Hartmut left his wooing
to wait for many a year.
Soon a tale was bruited
(’twas true what men did hear)
Of one whose name was Herwic,
a king as yet but youthful;
Often his worth was spoken,
and men yet speak of him with praises truthful.
He began his wooing,
trusting the lovely maid
Would take him for her lover;
long his hopes he fed,
And much he toiled to win her,
both with love and riches:
But though the maid was willing,
her father, Hettel, he in vain beseeches.
Though Herwic long was striving,
and men to seek her rode,
Yet was his wooing slighted;
for this his wrath he showed.
The heart of proud young Herwic
by heavy care was fettered;
Freely his love he gave her,
and thought a life with her could not be bettered.
There came at length a morning
when it to them befell
That in the Hegeling kingdom
both knights and maids as well,
With many lovely ladies,
his coming never fearing,
Before them saw bold Hartmut;
Hettel could not believe he’d be so daring.
From this did endless evil
soon come upon the land:
These guests high-born and worthy
were yet an unknown band;
Hartmut and his kinsmen
their host’s goodwill were sharing,
And he the hope still harbored
that the maid would yet the crown with him be wearing.
Now before Queen Hilda
by ladies he was seen
To stand with lofty breeding,
and with a stately mien.
There the proud young Hartmut
wore a look so knightly,
That he the love of ladies
well might ask, and ’twould be granted rightly.
Well-grown was he in body,
fair he was and bold,
Kind as well as lordly.
Why I ne’er was told
Had Hettel and Queen Hilda
from him withheld their daughter,
When he had thought to woo her;
wroth was he to be scorned when now he sought her.
Of her his heart had longed for
he now had gained the sight;
There oft were stolen glances
between Gudrun and the knight.
He made it known to the maiden,
by speech from others hidden,
That he was young King Hartmut,
and from the Norman land had lately ridden.
Then she told her wooer
the pain to her it gave;
And though she wished he ever
a happy life might have,
Yet from her father’s kingdom
she begged him now to hasten,
For in the land of Hettel
was his life at risk, and this would never lessen.
She looked on him so kindly
that now her heart was warned
That he should stay no longer,
for here his suit was spurned.
Friendly was she to Hartmut,
who her love so wanted,
But his hopes she little heeded,
and while he wooed, not much to him she granted.
At last her well-bred lover
from Hettel’s land must go;
He bore upon his shoulders
a heavy load of woe:
To wreak his wrath on Hettel
would he now be choosing,
Yet feared he, if he harmed him,
that he the maiden’s love would then be losing.
’Twas thus the daring Hartmut
the Hegeling kingdom left;
Much he felt of sadness,
though not of hope bereft.
He knew not yet the ending
of his wooing of the maiden;
For the sake of her, thereafter,
were helmets cleft, and many sorrow-laden.
When he had reached his kingdom,
and home again did turn,
Where dwelt his father and mother,
Hartmut, grim and stern,
For war with Hettel longing,
began to make him ready.
Gerlind, the old she-devil,
at all times spurred him on with hatred steady.