Hildebrandslied [Germanic hero saga][+English translation]

Part 1/2, a modern version created by the band Menhir.

The "Song of Hildebrand" is the most famous piece of Old High German literature. This text was written down around the year 830, but the story itself is at least 200 years older. It originated as an oral story (writing culture just settled in), likely among Germanic peoples living in modern-day Italy. It is the oldest surviving piece of German heroic poetry. The text consists of 68 alliterative verses but is considered to be a fragment, as the ending is assumed to be missing. The language used in the text is Old High German, which is a development stage of German that was spoken between approximately 750 and 1050. Interestingly, the text is a blend of High and Low German dialects.

As some of you may be able to tell from the name "Odoacer", the story is set in the late 5th or early 6th century, specifically around or shortly after 476. This year marks the end of the Western Roman Empire, as the Germanic military leader Odoacer deposed the Roman Emperor.
The character "Dietrich" mentioned in the text is based on the historical King Theodoric of the Ostrogoths. However, in the context of the poem and throughout the entire Medieval Period, he is transformed into a fictional figure known as "Dietrich von Bern". This character appears in numerous German and Germanic poems and songs spanning many centuries. The title "von Bern" ("of/from Bern") refers to the old German name for the Italian city of Verona, not the Swiss city of Bern.
The story shows the significance of both family ties and battle honor at the time. The text abruptly ends during battle, leaving the outcome uncertain due to the missing ending. However, later texts, including some from the North Germanic tradition, suggest that Hildebrand emerges as the "victor", meaning his son dies.

Hildebrand, Dietrich, and also the mentioned Attila (ruler of the Huns, a loose ally to Dietrich in the poems. This is where real history doesn't work, as Attila died in 453 while Theoderic was born around that time) also appear in what is arguably the most significant work of German literature: The Nibelung Song, whose plot predates that of the Hildebrandslied.
By the way: "friuntlaos" actually means "freundlos"/"friendless", but this is an instance where some translating freedom was employed, since you could argue Hildebrand and Dietrich were friends, while the element of loneliness is key for a man forced to leave his homeland and family for 30 years. Likewise, "nid" as in "otaches nid" pretty much means negative feelings in general. It has survived in the form of modern German "Neid", meaning "jealousy" only.

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Ik gihorta dat seggen
Dat sih urhettun ænon muotin •
Hiltibrant enti hadubrant untar heriun tuem •
Sunu fatarungo • iro saro rihtun •

Garutun se iro gudhamun •
Gurtun sih • iro suert ana •
Helidos ubar ringa
Do sie to dero hiltu ritun •
Hiltibrant gimahalta • her uuas heroro man
Ferahes frotoro • her fragen gistuont
Fohem uuortum • hwer sin fater wari
Fireo in folche •
Eddo hwelihhes cnuosles du sis •
Ibu du mi enan sages ik mi de odre uuet
Chind in chunincriche • chud ist min al irmindeot •
Hadubrant gimahalta hiltibrantes sunu •

Garutun se iro gudhamun •
Gurtun sih • iro suert ana •
Helidos ubar ringa
Do sie to dero hiltu ritun •
Hiltibrant gimahalta • her uuas heroro man
Ferahes frotoro • her fragen gistuont
Fohem uuortum • hwer sin fater wari

Dat sagetun mi usere liuti
Alte anti frote dea erhina warun •
Dat hiltibrant hætti min fater • ih heittu hadubrant •
Forn her ostar gihueit
Floh her otachres nid
Otachres nid hina miti theotrihhe
Enti sinero degano filu •
Her furlaet in lante luttila sitten
Prut in bure barn unwahsan
Arbeo laosa • her raet ostar hina
Des sid detrihhe darba gistuontum
Gistuontun fateres mines • dat uuas so friuntlaos man
So friuntlaos man

Her was otachre ummet tirri
Degano dechisto unti deotrichhe
Her was eo folches at ente imo was eo fehta ti leop •
Chud uuas her • chonnem mannum •
Ni waniu ih iu lib habbe •

Wettu irmingot obana ab hevane
Dat du neo dana halt mit dinc ni gileitos •
Want her do ar arme wuntane bauga
Cheisuringu gitan •
So imo se der chuning gap
Huneo truhtin •
Dat ih dir it nu bi huldi gibu •
Hadubrant gimahalta hiltibrantes sunu •
Mit geru scal man geba infahan
Ort widar orte •
Du bist dir alter hun ummet spaher

Her was otachre ummet tirri
Degano dechisto miti deotrichhe
Her was eo folches at ente imo was eo fehta ti leop •
Chud uuas her • chonnem mannum •
Ni waniu ih iu lib habbe •

Huneo truhtin •
Dat ih dir it nu bi huldi gibu •
Hadubrant gimahalta hiltibrantes sunu •
Mit geru scal man geba infahan
Ort widar orte •
Du bist dir alter hun ummet spaher [...]