When they heard those heavy tidings that their friend was…

When they heard those heavy tidings that their friend was dead in truth, Loud mourned the loyal-hearted, the good knights wept for ruth; The tears ran down the faces of Dietrich's valiant men, And the drops on the beards of them glistened: sore grief was their portion then. Siegstab the Bernese war-duke lamented over his friend: "Woe's me for the lovingkindness that here hath found an end, The kindness that Rüdiger showed us in the days of our exile-pain! The comfort of all the homeless lieth by you knights slain!" Then did a man of the Amals, the war-thane Wolfwein, cry: "Though I saw my very father here dead before me lie, I were not more sorrow-stricken than for Rüdiger laid low. Alas! who now shall comfort the Margravine in her woe?" In wrathful indignation Wolfhart the dauntless cried: "Who now shall lead the heroes, on the war-path when they ride, As our knights have been led of the Margrave many a time ere now? Woe, Rüdiger most noble, lost unto us art thou!" Wolfbrand the strong and Helfrich, and Helmnot the thane withal, With all their friends and kinsmen, wept for Rüdiger's fall.

No further could Hildebrand question for sighing, but spake one word: "Now grant to us that, O heroes, for the which we were sent of our lord. Give forth of the hall the body unto us of the noble dead, In whom is our sunny joyance into night of mourning fled. Let our last sad service requite him for all that to us he hath done In kindness passing loyal, and to many a homeless one. We be here in a strange land strangers like Rüdiger the knight... Why keep ye us here waiting? Let us bear him hence forthright, And render the perished hero such honour as we may, Such as we gladly had rendered, were he alive this day." Answered and spake King Gunther: "No service is worthier praise Than that to a dead friend rendered by his friends of the olden days;