Waltharius1089English

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Hagen changes his mind and agrees to help Gunther, but advises that they must lie low wait until Walther comes down from the mountains into open ground (1089–1129)

Still Hagen wavered and considered in his breast
The faith so often pledged to Walter, and he pondered 1090
The outcome of the matter as it had transpired.
But now the luckless king begged more insistently.
Moved by the fervor of his pleading, he avoided
His sovereign’s gaze, and thought about his reputation
For valor, that it might be sullied if he should 1095
In any manner spare himself in this affair.
At length he broke the silence and responded clearly,
“Where do you call me, lord? Where shall I follow you,
Famed prince? Self-confidence vows the impossible.
But who has ever shown himself so stupid that 1100
He willingly tried jumping in a gaping pit?
I know that Walter is so fierce in open fields
That placed in such a stronghold or encampment he
Would scorn a mighty force just as a single man.
And although France should send here all its foot-soldiers 1105
And knights, he would dispose of those as he did these.
But since I see that you are pained more by disgrace
Than by your loss through slaughter, and opposed to leaving,
I sympathize: my own distress yields to your rank
As king; yes, I will try to find a path to safety 1110
Which will reveal itself—if not at once, then never.
No, even for my darling nephew (lord, I say
To you) I would not want to break my plighted faith.
Look then! For you, king, I will enter certain danger;
But know that I am leaving from this place of battle. 1115
Let us depart, give him a chance to go away,
Then hide in caves and let our horses graze the meadows
Until, believing we have gone, now safe, he quits
His narrow stronghold. When he treads on open fields,
We rise up from behind, pursue the startled man, 1120
And in this way we can attempt some task of valor.
This seems the surest hope in our uncertain plight.
Then you can fight, king, if you have a mind for war;
That man will never give us two a chance for flight;
But we must either flee or face a bitter fight.” 1125
The king approves the plan, then he embraces him
And with a kiss he soothes the man. They then withdrew
And found a place well suited for an ambush, then
Dismounting, tied their horses in the pleasant grass.

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Note: this English text is identical to that found in Waltharius and Ruodlieb, edited and translated by Dennis M. Kratz. The Garland library of medieval literature, Series A, vol. 14. New York: Garland Pub., 1984.