The Nibelungenlied
409
Then unto Lady Brunhild / the tidings strange were brought
How that unknown warriors / now her land had sought,
In stately apparel / come sailing o'er the sea.
The maiden fair and stately / gave question how the same might be.
410
" Now shall ye straight inform me, " / spake she presently,
" Who so unfamiliar / these warrior knights may be,
That within my castle / thus so lordly stand,
And for whose sake the heroes / have hither journeyed to my land. "
411
Then spake to her a servant: / " Lady, I well can say
Of them I've ne'er seen any / before this present day:
Be it not that one among them / is like unto Siegfried.
Him give a goodly welcome: / so is to thee my loyal rede.
412
" The next of the companions / he is a worthy knight:
If that were in his power / he well were king of might
O'er wide domains of princes, / the which might reach his hand
Now see him by the others / so right majestically stand.
413
" The third of the companions, / that he's a man of spleen,
— Withal of fair-formed body, / know thou, stately Queen, —
Do tell his rapid glances / that dart so free from him
He is in all his thinking / a man, I ween, of mood full grim.
414
" The youngest one among them / he is a worthy knight:
As modest as a maiden, / I see the thane of might
Goodly in his bearing / standing so fair to see,
We all might fear if any / affront to him should offered be.
415
" How blithe soe'er his manner, / how fair soe'er is he,
Well could he cause of sorrow / to stately woman be,
If he gan show his anger / In him may well be seen
He is in knightly virtues / a thane of valor bold and keen. "
416
Then spake the queen in answer: / " Bring now my robes to hand.
And is the mighty Siegfried / come unto this land,
For love of me brought thither, / he pays it with his life.
I fear him not so sorely / that I e'er become his wife. "
417
So was fair Brunhild / straightway well arrayed.
Then went with her thither / full many a beauteous maid,
A hundred good or over, / bedight right merrily.
The full beauteous maidens / would those stranger warriors see.
418
And with them went the warriors / there of Isenland,
The knights attending Brunhild, / who bore sword in hand,
Five hundred men or over. / Scarce heart the strangers kept
As those knights brave and seemly / down from out the saddle leapt.
419
When the royal lady / Siegfried espied,
Now mote ye willing listen / what there the maiden said.
" Welcome be thou, Siegfried, / hither unto this land.
What meaneth this thy journey, / gladly might I understand. "
420
" Full mickle do I thank thee, / my Lady, high Brunhild,
That thou art pleased to greet me, / noble Princess mild,
Before this knight so noble, / who stands before me here:
For he is my master, / whom first to honor fitting were.
421
" Born is he of Rhineland: / what need I say more?
For thee 'tis highest favor / that we do hither fare.
Thee will he gladly marry, / an bring that whatsoe'er.
Betimes shalt thou bethink thee: / my master will thee never spare.
422
" For his name is Gunther / and he a mighty king.
If he thy love hath won him, / more wants he not a thing.
In sooth the king so noble / hath bade me hither fare:
And gladly had I left it, / might I to thwart his wishes dare. "
423
She spake: " Is he thy master / and thou his vassal art,
Some games to him I offer, / and dare he there take part,
And comes he forth the victor, / so am I then his wife:
And be it I that conquer, / then shall ye forfeit each his life. "
424
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Lady, let us see
Thy games so fraught with peril. / Before should yield to thee
Gunther my master, / that well were something rare.
He trows he yet is able / to win a maid so passing fair. "
425
" Then shall ye try stone-putting / and follow up the cast,
And the spear hurl with me. / Do ye naught here in haste.
For well may ye pay forfeit / with honor eke and life:
Bethink ye thus full calmly, " / spake she whom Gunther would for wife.
426
Siegfried the valiant / stepped unto the king,
And bade him speak out freely / his thoughts upon this thing
Unto the queen so wayward, / he might have fearless heart.
" For to well protect thee / from her do I know an art. "
427
Then spake the royal Gunther: / " Now offer, stately Queen,
What play soe'er thou mayest. / And harder had it been,
Yet would I all have ventured / for all thy beauty's sake.
My head I'll willing forfeit / or thyself my wife I'll make. "
428
When therefore the Queen Brunhild / heard how the matter stood
The play she begged to hasten, / as indeed she should.
She bade her servants fetch her / therefore apparel trim,
A mail-coat ruddy golden / and shield well wrought from boss to rim.
Then unto Lady Brunhild / the tidings strange were brought
How that unknown warriors / now her land had sought,
In stately apparel / come sailing o'er the sea.
The maiden fair and stately / gave question how the same might be.
410
" Now shall ye straight inform me, " / spake she presently,
" Who so unfamiliar / these warrior knights may be,
That within my castle / thus so lordly stand,
And for whose sake the heroes / have hither journeyed to my land. "
411
Then spake to her a servant: / " Lady, I well can say
Of them I've ne'er seen any / before this present day:
Be it not that one among them / is like unto Siegfried.
Him give a goodly welcome: / so is to thee my loyal rede.
412
" The next of the companions / he is a worthy knight:
If that were in his power / he well were king of might
O'er wide domains of princes, / the which might reach his hand
Now see him by the others / so right majestically stand.
413
" The third of the companions, / that he's a man of spleen,
— Withal of fair-formed body, / know thou, stately Queen, —
Do tell his rapid glances / that dart so free from him
He is in all his thinking / a man, I ween, of mood full grim.
414
" The youngest one among them / he is a worthy knight:
As modest as a maiden, / I see the thane of might
Goodly in his bearing / standing so fair to see,
We all might fear if any / affront to him should offered be.
415
" How blithe soe'er his manner, / how fair soe'er is he,
Well could he cause of sorrow / to stately woman be,
If he gan show his anger / In him may well be seen
He is in knightly virtues / a thane of valor bold and keen. "
416
Then spake the queen in answer: / " Bring now my robes to hand.
And is the mighty Siegfried / come unto this land,
For love of me brought thither, / he pays it with his life.
I fear him not so sorely / that I e'er become his wife. "
417
So was fair Brunhild / straightway well arrayed.
Then went with her thither / full many a beauteous maid,
A hundred good or over, / bedight right merrily.
The full beauteous maidens / would those stranger warriors see.
418
And with them went the warriors / there of Isenland,
The knights attending Brunhild, / who bore sword in hand,
Five hundred men or over. / Scarce heart the strangers kept
As those knights brave and seemly / down from out the saddle leapt.
419
When the royal lady / Siegfried espied,
Now mote ye willing listen / what there the maiden said.
" Welcome be thou, Siegfried, / hither unto this land.
What meaneth this thy journey, / gladly might I understand. "
420
" Full mickle do I thank thee, / my Lady, high Brunhild,
That thou art pleased to greet me, / noble Princess mild,
Before this knight so noble, / who stands before me here:
For he is my master, / whom first to honor fitting were.
421
" Born is he of Rhineland: / what need I say more?
For thee 'tis highest favor / that we do hither fare.
Thee will he gladly marry, / an bring that whatsoe'er.
Betimes shalt thou bethink thee: / my master will thee never spare.
422
" For his name is Gunther / and he a mighty king.
If he thy love hath won him, / more wants he not a thing.
In sooth the king so noble / hath bade me hither fare:
And gladly had I left it, / might I to thwart his wishes dare. "
423
She spake: " Is he thy master / and thou his vassal art,
Some games to him I offer, / and dare he there take part,
And comes he forth the victor, / so am I then his wife:
And be it I that conquer, / then shall ye forfeit each his life. "
424
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Lady, let us see
Thy games so fraught with peril. / Before should yield to thee
Gunther my master, / that well were something rare.
He trows he yet is able / to win a maid so passing fair. "
425
" Then shall ye try stone-putting / and follow up the cast,
And the spear hurl with me. / Do ye naught here in haste.
For well may ye pay forfeit / with honor eke and life:
Bethink ye thus full calmly, " / spake she whom Gunther would for wife.
426
Siegfried the valiant / stepped unto the king,
And bade him speak out freely / his thoughts upon this thing
Unto the queen so wayward, / he might have fearless heart.
" For to well protect thee / from her do I know an art. "
427
Then spake the royal Gunther: / " Now offer, stately Queen,
What play soe'er thou mayest. / And harder had it been,
Yet would I all have ventured / for all thy beauty's sake.
My head I'll willing forfeit / or thyself my wife I'll make. "
428
When therefore the Queen Brunhild / heard how the matter stood
The play she begged to hasten, / as indeed she should.
She bade her servants fetch her / therefore apparel trim,
A mail-coat ruddy golden / and shield well wrought from boss to rim.
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