"Survivors even lose their soul,
Compelled a foreign faith to take.
And clear we see now that their goal
Is conquest of our folk to make.
They seek to break the people's pride,
Upon them serfdom's yoke to place,
Among themselves then to divide
All lands within the Baltic space."
"Upon a day now passed not long,
The people made report to me
Of foreign soldiers armoured strong
To Leilvarde riding free.
Still full of hope, great haste I made,
And armed my people straight away.
We stood behind our palisade,
Drawn up to face them in the fray."
"I asked them plainly why they came.
A mighty knight then forward went,
And said that Daniel was his name,
By Riga's Bishop he was sent
To seize all Lielvarde's space.
But if I wished he would allow
That I might live there by his grace-
In my own home a vassal now!"
"His own stone castle he would build,
That for himself to raise he planned,
And hostages to take he willed,
From every village in my land.
From farms a tenth part was his now,
And of their crops a share was due.
The Church's Father for each plough
Would take from them a levy too."
"Such shamelessness I bitter spurned.
It would destroy my ancient home:
Possessions plundered, houses burned,
The people would be slaves to Rome.-
Together with a little band
I fled to safety from their ranks,
And came to Dabrels in his land,
Found refuge on the Gauja's banks."
"Some Latvian Lords who shared my plight,
Came to this stronghold, where they thought
With warriors bold to stand and fight,
And threw up ramparts round the fort.
They, with the Livs as allies, tried
To stand against the Strangers' strength;
All hoped that though some would have died,
They would defeat the knights at length."
"By Daniel warned about their stand,
A troop of knights the Bishop sent,
To travel to the Gauja land;
Among them riding, Kaupa went.-
In Turaida in open show,
The Christian faith he now professed,
And formed deep friendships with the foe,
That all his people sore distressed."
"The Gauja fort for Christ to win,
With knights he soon began to seek.
The mind of Dabrels doubt put in,
And made our fathers' gods seem weak.
He said the Bishop had come here,
To hold from Riga's Castle sway,
And cherish as his children dear,
All those who would the Pope obey."-
"High on the ramparts Rusin spoke,
Sought Kaupa's message to reject,
As was the custom of his folk,
His helm removed to show respect.
A heavy arrow from a bow
Then struck his unprotected head,
And mortal wounded by the blow
Down to the ground he toppled dead."
"All were enraged by this base deed,
Ran from the palisade pell-mell;
They charged the Strangers without heed,
And slaughtered them until night fell."