Dankwart and Sindold, / those trusted knights of thine;And with us too shall journey / Volker, the valiant man;
The banner he shall carry: / bestow it better ne'er I can.
163
"Back to their native country / the messengers may go;
They'll see us there right quickly, / let them full surely know,
So that all our castles / peace undisturbed shall have."
Then bade the king to summon / his friends with all their warriors brave.
164
To court returned the heralds / King Luedeger had sent,
And on their journey homeward / full joyfully they went.
King Gunther gave them presents / that costly were and good,
And granted them safe convoy; / whereat they were of merry mood.
165
"Tell ye my foes," spake Gunther, / "when to your land ye come,
Than making journeys hither / they better were at home;
But if they still be eager / to make such visit here,
Unless my friends forsake me, / cold in sooth shall be their cheer."
166
Then for the messengers / rich presents forth they bore,
Whereof in sooth to give them / Gunther had goodly store:
And they durst not refuse them / whom Luedeger had sent.
Leave then they took immediate, / and homeward joyfully they went.
167
When to their native Denmark / the messengers returned,
And the king Luedegast / the answer too had learned,
They at the Rhine had sent him, /—when that to him was told,
His wrath was all unbounded / to have reply in words so bold.
168
'Twas said their warriors numbered / many a man full keen:
"There likewise among them / with Gunther have we seen
Of Netherland a hero, / the same that Siegfried hight."
King Luedegast was grievéd, / when he their words had heard aright.
169
When throughout all Denmark / the tidings quick spread o'er,
Then in hot haste they summoned / helpers all the more,
So that King Luedegast, / 'twixt friends from far and near,
Had knights full twenty thousand / all furnished well with shield and spear.
170
Then too his men did summon / of Saxony Luedeger,
Till they good forty thousand, / and more, had gathered there,
With whom to make the journey / 'gainst the land of Burgundy.
—At home likewise the meanwhile / King Gunther had sent forth decree
171
Mighty men to summon / of his own and brothers twain,
Who against the foemen / would join the armed train.
In haste they made them ready, / for right good cause they had.
Amongst them must thereafter / full many a noble thane lie dead.
172
To march they quick made ready. / And when they thence would fare,
The banner to the valiant / Volker was given to bear,
As they began the journey / from Worms across the Rhine;
Strong of arm grim Hagen / was chosen leader of the line.
173
With them there rode Sindold / and eke the keen Hunold
Who oft at hands of Gunther / had won rewards of gold;
Dankwart, Hagen's brother, / and Ortwein beside,
Who all could well with honor / in train of noble warriors ride.
174
"King Gunther," spake then Siegfried, / "stay thou here at home;
Since now thy knights so gallant / with me will gladly come,
Rest thou here with fair ladies, / and be of merry mood:
I trow we'll keep in safety / thy land and honor as we should.
175
"And well will I see to it / that they at home remain,
Who fain would ride against thee / to Worms upon the Rhine.
Against them straight we'll journey / into their land so far
That they'll be meeker minded / who now such haughty vaunters are."
176
Then from the Rhine through Hesse / the hosts of knights rode on
Toward the land of Saxons, / where battle was anon.
With fire and sword they harried / and laid the country waste,
So that both the monarchs / full well the woes of war did taste.
177
When came they to the border / the train-men onward pressed.
With thought of battle-order / Siegfried the thanes addressed:
"Who now shall guard our followers / from danger in the rear?"
In sooth like this the Saxons / in battle worsted never were.
178
Then said they: "On the journey / the men shall guarded be
By the valiant Dankwart, /—a warrior swift is he;
So shall we lose the fewer / by men of Luedeger.
Let him and Ortwein with him / be chosen now to guard the rear."
179
Spake then the valiant Siegfried: / "Myself will now ride on,
