Eleventh Adventure: How Siegfried Came Home with His Wife
How Siegfried came home with his Wife
690
When that now the strangers / all from thence were gone,
Spake unto his followers / noble Siegmund's son:
" We shall eke make ready / home to my land to fare. "
Unto his spouse was welcome / such news when she the same did hear.
691
She spake unto her husband: / " When shall we hence depart?
Not hastily on the journey / I pray thee yet to start.
With me first my brothers / their wide lands shall share. "
Siegfried yet it pleased not / such words from Kriemhild to hear.
692
The princes went unto him / and spake they there all three:
" Now know thou well, Sir Siegfried, / for thee shall ever be
In faithfulness our service / ready while yet we live. "
The royal thanes then thanked he / who thus did proof of friendship
give.
693
" With thee further share we, " / spake young Giselher,
" The lands and eke the castles / by us that owned are.
In wide lands whatsoever / we rule o'er warriors brave,
Of the same with Kriemhild / a goodly portion shalt thou have.
694
Then spake unto the princes / the son of Siegmund
When he their lofty purpose / did rightly understand:
" God giant your goodly heritage / at peace may ever be,
And eke therein your people. / The spouse in sooth so dear to me. "
695
" May well forego the portion / that ye to her would give.
For she a crown shall carry, / if to such day I live,
And queen more rich than any / that lives she then must be.
What else to her ye offer, / therein I'll meet you faithfully. "
696
Then spake the Lady Kriemhild: / " If wealth thou wilt not choose,
Yet gallant thanes of Burgundy / shalt thou not light refuse.
They're such as monarch gladly / would lead to his own land.
Of these shall make division / with me my loving brothers' hand. "
697
Thereto spake noble Gernot: / " Now take to please thy mind.
Who gladly will go with thee / full many here thou'lt find.
Of thirty hundred warriors / we give thee thousand men
To be thy royal escort. " / Kriemhild did summon then
698
Hagen of Tronje to her / and Ortwein instantly:
And would they and their kinsmen / make her good company?
To hear the same did Hagen / begin to rage full sore.
Quoth he: " E'en royal Gunther / may thus bestow us nevermore.
699
" Other men that serve thee, / let them follow thee;
Thou know'st the men of Tronje / and what their pledges be:
Here must we by the monarchs / in service true abide;
Hereto as them we followed, / so shall we henceforth keep their side. "
700
And so the thing was ended: / to part they ready make.
A high and noble escort / did Kriemhild to her take,
Maidens two and thirty / and five hundred men also.
In Lady Kriemhild's company / the Margrave Eckewart did go.
701
Leave took they all together, / squire and also knight,
Maidens and fair ladies, / as was their wont aright.
There parted they with kisses / and eke with clasp of hand:
Right merrily they journeyed / forth from royal Gunther's land.
702
Their friends did give them escort / upon the way full far.
Night-quarters at every station / they bade for them prepare,
Where they might wish to tarry / as on their way they went.
Then straightway was a messenger / unto royal Siegmund sent,
703
To him and Siegelind bearing / thereof the joyful sign
That his son was coming / from Worms upon the Rhine
And with him Ute's daughter, / Kriemhild the fair lady.
As this could other message / nevermore so welcome be.
704
" Well is me! " quoth Siegmund, / " that I the day have known,
When the fair Lady Kriemhild / here shall wear a crown.
Thus higher shall my kingdom / stand in majesty.
My son the noble Siegfried / here himself the king shall be. "
705
Then dealt the Lady Siegelind / velvet red in store,
Silver and gold full heavy / to them the news that bore:
She joyed to hear the story / that there her ear did greet.
Then decked themselves her ladies / all in rich attire meet.
706
'Twas told, with Siegfried coming / whom they did expect.
Then bade they sitting-places / straightway to erect,
Where he before his kinsmen / a crown in state should wear.
Then men of royal Siegmund / forward rode to meet him there.
707
Was e'er more royal greeting, / news have I not to hand,
As came the knights full noble / into Siegmund's land.
There the royal Siegelind / to Kriemhild forth did ride
With ladies fair a many, / and followed gallant knights beside
708
Out a full day's journey / to welcome each high guest
And little with the strangers / did they ever rest
Until into a castle / wide they came once more,
The same was called Xanten, / where anon a crown they wore.
709
With smiling lips Dame Siegelind / — and Siegmund eke did this —
To show the love they bore her / full oft did Kriemhild kiss,
And eke the royal Siegfried: / far was their sorrow gone.
And all the merry company, / good welcome had they every one.
690
When that now the strangers / all from thence were gone,
Spake unto his followers / noble Siegmund's son:
" We shall eke make ready / home to my land to fare. "
Unto his spouse was welcome / such news when she the same did hear.
691
She spake unto her husband: / " When shall we hence depart?
Not hastily on the journey / I pray thee yet to start.
With me first my brothers / their wide lands shall share. "
Siegfried yet it pleased not / such words from Kriemhild to hear.
692
The princes went unto him / and spake they there all three:
" Now know thou well, Sir Siegfried, / for thee shall ever be
In faithfulness our service / ready while yet we live. "
The royal thanes then thanked he / who thus did proof of friendship
give.
693
" With thee further share we, " / spake young Giselher,
" The lands and eke the castles / by us that owned are.
In wide lands whatsoever / we rule o'er warriors brave,
Of the same with Kriemhild / a goodly portion shalt thou have.
694
Then spake unto the princes / the son of Siegmund
When he their lofty purpose / did rightly understand:
" God giant your goodly heritage / at peace may ever be,
And eke therein your people. / The spouse in sooth so dear to me. "
695
" May well forego the portion / that ye to her would give.
For she a crown shall carry, / if to such day I live,
And queen more rich than any / that lives she then must be.
What else to her ye offer, / therein I'll meet you faithfully. "
696
Then spake the Lady Kriemhild: / " If wealth thou wilt not choose,
Yet gallant thanes of Burgundy / shalt thou not light refuse.
They're such as monarch gladly / would lead to his own land.
Of these shall make division / with me my loving brothers' hand. "
697
Thereto spake noble Gernot: / " Now take to please thy mind.
Who gladly will go with thee / full many here thou'lt find.
Of thirty hundred warriors / we give thee thousand men
To be thy royal escort. " / Kriemhild did summon then
698
Hagen of Tronje to her / and Ortwein instantly:
And would they and their kinsmen / make her good company?
To hear the same did Hagen / begin to rage full sore.
Quoth he: " E'en royal Gunther / may thus bestow us nevermore.
699
" Other men that serve thee, / let them follow thee;
Thou know'st the men of Tronje / and what their pledges be:
Here must we by the monarchs / in service true abide;
Hereto as them we followed, / so shall we henceforth keep their side. "
700
And so the thing was ended: / to part they ready make.
A high and noble escort / did Kriemhild to her take,
Maidens two and thirty / and five hundred men also.
In Lady Kriemhild's company / the Margrave Eckewart did go.
701
Leave took they all together, / squire and also knight,
Maidens and fair ladies, / as was their wont aright.
There parted they with kisses / and eke with clasp of hand:
Right merrily they journeyed / forth from royal Gunther's land.
702
Their friends did give them escort / upon the way full far.
Night-quarters at every station / they bade for them prepare,
Where they might wish to tarry / as on their way they went.
Then straightway was a messenger / unto royal Siegmund sent,
703
To him and Siegelind bearing / thereof the joyful sign
That his son was coming / from Worms upon the Rhine
And with him Ute's daughter, / Kriemhild the fair lady.
As this could other message / nevermore so welcome be.
704
" Well is me! " quoth Siegmund, / " that I the day have known,
When the fair Lady Kriemhild / here shall wear a crown.
Thus higher shall my kingdom / stand in majesty.
My son the noble Siegfried / here himself the king shall be. "
705
Then dealt the Lady Siegelind / velvet red in store,
Silver and gold full heavy / to them the news that bore:
She joyed to hear the story / that there her ear did greet.
Then decked themselves her ladies / all in rich attire meet.
706
'Twas told, with Siegfried coming / whom they did expect.
Then bade they sitting-places / straightway to erect,
Where he before his kinsmen / a crown in state should wear.
Then men of royal Siegmund / forward rode to meet him there.
707
Was e'er more royal greeting, / news have I not to hand,
As came the knights full noble / into Siegmund's land.
There the royal Siegelind / to Kriemhild forth did ride
With ladies fair a many, / and followed gallant knights beside
708
Out a full day's journey / to welcome each high guest
And little with the strangers / did they ever rest
Until into a castle / wide they came once more,
The same was called Xanten, / where anon a crown they wore.
709
With smiling lips Dame Siegelind / — and Siegmund eke did this —
To show the love they bore her / full oft did Kriemhild kiss,
And eke the royal Siegfried: / far was their sorrow gone.
And all the merry company, / good welcome had they every one.
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