And behold, his fair bride's father young Giselher saw come, On his gallant head his helmet:--what should he divine therefrom As touching the warrior's purpose, but the help of a loyal ally? And his soul went out to meet him, his heart with joy beat high. "Thank God for such true friendship," in gladness the young Prince cried, "As we won for our help in trouble, when we rode unto this high-tide! Now unto us deliverance for my young bride's sake draws nigh. By my faith, my heart rejoiceth that wedded to her am I!" "On a broken reed thou leanest," the viol-minstrel said. "When sawest thou heroes so many with helmet laced on head Draw near for reconcilement, and with swords made bare in the hand? Against us he cometh, to render service for castles and land." Or ever the viol-minstrel had fully spoken the word, In front of the great hall-portal men saw that noble lord. He set his goodly buckler on the earth before his feet, And he looked on the friends he could help not, on the faces he might not greet. Then cried the noble Margrave to the hall, a cry of woe: "O dauntless men of the Niblungs, now guard you against a foe! {P. 298} Ye ought to have had mine helping--that debt will never be paid! We were friends close-knit by troth-plight--to my troth am I renegade!" Then sorely aghast at his saying were the warriors hard-bestead. Their joy for his coming withered, and hope at the birth fell dead. This friend must battle against them, he whom they loved was their foe! From their enemies had they suffered travail and hurt enow. "Now God in Heaven forbid it," Gunther the knightly cried, "That this thy friendship to usward so utterly be belied, And the trust wherewith we trusted in our own familiar friend! Nay, but I will not believe it, that all this so shall end!" "For me there is no returning," the valiant warrior spake. "With you I must needs do battle, even for mine oath's sake. Now stand on your guard, brave heroes, by all your love of life! From mine oath will she not release me, this King Etzel's wife." "Too late," the King made answer, "thy love dost thou forswear. Now God on high reward thee, thou noble Rüdiger, For the faith and the lovingkindness that thou hast shown us still, So thou to the end maintain it, and all thy pledge fulfil. Unto thee will we aye be beholden for the gifts that thou didst give, Even I and my friends, so thou leave us unharmed of thee to live, For the sake of the gifts most princely whereby our trust was won When to Etzel's land thou didst bring us. O Rüdiger, think thereon!" "How gladly this would I grant you," the good thane Rüdiger said, "How gladly lavish upon you the gifts of my bountihead, So much as my soul desireth--how gladly do all this, And no serpent-tongue of slander against my name should hiss!"