Waltharius1280English
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)
| He spoke, then with a leap swung from his horse’s back; | 1280 |
| Next Gunther; and the hero Walter was not slow | |
| To do the same—all three prepared to fight on foot. | |
| Each stood there warily preparing for the blows | |
| To come; behind their shields the warriors’ limbs were trembling. | |
| It was the second hour when these three men clashed: | 1285 |
| The arms of two unite against a single foe. | |
| Now that the peace was broken, Hagen was the first | |
| To hurl his baleful spear with all his strength. But Walter, | |
| When he saw he could not withstand the shaft, which hissed | |
| And flew with vicious twisting force, deflected it | 1290 |
| Adroitly with the cover of his tilted shield. | |
| For speeding on and glancing from the shield as from | |
| Smooth marble, it then roughly stabbed the hill, sunk in | |
| The ground up to its socket. With a mighty heart | |
| But little strength, at that point haughty Gunther hurled | 1295 |
| His ash-wood shaft, which, flying, became stuck low down | |
| In Walter’s shield. As soon as he had shaken it, | |
| The sluggish spear dropped from the fissure in the wood. | |
| The Franks, confused in heart and saddened by this omen, | |
| At once unsheathed their blades—their sorrow turned to wrath— | 1300 |
| And covered by their shields they vied in charging Walter. | |
| But still that robust man repelled them with spear-thrusts, | |
| With glare and weapons terrifying his attackers. | |
| King Gunther here was thinking up a foolish venture— | |
| To wit, approaching silently, to grab by stealth | 1305 |
| The spear which, cast in vain, had fallen on the ground | |
| (Discarded, it was lying at the hero’s feet). | |
| Because they were armed with the shorter blades of swords, | |
| They could not venture close enough to that man who | |
| Was stabbing spear thrusts out so far; he motioned with | 1310 |
| His eyes, thus signalling his vassal to advance | |
| So he, with his protection, could perform the deed. | |
| Advancing quickly, Hagen challenges his foe | |
| While Gunther now has placed his jewelled sword in its sheath, | |
| Thus freeing his right hand to make the theft at once. | 1315 |
| In short, he stooped, then reached his hand out for the spear | |
| And once he had it drew it slowly back to him, | |
| But thereby asked too much of luck. The best of heroes, | |
| Because he always kept alert enough in battle— | |
| And very cautious too, except for one brief instant— | 1320 |
| Saw Gunther bending down. Perceiving his plan, he | |
| Does not allow it, but at once repelling Hagen— | |
| Though in the way, he jumped back from the threatened blow— | |
| He leaps and slams his foot down on the stolen shaft. | |
| So fiercely did he taunt the king, caught in the theft, | 1325 |
| The coward’s knees began to shake beneath the spear. | |
| Him too he would have sent straightway to hungry Orcus | |
| If Hagen, strong in arms, had not rushed in to help | |
| And used his shield to guard his lord while jabbing with | |
| The naked edge of his cruel blade at Walter’s face. | 1330 |
| While Walter warded off the blow, the king arose, | |
| And stood, afraid and senseless, barely saved from death. | |
| No pause or rest, the bitter fighting is resumed. | |
| They press the man, now both at once, now each in turn. | |
| While he is fiercely occupied with one attacker, | 1335 |
| One charges from another side and checks the blow. | |
| Not otherwise when a Numidian bear is hunted, | |
| It stands, surrounded by the hounds, and bares its claws, | |
| And lowering its head it growls, and grabs the dogs | |
| That come too near and makes them yelp in misery. | 1340 |
| Here, there, on every side the raging hounds are barking, | |
| But fear to move in to attack the awful beast. | |
| Just so the battle wavered into the ninth hour. | |
| Threefold distress oppresses all three men—the fear | |
| Of death, the task of fighting, and the burning sun. | 1345 |
Note: this English text is identical to that found in Waltharius and Ruodlieb, edited and translated by Dennis M. Kratz. The Garland library of medieval literature, Series A, vol. 14. New York: Garland Pub., 1984.
