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Hildebrandslied

Anonymous
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OriginalEnglish version by D.L. Ashliman [1997]
HILDEBRANDSLIEDHILDEBRAND'S SONG
Ik gıhorta dat ſeggen
dat ſih urhettun ænon muotın
hıltıbrant entı hadubrant untar herıun tuem
ſunu fatarungo ıro ſaro rıhtun
garutun ſe ıro gudhamun gurtun ſih ıro ſuert ana
helıdoſ ubar rınga do ſie to dero hıltu rıtun
hıltıbrant gımahalta herıbranteſ ſunu her uuaſ heroro man
feraheſ frotoro her fragen gıſtuont
fohem uuortum ƿer ſin fater ƿarı
fıreo ın folche …
eddo ƿelıhheſ cnuoſleſ du ſiſ
ıbu du mı enan ſageſ ık mı de odre uuet
chınd ın chunıncrıche chud ıſt mın al ırmındeot
hadubrant gımahalta hıltıbranteſ ſunu
dat ſagetun mı uſere lıutı
alte antı frote dea erhına ƿarun
dat hıltıbrant hættı mın fater ıh heıttu hadubrant
forn her oſtar gıhueıt floh her otachreſ nıd
hına mıtı theotrıhhe entı ſinero degano fılu
her fur laet ın lante luttıla ſitten
prut ın bure barn unƿahſan
arbeo laoſa her raet oſtar hına
deſ ſid detrıhhe darba gıſtuontum
fatereſ mıneſ dat uuaſ ſo frıuntlaoſ man
her ƿaſ otachre ummet tırrı
degano dechıſto untı deotrıchhe
darba gıſtontun her ƿaſ eo folcheſ at ente ımo ƿaſ eo peh&a tı leop
chud uuaſ her … chonnem mannum
nı ƿanıu ıh ıu lıb habbe …
ƿettu ırmıngot quad hıltıbrant obana ab hevane
dat du neo dana halt mıt ſuſ ſippan man
dınc nı gıleıtoſ …
ƿant her do ar arme ƿuntane bauga
cheıſurıngu gıtan ſo ımo ſe der chunıng gap
huneo truhtın dat ıh dır ıt nu bı huldı gıbu
hadubrant gımahalta hıltıbranteſ ſunu
mıt geru ſcal man geba ınfahan
ort ƿıdar orte …
du bıſt dır alter hun ummet ſpaher
ſpenıſ mıh mıt dınem ƿuortun ƿılı mıh dınu ſperu ƿerpan
pıſt alſo gıalt& man ſo du eƿın ınƿıt fortoſ
dat ſagetun mı ſeolıdante
ƿeſtar ubar ƿentılſeo dat ınan ƿıc furnam
tot ıſt hıltıbrant herıbranteſ ſuno
hıltıbrant gımahalta herıbranteſ ſuno
ƿela gıſihu ıh ın dınem hruſtım
dat du habeſ heme herron goten
dat du noh bı deſemo rıche reccheo nı ƿurtı
ƿelaga nu ƿaltant got quad hıltıbrant ƿeƿurt ſkıhıt
ıh ƿallota ſumaro entı ƿıntro ſehſtıc ur lante
dar man mıh eo ſcerıta ın folc ſceotantero
ſo man mır at burc enıgeru banun nı gıfaſta
nu ſcal mıh ſuaſat chınd ſuertu hauƿan
breton mıt ſinu bıllıu eddo ıh ımo tı banın ƿerdan
doh maht du nu aodlıhho ıbu dır dın ellen taoc
ın ſuſ heremo man hruſtı gıƿınnan
rauba bıhrahanen ıbu du dar enıc reht habeſ
der ſi doh nu argoſto quad hıltıbrant oſtar lıuto
der dır nu ƿıgeſ ƿarne nu dıh eſ ſo ƿel luſtıt
gudea gımeınun nıuſe de mottı
ƿerdar ſih hıutu dero hregılo rumen muottı
erdo deſero brunnono bedero uualtan
do lettun ſe ærıſt aſckım ſcrıtan
ſcarpen ſcurım dat ın dem ſcıltım ſtont
do ſtoptun to ſamane ſtaım bort chludun
heƿun harmlıcco huıtte ſcıltı
untı ımo ıro lıntun luttılo ƿurtun
gıƿıgan mıtı ƿabnum
I have heard tell,
that two chosen warriors, Hildebrand and Hadubrand,
met one another, between two armies.
Father and son, the champions examined their gear,
prepared their armor, and buckled their swords
over their chain mail, before riding out to battle.
Hildebrand, the older and more experienced man, spoke first,
asking, with few words who his father was
and from which family he came.
"Tell me the one, young man, and I'll know the other,
for I know all great people in this kingdom."
Hadubrand, the son of Hildebrand, replied:
"Old and wise people who lived long ago
told me that my father's name was Hildebrand.
My name is Hadubrand.
Long ago he road off into the East with Dietrich,
and his many warriors, fleeing Otacher's wrath.
He rode off into the East, leaving his wife at home
with a small child, deprived of his inheritance.
Dietrich, a man with but few friends,
came to rely upon my father.
His feud with Otacher grew more intense,
and my father became his best-loved warrior.
He was at the front of every battle, wanting to be in every duel.
.....
Brave men knew him well.
....."
"With Almighty God in Heaven for a witness,
may you never go to battle against your next of kin."
And he took from his arm a band of rings,
braided from the emperor's gold,
which the King of the Huns had given to him.
"I give you this in friendship."
Hadubrand, the son of Hildebrand, replied:
"A gift should be received with a spear,
point against point.
You are a cunning old Hun,
leading me into a trap with your words,
only to throw your spear at me.
You have grown old by practicing such treachery.
Sailors traveling westward across the Mediterranean Sea
told me that he fell in battle.
Hildebrand, the son of Heribrand, is dead."
Hildebrand, the son of Heribrand, replied:
"I see from your battle gear
that you have a good master at home,
and that you have never been banished by your prince.
.....
Alas, Lord God, fate has struck.
Sixty times I have seen summer turn to winter
and winter to summer in a foreign land.
I was always placed on the front lines;
I was never killed while storming a fortress,
and now my own child should strike me with his sword
and hit me with his ax, if I don't kill him first.
But if you have the courage, you can easily
win the armor from an old man like me,
and take away the spoils, if you have any right to them.
.....
Not even the worst of the men from the East
would turn down the the chance to fight with you,
with your desire to duel. Cost what it may,
let us see who will boast of this gear
and who will lay claim to these two suits of chain mail."
Then they let sail their ashen spears,
Sharp showers, sticking in their shields.
They came closer on foot, splitting each other's bright boards,
striking fiercely until their weapons shattered their shields.
.....


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