Part 4

There once grew up in Burgundy / a maid of noble birth, Nor might there be a fairer / than she in all the earth: Kriemhild hight the maiden, / and grew a dame full fair, Through whom high thanes a many / to lose their lives soon doomed were.

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'Twould well become the highest / to love the winsome maid, Keen knights did long to win her, / and none but homage paid. Beauty without measure, / that in sooth had she, And virtues wherewith many / ladies else adorned might be.

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Three noble lords did guard her, / great as well in might, Gunther and Gernot, / each one a worthy knight, And Giselher their brother, / a hero young and rare. The lady was their sister / and lived beneath the princes' care.

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These lords were free in giving, / and born of high degree; Undaunted was the valor / of all the chosen three. It was the land of Burgundy / o'er which they did command, And mighty deeds of wonder / they wrought anon in Etzel's land.

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At Worms amid their warriors / they dwelt, the Rhine beside, And in their lands did serve them / knights of mickle pride, Who till their days were ended / maintained them high in state. They later sadly perished / beneath two noble women's hate.

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A high and royal lady, / Ute their mother hight, Their father's name was Dankrat, / a man of mickle might. To them his wealth bequeathed he / when that his life was done, For while he yet was youthful / had he in sooth great honor won.

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In truth were these three rulers, / as I before did say, Great and high in power, / and homage true had they Eke of knights the boldest / and best that e'er were known, Keen men all and valiant, / as they in battle oft had shown.

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There was of Tronje Hagen, / and of that princely line His brother valiant Dankwart; / and eke of Metz Ortwein; Then further the two margraves, / Gere and Eckewart; Of Alzei was Volker, / a doughty man of dauntless heart.

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Rumold the High Steward, / a chosen man was he, Sindold and Hunold / they tended carefully Each his lofty office / in their three masters' state, And many a knight beside them / that I the tale may ne'er relate.

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Dankwart he was Marshal; / his nephew, then, Ortwein Upon the monarch waited / when that he did dine; Sindold was Cup-bearer, / a stately thane was he, And Chamberlain was Hunold, / masters all in courtesy.

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Of the kings' high honor / and their far-reaching might, Of their full lofty majesty / and how each gallant knight Found his chiefest pleasure / in the life of chivalry, In sooth by mortal never / might it full related be.

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Amid this life so noble / did dream the fair Kriemhild How that she reared a falcon, / in beauty strong and wild, That by two eagles perished; / the cruel sight to see Did fill her heart with sorrow / as great as in this world might be.

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The dream then to her mother / Queen Ute she told, But she could not the vision / than thus more clear unfold: "The falcon that thou rearedst, / doth mean a noble spouse: God guard him well from evil / or thou thy hero soon must lose."

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"Of spouse, O darling mother, / what dost thou tell to me? Without a knight to woo me, / so will I ever be, Unto my latest hour / I'll live a simple maid, That I through lover's wooing / ne'er be brought to direst need."

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"Forswear it not so rashly," / her mother then replied. "On earth if thou wilt ever / cast all care aside, 'Tis love alone will do it; / thou shalt be man's delight, If God but kindly grant thee / to wed a right good valiant knight."

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"Now urge the case, dear mother," / quoth she, "not further here. Fate of many another / dame hath shown full clear How joy at last doth sorrow / lead oft-times in its train. That I no ruth may borrow, / from both alike I'll far remain."

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Long time, too, did Kriemhild / her heart from love hold free, And many a day the maiden / lived right happily, Ere good knight saw she any / whom she would wish to woo. In honor yet she wedded / anon a worthy knight and true.

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He was that same falcon / she saw the dream within Unfolded by her mother. / Upon her nearest kin, That they did slay him later, / how wreaked she vengeance wild! Through death of this one hero / died many another mother's child.

SECOND ADVENTURE

Siegfried

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There grew likewise in Netherland / a prince of noble kind, Siegmund hight his father, / his mother Siegelind-- Within a lordly castle / well known the country o'er, By the Rhine far downward: / Xanten was the name it bore.

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Siegfried they did call him, / this bold knight and good; Many a realm he tested, / for brave was he of mood. He rode to prove his prowess / in many a land around: Heigh-ho! what thanes of mettle / anon in Burgundy he found!

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In the springtime of his vigor, / when he was young and bold, Could tales of mickle wonder / of Siegfried be told, How he grew up in honor, / and how fair he was to see: Anon he won the favor / of many a debonair lady.

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As for a prince was fitting, / they fostered him with care: Yet how the knightly virtues / to him native were! 'Twas soon the chiefest glory / of his father's land, That he in fullest measure / endowed with princely worth did stand.

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He soon was grown in stature / that he at court did ride. The people saw him gladly, / lady and maid beside Did wish that his own liking / might lead him ever there. That they did lean unto him / the knight was soon right well aware.

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In youth they let him never / without safe escort ride; Soon bade Siegmund and Siegelind / apparel rich provide; Men ripe in wisdom taught him, / who knew whence honor came. Thus many lands and people / he won by his wide-honored name.

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Now was he of such stature / that he could weapons bear: Of what thereto he needed / had he an ample share. Then to think of loving / fair maids did he begin, And well might they be honored / for wooer Siegfried bold to win.

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Then bade his father Siegmund / make known to one and all That he with his good kinsmen / would hold high festival. And soon were tidings carried / to all the neighboring kings; To friends at home and strangers / steeds gave he and rich furnishings.

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Wherever they found any / who knight was fit to be By reason of his kindred, / all such were courteously Unto the land invited / to join the festal throng, When with the prince so youthful / on them the knightly sword was hung.

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Of this high time of revelry / might I great wonders tell. Siegmund and Siegelind / great honor won full well, Such store of goodly presents / they dealt with generous hand, That knights were seen full many / from far come pricking to their land.

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Four hundred lusty squires / were there to be clad In knight's full garb with Siegfried. / Full many a beauteous maid At work did never tire, / for dear they did him hold, And many a stone full precious / those ladies laid within the gold,

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That they upon the doublets / embroidered cunningly Of those soon to be knighted: / 't was thus it had to be, Seats bade the host for many / a warrior bold make right Against the high midsummer, / when Siegfried won the name of knight.

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Then went unto the minster / full many a noble knight And gallant squires beside them. / The elder there with right Did wait upon the younger, / as once for them was done. They were all light-hearted, / in hope of pleasure every one.

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God to praise and honor / they sang the mass' song; There, too, were crowds of people, / a great and surging throng, When after knightly custom / knighthood received they then, In such a stately pageant / as scarce might ever be again.

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They hastened where they found them / saddled many a steed; In the court of Siegmund's castle / they tilted with such speed That far the din resounded / through castle and through hall, As in the play with clamor / did join the fiery riders all.

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Well-tried old knights and youthful / met there in frequent clash, There was sound of shattered lances / that through the air did crash, And along before the castle / were splinters seen to fly From hands of knights a many: / each with other there did vie.

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The king he bade give over: / they led the chargers out: There was seen all shattered / many a boss well-wrought, And many a stone full costly / lay there upon the sward From erstwhile shining shield-bands, / now broken in the jousting hard.

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The guests all went thereafter / where seats for them were reared; They by the choicest viands / from weariness were cheered, And wine, of all the rarest, / that then in plenty flowed. Upon both friends and strangers / were fitting honors rich bestowed.

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In such merry manner / all day did last the feast. Many a wandering minstrel / knew not any rest, But sang to win the presents / dealt out with bounteous hand; And with their praise was honored / far and wide King Siegmund's land.

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The monarch then did order / Siegfried his youthful son In fee give lands and castles, / as he erstwhile had done. To all his sword-companions / he gave with such full hand, That joyed they o'er the journey / they now had made unto that land.

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The festival yet lasted / until the seventh day. Siegelind after old custom / in plenty gave away --For so her son she honored-- / rich gifts of shining gold: In sooth deserved she richly / that all should him in honor hold.

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Never a wandering minstrel / was unprovided found: Horses there and raiment / so free were dealt around, As if to live they had not / beyond it one day more. I ween a monarch's household / ne'er bestowed such gifts before.

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Thus closed the merry feasting / in this right worthy way, And 't was well known thereafter / how those good knights did say That they the youthful hero / for king would gladly have; But this nowise he wished for, / Siegfried the stately knight and brave.

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While that they both were living, / Siegmund and Siegelind, No crown their son desired, / --thereto he had no mind. Yet would he fain be master / o'er all the hostile might That in the lands around him / opposed the keen and fiery knight.

THIRD ADVENTURE.

How Siegfried came to Worms

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Seldom in sooth, if ever, / the hero's heart was sad. He heard them tell the story, / how that a winsome maid There lived afar in Burgundy, / surpassing fair to see: Great joy she brought him later, / but eke she brought him misery.

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Of her exceeding beauty / the fame spread far and near, And of the thing, moreover, / were knights oft-times aware How the maid's high spirit / no mortal could command: The thing lured many a stranger / from far unto King Gunther's land.

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Although to win her favor / were many wooers bent, In her own heart would never / Kriemhild thereto consent That any one amongst them / for lover she would have: Still to her was he a stranger / to whom anon her troth she gave.

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To true love turned his fancy / the son of Siegelind. 'Gainst his, all others' wooing / was like an idle wind: Full well did he merit / a lady fair to woo, And soon the noble Kriemhild / to Siegfried bold was wedded true.

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By friends he oft was counselled, / and many a faithful man, Since to think of wooing / in earnest he began, That he a wife should find him / of fitting high degree. Then spoke the noble Siegfried: / "In sooth fair Kriemhild shall it be,

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"The noble royal maiden / in Burgundy that dwells, For sake of all her beauty. / Of her the story tells, Ne'er monarch was so mighty / that, if for spouse he sighed, 'Twere not for him befitting / to take the princess for his bride."

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Unto King Siegmund also / the thing was soon made known. His people talked about it, / whereby to him was shown The Prince's fixed purpose. / It grieved him sorely, too, That his son intent was / the full stately maid to woo.

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Siegelind asked and learned it, / the noble monarch's wife. For her loved son she sorrowed / lest he should lose his life, For well she knew the humor / of Gunther and his men. Then gan they from the wooing / strive to turn the noble thane.

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Then said the doughty Siegfried: / "O father dear to me, Without the love of woman / would I ever be, Could I not woo in freedom / where'er my heart is set. Whate'er be said by any, / I'll keep the selfsame purpose yet."

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"Since thou wilt not give over," / the king in answer said, "Am I of this thy purpose / inwardly full glad, And straightway to fulfil it / I'll help as best I can, Yet in King Gunther's service / is many a haughty-minded man.

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"And were there yet none other / than Hagen, warrior-knight, He with such haughty bearing / is wont to show his might, That I do fear right sorely / that sad our end may be, If we set out with purpose / to win the stately maid for thee."

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"Shall we by that be hindered?" / outspake Siegfried then; "Whate'er in friendly fashion / I cannot obtain I'll yet in other manner / take that, with sword in hand. I trow from them I'll further / wrest both their vassals and their land."

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"I grieve to hear thy purpose," / said Siegmund the king; "If any one this story / unto the Rhine should bring, Then durst thou never after / within that land be seen. Gunther and Gernot, / --well known to me they long have been.

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"By force, however mighty, / no man can win the maid," Spake King Siegmund further, / "to me hath oft been said. But if with knightly escort / thither thou wilt ride, Good friends--an have we any-- / shall soon be summoned to thy side."

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"No wish," then answered Siegfried, / "it ever was of mine, That warrior knights should follow / with me unto the Rhine As if arrayed for battle: / 'twould make my heart full sad, To force in hostile manner / to yield to me the stately maid.

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"By my own hand--thus only-- / trust I to win my bride; With none but twelve in company / to Gunther's land I'll ride. In this, O royal father, / thy present help I pray." Gray and white fur raiment / had his companions for the way.

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Siegelind his mother / then heard the story too, And grieved she was on hearing / what her dear son would do, For she did fear to lose him / at hands of Gunther's men. Thereat with heart full heavy / began to weep the noble queen.

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Then came forth Sir Siegfried / where the queen he sought, And to his weeping mother / thus gently spake his thought: "No tear of grief thou shouldest / ever shed for me, For I care not a tittle / for all the warriors that be.

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"So help me on my journey / to the land of Burgundy, And furnish such apparel / for all my knights and me, As warriors of our station / might well with honor wear. Then I in turn right truly / to thee my gratitude will swear."

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"Since thou wilt not give over," / Siegelind then replied, "My only son, I'll help thee / as fits thee forth to ride, With the best apparel / that riders ever wore, Thee and thy companions: / ye shall of all have goodly store."

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Then bowed the youthful Siegfried / the royal dame before, And said: "Upon the journey / will I take no more, But twelve good knights only: / for these rich dress provide, For I would know full gladly / how 't doth with Kriemhild betide."

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Then sat at work fair women / by night and eke by day, And rest indeed but little / from busy toil had they, Until they had made ready / the dress Siegfried should wear. Firm bent upon the journey, / no other counsel would he hear.

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His father bade a costly / garb for him prepare, That leaving Siegmund's country / he the same might wear. For all their glittering breastplates / were soon prepared beside, And helmets firmly welded, / and shining shields long and wide.

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Then fast the day grew nearer / when they should thence depart. Men and likewise women / went sorrowing in heart, If that they should ever / see more their native land. With full equipment laden / the sumpter horses there did stand.

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Their steeds were stately, furnished / with trappings rich with gold; It were a task all bootless / to seek for knights more bold Than were the gallant Siegfried / and his chosen band. He longed to take departure / straightway for Burgundian land.

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Leave granted they with sadness, / both the king and queen, The which to turn to gladness / sought the warrior keen, And spake then: "Weep ye shall not / at all for sake of me, Forever free from doubtings / about my safety may ye be."

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Stern warriors stood there sorrowing, / --in tears was many a maid. I ween their hearts erred nothing, / as sad forebodings said That 'mongst their friends so many / thereby were doomed to die. Good cause had they to sorrow / at last o'er all their misery.

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Upon the seventh morning / to Worms upon the strand Did come the keen knights riding. / Bright shone many a band Of gold from their apparel / and rich equipment then; And gently went their chargers / with Siegfried and his chosen men.

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New-made shields they carried / that were both strong and wide And brightly shone their helmets / as thus to court did ride Siegfried the keen warrior / into King Gunther's land. Of knights before was never / beheld so richly clad a band.

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The points of their long scabbards / reached down unto the spur, And spear full sharply pointed / bore each chosen warrior. The one that Siegfried carried / in breadth was two good span, And grimly cut its edges / when driven by the fearless man.

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Reins with gold all gleaming / held they in the hand, The saddle-bands were silken. / So came they to the land. On every side the people / to gape at them began, And also out to meet them / the men that served King Gunther ran.

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Gallant men high-hearted, / knight and squire too, Hastened to receive them, / for such respect was due, And bade the guests be welcome / unto their master's land. They took from them their chargers, / and shields as well from out the hand.

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Then would they eke the chargers / lead forth unto their rest; But straight the doughty Siegfried / to them these words addressed: "Yet shall ye let our chargers / stand the while near by; Soon take we hence our journey; / thereon resolved full well am I.

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"If that be known to any, / let him not delay, Where I your royal master / now shall find, to say,-- Gunther, king so mighty / o'er the land of Burgundy." Then told him one amongst them / to whom was known where that might be:

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"If that the king thou seekest, / right soon may he be found. Within that wide hall yonder / with his good knights around But now I saw him sitting. / Thither do thou repair, And thou may'st find around him / many a stately warrior there."

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Now also to the monarch / were the tidings told, That within his castle / were knights arrived full bold, All clad in shining armor / and apparelled gorgeously; But not a man did know them / within the land of Burgundy.

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Thereat the king did wonder / whence were come to him These knights adventure seeking / in dress so bright and trim, And shields adorned so richly / that new and mighty were. That none the thing could tell him / did grieve him sorely to hear.

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Outspake a knight then straightway, / Ortwein by name was he, Strong and keen as any / well was he known to be: "Since we of them know nothing, / bid some one quickly go And fetch my uncle Hagen: / to him thou shalt the strangers show.

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"To him are known far kingdoms / and every foreign land, And if he know these strangers / we soon shall understand." The king then sent to fetch him: / with his train of men Unto the king's high presence / in stately gear went he then.

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What were the king's good pleasure, / asked Hagen grim in war. "In the court within my castle / are warriors from afar, And no one here doth know them: / if them thou e'er didst see In any land far distant, / now shalt thou, Hagen, tell to me."

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"That will I do, 'tis certain."-- / To a window then he went, And on the unknown strangers / his keen eye he bent. Well pleased him their equipment / and the rich dress they wore, Yet ne'er had he beheld them / in land of Burgundy before.

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He said that whencesoever / these knights come to the Rhine, They bear a royal message, / or are of princely line. "Their steeds are so bedizened, / and their apparel rare: No matter whence they journey, / high-hearted men in truth they are."

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Further then spake Hagen: / "As far as goes my ken, Though I the noble Siegfried / yet have never seen, Yet will I say meseemeth, / howe'er the thing may be, This knight who seeks adventure, / and yonder stands so proud, is he.

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"'Tis some new thing he bringeth / hither to our land. The valiant Nibelungen / fell by the hero's hand, Schilbung and Nibelung, / from royal sire sprung; Deeds he wrought most wondrous / anon when his strong arm he swung.

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"As once alone the hero / rode without company, Found he before a mountain / --as hath been told to me-- With the hoard of Nibelung / full many stalwart men; To him had they been strangers / until he chanced to find them then.

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"The hoard of King Nibelung / entire did they bear Forth from a mountain hollow. / And now the wonder hear, How that they would share it, / these two Nibelung men. This saw the fearless Siegfried, / and filled he was with wonder then.

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"He came so near unto them / that he the knights espied, And they in turn him also. / One amongst them said: 'Here comes the doughty Siegfried, / hero of Netherland.' Since 'mongst the Nibelungen / strange wonders wrought his mighty hand.

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"Right well did they receive him, / Schilbung and Nibelung, And straight they both together, / these noble princes young, Bade him mete out the treasure, / the full valorous man, And so long time besought him / that he at last the task began.

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"As we have heard in story, / he saw of gems such store That they might not be laden / on wagons full five score; More still of gold all shining / from Nibelungenland. 'Twas all to be divided / between them by keen Siegfried's hand.

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"Then gave they him for hire / King Nibelung's sword. And sooth to say, that service / brought them but small reward, That for them there performed / Siegfried of dauntless mood. His task he could not finish; / thereat they raged as were they wood.

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"They had there of their followers / twelve warriors keen, And strong they were as giants: / what booted giants e'en? Them slew straightway in anger / Siegfried's mighty hand, And warriors seven hundred / he felled in Nibelungenland

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"With the sword full trusty, / Balmung that hight. Full many a youthful warrior / from terror at the sight Of that deadly weapon / swung by his mighty hand Did render up his castle / and pledge him fealty in the land.

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"Thereto the kings so mighty, / them slew he both as well. But into gravest danger / through Alberich he fell, Who thought for his slain masters / vengeance to wreak straightway, Until the mighty Siegfried / his wrath with strong arm did stay.

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"Nor could prevail against him / the Dwarf, howe'er he tried. E'en as two wild lions / they coursed the mountainside, Where he the sightless mantle[1] / from Alberich soon won. Then Siegfried, knight undaunted, / held the treasure for his own.

[1] This is the _tarnkappe_, a cloak that made the wearer invisible, and also gave him the strength of twelve men.

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"Who then dared join the struggle, / all slain around they lay. Then he bade the treasure / to draw and bear away Thither whence 'twas taken / by the Nibelungen men. Alberich for his valor / was then appointed Chamberlain.

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"An oath he had to swear him, / he'd serve him as his slave; To do all kinds of service / his willing pledge he gave"-- Thus spake of Tronje Hagen-- / "That has the hero done; Might as great before him / was never in a warrior known.

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"Still know I more about him, / that has to me been told. A dragon, wormlike monster, / slew once the hero bold. Then in its blood he bathed him, / since when his skin hath been So horn-hard, ne'er a weapon / can pierce it, as hath oft been seen.

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