Saga Six Pack 2 (Illustrated)

How Siegfried fought with the Saxons-1

How Siegfried fought with the Saxons

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Now come wondrous tidings to King Gunther's land,

By messengers brought hither from far upon command

Of knights unknown who harbored against him secret hate.

When there was heard the story, at heart in sooth the grief was great.

Of these I now will tell you: There was King Luedeger

From out the land of Saxons, a mighty warrior,

And eke from land of Denmark Luedegast the king:

Whene'er they rode to battle went they with mighty following.

Come were now their messengers to the land of Burgundy,

Sent forth by these foemen in proud hostility.

Then asked they of the strangers what tidings they did bring:

And when they heard it, straightway led them to court before the king.

Then spake to them King Gunther: "A welcome, on my word.

Who 'tis that send you hither, that have I not yet heard:

Now shall ye let me know it," spake the monarch keen.

Then dreaded they full sorely to see King Gunther's angry mien.

"Wilt them, O king, permit us the tidings straight to tell

That we now have brought thee, no whit will we conceal,

But name thee both our masters who us have hither sent:

Luedegast and Luedeger, —to waste thy land is their intent.

"Their hate hast thou incurréd, and thou shalt know in sooth

That high enraged against thee are the monarchs both.

Their hosts they will lead hither to Worms upon the Rhine;

They're helped by thanes full many— of this put off all doubts of thine.

"Within weeks a dozen their march will they begin;

And if thy friends be valiant, let that full quick be seen,

To help thee keep in safety thy castles and thy land:

Full many a shield and helmet shall here be cleft by warrior's hand.

"Or wilt thou with them parley, so let it quick be known,

Before their hosts so mighty of warlike men come down

To Worms upon Rhine river sad havoc here to make,

Whereby must death most certain many a gallant knight o'ertake."

"Bide ye now the meanwhile," the king did answer kind,

"Till I take better counsel; then shall ye know my mind.

Have I yet warriors faithful, from these I'll naught conceal,

But to my friends I'll straightway these warlike tidings strange reveal."

The lordly Gunther wondered thereat and troubled sore,

As he the message pondered in heart and brooded o'er.

He sent to fetch grim Hagen and others of his men,

And bade likewise in hurry to court bring hither Gernot then.

Thus at his word his trusted advisers straight attend.

He spake: "Our land to harry foes all unknown will send

Of men a mighty army; a grievous wrong is this.

Small cause have we e'er given that they should wish us aught amiss."

"Our swords ward such things from us," Gernot then said;

"Since but the fated dieth, so let all such lie dead.

Wherefore I'll e'er remember what honor asks of me:

Whoe'er hath hate against us shall ever here right welcome be."

Then spake the doughty Hagen: "Methinks 'twould scarce be good;

Luedegast and Luedeger are men of wrathful mood.

Help can we never summon, the days are now so few."

So spake the keen old warrior, "'Twere well Siegfried the tidings knew."

The messengers in the borough were harbored well the while,

And though their sight was hateful, in hospitable style

As his own guests to tend them King Gunther gave command,

Till 'mongst his friends he learnéd who by him in his need would stand.

The king was filled with sorrow and his heart was sad.

Then saw his mournful visage a knight to help full glad,

Who could not well imagine what 'twas that grieved him so.

Then begged he of King Gunther the tale of this his grief to know.

"To me it is great wonder," said Siegfried to the king,

"How thou of late hast changéd to silent sorrowing

The joyous ways that ever with us thy wont have been."

Then unto him gave answer Gunther the full stately thane:

"'Tis not to every person I can the burden say

That ever now in secret upon my heart doth weigh:

To well-tried friends and steady are told our inmost woes."

—Siegfried at first was pallid, but soon his blood like fire up-rose.

He spake unto the monarch: "To thee I've naught denied.

All ills that now do threaten I'll help to turn aside.

And if but friends thou seekest, of them the first I'll be,

And trow I well with honor till death to serve thee faithfully."

"God speed thee well, Sir Siegfried, for this thy purpose fair:

And though such help in earnest thy arm should render ne'er,

Yet do I joy at hearing thou art so true to me.

And live I yet a season, right heartily repaid 'twill be.

"Know will I also let thee wherefore I sorrowing stand.

Through messengers from my foemen have tidings reached my land

That they with hosts of warriors will ride my country o'er;

Such thing to us did never thanes of any land before."

"Small cause is that for grieving," said then Siegfried;

"But calm thy troubled spirit and hearken to my rede:

Let me for thee acquire honor and vantage too,

And bid thou now assemble for service eke thy warriors true.

"And had thy mighty enemies to help them now at hand

Good thanes full thirty thousand, against them all I'd stand,

Had I but one good thousand: put all thy trust in me."

Then answered him King Gunther: "Thy help shall full requited be."

"Then bid for me to summon a thousand of thy men,

Since I now have with me of all my knightly train

None but twelve knights only; then will I guard thy land.

For thee shall service faithful be done alway by Siegfried's hand.

"Herein shall help us Hagen and eke Ortwein,

Dankwart and Sindold, those trusted knights of thine;

And with us too shall journey Volker, the valiant man;

The banner he shall carry: bestow it better ne'er I can.

"Back to their native country the messengers may go;

They'll see us there right quickly, let them full surely know,

So that all our castles peace undisturbed shall have."

Then bade the king to summon his friends with all their warriors brave.

To court returned the heralds King Luedeger had sent,

And on their journey homeward full joyfully they went.

King Gunther gave them presents that costly were and good,

And granted them safe convoy; whereat they were of merry mood.

"Tell ye my foes," spake Gunther, "when to your land ye come,

Than making journeys hither they better were at home;

But if they still be eager to make such visit here,

Unless my friends forsake me, cold in sooth shall be their cheer."

Then for the messengers rich presents forth they bore,

Whereof in sooth to give them Gunther had goodly store:

And they durst not refuse them whom Luedeger had sent.

Leave then they took immediate, and homeward joyfully they went.

When to their native Denmark the messengers returned,

And the king Luedegast the answer too had learned,

They at the Rhine had sent him, —when that to him was told,

His wrath was all unbounded to have reply in words so bold.

'Twas said their warriors numbered many a man full keen:

"There likewise among them with Gunther have we seen

Of Netherland a hero, the same that Siegfried hight."

King Luedegast was grievéd, when he their words had heard aright.

When throughout all Denmark the tidings quick spread o'er,

Then in hot haste they summoned helpers all the more,

So that King Luedegast, 'twixt friends from far and near,

Had knights full twenty thousand all furnished well with shield and spear.

Then too his men did summon of Saxony Luedeger,

Till they good forty thousand, and more, had gathered there,

With whom to make the journey 'gainst the land of Burgundy.

—At home likewise the meanwhile King Gunther had sent forth decree

Mighty men to summon of his own and brothers twain,

Who against the foemen would join the armed train.

In haste they made them ready, for right good cause they had.

Amongst them must thereafter full many a noble thane lie dead.

To march they quick made ready. And when they thence would fare,

The banner to the valiant Volker was given to bear,

As they began the journey from Worms across the Rhine;

Strong of arm grim Hagen was chosen leader of the line.

With them there rode Sindold and eke the keen Hunold

Who oft at hands of Gunther had won rewards of gold;

Dankwart, Hagen's brother, and Ortwein beside,

Who all could well with honor in train of noble warriors ride.

"King Gunther," spake then Siegfried, "stay thou here at home;

Since now thy knights so gallant with me will gladly come,

Rest thou here with fair ladies, and be of merry mood:

I trow we'll keep in safety thy land and honor as we should.

"And well will I see to it that they at home remain,

Who fain would ride against thee to Worms upon the Rhine.

Against them straight we'll journey into their land so far

That they'll be meeker minded who now such haughty vaunters are."

Then from the Rhine through Hesse the hosts of knights rode on

Toward the land of Saxons, where battle was anon.

With fire and sword they harried and laid the country waste,

So that both the monarchs full well the woes of war did taste.

When came they to the border the train-men onward pressed.

With thought of battle-order Siegfried the thanes addressed:

"Who now shall guard our followers from danger in the rear?"

In sooth like this the Saxons in battle worsted never were.

Then said they: "On the journey the men shall guarded be

By the valiant Dankwart, —a warrior swift is he;

So shall we lose the fewer by men of Luedeger.

Let him and Ortwein with him be chosen now to guard the rear."

Spake then the valiant Siegfried: "Myself will now ride on,

And against our enemies will keep watch in the van,

Till I aright discover where they perchance may be."

The son of fair Queen Siegelind did arm him then immediately.

The folk he left to Hagen when ready to depart,

And as well to Gernot, a man of dauntless heart.

Into the land of Saxons alone he rode away,

And by his hand was severed many a helmet's band that day.

He found a mighty army that lay athwart the plain,

Small part of which outnumbered all those in his own train:

Full forty thousand were they or more good men of might.

The hero high in spirit saw right joyfully the sight.

Then had eke a warrior from out the enemy

To guard the van gone forward, all arméd cap-a-pie.

Him saw the noble Siegfried, and he the valiant man;

Each one straight the other to view with angry mien began.

Who he was I'll tell you that rode his men before,

—A shield of gold all shining upon his arm he bore—

In sooth it was King Luedegast who there the van did guard.

Straightway the noble Siegfried full eagerly against him spurred.

Now singled out for combat him, too, had Luedegast.

Then full upon each other they spurred their chargers fast,

As on their shields they lowered their lances firm and tight,

Whereat the lordly monarch soon found himself in sorry plight.

After the shock their chargers bore the knights so fast

Onward past each other as flew they on the blast.

Then turned they deftly backward obedient to the rein,

As with their swords contested the grim and doughty fighters twain.

When Siegfried struck in anger far off was heard the blow,

And flew from off the helmet, as if 'twere all aglow,

The fiery sparks all crackling beneath his hand around.

Each warrior in the other a foeman worth his mettle found.

Full many a stroke with vigor dealt eke King Luedegast,

And on each other's buckler the blows fell thick and fast.

Then thirty men discovered their master's sorry plight: