A messenger by Diderik sent
To Danish Olger goes:
“Say, will ye tribute pay to us,
Or with us bandy blows?”
Then full of wrath King Olger grew,
Such speech he could not bear:
“Let Diderik meet us on the wold,
We’ll battle with him there.
“Tribute to pay each Dane would scorn,
He’s wont himself to take it;
Our tribute ye will like but ill,
If ye come here to seek it.”
His kemps then gathering in a ring
The news to them he told:
“Bern’s haughty lord has sent us word
That he’ll have tribute-gold.
“He’ll either tribute have, or hold
With us a bloody feud;
But the first King he will not be
We have this year subdued.”
Then cried in scorn a kempion good,
King Diderik’s envoy to:
“To waste our home if Berners come
They all hence out won’t go.”
Soon as the news he heard, full glad
Was Ulf Van Yern, and gay;
Then laughed outright bold Hogen knight:
“Too long do they delay.”
It was Vidrik Verlandson,
High beat with joy his heart;
Then said amain Orm Ungerswayne:
“To meet them let us start.”
“The first man I’ll be in the van,”
Sir Ivor Blue he cried:
“Nor shall ye say that I was last,”
Sir Kulden Gray replied.
King Olger on the verdant wold
With Diderik battle join’d;
To fight they went, no jest they meant,
So wroth were they in mind.