgundian land.
2229
" What boots it, royal Etzel, / that we did ever share
With him what he desired? / The knight doth evil there.
He that should avenge us, / the same a truce doth make. "
Thereto the stately warrior / Volker in answer spake:
2230
" Alas 'tis no such case here, / O high and royal dame.
Dared I but give the lie to / one of thy lofty name,
Thou hast in fiendish manner / Ruediger belied
He and all his warriors / have laid all thoughts of truce aside.
2231
" With so good heart obeyed he / his royal master's will
That he and all his followers / here in death lie still.
Look now about thee, Kriemhild, / who may thy hests attend.
Ruediger the hero / hath served thee faithful to the end.
2232
" Wilt thou my words believe not, / to thee shall clear be shown. "
To cause her heart a sorrow, / there the thing was done.
Wound-gashed they bore the hero / where him the king might see.
Unto the thanes of Etzel / ne'er might so great sorrow be.
2233
When did they the margrave / a corse on bier behold,
By chronicler might never / written be nor told
All the wild lamenting / of women and of men,
As with grief all stricken / out-poured they their hearts' sorrow then.
2234
Royal Etzel's sorrow / there did know no bound
Like to the voice of lion / echoing rang the sound
Of the king's loud weeping, / wherein the queen had share.
Unmeasured they lamented / the death of noble Ruediger.
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