"In virtue without lapse,
In woman's form and face,
In Germany, perhaps,
No equal has your race!"
"Go! To your comrades run;
Tell them, in Baltic land
Each free-born woman's son
Will crush them by his hand,
As I tonight did here!
Your life this day I spare-
But if our lands you near,
Then face me if you dare!"
Laimdota's senses cleared,
As this the man declared;
His face at last appeared,
Beneath his helmet bared.-
A cry of joy began,
Within the moonlight grew;
Laimdota saw the man,
And straight Koknesis knew!
Koknesis took her hand,
This greeting to proclaim:
"To Gods and spirits grand
Give thanks in time I came!
Together we must flee,
We cannot here delay.
Hence you must ride with me,
My fate learn on the way."
Into the saddle straight
Both leaped on horses' backs,
Rode out and did not wait,
On rutted forest tracks.
A distant mountain hut
Gave shelter for the night-
The folk who firewood cut
Helped strangers in their plight.
They rested for some days,
Then rode a further stage.
Laimdota found good ways
Disguised to be a page;
Koknesis was her knight.-
They from a seaport planned
By ship to make their flight
To reach their Fatherland.
Koknesis on the way
Told her his story grim.-
One night in bed he lay,
When Kangars came to him,
Said Kaupa at the dawn
To Germany would go;
Dispatches must be borne
For Burtnieks to know.
Since Burtnieks, alone,
Kept watch on All Souls' Eve,
Koknesis, to him known,
The message should receive.-
No harm Koknesis saw
To Turaida to go,
Where waited on the shore
Young men that he would know.
With Kaupa soon to sail
Upon the German trip,
With pleasure they would hail
Koknesis on the ship.-
Koknesis gave assent
When Kangars told his plight:
He had no document,
Until the morning light.
Aboard, they broke their fast,
And Kangars gave them wine,
A gift from Dietrich passed.-
Since none would thirst confine,
But drank deep at a stroke,
They all were soon asleep,
And when Koknesis woke,
The ship rocked on the deep!