The Nibelungenlied
449
The royal Brunhild's prowess / with terror was it shown.
Into the ring they bore her / in sooth a ponderous stone,
Great and all unwieldy, / huge it was and round:
And scarce good knights a dozen / together raised it from the ground.
450
To put this was her custom / after trial with the spear.
Thereat the men of Burgundy / began to quake with fear.
" Alack! Alack! " quoth Hagen, / " what seeks the king for bride?
Beneath in hell 'twere better / the Devil had her by his side! "
451
On her white arms the flowing / sleeves she backward flung,
Then with grasp of power / the shield in hand she swung,
And spear poised high above her. / So did the contest star.
Gunther and Siegfried / saw Brunhild's ire with falling heart.
452
And were it not that Siegfried / a ready help did bring,
Surely then had perished / beneath her hand the king.
There went he unperceived / and the king's hand did touch.
Gunther at his cunning / artifice was troubled much.
453
" What is that hath touched me? " / thought the monarch keen.
Then gazed he all around him: / none was there to be seen.
A voice spake: " Siegfried is it, / a friend that holds thee dear.
Before this royal maiden / shall thy heart be free from fear.
454
" Thy shield in hand now give me / and leave it me to bear,
And do thou rightly mark thee / what thou now shalt hear.
Now make thyself the motions, / — the power leave to me. "
When he did know him rightly, / the monarch's heart was filled with glee.
455
" Now secret keep my cunning, / let none e'er know the same:
Then shall the royal maiden / here find but little game
Of glory to win from thee, / as most to her is dear
Behold now how the lady / stands before thee void of fear. "
456
The spear the stately maiden / with might and main did wield,
And huge and broad she hurled it / upon the new-made shield,
That on his arm did carry / the son of Siegelind;
From the steel the sparks flew hissing / as if were blowing fierce the wind.
457
The mighty spear sharp-pointed / full through the shield did crash,
That ye from off the mail-rings / might see the lightning flash.
Beneath its force they stumbled, / did both those men of might;
But for the sightless mantle / they both were killed there outright.
458
From mouth of the full doughty / Siegfried burst the blood.
Full soon he yet recovered; / then seized the warrior good
The spear that from her strong arm / thus his shield had rent,
And back with force as came it / the hand of doughty Siegfried sent.
459
He thought: " To pierce the maiden / were but small glory earned, "
And so the spear's sharp edges / backward pointing turned;
Against her mail-clad body / he made the shaft to bound,
And with such might he sent it / full loud her armor did resound.
460
The sparks as if in stormwind / from mail-rings flew around.
So mightily did hurl it / the son of Siegmund
That she with all her power / could not the shaft withstand.
In sooth it ne'er was speeded / so swiftly by King Gunther's hand.
461
But to her feet full sudden / had sprung Brunhild fair.
" A shot, O noble Gunther, / befitting hero rare. "
She weened himself had done it, / and all unaided he,
Nor wot she one far mightier / was thither come so secretly.
462
Then did she go full sudden, / wrathful was her mood,
A stone full high she heaved / the noble maiden good,
And the same far from her / with might and main she swung:
Her armor's mail-rings jingled / as she herself thereafter sprung.
463
The stone, when it had fallen, / lay fathoms twelve from there,
And yet did spring beyond it / herself the maiden fair.
Then where the stone was lying / thither Siegfried went:
Gunther feigned to move it, / but by another arm 'twas sent.
464
A valiant man was Siegfried / full powerful and tall.
The stone then cast he farther, / and farther sprang withal.
From those his arts so cunning / had he of strength such store
That as he leaped he likewise / the weight of royal Gunther bore.
465
And when the leap was ended / and fallen was the stone,
Then saw they ne'er another / but Gunther alone.
Brunhild the fair maiden, / red grew she in wrath:
Siegfried yet had warded / from royal Gunther surest death.
466
Unto her attendants / she spake in loud command,
When she saw 'cross the circle / the king unvanquished stand.
" Come hither quick, my kinsmen, / and ye that wait on me;
Henceforth unto Gunther / shall all be pledged faithfully. "
467
Then laid the knights full valiant / their swords from out the hand;
At feet 'fore mighty Gunther / from Burgundian land
Offered himself in service / full many a valiant knight.
They weened that he had conquered / in trial by his proper might.
468
He gave her loving greeting, / right courteous was he.
Then by the hand she took him, / the maiden praiseworthy,
In pledge that all around him / was his to have and hold.
Whereat rejoiced Hagen / the warrior valorous and bold.
The royal Brunhild's prowess / with terror was it shown.
Into the ring they bore her / in sooth a ponderous stone,
Great and all unwieldy, / huge it was and round:
And scarce good knights a dozen / together raised it from the ground.
450
To put this was her custom / after trial with the spear.
Thereat the men of Burgundy / began to quake with fear.
" Alack! Alack! " quoth Hagen, / " what seeks the king for bride?
Beneath in hell 'twere better / the Devil had her by his side! "
451
On her white arms the flowing / sleeves she backward flung,
Then with grasp of power / the shield in hand she swung,
And spear poised high above her. / So did the contest star.
Gunther and Siegfried / saw Brunhild's ire with falling heart.
452
And were it not that Siegfried / a ready help did bring,
Surely then had perished / beneath her hand the king.
There went he unperceived / and the king's hand did touch.
Gunther at his cunning / artifice was troubled much.
453
" What is that hath touched me? " / thought the monarch keen.
Then gazed he all around him: / none was there to be seen.
A voice spake: " Siegfried is it, / a friend that holds thee dear.
Before this royal maiden / shall thy heart be free from fear.
454
" Thy shield in hand now give me / and leave it me to bear,
And do thou rightly mark thee / what thou now shalt hear.
Now make thyself the motions, / — the power leave to me. "
When he did know him rightly, / the monarch's heart was filled with glee.
455
" Now secret keep my cunning, / let none e'er know the same:
Then shall the royal maiden / here find but little game
Of glory to win from thee, / as most to her is dear
Behold now how the lady / stands before thee void of fear. "
456
The spear the stately maiden / with might and main did wield,
And huge and broad she hurled it / upon the new-made shield,
That on his arm did carry / the son of Siegelind;
From the steel the sparks flew hissing / as if were blowing fierce the wind.
457
The mighty spear sharp-pointed / full through the shield did crash,
That ye from off the mail-rings / might see the lightning flash.
Beneath its force they stumbled, / did both those men of might;
But for the sightless mantle / they both were killed there outright.
458
From mouth of the full doughty / Siegfried burst the blood.
Full soon he yet recovered; / then seized the warrior good
The spear that from her strong arm / thus his shield had rent,
And back with force as came it / the hand of doughty Siegfried sent.
459
He thought: " To pierce the maiden / were but small glory earned, "
And so the spear's sharp edges / backward pointing turned;
Against her mail-clad body / he made the shaft to bound,
And with such might he sent it / full loud her armor did resound.
460
The sparks as if in stormwind / from mail-rings flew around.
So mightily did hurl it / the son of Siegmund
That she with all her power / could not the shaft withstand.
In sooth it ne'er was speeded / so swiftly by King Gunther's hand.
461
But to her feet full sudden / had sprung Brunhild fair.
" A shot, O noble Gunther, / befitting hero rare. "
She weened himself had done it, / and all unaided he,
Nor wot she one far mightier / was thither come so secretly.
462
Then did she go full sudden, / wrathful was her mood,
A stone full high she heaved / the noble maiden good,
And the same far from her / with might and main she swung:
Her armor's mail-rings jingled / as she herself thereafter sprung.
463
The stone, when it had fallen, / lay fathoms twelve from there,
And yet did spring beyond it / herself the maiden fair.
Then where the stone was lying / thither Siegfried went:
Gunther feigned to move it, / but by another arm 'twas sent.
464
A valiant man was Siegfried / full powerful and tall.
The stone then cast he farther, / and farther sprang withal.
From those his arts so cunning / had he of strength such store
That as he leaped he likewise / the weight of royal Gunther bore.
465
And when the leap was ended / and fallen was the stone,
Then saw they ne'er another / but Gunther alone.
Brunhild the fair maiden, / red grew she in wrath:
Siegfried yet had warded / from royal Gunther surest death.
466
Unto her attendants / she spake in loud command,
When she saw 'cross the circle / the king unvanquished stand.
" Come hither quick, my kinsmen, / and ye that wait on me;
Henceforth unto Gunther / shall all be pledged faithfully. "
467
Then laid the knights full valiant / their swords from out the hand;
At feet 'fore mighty Gunther / from Burgundian land
Offered himself in service / full many a valiant knight.
They weened that he had conquered / in trial by his proper might.
468
He gave her loving greeting, / right courteous was he.
Then by the hand she took him, / the maiden praiseworthy,
In pledge that all around him / was his to have and hold.
Whereat rejoiced Hagen / the warrior valorous and bold.
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