Waltharius1280English

From Waltharius
Revision as of 23:16, 28 August 2009 by Ryan Richard Overbey (talk | contribs)
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

The fight begins and continues for seven hours; Gunther foolishly tries to retrieve a thrown spear from the ground near Walther and is only saved from death by Hagen’s brave intervention (1280–1345)

He spoke, then with a leap swung from his horse’s back; 1280
Next Gunther; and the hero Walter was not slow
To do the same—all three prepared to fight on foot.
Each stood there warily preparing for the blows
To come; behind their shields the warriors’ limbs were trembling.
It was the second hour when these three men clashed: 1285
The arms of two unite against a single foe.
Now that the peace was broken, Hagen was the first
To hurl his baleful spear with all his strength. But Walter,
When he saw he could not withstand the shaft, which hissed
And flew with vicious twisting force, deflected it 1290
Adroitly with the cover of his tilted shield.
For speeding on and glancing from the shield as from
Smooth marble, it then roughly stabbed the hill, sunk in
The ground up to its socket. With a mighty heart
But little strength, at that point haughty Gunther hurled 1295
His ash-wood shaft, which, flying, became stuck low down
In Walter’s shield. As soon as he had shaken it,
The sluggish spear dropped from the fissure in the wood.
The Franks, confused in heart and saddened by this omen,
At once unsheathed their blades—their sorrow turned to wrath— 1300
And covered by their shields they vied in charging Walter.
But still that robust man repelled them with spear-thrusts,
With glare and weapons terrifying his attackers.
King Gunther here was thinking up a foolish venture—
To wit, approaching silently, to grab by stealth 1305
The spear which, cast in vain, had fallen on the ground
(Discarded, it was lying at the hero’s feet).
Because they were armed with the shorter blades of swords,
They could not venture close enough to that man who
Was stabbing spear thrusts out so far; he motioned with 1310
His eyes, thus signalling his vassal to advance
So he, with his protection, could perform the deed.
Advancing quickly, Hagen challenges his foe
While Gunther now has placed his jewelled sword in its sheath,
Thus freeing his right hand to make the theft at once. 1315
In short, he stooped, then reached his hand out for the spear
And once he had it drew it slowly back to him,
But thereby asked too much of luck. The best of heroes,
Because he always kept alert enough in battle—
And very cautious too, except for one brief instant— 1320
Saw Gunther bending down. Perceiving his plan, he
Does not allow it, but at once repelling Hagen—
Though in the way, he jumped back from the threatened blow—
He leaps and slams his foot down on the stolen shaft.
So fiercely did he taunt the king, caught in the theft, 1325
The coward’s knees began to shake beneath the spear.
Him too he would have sent straightway to hungry Orcus
If Hagen, strong in arms, had not rushed in to help
And used his shield to guard his lord while jabbing with
The naked edge of his cruel blade at Walter’s face. 1330
While Walter warded off the blow, the king arose,
And stood, afraid and senseless, barely saved from death.
No pause or rest, the bitter fighting is resumed.
They press the man, now both at once, now each in turn.
While he is fiercely occupied with one attacker, 1335
One charges from another side and checks the blow.
Not otherwise when a Numidian bear is hunted,
It stands, surrounded by the hounds, and bares its claws,
And lowering its head it growls, and grabs the dogs
That come too near and makes them yelp in misery. 1340
Here, there, on every side the raging hounds are barking,
But fear to move in to attack the awful beast.
Just so the battle wavered into the ninth hour.
Threefold distress oppresses all three men—the fear
Of death, the task of fighting, and the burning sun. 1345

« previous   next » Latin

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.