Waltharius1280

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)

Dixit et a tergo saltu se iecit equino,	1280	Translate: Hoc et Guntharius fecit, nec segnior hoc fecit heros			DSSSDS
Hoc et Guntharius nec segnior egerat heros					SDSDDS
Waltharius, cuncti pedites bellare parati.					DSDSDS
Stabat quisque ac venturo se providus ictu			Aeneid 3.458: venturaque bella. . . ‘The wars to come. . .’		SSSSDS Elision: quisque ac
Praestruxit: trepidant sub peltis Martia membra.			Aeneid 7.182: martiaque. . .vulnera. . . ‘Wounds of war. . .’		SDSSDS
Hora secunda fuit, qua tres hi congrediuntur,	1285				DDSSDS
Adversus solum conspirant arma duorum.					SSSSDS
Primus maligeram collectis viribus hastam		Maligeram: a very disputed hapax legomenon. Since the first a here is long, it should be equivalent to maliferam, (“apple-bearing,” an adjective found in Virgil) serving to figuratively describe the wood from which the hastam is made; the manuscript variant maligenam would make this easier. Perhaps more likely is that the poet, disregarding vowel-length, coined the word to mean “bearing evil.”	Aeneid 9.52-53: iaculum attorquens emittit in auras,/ principium pugnae. ‘Whirling a javelin, he sends it skyward to start the battle.’ Georgics 3.235: ubi collectum robur viresque refectae. . . ‘When his power is mustered and his strength renewed. . .’		SDSSDS
Direxit Hagano disrupta pace. sed illam			Aeneid 10.401: validam derexerat hastam. ‘He had launched his strong spear.’		SDSSDS
Turbine terribilem tanto et stridore volantem			Aeineid 12.267: sonitum dat stridula cornus. ‘The whistling cornel shaft sings.’ 11.863-864.: teli stridorem aurasque sonantis/ audiit. ‘He heard the whistling dart and whirring air.’		DDSSDS Elision: tanto et
Alpharides semet cernens tolerare nequire	1290				DSSDDS
Sollers obliqui delusit tegmine scuti:					SSSSDS
Nam veniens clipeo sic est ceu marmore levi			Eclogue 7.31: levi de marmore. . . ‘From polished marble. . .’ Aeneid 10.776-777.: stridentemque eminus hastam/ iecit. At illa volans clipeo est excussa proculque/ egregium Antoren latus inter et ilia figit. ‘He threw from far his whistling spear; as it flew, it glanced from the shield, and pierces noble Antores nearby between side and flank.’ 9.746: portaeque infigitur hasta. ‘The spear lodges in the gate.’		DDSSDS
Cussa et collem vehementer sauciat usque			Eclogue 7.31: levi de marmore. . . ‘From polished marble. . .’ Aeneid 10.776-777.: stridentemque eminus hastam/ iecit. At illa volans clipeo est excussa proculque/ egregium Antoren latus inter et ilia figit. ‘He threw from far his whistling spear; as it flew, it glanced from the shield, and pierces noble Antores nearby between side and flank.’ 9.746: portaeque infigitur hasta. ‘The spear lodges in the gate.’		SSDSDS Elision: excussa et
Ad clavos infixa solo. tunc pectore magno,		Ad clavos: up to the nails that attached the metal point to the wooden shaft.	Aeineid 2.544-545.: senior telumque imbelle sine ictu/ coniecit, rauco quod protinus aere repulsum/ et summo clipei nequiquam umbone pependit. ‘The old man hurled his weak and harmless spear, which straight recoiled from the clanging brass and hung idly from the top of the shield’s boss.’ Statius, Thebaid 9.533: pectore magno. . . ‘The mighty breast. . .’ Aeineid 4.448: magno. . .pectore.		SSDSDS
Sed modica vi fraxineum hastile superbus	1295		Aeineid 2.544-545.: senior telumque imbelle sine ictu/ coniecit, rauco quod protinus aere repulsum/ et summo clipei nequiquam umbone pependit. ‘The old man hurled his weak and harmless spear, which straight recoiled from the clanging brass and hung idly from the top of the shield’s boss.’ Statius, Thebaid 9.533: pectore magno. . . ‘The mighty breast. . .’ Aeineid 4.448: magno. . .pectore.		DSDSDS Hiatus: fraxineum hastile
Iecit Guntharius, volitans quod adhaesit in ima					SDDDDS
Waltharii parma, quam mox dum concutit ipse,					DSSSDS
Excidit ignavum de ligni vulnere ferrum.					DSSSDS
Omine quo maesti confuso pectore Franci			Aeineid 7.146-147.: omine magno/ crateras laeti statuunt. ‘Cheered by the mighty omen, they set on the bowls.’		DSSSDS
Mox stringunt acies, dolor est conversus ad iras,	1300		Aeineid 2.594: quis indomitas tantus dolor excitat iras? ‘What resentment thus stirs ungovernable wrath?’		SDDSDS
Et tecti clipeis Aquitanum invadere certant.			Aeneid 2.227: clipeique sub orbe teguntur. ‘They nestle under the circle of her shield.’		SDDSDS Elision: Aquitanum invadere
Strennuus ille tamen vi cuspidis expulit illos					DDSDDS
Atque incursantes vultu terrebat et armis.			Prudentius, Psychomachia 196: vultuque et voce minatur. ‘She menaces with look and speech.’		SSSSDS Elision: atque incursantes
Hic rex Guntharius coeptum meditatur ineptum,					SDSDDS
Scilicet ut iactam frustra terraeque relapsam,	1305	Iactam…relapsam: with hastam, line 1307.			DSSSDS
Ante pedes herois enim divulsa iacebat --,					DSDSDS
Accedens tacite furtim sustolleret hastam,			Aeneid 9.546-547.: furtim/ sustulerat. ‘She had borne [him] secretly.’		SDSSDS
Quandoquidem brevibus gladiorum denique telis		Brevibus gladiorum…telis: “the short reaches of their swords”			DDDSDS
Armati nequeunt accedere comminus illi,					SDSDDS
Qui tam porrectum torquebat cuspidis ictum.	1310	Cuspidis ictum equiv. to telum	Aeneid 7.756: cuspidis ictum. . . ‘The stroke of the spearpoint. . .’		SSSSDS
Innuit ergo oculis vassum praecedere suadens,		Vassum: “vassal,” i.e., Hagen. A word of Celtic derivation.			DDSSDS Elision: ergo oculis
Cuius defensu causam supplere valeret.		Causam supplere valeret equiv. to [rex] rem perficere posset			SSSSDS
Nec mora, progreditur Haganon ac provocat hostem,					DDDSDS
Rex quoque gemmatum vaginae condidit ensem,			Prudentius, Psychomachia 105: condere vaginae gladium. ‘To sheathe the sword. . .’ Ovid, Metamorphoses 13.392: letalem condidit ensem. ‘He plunged his fatal sword.’		DSSSDS
Expediens dextram furto actutum faciendo.	1315		Aeineid 12.258: expediuntque manus. ‘They spread out their hands.’		DSSSDS Elision: furto actutum
Sed quid plura? manum pronus transmisit in hastam					SDSSDS
Et iam comprensam sensim subtraxerat illam		Sensim subtraxerat: here the adverb clearly shows that the pluperfect has been substituted for the imperfect metri causa.			SSSSDS
Fortunae maiora petens. sed maximus heros,		Fortunae equiv. to a fortuna			SSDSDS
Utpote qui bello semper sat providus esset					DSSSDS
Aeter et unius punctum cautissimus horae,	1320	Praeter…unius punctum…horae: “except for one moment of time,” a foreshadowing of lines 1381 ff.			DSSSDS
Hunc inclinari cernens persenserat actum					SSSSDS
Nec tulit, obstantem sed mox Haganona revellens,		Revellens equiv. to pellens	Aeineid 8.256: non tulit Alcides. ‘Alcides did not tolerate this.’		DSSDDS
Denique sublato qui divertebat ab ictu,		Divertebat: Hagen “was stepping back from.”			DSSSDS
Insilit et planta direptum hastile retentat					DSSSDS Elision: direptum hastile
Ac regem furto captum sic increpitavit,	1325		: Aeineid 10.810: Lausum increpitat. ‘He chides Lausus.’ 5.431-432.: tarda trementi/ genua labant. ‘His slow knees totter and tremble.’ 12.905: genua labant, gelidus concrevit frigore sanguis. ‘His knees buckle, his blood is frozen cold.’		SSSSDS
Ut iam perculso sub cuspide genva labarent.		Perculso sub cuspide equiv. to [regi] perculso quasi a cuspidis ictu. (Much debated. Cuspis is a femine noun, but cf. line 857.) Genva equiv. to genua (synizesis)	: Aeineid 10.810: Lausum increpitat. ‘He chides Lausus.’ 5.431-432.: tarda trementi/ genua labant. ‘His slow knees totter and tremble.’ 12.905: genua labant, gelidus concrevit frigore sanguis. ‘His knees buckle, his blood is frozen cold.’		SSSDDS
Quem quoque continuo esurienti porgeret Orco,		Porgeret equiv. to porrexisset	Aeineid 9.785: iuvenum primos tot miserit Orco? ‘Shall he send down to death so many of our noblest youths?’ 2.398: multos Danaum demittimus Orco. ‘Many a Greek we sent down to Orcus.’ Prudentius, Psychomachia 501-502.: et fors innocuo tinxisset sanguine ferrum,/ ni Ratio armipotens. . .clipeum obiectasset et atrae/ hostis ab incursu claros texisset alumpnos. ‘And perchance she would have dippedher steel in their innocent blood, had not the mighty warrior Reason put her shield in the way and covered her famed foster-children from their deadly foe’s onslaught.’		DDDSDS Elision: continuo esurienti
Ni Hagano armipotens citius succurreret atque			Aeineid 9.785: iuvenum primos tot miserit Orco? ‘Shall he send down to death so many of our noblest youths?’ 2.398: multos Danaum demittimus Orco. ‘Many a Greek we sent down to Orcus.’ Prudentius, Psychomachia 501-502.: et fors innocuo tinxisset sanguine ferrum,/ ni Ratio armipotens. . .clipeum obiectasset et atrae/ hostis ab incursu claros texisset alumpnos. ‘And perchance she would have dippedher steel in their innocent blood, had not the mighty warrior Reason put her shield in the way and covered her famed foster-children from their deadly foe’s onslaught.’		DDDSDS Elision: Hagano armipotens Hiatus: ni Hagano
Obiecto dominum scuto muniret et hosti			Aeineid 12.377: clipeo obiecto conversus in hostem/ ibat et auxilium ducto mucrone petebat. ‘He, with his shield before him, turned and was making for his foe, seeking aid from his drawn sword.’		SDSSDS
Nudam aciem saevi mucronis in ora tulisset.	1330				DSSDDS Elision: nudam aciem
Sic, dum Waltharius vulnus cavet, ille resurgit		Ille: Gunther			SDSDDS
Atque tremens studiusque stetit, vix morte reversus.			Actus Apostolorum 9.6: tremens ac stupens dixit. . . ‘He, trembling and astonished, said. . .’ Statius, Silvae 5.1.172: media de morte reversa/ mens. . . ‘Her mind returning from the midst of death. . .		DDDSDS False quantities: STUPIDUSQUE?
Nec mora nec requies: bellum instauratur amarum,			Aeneid 5.458; 12.553; Georgics 3.110: nec mora nec requies. ‘No rest, no stay is there.’ Aeineid 2.669-670.: sinite instaurata revisam/ proelia. ‘Let me seek again and renew the fights.’		DDSSDS Elision: bellum instauratur
Incurrunt hominem nunc ambo nuncque vicissim;					SDSSDS
Et dum progresso se impenderet acrius uni,	1335	Se impenderet: Waltharius			SSSDDS Elision: se impenderet
En de parte alia subit alter et impedit ictum.			Aeineid 5.339: post Helymus subit. ‘Behind comes Helymus.’ 10.877: subit obvius. ‘He moves forward to meet him.’		SDDDDS Elision: parte alia
Haud aliter, Numidus quam dum venabitur ursus		Venabitur: present passive sense	Aeineid 10.714: haud aliter. . . ‘Just so. . .’		DDSSDS
Et canibus circumdatus astat et artubus horret		Artubus: “paws”	Aeineid 10.714: haud aliter. . . ‘Just so. . .’		DSDDDS
Et caput occultans submurmurat ac propiantes		Caput occultans: “with head low” Propiantes equiv. to appropinquantes			DSSDDS
Amplexans Umbros miserum mutire coartat,	1340	Amplexans: ironic sense Umbros: hunting hounds from Umbria in Italy Miserum: adverbial			SSDSDS
Tum rabidi circumlatrant hinc inde Molossi		Molossi: hunting hounds from Epirus	Aeineid 7.588: multis circum latrantibus undis. . . ‘Amid many howling waves. . .’		DSSSDS
Comminus ac dirae metuunt accedere belvae --,			Aeineid 10.712: nec cuiquam irasci propiusque accedere virtus. ‘No one is brave enough to rage or come near it.’		DSDSDS
Taliter in nonam conflictus fluxerat horam,					DSSSDS
Et triplex cunctis inerat maceratio: leti		Maceratio equiv. to tormentum, supplicium			SSDDDS
Terror, et ipse labor bellandi, solis et ardor.	1345				DDSSDS

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Prologue Introduction: the Huns (1–12) The Huns (13–418) The Franks under Gibich surrender to Attila, giving Hagen as a hostage (13–33) The Burgundians under Hereric surrender to Attila, giving Hildegund as a hostage (34–74) The Aquitainians under Alphere surrender to Attila, giving Walther as a hostage (75–92) Experience of the hostages at Attila’s court (93–115) Death of Gibich, flight of Hagen (116–122) Attila’s queen Ospirin advises her husband to ensure Walther’s loyalty by arranging a marriage (123–141) Walther rejects Attila’s offer of a bride (142–169) Walther leads the army of the Huns to victory in battle (170–214) The Escape (215–418) Walther returns from battle and encounters Hildegund (215–255) Walther reveals to Hildegund his plans for escaping with Attila’s treasure (256–286) Walther hosts a luxurious banquet for Attila’s court; eventually all his intoxicated guests fall asleep (287–323) Flight of Walther and Hildegund from Attila’s court (324–357) The following day, the escape of Walther and Hildegund is discovered by Ospirin (358–379) Attila is infuriated and vows revenge on Walther, but can find no one willing to dare to pursue him, even for a large reward (380–418) The Single Combats (419–1061) Diplomacy (419–639) Flight of Walther and Hildegund to the area of Worms (419–435) Gunther, King of the Franks, learns of Walther’s presence on his territory and, despite Hagen’s warnings, decides to pursue him for his treasure (436–488) Walther makes his camp in a mountainous area and goes to sleep (489–512) Gunther and his companions approach Walther’s camp; Hagen unsuccessfully tries to dissuade the king from attacking it (513–531) Hildegund sees the Franks approaching and wakes Walther, who calms her fears and prepares for battle; he recognizes Hagen from a distance (532–571) Hagen persuades Gunther to try diplomacy before using force (571–580) Camalo is sent as a messenger to Walther, who offers to make Gunther a gift in return for allowing his passage (581–616) Hagen counsels Gunther to accept the offer, but Gunther rejects this advice, calling him a coward. Insulted, Hagen goes off to a nearby hill (617–639) Combat (640–1061) 1st single combat: Camalo is sent back to Walther, who slays him (640–685) 2nd single combat: Walther slays Kimo/Scaramund, Camalo’s nephew (686–719) Gunther encourages his men (720–724) 3rd single combat: Walther slays Werinhard, a descendant of the Trojan Pandarus (725–753) 4th single combat: Walther slays the Saxon Ekivrid, after an exchange of insults (754–780) 5th single combat: Walther slays Hadawart, after an exchange of insults (781–845) Hagen sees his nephew Patavrid going off to fight Walther and laments the evil wreaked on mankind by greed (846–877) 6th single combat: after trying to dissuade him from fighting, Walther slays Patavrid (878–913) 7th single combat: Walther slays Gerwitus (914–940) Gunther again encourages his men, giving Walther some time to rest (941–961) 8th single combat: Walther is shorn of his hair by Randolf, whom he then slays (962–981) Walther is attacked by Eleuthir/Helmnot, assisted by Trogus, Tanastus, and Gunther; he slays all but Gunther (981–1061) The Final Combat (1062–1452) Gunther tries to persuade Hagen to help him to defeat Waltharius; remembering his wounded honor, Hagen refuses (1062–1088) 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) Walther decides to spend the night in the mountains. He rematches the severed heads with the bodies of his victims, prays for their souls, then sleeps (1130–1187) The following day, Walther and Hildegund set out from the mountains, taking the horses and arms of the defeated warriors (1188–1207) Hildegund perceives Gunther and Hagen approaching to attack; the king addresses Walther (1208–1236) Walther ignores Gunther and pleads with Hagen to remember the bond of their childhood friendship; Hagen counters that Walther has already broken their faith by slaying Patavrid (1237–1279) 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) Walther challenges Hagen; he severs Gunther’s leg, but Hagen again saves the king’s life (1346–1375) Hagen cuts off Walther’s right hand; Walther gouges out one of Hagen’s eyes and, cutting open his cheek, knocks out four teeth (1376–1395) Having wounded each other, the warriors end the battle, drink together, and engage in a friendly exchange of humorous taunt (1396–1442) The warriors return to their respective homes; Walther marries Hildegund and eventually becomes king of the Aquitainians (1443–1452) Epilogue (1453–1456)

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