He said to Lady Hilda: “Who are they sitting here

He said to Lady Hilda: “Who are they sitting here?” From the lord so hot and hasty was never such wrath to fear. He said: “Whoe’er allowed you to come into this bower? Whoso in this hath helped you ne’er showed you falser friendship to this hour.”

She said: “Now soothe your anger: in peace pray let them live. If to yourself great evil you do not wish to give, You must unseen by any, them to their rooms be bringing; It else hath helped but little that his knightly songs the minstrel here was singing.”

“Is this the knight,” he asked her, “they say so well can sing? E’en such a minstrel know I: never hath any king Had a braver fighter. My father and his mother Were children of one father; worthier knight than he there’s not another.”

The maid began to ask him: “Tell me, then, his name.” He said: “Men call him Horant; from the Danish land he came. Although no crown he weareth, he yet for one is fitted: We now know not each other, but once at Hettel’s court our love we plighted.”

When Morunc, too, was telling that erst, in his fatherland, He also had been outlawed, his heart was sorely pained. His eyes with tears were welling, and now were overflowing; Then the queenly lady kindly looked on him, her sorrow showing.

Then saw the chamberlain also how that his eyes were wet. He said: “Most worthy lady, these friends whom here we meet I know to be my kinsmen; help now that all goes rightly With both these worthy champions: most careful will I be to keep them fitly.”

Much for them he sorrowed, and felt heart-pain, forsooth; “Durst I before my ladies, I would kiss upon the mouth Each of these knights so worthy. The days indeed are many Since tidings of King Hettel I could from a Hegeling ask, or learn from any.”

Then spake the maiden further: “Since these thy kinsmen be, Now so much the dearer are they as guests to me. Known unto my father thou should’st quickly make them; They will not then so hastily to their homes afar across the sea betake them.”

A busy talk began they, those two young heroes brave; Morunc unto the chamberlain his mind most freely gave. He said for Lady Hilda they came within those borders; And that their master Hettel to bring her back had sent them, as her warders.

Then said to them the chamberlain: “A twofold care I feel, As liegeman of my master, and to help you, too, as well. How could I turn his anger, if he knew you now were seeking To win his maiden daughter? Never from here could you your way be taking.”

Then spake the knightly Horant: “Hear well what now I say; In four days’ time to Hagen, we will come, and him will pray That we may leave his kingdom, if such may be his pleasure. The king will then make ready gifts for us of clothes, as well as treasure.

“We will ask for nothing further, (help you here must lend,) But that Hagen shall be willing, as well beseems a friend, To come to the shore to see us, my lady with him riding,— His wife, the high-born Hilda; there to see the ship in which we’re biding.

“Might we in this be lucky, our toil we well shall spend; And, with a happy outcome, our sorrows have an end. If only to the seashore he will ride with his daughter, We well shall be rewarded at home by our master Hettel, for whom we sought her.”

Then from out the castle they were led by the crafty man, So that the kingly Hagen mistrusted not their plan. When, for their floating shelter, they the courtyard quitted, All they had done for their master should not, I ween, by him at home be slighted.

They told the aged Wâ-te what yet to none was known: They said the high-born maiden her love did freely own Unto their master, Hettel, for whom they now had sought her; They talked with wise old Wâ-te how best to bring her home across the water.

Then spake the aged Wâ-te: “Were she once outside the gate, And I the lovely maiden there might only meet, However hard the struggle that there we had with the foeman, To cross her father’s threshold none again should see that lovely woman.”

Their plot, well-laid and crafty, to no one did they break, But slyly made them ready their homeward way to take. This they told the warriors on board their ship there lying; Not loth were they to hear it, for now to sail the weary men were sighing.