Adventure XXII: How King Etzel wedded Kriemhild

At Traisenmauer she tarried till four days were fulfilled;And all that time on the highways for never an hour was stilledThe uprolling of dust on all sides like smoke from a forest aflameAs the riders of Etzel thither through the land of the Easterlingscame.For by this had the joyful tidings been told unto Etzel the KingHow royally Lady Kriemhild through the land was journeying.By that sweet expectation slain, was the old pain gone,And arose the King, and hastened to meet that loveliest one.

Streamed far along the highways warriors of many a tongue.To herald the coming of Etzel came knights in a valiant throng;Christian knights and heathen, in one vast host came they,And they saw their Queen, and forward they swept in a stately array.Warriors many of Russia and many of Greece were there;On flew they, Poles and Wallachs, swiftly as birds of the air;Horsemen on goodly horses, kings of the saddle they rode;Each after his own land's fashion their knightly prowess they showed.From the land of Kiev came riding thitherward many a thane:On came the wild Petschnegers; the great bow did they strainAgainst the fowl of the heaven as flickered their wings in the blue.Up to the head the arrow with marvellous might they drew.

Hard by the Danube river in the land of the Easterlings liesA burg that men name Tulna: there seen of Kriemhild's eyesWas many an alien custom uncouth and marvel-fraught.There was she welcomed of many whose doom at the last she wrought.

Forerunners of King Etzel rode a vassal-companyBlithe-hearted, splendour-vestured, courtly and goodly to see,Four and twenty princes, mighty and men of renown,To look on their Queen: her presence of their heart's desire was thecrown.Ramung, the great war-captain from far Wallachia-land,To meet her rode; seven hundred were the warriors of his band.On sped they all together swiftly as birds on the wing.Then Prince Gibèk dashed forward with a gallant following.Forth did the swift knight Hornbog with a thousand vassals rideFrom his place beside King Etzel, to greet that glorious bride.As they rode, they upraised the war-cry of their land, that it rangafar.On swept the princes of Hunland in magnifical pomp of war.Forward spurring to meet her came Hawart the dauntless Dane,And Iring the swift war-helper, of the honour without a stain.Came Irnfried the lord of Thuringia, a goodly champion he.Thus welcomed they Queen Kriemhild for her honour and majesty,With warriors wight twelve hundred, a splendid chivalry.Then came the war-lord Blödel followed by thousands three,The brother of King Etzel, and a mighty Hunland thane.On rode he in pomp of procession, and before the Queen drew rein.Last came the great King Etzel, with Lord Dietrich at his side,With all his heroes behind him: it was good to see them ride,Rank upon rank of warriors noble and faithful and bold:To behold them heart-uplifted was Kriemhild, and joyful-souled.

Then spake unto Queen Kriemhild the noble Rüdiger:"Now to the King's self welcome I give, O Lady, here.Of whomso I say, 'Him kiss thou,' such an one with a kiss do thougreet.For all the knights of Etzel like welcoming were not meet."Then lifted they from her palfrey that stately Queen and fair;And Etzel the King, the mighty, no longer tarried there,But begirt with many a baron down from the selle he leapt,And with eyes for gladness shining unto Lady Kriemhild stept.

As singeth the old-time minstrel, high-born princes twainFollowed the Lady Kriemhild, upbearing her garment's train,As strode the great King Etzel his Lady and Queen to meet,And with gracious kiss of welcome that noble Prince did she greet.She put back veil and headband; the roses and lilies shoneForth from the gold that enclosed them: then murmured many an oneThat fairer than she not even the Lady Helka had been.Then the brother of King Etzel, Blödel, drew nigh to the Queen.With the kiss of salutation, as the Margrave Rüdiger bade,Blödel and King Gibeke, and Dietrich welcome were made.Twelve kissed she, kinsmen of Etzel, and chiefs of kingly pride;And she bowed her in gracious greeting unto many a baron beside.

Through all that time of the meeting of Kriemhild with Etzel theKing,All in the ancient fashion young knights were tourneying:With gentle and joyous jousting right gallantly they rode,As the Christian knights and heathen their countries' customs showed.With what knightly prowess the champions of Dietrich's warrior-bandWere hurling the whizzing javelin from the strong unerring hand!Forth through the air far-leaping over the shields did they skim.By the guests from Germany shivered was many a broad shield-rim.With the ceaseless clashing of spear-shafts splintered loud was theair;For the mighty men of the Hunland all were gathered there;And there were the guests of Etzel, an exceeding noble array.

Now passeth the King with Kriemhild from the place of their meetingaway,And they come where hard beside them doth a stately pavilion stand:All round was the whole plain covered with tents on every hand;There guests after toil of their travel unto sweet rest now mightwin;And many a winsome maiden the heroes led thereinUnto their Queen, where Kriemhild sat in splendour thereOn a couch all costly-broidered; for the Margrave's diligent careHad ordered so its arraying that the tent was splendour-dight:And the heart of the Hun-king Etzel was filled with deep delight.What of their princely converse may a simple minstrel knowSave this?--in his right hand rested a hand like a flake of snow.So sat they on love's threshold; for the wise thane Rüdiger,For the honour of Kriemhild, left not King Etzel alone with her.

Then stayed was the clash of tourney o'er all the echoing field.Hushed as beseemed was the crashing of lance and the clang of shield.Back to the tents went trooping King Etzel's vassalage:And to all was there given lodging and spacious harbourage.So drew the day to an ending and the sleep of the summer night,Till fled away the shadows and they saw the breaking of light.Then many a gallant hero gat him again to horse,And ho for the honour of Etzel and the gallant tourney-course!For the King said: "See ye acquit you for yours and for my renown."Then rode they on from Tulna to Vienna the royal town:There splendour-attired did ladies unnumbered their coming abideTo welcome with duteous worship King Etzel's royal bride.

In plenty to overflowing were all things ready dight,What things soever they needed; and many an eager knightWith joy looked on to the feast-tide. Fair lodging was given to themall.Amid joyance began King Etzel's bridal-festival.So vast was the throng, in the city harboured they could not be;And Rüdiger gave commandment--"Whosoever be not guests, yeWithout the walls find lodging in hamlet and homestead around."Well wot I that daily and hourly waiting on Kriemhild were foundThe noble baron Dietrich and many a knight of his host;In labour of love aye toiling they wrought to the uttermostThat the hearts of their guests should be gladdened in stintlessplenty and peace,So that Rüdiger and his kinsmen took now their disport and theirease.

Then came that royal bridal on the Feast of Whitsuntide,Whereon the Hun-king Etzel won Kriemhild to be his brideIn Vienna the royal city: such hosts of men, I wot,In the days of her first lord Siegfried on her pleasure had waitednot.By her gifts unto many which never had seen her she made her known,For which cause spake in his wonder to the guests full many an one:"We weened that of all wealth Kriemhild was stripped bare--so had weheard:And behold, she doth with her bounty marvels great beyond word!"

Seven days and ten it lasted, that marriage festival-tide.Ne'er was it told to the minstrel that any king besideA marriage-feast so glorious hath held--we have heard not his name.In new bright raiment vestured were all to the feast that came.Ne'er had she sat in the Low Land in the days of long agoIn the presence of knights so many: yea, this of a truth do I know.How rich soever in treasure was Siegfried, never had heSo many knights as were bounden to Etzel in fealty.Never have Kings, of a surety, at their marriage-festivalsUnto guests given mantles so ample, such splendour-woven palls,Never such costly vesture as was freely lavished here.It was all for the sake of Kriemhild, for the honour of one mostdear.In all--were they guests, were they home-folk--one mind in them allabode,Nought to begrudge in their giving, not the dearest thing they owed:Whatsoe'er was desired of any, given it was forthright,So that stripped bare even of vesture stood many a generous knight.

When she thought on the days passed over, how she dwelt on the greenRhine-shoreWith her noble murdered husband, her eyes with tears brimmed o'er.Yet the ghost of the past aye banned she, that her sorrow none mightknow,That she might not shadow the honour which had come after all herwoe.

Whatsoe'er was the bounty of others, as an idle wind would it seemBy the lavish giving of Dietrich: all wealth bestowed upon himBy the King, the son of Botlung, was as water spilt on the sand.Withal were there marvels of bounty from Rüdiger's open hand.Yea, also the good knight Blödel, the Lord of Hungary,Bade open his treasure-coffers, and empty them utterlyOf the gold therein and the silver--all, all was given away.The heroes of King Etzel in joy lived day by day.Yea, also Werbel and Schwemmel--King Etzel's minstrels they--Each of them with marks a thousand was guerdoned for harp and lay,Yea, even with more peradventure, at the marriage-festivalWhen by Etzel Kriemhild the lovely sat crowned in the sight of all.

Forth on the eighteenth morning from Vienna rode their array.Once more were the bucklers rifted in the gentle and joyous playBy the spears that were couched for the onset in many a good knight'shand.So came at the last King Etzel with joy to the Hunfolk's land.At Heimburg the ancient city did the wayfarers rest that night.How vast was the tale of their army none could number aright,Nor say with what countless legions on through the land they rode.Ha, what fair dames in the home-land the coming of these abode!

At Misenburg the wealthy aboard of ships did they go.'Neath the host of the men and the horses did the waters hidden flow;It seemed as the dry land fleeted away in one long stream!Now journeyed the way-worn women lulled in a restful dream.Galley to goodly galley was lashed with hawsers tautTo the end that by wave and current might no disarray be wrought;And awnings of costly loomwork were wide outstretched overhead,That it seemed as if plain and meadow around them still were spread.

Now also in Etzel's castle was the tale of their coming told,And all therein, both women and men, were joyful-souled,The household of Queen Helka, whom she graciously ruled of yore,And for whom with Kriemhild were many happy days in store.In its hall did high-born maidens in hope her coming abideWhose hearts had carried a burden of grief since Helka died.Yea, seven kings' daughters Kriemhild in the castle fostered found;And all the land of Etzel through these was far-renowned.Of all these Herrat the princess had overcharge and control,Daughter of Helka's sister, a maiden pure of soul,Betrothed unto Dietrich: daughter of a noble prince was she,The child of the great king Nantwein, high-honoured in days to be.Expectant of their coming her heart was filled with delight,And with goodly preparation was the palace richly dight.How blissfully there King Etzel abode what tongue may tell?Under no queen ever the Hunfolk thereafter fared so well.

When the King with his wife came riding up from the river-bank,As maid after maid was presented, named was each, and her rank,By Herrat, and Kriemhild greeted each as a friend long known.In what might she sat and what honour soon upon Helka's throne!Duteous service and loyal waited upon her aye;And ever the Queen was giving: gold, lovely-woven array,Silver and costly gemstones--all goodly things soe'erThat she brought over Rhine into Hunland; for her bounty was free asair.Vowed evermore to serve her, and proud withal to obeyWere the kinsmen of King Etzel and all that owned his sway,So that never the Lady Helka ruled with such power and might;For unto the death of Kriemhild were they bound by that troth-plight.So exceeding great was the glory of the King, so famed his land,That wherever knights were yearning with gallant heart and handIn knightly sport to prove them, thither they flocked from far;For the love of the King and the kindness of the Queen were theirguiding star.