Waltharius1346English

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Walther challenges Hagen; he severs Gunther’s leg, but Hagen again saves the king’s life (1346–1375)

A thought begins to steal into the hero’s mind,
Who silently is keeping these thoughts to himself:
“If Fortune does not change her course, those men will catch
Me with their empty tricks, exhausted as I am.”
Immediately, his voice raised, he addresses Hagen, 1350
“O hawthorn, flourishing with leaves so you can prick,
You jump and feint and try to fool me with your cunning.
But now I’ll make a move to hurry your attack.
Now then, display your strength, which I know is enormous;
For I am tired of suffering such work in vain.” 1355
He spoke, then with a leap he hurled his spear at him.
The speeding shaft bursts through the shield and rips away
Part of his byrnie, grazing his tremendous body
(He was of course resplendent, clad in finest armor).
Now Walter, having thrown his spear, unsheathes his sword 1360
And running forward savagely attacks the king.
He forced the shield away from his right side, then struck
A blow of unimagined power, hacking off
From him one whole leg with the knee up to the thigh.
At once he fell down on his shield at Walter’s feet. 1365
The vassal blanched and paled when he saw his lord fall.
The son of Alphere raised his bloody sword again
And burned to deal the fallen man a final blow.
The vassal Hagen, heedless of his own distress,
By sticking out his bronze-clad head then intercepted 1370
The blow. The hero could not check his outstretched hand;
But now the helmet, strongly forged and finely made,
Receives the blow at once and fills the air with sparks.
The sword, astounded by the hardness, splinters, and
The clattering pieces glitter in the air and grass. 1375

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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.