berks strong,
who had left many comely dames at home whom they never saw again.
Siegfried's wounds gave Kriemhild pain.

Gunther's liegemen now wended their way towards the river Main, up
through Eastern Frankland. (2) Thither Hagen led them, for well he wot
the way. Dankwart was their marshal, the hero from Burgundian land. As
they rode away from the Eastern Frankland towards Swanfield, (3) men
could tell the princes and their kin, the worshipful knights, by their
lordly bearing. On the twelfth morning the king came to the Danube.
Hagen of Troneg rode foremost of them all, giving to the Nibelungs
helpful cheer. On the sandy shore the bold knight dismounted and bound
his steed full soon to a tree. The river was swollen, the skiffs hidden
away. Great fear the Nibelungs had, as to how they might come across,
for the stream was much too broad. Full many a lusty knight alighted on
the ground.

"Ill may it lightly hap with thee here," quoth Hagen, "O ruler of the
Rhine. Now mayst thou thyself see the river is swollen, its flood is
mighty. Certes, I ween, we shall lose here many a worthy knight to-day."

"Why dost thou rebuke me, Hagen?" spake the lordly king. "For thine own
prowess' sake discomfit me no more, but seek us the ford across to the
other bank, that we may take hence both steeds and trappings."

"Forsooth," quoth Hagen, "I be not so weary of life, that I would drown
me in these broad waves. Sooner shall men die by my hands in Etzel's
lands. That will I well. Stay by the water's side, ye proud knights and
good, and I will seek the ferryman myself along the stream, who shall
ferry us across to Gelfrat's (4) land."

Then the stalwart Hagen seized his good shield. Well was he armed. The
shield he bare along, his helmet bound upon his head, bright enow it
was. Above his breastplate he bare a sword so broad that most fiercely
it cut on either edge. To and fro he sought the ferryman. He heard the
splash of water and began to listen. In a fair spring wise women (5)
were bathing for to cool them off. Now Hagen spied them and crept toward
them stealthily. When they grew ware of this, they hurried fast to
escape him; glad enow they were of this. The hero took their clothes,
but did them naught else of harm.

Then spake one of the mermaids (Hadburg she was called): "Sir Knight
Hagen, we'll do you here to wit, an' ye give us our weeds again, bold
knight, how ye will fare upon this journey to the Hunnish court."

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