Page:The lay of the Nibelungs; (IA nibelungslay00hortrich).pdf/405

XXXII.]

“And rear him up in honour till he to manhood grow.

If any in your borders hath wrought you any woe,

When he is of full stature he will your vengeance aid.”

King Etzel’s wife Kriemhilda heard also what he said.

“If unto days of manhood the child should grow and thrive,

These thanes, I trow,” said Hagen, “their trust to him will give.

Yet the young king, meseemeth, is of a weakly sort:

Folk will not often see me attending Ortlieb’s court.”

The king look’d round at Hagen,— this speech had vext him sore;

And though, with princely breeding, he spake thereof no more,

His heart was very heavy and troubled was his mind.

Nor was the mood of Hagen a whit to joy inclined.

The princes all were sorry, together with the king,

That of his child had Hagen e’er spoken such a thing.

With ill content they bore it: nor knew they aught at all

Of what through this same warrior was shortly to befall.

The warriors of Bloedel were ready for the fray;

Clad in their thousand hauberks they thither took their way

Where Dankwart with his yeomen still at the table sate;

There rose between the heroes a strife of deadly hate.