Forthwith to them said Hartmut: “Tell me now the truth

Forthwith to them said Hartmut: “Tell me now the truth, The grand-daughter of Hagen have you seen, forsooth? Is the maid, Gu-drun, as lovely as men have here been saying? May God bring shame to Hettel, that he my suit with such ill-will is paying!”

Then the earl thus answered: “This can I truly say,— Whoe’er shall see the maiden must feel her charms and sway; Above all maids and women, her worth is past the telling.” Then quoth the kingly Hartmut: “To live without her ne’er shall I be willing.”

Whereon his mother, Gerlind, sadly thus did say, With tears her lot bewailing: “My son, oh, lack-a-day! Alas that e’er the heralds to win the maiden started! If we at home had kept them, e’en to this day had I been still light-hearted.”