Mighty Etzel, too, began implore; upon their knees they sank before
the knight. Men saw the noble margrave stand full sad. Pitifully the
faithful warrior spake: "Woe is me, most wretched man, that I have
lived to see this day. I must give over all my honors, my fealty, and
my courtesie, that God did bid me use. Alas, great God of heaven, that
death will not turn this from me! I shall act basely and full evil,
whatever I do or leave undone. But if I give over both, then will all
people blame me. Now may he advise me, who hath given me life."
Still the king and the queen, too, begged unceasingly. Through this
warriors must needs thereafter lose their lives at Rudeger's hands, when
the hero also died. Ye may well hear it now, that he deported him full
pitifully. He wist that it would bring him scathe and monstrous woe.
Gladly would he have refused the king and queen. He feared full sore
that if he slew but one of the strangers, the world would bear him hate.
Then the brave man addressed him to the king: "Sir King, take back
again all that I have from you, my land with its castles, let not a whit
remain to me. On foot will I wander into other lands."
At this King Etzel spake: "Who else should help me then? I'll give thee
the land and all its castles, as thine own, that thou mayst avenge me on
my foes. Thou shalt be a mighty king at Etzel's side."
Then answered Rudeger: "How shall I do this deed? I bade them to my
house and home; in friendly wise I offered them both food and drink
and gave them gifts. How may I counsel their death? People will lightly
ween, that I be craven. No service of mine have I refused these noble
lordings and their men. Now I rue the kinship I have gained with them. I
gave my daughter to Giselher, the knight; to none in all the world could
she have been better given, for courtesie and honor, for fealty and
wealth. Never have I seen so young a prince of such right courteous
mind."
Then Kriemhild spake again: "Most noble Rudeger, take pity on our
griefs, on mine and on the king's. Bethink thee well, that king did
never gain such baneful guests."
To the noble dame the margrave spake: "Rudeger's life must pay to-day
for whatsoever favors ye and my lord have shown me. Therefore must I
die; no longer may it be deferred. I know full well, that my castles and
my lands will be voided for you to-day through the hand of one of these
men. To your mercy I commend my wife and children and the strangers (3)
who be at Bechelaren."
"Now God requite thee, Rudeger," spake the king, and both he and the
queen grew glad. "Thy people shall be well commended to our care. For
mine own weal I trust thou too shalt go unscathed."
Etzel's bride began to weep. Then body and soul he staked upon the
venture. He spake: "I must perform what I have vowed. Alas for my
friends, whom I am loth to fight."
Men saw him go sadly from the presence of the king. Close at hand he
found his warriors standing. He spake: "Ye must arm you all, my men,
for, alas, I must needs encounter the bold Burgundians."
They bade the squires run nimbly to where lay their arms. Whether it
were helm or buckler, 'twas all brought forth to them by their meiny.
Later the proud strangers heard told baleful tales. Rudeger was
now armed, and with him five hundred men; thereto he gained twelve
champions, who would fain win renown in the stress of battle. They
wist not that death drew nigh them. Then Rudeger was seen to march with
helmet donned. The margrave's men bare keen-edged swords, and their
bright shields and broad upon their arms. This the fiddler saw; greatly
he rued the sight. When young Giselher beheld his lady's father walk
with his helm upon his head, how might he know what he meant thereby,
save that it portended good? Therefore the noble prince waxed passing
merry of mood.
"Now well is me of such kinsmen," spake Knight Giselher, "whom we have
won upon this journey; from my wife we shall reap much profit here. Lief
it is to me, that this betrothal hath taken place."
"I know not whence ye take your comfort," spake then the minstrel; "when
have ye seen so many heroes walk with helmets donned and swords in hand,
for the sake of peace? Rudeger doth think to win his castles and his
lands in fight with us."
Or ever the fiddler had ended his speech, men saw the noble Rudeger
before the house. At his feet he placed his trusty shield, and now both
service and greeting he must needs refuse his friends. Into the hall
the noble margrave called: "Ye doughty Nibelungs, now guard you well
on every side. Ye were to profit by me, now I shall bring you scathe.
Aforetime we were friends, but of this troth I now would fain be rid."
The hard-pressed men were startled at this tale, for none gained aught
of joy, that he whom they did love would now fain fight them. From their
foes they had already suffered mickle stress of war. "Now God of heaven
forbid," spake Gunther, the knight, "that ye should give over your love
of us and your great fealty, on which we counted of a truth. Better
things I trow of you, than that ye should ever do this deed."
"Alas, I cannot give it over, but must fight you, for I have vowed it.
Now ward you, brave heroes, and ye love your life. King Etzel's wife
would not release me from mine oath."
"Ye declare this feud too late," spake the high-born king. "Now may God
requite you, most noble Rudeger, for all the love and fealty that ye
have shown us, if ye would only act more kindly at the end. I and my
kinsmen, we ought ever to serve you for the noble gifts ye gave us, when
ye brought us hither faithfully to Etzel's land. Now, noble Rudeger,
think on this."
"How gladly would I grant you," spake Knight Rudeger, "that I might
weigh out my gifts for you with full measure, as willingly as I had
hoped, if I never should be blamed on that account."
"Turn back, noble Rudeger," spake then Gernot, "for host did never give
his guests such loving cheer as ye did us. This shall profit you well,
and we remain alive."
"Would to God," spake Rudeger, "most noble Gernot, that ye were on the
Rhine and I were dead with passing honor, sith I must now encounter you!
Never did friends act worse to heroes."
"Now God requite you, Sir Rudeger," answered Gernot, "for your passing
rich gifts. Your death doth rue me, if such knightly virtues shall be
lost with you. Here I bear your sword that ye gave me, good knight and
true. It hath never failed me in all this need. Many a knight fell
dead beneath its edges. It is bright and steady, glorious and good;
nevermore, I ween, will warrior give so rich a gift. And will ye not
turn back, but come to meet us, and slay aught of the friends I still
have here, with your own sword will I take your life. Then will ye rue
me, Rudeger, ye and your high-born wife."
"Would to God, Sir Gernot, that this might come to pass, that all your
will might here be done, and that your kinsmen escaped unscathed! Then
both my daughter and my wife may trust you well, forsooth."
Then of the Burgundians there spake fair Uta's son: "Why do ye so, Sir
Rudeger? Those that be come with us, do all like you well. Ye encounter
us in evil wise; ye wish to make your fair daughter a widow far too
soon. If ye and your warriors match me now with strife, how right
unkindly do ye let it appear, that I trust you well above all other men
and therefore won me your daughter to wife."
"Think on your fealty, most noble and high-born king. And God let you
escape," so spake Rudeger, "let the maiden suffer not for me. For your
own virtue's sake, vouchsafe her mercy."
"That I should do by right," spake the youthful Giselher, "but if
my noble kinsmen here within must die through you, then my steadfast
friendship for you and for your daughter must be parted."
"Now may God have mercy on us," answered the valiant man. Then they
raised their shields, as though they would hence to fight the guests in
Kriemhild's hall, but Hagen cried full loud adown the steps. "Pray tarry
awhile, most noble Rudeger," so spake Hagen; "I and my lords would fain
have further parley, as doth befit our need. What can the death of us
wanderers avail King Etzel? I stand here in a fearful plight; the shield
that Lady Gotelind gave me to bear hath been cut to pieces by the Huns.
I brought it with friendly purpose into Etzel's land. O that God in
heaven would grant, that I might bear so good a shield as that thou hast
in thy hand, most noble Rudeger! Then I should no longer need a hauberk
in the fray."
"Gladly would I serve thee with my shield, durst I offer it before
Kriemhild. Yet take it, Hagen, and bear it on thine arm. Ho, if thou
couldst only wield it in the Burgundian land!"
When he so willingly offered to give the shield, enow of eyes grew
red with scalding tears. 'T was the last gift that ever Rudeger of
Bechelaren gave to any knight. However fierce Hagen, and however stern
of mood, the gift did touch him, which the good hero, so near to death,
had given. Many a noble knight gan mourn with him.
"Now God in heaven requite you, most noble Rudeger. Your like will
nevermore be found, who giveth homeless warriors such lordly gifts. God
grant that your courtesie may ever live." Again Hagen spake: "Woe is me
of these tales, we had so many other griefs to bear. Let complaint be
made to heaven, if we must fight with friends."