Until the fourth day she stayed at Zeisenmauer. The while the dust upon
the highway never came to rest, but rose on every side, as if it were
burning, where King Etzel's liegemen rode through Austria. Then the
king was told aright how royally Kriemhild fared through the lands; at
thought of this his sorrows vanished. He hasted to where he found the
lovely Kriemhild. Men saw ride before King Etzel on the road many bold
knights of many tongues and many mighty troops of Christians and of
paynims. When they met the lady, they rode along in lordly wise. Of
the Russians and the Greeks there rode there many a man. The right good
steeds of the Poles and Wallachians were seen to gallop swiftly, as they
rode with might and main. Each did show the customs of his land.
From the land of Kiev (1) there rode many a warrior and the savage
Petschenegers. (2) With the bow they often shot at the birds which flew
there; to the very head they drew the arrows on the bows.
By the Danube there lieth in the Austrian land a town that men call
Tulna. (3) There she became acquaint with many a foreign custom, the
which size had never seen afore. She greeted there enow who later came
through her to grief. Before Etzel there rode a retinue, merry and
noble, courtly and lusty, full four and twenty princes, mighty and of
lofty birth. They would fain behold their lady and craved naught more.
Duke Ramung (4) of Wallachia, with seven hundred vassals, galloped up
before her; like flying birds men saw them ride. Then came Prince Gibeck
with lordly bands. The doughty Hornbog, (5) with full a thousand men,
wheeled from the king away towards the queen. Loudly they shouted after
the custom of their land. Madly too rode the kinsmen of the Huns. Then
came brave Hawart (6) of Denmark and the doughty Iring, (7) free of
guile was he, and Irnfried (8) of Thuringia, a stately man. With twelve
hundred vassals, whom they had in their band, they greeted Kriemhild,
so that she had therefrom great worship. Then came Sir Bloedel, (9)
King Etzel's brother, from the Hunnish land, with three thousand men.
In lordly wise he rode to where he found the queen. Then King Etzel
came and Sir Dietrich, too, with all his fellowship. There stood many
worshipful knights, noble, worthy, and good. At this Dame Kriemhild's
spirits rose.
Then Sir Rudeger spake to the queen: "Lady, here will I receive the
high-born king; whomso I bid you kiss, that must ye do. Forsooth ye may
not greet alike King Etzel's men."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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