Then ’gan they shape their journey Towards the River Maine,
All on through East Franconia, King Gunther and his train;
Hagen he was their leader, Of old did know the way;
Dankwart did keep, as marshal, Their ranks in good array.
As they, from East Franconia, The Salfield rode along,
Might you have seen them prancing, A bright and lordly throng;
The Princes and their vassals, All heroes of great fame:
The twelfth morn brave King Gunther Unto the Donau came.
There rode Von Troneg Hagen, The foremost of that host,
He was to the Nibelungen The guide they lov’d the most:
The Ritter keen dismounted, Set foot on the sandy ground,
His steed to a tree he tied, Looked wistful all around.
“Much scaith,” Von Troneg said, “May lightly chance to thee,
King Gunther, by this tide, As thou with eyes mayst see:
The river is overflowing, Full strong rans here its stream,
For crossing of this Donau Some counsel might well beseem.”
“What counsel hast thou, brave Hagen,” King Gunther then did say,
“Of thy own wit and cunning? Dishearten me not, I pray:
Thyself the ford wilt find us, If knightly skill it can,
That safe to yonder shore We may pass both horse and man.”
“To me, I trow,” spake Hagen, “Life hath not grown so cheap,
To go with will and drown me In riding these waters deep;
But first, of men some few By this hand of mine shall die,
In great King Etzel’s country, As best good-will have I.
“But bide ye here by the River, Ye Ritters brisk and sound,
Myself will seek some boatman, If boatman here be found,
To row us at his ferry, Across to Gelfrat’s land:”
The Troneger grasped his buckler, Fared forth along the strand.
He was full bravely harness’d, Himself he knightly bore,
With buckler and with helmet, Which bright enough he wore:
And, bound above his hauberk, A weapon bread was seen,
That cut with both its edges, Was never sword so keen.
Then hither he and thither Search’d for the Ferryman,
He heard a splashing of waters, To watch the same he ’gan,
It was the white Mer-women, That in a fountain clear,
To cool their fair bodyes, Were merrily bathing here.
