The Nibelungenlied
1921
The knights by Bloedel summoned / soon armed and ready were,
A thousand wearing hauberks / straightway did repair
Where Dankwart sat at table / with many a goodly squire.
Soon knight on knight was seeking / in fiercest way to vent his ire.
1922
When there Sir Bloedel / strode unto the board,
Dankwart the marshal / thus spoke courteous word:
" Unto this hall right welcome / good Sir Bloedel be.
What business hast thou hither / is cause of wonder yet to me. "
1923
" No greeting here befits thee, " / spake Bloedel presently,
" For that this my coming / now thy end must be,
Through Hagen's fault, thy brother, / who Siegfried erstwhile slew
To the Huns thou mak'st atonement, / and many another warrior too. "
1924
" But nay, but nay, Sir Bloedel, " / Dankwart spake thereto,
" For so should we have reason / our coming here to rue.
A child I was and little / when Siegfried lost his life,
Nor know I why reproacheth / me the royal Etzel's wife. "
1925
" In sooth I may the story / never fully tell.
Gunther and Hagen was it / by whom the deed befell.
Now guard you well, ye strangers, / for doomed in sooth are ye,
Unto Lady Kriemhild / must your lives now forfeit be. "
1926
" An so thou wilt desist not, " / Dankwart declared,
" Regret I my entreaty, / my toil were better spared. "
The nimble thane and valiant / up from the table sprung,
And drew a keen-edged weapon, / great in sooth that was and long.
1927
Then smote he with it Bloedel / such a sudden blow
That his head full sudden / before his feet lay low.
" Be that thy wedding-dower, " / the doughty Dankwart spake,
" Along with bride of Nudung / whom thou would'st to thy bosom take.
1928
" To-morrow may she marry, / but some other one:
Will he have bridal portion, / e'en so to him be done. "
A Hun that liked not treason / had given him to know
How that the queen upon him / thought to work so grievous woe.
1929
When the men of Bloedel / saw thus their master slain,
To fall upon the strangers / would they longer not refrain.
With swords swung high above them / upon the squires they flew
In a grimmest humor. / Soon many must that rashness rue.
1930
Full loudly cried then Dankwart / to all his company:
" Behold ye, noble squires, / the fate that ours must be.
Now quit yourselves with valor, / for evil is our pass,
Though fair to us the summons / hither from Lady Kriemhild was! "
1931
They, too, reached down before them, / who no weapons bore,
And each a massive footstool / snatched from off the floor,
For the Burgundian squires / no whit were they dismayed;
And by the selfsame weapons / was many a dint in helmet made.
1932
How fierce they fought to shield them / the strangers one and all!
E'en their armed foemen / drove they from the hall.
Or smote dead within it / hundreds five or more;
All the valiant fighters / saw ye drenched with ruddy gore.
1933
Ere long the wondrous tidings / some messenger did tell
Unto Etzel's chieftain / — fierce did their anger swell —
How that slain was Bloedel / and knights full many a one;
The which had Hagen's brother / with his lusty squires done.
1934
The Huns, by anger driven, / ere Etzel was aware,
Two thousand men or over, / did quick themselves prepare.
They fell upon those squires / — e'en so it had to be —
And never any living / they left of all that company.
1935
A mickle host they faithless / unto those quarters brought,
But lustily the strangers / 'gainst their assailants fought.
What booted swiftest valor? / Soon must all lie dead.
A dire woe thereafter / on many a man was visited.
The knights by Bloedel summoned / soon armed and ready were,
A thousand wearing hauberks / straightway did repair
Where Dankwart sat at table / with many a goodly squire.
Soon knight on knight was seeking / in fiercest way to vent his ire.
1922
When there Sir Bloedel / strode unto the board,
Dankwart the marshal / thus spoke courteous word:
" Unto this hall right welcome / good Sir Bloedel be.
What business hast thou hither / is cause of wonder yet to me. "
1923
" No greeting here befits thee, " / spake Bloedel presently,
" For that this my coming / now thy end must be,
Through Hagen's fault, thy brother, / who Siegfried erstwhile slew
To the Huns thou mak'st atonement, / and many another warrior too. "
1924
" But nay, but nay, Sir Bloedel, " / Dankwart spake thereto,
" For so should we have reason / our coming here to rue.
A child I was and little / when Siegfried lost his life,
Nor know I why reproacheth / me the royal Etzel's wife. "
1925
" In sooth I may the story / never fully tell.
Gunther and Hagen was it / by whom the deed befell.
Now guard you well, ye strangers, / for doomed in sooth are ye,
Unto Lady Kriemhild / must your lives now forfeit be. "
1926
" An so thou wilt desist not, " / Dankwart declared,
" Regret I my entreaty, / my toil were better spared. "
The nimble thane and valiant / up from the table sprung,
And drew a keen-edged weapon, / great in sooth that was and long.
1927
Then smote he with it Bloedel / such a sudden blow
That his head full sudden / before his feet lay low.
" Be that thy wedding-dower, " / the doughty Dankwart spake,
" Along with bride of Nudung / whom thou would'st to thy bosom take.
1928
" To-morrow may she marry, / but some other one:
Will he have bridal portion, / e'en so to him be done. "
A Hun that liked not treason / had given him to know
How that the queen upon him / thought to work so grievous woe.
1929
When the men of Bloedel / saw thus their master slain,
To fall upon the strangers / would they longer not refrain.
With swords swung high above them / upon the squires they flew
In a grimmest humor. / Soon many must that rashness rue.
1930
Full loudly cried then Dankwart / to all his company:
" Behold ye, noble squires, / the fate that ours must be.
Now quit yourselves with valor, / for evil is our pass,
Though fair to us the summons / hither from Lady Kriemhild was! "
1931
They, too, reached down before them, / who no weapons bore,
And each a massive footstool / snatched from off the floor,
For the Burgundian squires / no whit were they dismayed;
And by the selfsame weapons / was many a dint in helmet made.
1932
How fierce they fought to shield them / the strangers one and all!
E'en their armed foemen / drove they from the hall.
Or smote dead within it / hundreds five or more;
All the valiant fighters / saw ye drenched with ruddy gore.
1933
Ere long the wondrous tidings / some messenger did tell
Unto Etzel's chieftain / — fierce did their anger swell —
How that slain was Bloedel / and knights full many a one;
The which had Hagen's brother / with his lusty squires done.
1934
The Huns, by anger driven, / ere Etzel was aware,
Two thousand men or over, / did quick themselves prepare.
They fell upon those squires / — e'en so it had to be —
And never any living / they left of all that company.
1935
A mickle host they faithless / unto those quarters brought,
But lustily the strangers / 'gainst their assailants fought.
What booted swiftest valor? / Soon must all lie dead.
A dire woe thereafter / on many a man was visited.
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