Waltharius1208

Mille fere passus transcendit, et ecce puella		Mille fere passus: probably equivalent to one Germanic Rast, itself a disputed unit, perhaps the distance that a person on foot can cover in three hours’ time.			DSSDDS
Sexus enim fragilis animo trepidare coegit --					DDDDDS False quantities: fragilis
Respiciens post terga videt descendere binos	1210				DSDSDS
Quodam colle viros raptim et sine more meantes		Sine more: with raptim, cf. note on line 794.	Aeineid 8.635: raptas sine more. . . ‘Lawlessly carried off. . .’ Ovid, Ars Amatoria 1.119:' sine more ruentes. . . ‘Rushing wildly on them. . .’		SDSDDS Elision: raptim et
Exanguisque virum compellat voce sequentem:			Aeineid 2.212: diffugimus visu exsangues. ‘Pale at the sight, we scatter.’ 11.818: labitur exsanguis. ‘Bloodless she sinks.’ Prudentius, Psychomachia 709: exsanguis turbante metu. . . ‘Pale with upsetting fear. . .’ Aeneid 5.161: compellat voce Menoeten. ‘He loudly hails Menoeten.’		SDSSDS
Dilatus iam finis adest: fuge, domne, propinquant!'			Aeineid 2.733: fuge, nate; propinquant. ‘My son, flee; they draw near!’		SSDDDS
Qui mox conversus visos cognovit et inquit:					SSSSDS
Incassum multos mea dextera fuderat hostes,	1215				SSDDDS
Si modo supremis laus desit, dedecus assit,		Supremis equiv. to in extremis			DSSSDS
Est satius pulcram per vulnera quaerere mortem			Aeineid 11.647: pulchramque petunt per vulnera mortem. ‘They seek a glorious death among the wounds.’ 9.401: pulchram properet per vulnera mortem? ‘Shall he win with wounds a glorious death?’		DSSDDS
Quam solum amissis palando evadere rebus.					SSSSDS Elision: solum amissis; palando evadere
Verum non adeo sunt desperanda salutis		Salutis commoda: “hope of survival” vel sim.			SDSSDS
Commoda cernenti quondam maiora pericla.	1220				DSSSDS
Aurum gestantis tute accipe lora Leonis					SSSDDS Elision: tute accipe
Et citius pergens luco succede propinquo.			Aeineid 2.478: succedunt tecto. ‘They close with him on the dwelling.’		DSSSDS
Ast ego in ascensu montis subsistere malo,					DSSSDS Elision: ego in
Eventum opperiens adventantesque salutans.'			Aeineid 1.454: reginam opperiens. . . ‘Awaiting the queen. . .’ 10.771: hostem magnanimum opperiens. . . ‘Awaiting his noble foe. . .’		SDSSDS Elision: eventum opperiens
Obsequitur dictis virguncula clara iubentis.	1225				DSSDDS
Ille celer scutum collegit et excutit hastam,					DSSDDS
Ignoti mores equitis temptando sub armis.		Ignoti…equitis: since Leo, his own horse (line 327), was carrying the gold (line 1221), Waltharius is riding an unfamiliar steed, taken from one of the defeated warriors.			SSDSDS
Hunc rex incursans comitante satellite demens		Satellite equiv. to Hagano			SSDDDS
Eminus affatu compellat valde superbo:			Prudentius, Peristephanon 2.400: conpellat adfatu brevi. ‘He addresses him briefly.’		DSSSDS
Hostis atrox, nisu deluderis! ecce latebrae	1230				SDSSDDS
Protinus absistunt, ex quis de more liciscae		Protinus absistunt equiv. to procul absunt. The increasing interchangeability of forms of esse with forms of stare is evident from the conjugations of the verb “to be” in modern Romance languages. Liciscae: the same comparison has been made before, in line 404.	Eclogue 3.18: multum latrante Lycisca. . . ‘While his mongrel barked madly. . .’		DSSSDS
Dentibus infrendens rabidis latrare solebas.			Aeineid 3.664; 8.230; 10.718: dentibus infrendens. . . ‘Gnashing his teeth. . .’		DSDSDS
En in propatulo, si vis, confligito campo,					SDSSDDS
Experiens, finis si fors queat aequiperari					DSSDDS
Principio. scio, Fortunam mercede vocasti	1235	Mercede vocasti: i.e., bought			DDSSDS
Idcircoque fugam tempnis seu deditionem.'					SDSSDDS

---

« previous

Prologue Introduction: the Huns (1–12) The Huns (13–418) The Franks under Gibich surrender to Attila, giving Hagen as a hostage (13–33) The Burgundians under Hereric surrender to Attila, giving Hildegund as a hostage (34–74) The Aquitainians under Alphere surrender to Attila, giving Walther as a hostage (75–92) Experience of the hostages at Attila’s court (93–115) Death of Gibich, flight of Hagen (116–122) Attila’s queen Ospirin advises her husband to ensure Walther’s loyalty by arranging a marriage (123–141) Walther rejects Attila’s offer of a bride (142–169) Walther leads the army of the Huns to victory in battle (170–214) The Escape (215–418) Walther returns from battle and encounters Hildegund (215–255) Walther reveals to Hildegund his plans for escaping with Attila’s treasure (256–286) Walther hosts a luxurious banquet for Attila’s court; eventually all his intoxicated guests fall asleep (287–323) Flight of Walther and Hildegund from Attila’s court (324–357) The following day, the escape of Walther and Hildegund is discovered by Ospirin (358–379) Attila is infuriated and vows revenge on Walther, but can find no one willing to dare to pursue him, even for a large reward (380–418) The Single Combats (419–1061) Diplomacy (419–639) Flight of Walther and Hildegund to the area of Worms (419–435) Gunther, King of the Franks, learns of Walther’s presence on his territory and, despite Hagen’s warnings, decides to pursue him for his treasure (436–488) Walther makes his camp in a mountainous area and goes to sleep (489–512) Gunther and his companions approach Walther’s camp; Hagen unsuccessfully tries to dissuade the king from attacking it (513–531) Hildegund sees the Franks approaching and wakes Walther, who calms her fears and prepares for battle; he recognizes Hagen from a distance (532–571) Hagen persuades Gunther to try diplomacy before using force (571–580) Camalo is sent as a messenger to Walther, who offers to make Gunther a gift in return for allowing his passage (581–616) Hagen counsels Gunther to accept the offer, but Gunther rejects this advice, calling him a coward. Insulted, Hagen goes off to a nearby hill (617–639) Combat (640–1061) 1st single combat: Camalo is sent back to Walther, who slays him (640–685) 2nd single combat: Walther slays Kimo/Scaramund, Camalo’s nephew (686–719) Gunther encourages his men (720–724) 3rd single combat: Walther slays Werinhard, a descendant of the Trojan Pandarus (725–753) 4th single combat: Walther slays the Saxon Ekivrid, after an exchange of insults (754–780) 5th single combat: Walther slays Hadawart, after an exchange of insults (781–845) Hagen sees his nephew Patavrid going off to fight Walther and laments the evil wreaked on mankind by greed (846–877) 6th single combat: after trying to dissuade him from fighting, Walther slays Patavrid (878–913) 7th single combat: Walther slays Gerwitus (914–940) Gunther again encourages his men, giving Walther some time to rest (941–961) 8th single combat: Walther is shorn of his hair by Randolf, whom he then slays (962–981) Walther is attacked by Eleuthir/Helmnot, assisted by Trogus, Tanastus, and Gunther; he slays all but Gunther (981–1061) The Final Combat (1062–1452) Gunther tries to persuade Hagen to help him to defeat Waltharius; remembering his wounded honor, Hagen refuses (1062–1088) Hagen changes his mind and agrees to help Gunther, but advises that they must lie low wait until Walther comes down from the mountains into open ground (1089–1129) Walther decides to spend the night in the mountains. He rematches the severed heads with the bodies of his victims, prays for their souls, then sleeps (1130–1187) The following day, Walther and Hildegund set out from the mountains, taking the horses and arms of the defeated warriors (1188–1207) Hildegund perceives Gunther and Hagen approaching to attack; the king addresses Walther (1208–1236) Walther ignores Gunther and pleads with Hagen to remember the bond of their childhood friendship; Hagen counters that Walther has already broken their faith by slaying Patavrid (1237–1279) The fight begins and continues for seven hours; Gunther foolishly tries to retrieve a thrown spear from the ground near Walther and is only saved from death by Hagen’s brave intervention (1280–1345) Walther challenges Hagen; he severs Gunther’s leg, but Hagen again saves the king’s life (1346–1375) Hagen cuts off Walther’s right hand; Walther gouges out one of Hagen’s eyes and, cutting open his cheek, knocks out four teeth (1376–1395) Having wounded each other, the warriors end the battle, drink together, and engage in a friendly exchange of humorous taunt (1396–1442) The warriors return to their respective homes; Walther marries Hildegund and eventually becomes king of the Aquitainians (1443–1452) Epilogue (1453–1456)

next »

English