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Hildegund sees the Franks approaching and wakes Walther, who calms her fears and prepares for battle; he recognizes Hagen from a distance (532–571)

But Hildegund, while watching from the mountain’s crest,
Espied men coming by the dust that they had raised
And with a gentle touch warned Walter to awaken.
He lifts his head and asks if someone is approaching. 535
She tells him that a force is speeding from the distance.
And as he rubbed his eyes free of the veil of sleep,
Then gradually he garbed his still stiff limbs in iron;
And than he grasped once more his hefty shield and spear,
And leaping, with his sword he stabbed the empty air, 540
With weapons practiced keenly for a bitter fight.
The woman, standing next to him, seas flashing spears
And badly stunned by fear cries out, “The Huns are here!”
Then falling to the ground in sorrow says these words:
“I beg you lord, by your sword let my throat be slit, 545
That I, who could not be allied with you in marriage,
Not suffer carnal use by any other man.”
The young man says, “Shall I be stained by guiltless blood?
And how shall my sword have the power to destroy
My foes, if now it does not spare so true a friend? 550
Withdraw your plea, put off the fear within your mind!
That which has often rescued me from many dangers
Here too, I trust, has strength to rout our enemies.”
He spoke, then lifting up his eyes he says to her,
“These are not Avars here, but Frankish Nibelungs, 555
The people of this land.” Then he sees Hagen’s helmet,
And recognizing it, he laughs and adds these words,
“And here is my companion Hagen, my old friend.”
The hero with this word approached the stronghold’s entrance,
Addressing thus the woman who stood just behind: 560
“Before this gate I now declare in boastful words:
No Frank, returning from this place, will dare to tell
His wife that he, unharmed, took any of this treasure.”
And so he fell to earth before he finished speaking
And begged forgiveness for the words which he had uttered 565
Arising, he then carefully appraised them all:
“Of these I see I am concerned with none but Hagen;
For that one has already learned my practices
In battle, and he is quite skillful in that art.
God willing, if I thwart his skill alone,” he said, 570
“Then from the battle I’ll be saved for you, my bride.

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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.