Hettel then sent tidings, + 

to still their fears at home. + 

To the fair and high-born ladies + 

men with news did come, + 

That unto the old and youthful, + 

throughout the stormy fighting, + 

Good luck had aye befallen; + 

and now, with hope must they for them be waiting. + 

He bade his men to tell them + 

how Siegfried was besieged, + 

While he with all his followers + 

war against him waged, + 

To help the lord of Sealand, + 

loved by Gudrun, his daughter; + 

That all, as they were able, + 

daily fought for her, and for him who sought her. + 

Hettel’s queen, fair Hilda, + 

the hope began to have + 

That luck would follow Herwic + 

and all his warriors brave; + 

And, as their worth befitted, + 

all might well be speeding. + 

Then said Gudrun: “God grant it, + 

that they our friends may back in health be leading.” + 

By Wâ-te’s men from Sturmland, + 

the foes from Alzabie + 

And all who came from Moorland + 

were kept away from the sea; + 

Sadly must they tarry + 

within the sheltering castle: + 

In Wâ-te and in Fru-te + 

foes they had with whom they ill could wrestle. + 

Loudly swore King Hettel + 

the castle ne’er to leave; + 

That he and all his followers + 

still to the end would strive, + 

Till those to him had yielded + 

who now the Moor befriended. + 

Unwise had been their inroad, + 

and this for them one day in sorrow ended. + 

Meanwhile the spies of Hartmut, + 

whom he had thither sent, + 

Though little good they looked for, + 

from the Norman border went; + 

Ever to learn what happened + 

they a watch were keeping, + 

And from the stormy warfare + 

they hoped that Hettel might no gain be reaping. + 

Now they saw that Siegfried, + 

the Moorland king high-born, + 

Was kept within the castle, + 

besieged both eve and morn; + 

Thence could he sally never, + 

and this he knew with sorrow; + 

His lands so far were lying, + 

he little help from them could hope to borrow. + 

The Norman errand-bearers, + 

sent forth their watch to make + 

By Ludwig and young Hartmut, + 

to them now hastened back: + 

The happy news they carried, + 

and soon at home were giving, + 

That Hettel, the king, and Herwic + 

were busy now, in warfare ever striving. + 

To them the lord of Normandy + 

thanks for the tidings gave, + 

And asked them: “Can you tell us + 

how long those foemen brave, + 

The men from the land of Karadie, + 

will in Sealand tarry, + 

Fighting ’gainst its warriors, + 

till they, their wrongs avenged, of war are weary?” + 

One of them made answer: + 

“The truth you now may hear: + 

There they yet must linger + 

more than another year. + 

Never from their stronghold + 

will the Hegelings free them; + 

They there so well are guarded, + 

that on their homeward way none e’er shall see them.” + 

Then the knight of Normandy, + 

the daring Hartmut, spake: + 

“This frees my heart from sorrow, + 

and hope in me doth wake! + 

If they are now beleaguered, + 

then are we well befriended; + 

We must to Hegeling hasten, + 

ere Hettel’s fight with Siegfried shall be ended.” + 

Ludwig and young Hartmut + 

had both the selfsame mind⁠— + 

Had they ten thousand fighters + 

whom they at once could find, + 

Gudrun they might lay hold on, + 

and to their home might carry, + 

Before her father, Hettel, + 

came back again from the land where he did tarry. + 

Hartmut’s mother, Gerlind, + 

earnestly gave thought + 

To wreak her wrath on Hettel, + 

that he to harm be brought, + 

Because her dear son Hartmut + 

he shamefully had slighted. + 

She wished the aged Wâ-te + 

and Fru-te might be hanged, for the help they plighted. + 

Then spake the old she-devil: + 

“Good knights, your hire behold! + 

If you will now ride thither, + 

my silver and my gold, + 

That will I give you freely⁠— + 

but women shall not share it. + 

I care not if Hettel and Hilda + 

shall rue their wrong, and ne’er again will dare it.” + 

Quoth Ludwig, Hartmut’s father: + 

“We from our Norman land + 

Forthwith must make an inroad: + 

soon will I have at hand + 

Twenty thousand fighters + 

whom I for war will gather; + 

With these it will be easy + 

to seize Gudrun, and bear her from her father.” + 

Then spake the youthful Hartmut: + 

“Might ever this betide, + 

That Hilda’s lovely daughter + 

I here should see my bride, + 

I would not take in barter + 

for that a princedom fairest; + 

Then might we here together + 

pass our lives, each one to the other dearest.” + 

Busily his followers, + 

hour by hour, gave thought + 

How they could do his wishes. + 

A host King Ludwig brought + 

To lead against the Hegelings; + 

well were they outfitted. + 

How should Hilda know it, + 

that soon thereby her welfare would be blighted? + 

The wife of Ludwig also + 

helped them as she could. + 

For this she plotted ever, + 

that fair Gudrun be wooed, + 

And, as the bride of Hartmut, + 

to Normandy be carried; + 

She did her best most busily + 

that the maid one day should to her son be married. + 

Ludwig said to Hartmut, + 

his well belovèd son: + 

“Think well, O knight most worthy, + 

no toil we now must shun, + 

Until our foes are mastered + 

and from their lands are driven. + 

Reward the guests who help us; + 

to our men at home by me shall gifts be given.” + 

These they soon were sharing, + 

all and every one. + 

Never yet in Suabia + 

gifts so rich were known, + 

Of steeds for war or burden, + 

saddles, and shields fair shining; + 

I ween they were gladly given: + 

Ludwig ne’er before such thanks was winning. + 

Quickly all made ready + 

to start upon their way. + 

Sailors were found by Ludwig; + 

skilful men were they, + 

Who the deep sea-pathways + 

knew, and well could follow; + 

Hard must they be toiling + 

to win their wages high upon the billow. + 

Now, in seemly measure, + 

fit were they to go. + 

Throughout the lands and highways + 

soon the news did grow + 

That Ludwig and young Hartmut + 

home and land were leaving. + 

They yet would see much sorrow, + 

when they erelong their Hegeling foe were braving. + 

When to the shore they had ridden, + 

ships were floating there, + 

That workmen well had builded, + 

the knights away to bear; + 

Gerlind’s gold and riches + 

had made them strong and steady. + 

Nor Wâ-te the old nor Fru-te + 

of this knew aught, nor were for their coming ready. + 

With three and twenty thousand + 

they sailed the waters o’er. + 

Now for Gudrun young Hartmut + 

a weight of sorrow bore: + 

This, before his followers, + 

to hide he was not earnest; + 

He hoped to meet King Hettel, + 

and him to overcome in strife the sternest. + 

As yet they knew not fully + 

how they his land could reach. + 

To the sons of many a mother + 

the raid did sorrow teach. + 

Near to the shores of Ortland + 

the rolling billows bore them, + 

Before ’twas known to Hettel: + 

now Hilda’s castle rose in sight before them. + 

The warriors led by Hartmut + 

were still twelve miles away; + 

Yet had they come already + 

over the wide, deep sea, + 

Unto the land of the Hegelings, + 

and to its shores so nearly + 

That castles, towers, and palaces + 

in Hilda’s town they all could see most clearly. + 

Ludwig, king of Normandy, + 

bade that on the sand + 

They now should drop the anchors; + 

he then gave word to land + 

To all his men together, + 

and bade them do it quickly: + 

They now had come so near them, + 

they feared the Hegeling bands would gather thickly. + 

Then bore they up the weapons, + 

with shields and helmets good, + 

That they had with them carried + 

over the heaving flood: + 

They to fight made ready; + 

yet they at first bethought them + 

To send through the land their runners, + 

to learn if friendly helpers might be brought them. + 