Part III

1062

The unlucky king, seeing this, drew in his breath and, trying to escape in all eagerness, mounted the back of his finely adorned¹ horse to fly quickly to gloomy Hagen² and tried with all kinds of pleas to make him go with him and renew the battle. But Hagen spoke: "The unspeakable race of my parents prevents me from fighting, and cold blood has stolen my wits away in the midst of battle. So I say, for my father melted down, whenever he set eyes upon weapons, and fearfully renounced combat with many a word. When you made those taunts, king, among your comrades, our aid to you was shameful indeed."³

1073

The other, nonetheless, entreating him yet more as he refused, strove to change him with such words as these: "I beseech you by the gods. Drop this wrath that you have conceived within! Shake off this anger you have for me! If we live and return home together, I shall requite my debt to you with many generous rewards. Do you not feel ashamed to disown your manhood, when so many of your companions and relatives have died? Words, I think, can move your mind more than awful deeds. You would more justly have grown angry at a cruel tyrant, who alone today had dared to defame the Head of the world.⁴ We suffer no little loss from the slaughter of men. Yet never will Frankland overcome so great a dishonor.⁵ Those who used to fear us will whisper and say: 'All the army of the Franks at the hands of one man—for shame we know not even whom—is slain with no retribution.'"

1089

Still Hagen kept delaying and tossing about in his heart his pledge to Walter and recalling the event in sequence just as it happened, but the unlucky king pressed upon him, imploring even more, until moved by the vigor of his insistent pleas he blushed at the face of his lord and thought again of the honor that he had on account of his courage, and how it would perhaps henceforth become vile, if he were to spare himself in this situation. At last he burst out and answered thus in a clear voice: "Whither do you call me, lord? Whither shall I follow, famous prince? Confidence promises the heart what cannot happen.⁶ Who has ever proved to be so foolish that he has tried to jump into the gaping pit⁷ of his own accord? So I say, for I know Walter is so bitter on the field of battle that, situated in such a stronghold and residence, he will despise a huge company as if it were one little man. Even if Frankland had sent all her cavalry and infantry here, still he would have done just the same; but, since I see that you are more grieved by shame than by destructive slaughter, and that you do not want thus to leave, I feel sympathy, and my own grief gives way to my king's honor. And look! I shall try to find the path of salvation,⁸ which shows itself either nowhere or else only under compulsion.⁹ So I say, for on my dear nephew's account—I confess, my lord—I would not spoil the oath I pledged. Look! For you, my king, I shall go into certain danger. But know now that I will go far from the conflict. Let us depart and give him space to come out, and then place ourselves in a lookout¹⁰ and pasture our horses in the meadow, until, secure at last, he leaves his close-set stronghold, thinking that we have gone. When he steps into the open field, let us rise and attack him from behind while he is surprised. Thus can we try some work of courage. But this very sure hope I have amongst doubtful things: then, my king, you will be able to fight—if you have a mind for war—for he will never put the two of us to flight, but we must either flee or wage fierce war."

1126

His lord praises the advice, embraces him, and comforts him with a kiss. And look! They leave and search for a place suitable for ambush, and relaxing they tie up their horses on the lush grass.

1130

Meanwhile, Phoebus¹¹ tilts toward the western shores, marks his farthest tracks over famous Thule, and leaves the Spaniards along with the Irishmen behind him. After the Sun has gradually warmed the ocean waves, Hesperus¹² turns his horns to the Ausonid¹³ lands, and then wisely the warrior begins to think to himself whether to stay in his safe stronghold while all was deeply silent or to entrust himself to the vast fields of wilderness. He storms within amidst great waves of worry and searches his wits in a swift hunt.¹⁴ So he did, for he feared Hagen alone, and that kiss and embrace of the king. He was totally unsure about the mind of his enemy—would they want to return to the city that they had left to gather more comrades over night and come back at first light to renew awful war, or would they set an ambush by themselves and lie in wait nearby? In addition to these worries the forest with its unfamiliar, crossing trails made him fear that he might chance upon places rough with thorn-bushes,¹⁵ or even wild beasts, and somehow lose his betrothed. After considering all of this, he spoke: "Well, however the affair turns out, I shall rest here until the sphere runs its course and returns its beloved light so that that haughty king may not say that I fled the bounds of his country like a thief through the shadows."¹⁶

1155

He spoke and look! He fortified the tight path with a barricade, placing freshly cut thorns and Christ's Thorn¹⁷ together all around. When he had finished, he turned to the maimed corpses with a bitter groan and put the heads beside each of them;¹⁸ and, lying face down toward the East¹⁹ with his bare sword in his hand, he prayed thus: "To the maker of the world who also governs all creation, without whose permission or even command nothing stands, I give thanks that he has defended me from the unjust blows of the hostile band and also from their abusive taunts.²⁰ But I beseech my kind Lord with a repentant mind that he, who wants to destroy not sinners but their faults, may allow me to see these men in the heavenly home."

1168

After completing his prayer, straightaway he rises, turns the six horses around, and ties them up with thin twigs twisted in the customary way—only these remained; for two were killed in battle, and king Gunther had driven off three.²¹ Finishing all of this, he loosens his belt, removes the massive weight, and lightens his steaming body.²²

1174

Then with happy words he consoles his gloomy bride and soon took food and refreshed his weary limbs, for he was quite exhausted. Then, lying back against his shield, he ordered the girl to keep watch so that he might sleep first. He decided to take the morning watch which was more suspect, and at last he rested.

1180

At his head she sat and kept her usual watch and kept her sleepy eyes awake by singing. But when the man first broke his sleep and awoke, he rose without delay, ordered the girl to sleep, and quickly snatched up a spear and propped himself against it. So he continued the rest of the night, for sometimes he would go among the horses, and sometimes he would approach the barricade and listen, wishing that the appearance of the world and light would return. Meanwhile, Lucifer²³ scaled Olympus as herald, saying: "The isle of Taprobane²⁴ sees the bright sun." It was the hour when the chilly Eous²⁵ bedews the land. The youth approached to despoil the slain of their arms and armor. Leaving the shirts and other things, he only stripped the armbands, belts and belt buckles, swords, hauberks, and the helmets too.

1195

He loaded four horses, placed the one he called his bride on the fifth, and mounted the sixth himself. Then he went out first, after pulling aside the barricade. Yet, while the path of the confined trail pierced onward, checking everything around him with clear eyes, he caught the airy wind in his ears, pricked to see if he could hear any whispers, footsteps, jangling bridles of haughty men, or even, perhaps, the clatter of an iron-clad horse's hoof.

1204

After he saw that all was quiet, he moved the burdened horses in front of him and bid the girl too to go ahead. He himself, keeping hold of the horse carrying the coffers, dared to follow the path girt in his usual apparel. He crossed nearly a mile, and look! The girl—for her fragile sex drove her to fear in her heart—looked back and saw the two men coming down from a hill, going at a fast and unusual pace.²⁶ Going white, she addressed the man behind her with a cry: "Our delayed end has now come. Flee, lord! They are closing in!"

1214

He turned, recognized them at first sight, and said: "In vain, did my right hand²⁷ lay low my enemies, if glory shall abandon me at the last, and dishonor stand at my side. It is better to seek a handsome death in battle than to lose our possessions and escape alone as a wanderers.²⁸ But the rewards of salvation are not so hopeless for one who has seen greater perils. Take the reins of Lion, who carries the gold, go quickly, and hurry into that nearby wood! But I choose rather to stand by on the mountain's slope, waiting for what shall come and greeting them as they arrive."

1225

The famous young maiden obeys his words as he commands. He quickly grabs his shield and shakes his spear to test the temper of the unfamiliar horse in battle. The king races madly at him, with his retainer at his side, and from afar he addresses him in the haughtiest manner: "Savage enemy, you will now be cheated of all your hard work! Look! Your hidden den is far away, the place from which, like a wolfhound bitch you used rabidly to gnash your teeth and bark. Behold! Fight, if you will, in an open field and find out if luck can get you an end equal to your beginning. I know—you have invited Fortune with a reward,²⁹ and so you disdain flight or surrender."