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 Gibeek
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."

From the palfrey they helped the royal queen alight. Etzel, the mighty,
bode no more, but dismounted from his steed with many a valiant man.
Joyfully men saw them go towards Kriemhild. Two mighty princes, as we
are told, walked by the lady and bore her train, when King Etzel went
to meet her, where she greeted the noble lording with a kiss in gracious
wise. She raised her veil and from out the gold beamed forth her rosy
hue. Many a man stood there who vowed that Lady Helca could not have
been more fair than she. Close by stood also Bloedel, the brother of the
king. Him Rudeger, the mighty margrave, bade her kiss and King G