The Nibelungenlied
659
There sat the king all hopeful / and full of merriment;
What him did promise Siegfried, / thereon his mind was bent.
To him as long as thirty / did seem that single day;
To plaisance with his lady, / thither turned his thought alway.
660
And scarce the time he bided / while that the feast did last.
Now unto her chamber / the stately Brunhild passed,
And for her couch did Kriemhild / likewise the table leave.
Before those royal ladies / what host ye saw of warriors brave!
661
Full soon thereafter Siegfried / sat right lovingly
With his fair wife beside him, / and naught but joy had he
His hand she clasped full fondly / within her hand so white,
Until — and how she knew not — / he did vanish from her sight.
662
When she the knight did fondle, / and straightway saw him not,
Unto her maids attendant / spake the queen distraught:
" Meseemeth a mickle wonder / where now the king hath gone.
His hands in such weird fashion / who now from out mine own hath drawn? "
663
Yet further not she questioned. / Soon had he hither gone
Where with lights were standing / attendants many a one
The same he did extinguish / in every page's hand;
That Siegfried then was present / Gunther thereby did understand.
664
Well wist he what he would there; / so bade he thence be gone
Ladies and maids-in-waiting. / And when that was done,
Himself the mighty monarch / fast did lock the door:
Two bolts all wrought securely / he quickly shoved the same before.
665
The lights behind the curtains / hid he presently.
Soon a play was started / (for thus it had to be),
Betwixt the doughty Siegfried / and the stately maid:
Thereat was royal Gunther / joyous alike and sad.
666
Siegfried there laid him / by the maid full near.
Spake she: " Let be, now, Gunther, / an hast thou cause to fear
Those troubles now repeated / which befell thee yesternight. "
And soon the valiant Siegfried / through the lady fell in sorry plight.
667
His voice did he keep under / and ne'er a word spake he.
Intently listened Gunther, / and though he naught could see,
Yet knew he that in secret / nothing 'twixt them passed.
In sooth not knight nor lady / upon the bed had mickle rest.
668
He did there as if Gunther / the mighty king he were,
And in his arms he pressed her, / the maiden debonair.
Forth from the bed she hurled him / where a bench there stood,
And head of valiant warrior / against a stool went ringing loud.
669
Up sprang again undaunted / the full doughty man,
To try for fortune better. / When he anew began
Perforce to curb her fury, / fell he in trouble sore.
I ween that ne'er a lady / did so defend herself before.
670
When he would not give over, / up the maid arose:
" My gown so white thou never / thus shalt discompose
And this thy villain's manner / shall sore by thee be paid,
The same I'll teach thee truly, " / further spake the buxom maid.
671
Within her arms she clasped him, / the full stately thane,
And thought likewise to bind him, / as the king yestreen,
That she the night in quiet / upon her couch might lie.
That her dress he thus did rumple, / avenged the lady grievously.
672
What booted now his prowess / and eke his mickle might?
Her sovereignty of body / she proved upon the knight;
By force of arm she bore him, / — 'twixt wall and mighty chest
(For so it e'en must happen) / him she all ungently pressed.
673
" Ah me! " — so thought the hero — / " shall I now my life
Lose at hand of woman, / then will every wife
Evermore hereafter / a shrewish temper show
Against her lord's good wishes, / who now such thing ne'er thinks to do. "
674
All heard the monarch meanwhile / and trembled for the man.
Sore ashamed was Siegfried, / and a-raging he began.
With might and main he struggled / again to make him free,
Ere which to sorest trouble / 'neath Lady Brunhild's hand fell he.
675
Long space to him it seemed / ere Siegfried tamed her mood.
She grasped his hand so tightly / that 'neath the nails the blood
Oozed from the pressure, / which made the hero wince.
Yet the stately maiden / subdued he to obedience since.
676
Her unrestrained temper / that she she so late displayed,
All overheard the monarch, / though ne'er a word he said.
'Gainst the bed did press her Siegfried / that aloud she cried,
Ungentle was the treatment / that he meted to the bride.
677
Then grasped she for a girdle / that round her sides she wore,
And thought therewith to bind him; / but her limbs and body o'er
Strained beneath the vigor / that his strong arm displayed.
So was the struggle ended / — Gunther's wife was vanquished.
678
She spake: " O noble monarch, / take not my life away.
The harm that I have done thee / full well will I repay.
No more thy royal embraces / by me shall be withstood,
For now I well have seen it, / thou canst be lord o'er woman's mood. "
679
From the couch rose Siegfried, / lying he left the maid,
As if that he would from him / lay his clothes aside.
He drew from off her finger / a ring of golden sheen
Without that e'er perceived / his practice the full noble queen.
680
Thereto he took her girdle / that was all richly wrought:
If from wanton spirit / he did it, know I not.
The same he gave to Kriemhild: / the which did sorrow bear.
Then lay by one another / Gunther and the maiden fair.
681
Hearty were his embraces / as such king became:
Perforce must she relinquish / her anger and her shame
In sooth not little pallid / within his arms she grew,
And in that love-surrender / how waned her mighty prowess too!
682
Then was e'en she not stronger / than e'er another bride;
He lay with fond embraces / the beauteous dame beside.
And had she struggled further, / avail how could it aught?
Gunther, when thus he clasped her, / such change upon her strength had wrought
683
And with right inward pleasure / she too beside him lay
In warmest love embracings / until the dawn of day!
Meantime now had Siegfried / departure ta'en from there,
And was full well received / by a lady debonair.
684
Her questioning he avoided / and all whereon she thought,
And long time kept he secret / what he for her had brought,
Until in his own country / she wore a royal crown;
Yet what for her he destined, / how sure at last it was her own.
685
Upon the morn was Gunther / by far of better mood
Than he had been before it; / joy thus did spread abroad
'Mid host of knights full noble / that from his lands around
To his court had been invited, / and there most willing service found.
686
The merry time there lasted / until two weeks were spent,
Nor all the while did flag there / the din of merriment
And every kind of joyance / that knight could e'er devise;
With lavish hand expended / the king thereto in fitting wise.
687
The noble monarch's kinsmen / upon his high command
By gifts of gold and raiment / told forth his generous hand,
By steed and thereto silver / on minstrel oft bestowed.
Who there did gift desire / departed thence in merry mood.
688
All the store of raiment / afar from Netherland,
The which had Siegfried's thousand / warriors brought to hand
Unto the Rhine there with them, / complete 'twas dealt away,
And eke the steeds well saddled: / in sooth a lordly life led they.
689
Ere all the gifts so bounteous / were dealt the guests among,
They who would straightway homeward / did deem the waiting long.
Ne'er had guests of monarch / such goodly gifts before;
And so as Gunther willed it / the merry feast at last was o'er.
There sat the king all hopeful / and full of merriment;
What him did promise Siegfried, / thereon his mind was bent.
To him as long as thirty / did seem that single day;
To plaisance with his lady, / thither turned his thought alway.
660
And scarce the time he bided / while that the feast did last.
Now unto her chamber / the stately Brunhild passed,
And for her couch did Kriemhild / likewise the table leave.
Before those royal ladies / what host ye saw of warriors brave!
661
Full soon thereafter Siegfried / sat right lovingly
With his fair wife beside him, / and naught but joy had he
His hand she clasped full fondly / within her hand so white,
Until — and how she knew not — / he did vanish from her sight.
662
When she the knight did fondle, / and straightway saw him not,
Unto her maids attendant / spake the queen distraught:
" Meseemeth a mickle wonder / where now the king hath gone.
His hands in such weird fashion / who now from out mine own hath drawn? "
663
Yet further not she questioned. / Soon had he hither gone
Where with lights were standing / attendants many a one
The same he did extinguish / in every page's hand;
That Siegfried then was present / Gunther thereby did understand.
664
Well wist he what he would there; / so bade he thence be gone
Ladies and maids-in-waiting. / And when that was done,
Himself the mighty monarch / fast did lock the door:
Two bolts all wrought securely / he quickly shoved the same before.
665
The lights behind the curtains / hid he presently.
Soon a play was started / (for thus it had to be),
Betwixt the doughty Siegfried / and the stately maid:
Thereat was royal Gunther / joyous alike and sad.
666
Siegfried there laid him / by the maid full near.
Spake she: " Let be, now, Gunther, / an hast thou cause to fear
Those troubles now repeated / which befell thee yesternight. "
And soon the valiant Siegfried / through the lady fell in sorry plight.
667
His voice did he keep under / and ne'er a word spake he.
Intently listened Gunther, / and though he naught could see,
Yet knew he that in secret / nothing 'twixt them passed.
In sooth not knight nor lady / upon the bed had mickle rest.
668
He did there as if Gunther / the mighty king he were,
And in his arms he pressed her, / the maiden debonair.
Forth from the bed she hurled him / where a bench there stood,
And head of valiant warrior / against a stool went ringing loud.
669
Up sprang again undaunted / the full doughty man,
To try for fortune better. / When he anew began
Perforce to curb her fury, / fell he in trouble sore.
I ween that ne'er a lady / did so defend herself before.
670
When he would not give over, / up the maid arose:
" My gown so white thou never / thus shalt discompose
And this thy villain's manner / shall sore by thee be paid,
The same I'll teach thee truly, " / further spake the buxom maid.
671
Within her arms she clasped him, / the full stately thane,
And thought likewise to bind him, / as the king yestreen,
That she the night in quiet / upon her couch might lie.
That her dress he thus did rumple, / avenged the lady grievously.
672
What booted now his prowess / and eke his mickle might?
Her sovereignty of body / she proved upon the knight;
By force of arm she bore him, / — 'twixt wall and mighty chest
(For so it e'en must happen) / him she all ungently pressed.
673
" Ah me! " — so thought the hero — / " shall I now my life
Lose at hand of woman, / then will every wife
Evermore hereafter / a shrewish temper show
Against her lord's good wishes, / who now such thing ne'er thinks to do. "
674
All heard the monarch meanwhile / and trembled for the man.
Sore ashamed was Siegfried, / and a-raging he began.
With might and main he struggled / again to make him free,
Ere which to sorest trouble / 'neath Lady Brunhild's hand fell he.
675
Long space to him it seemed / ere Siegfried tamed her mood.
She grasped his hand so tightly / that 'neath the nails the blood
Oozed from the pressure, / which made the hero wince.
Yet the stately maiden / subdued he to obedience since.
676
Her unrestrained temper / that she she so late displayed,
All overheard the monarch, / though ne'er a word he said.
'Gainst the bed did press her Siegfried / that aloud she cried,
Ungentle was the treatment / that he meted to the bride.
677
Then grasped she for a girdle / that round her sides she wore,
And thought therewith to bind him; / but her limbs and body o'er
Strained beneath the vigor / that his strong arm displayed.
So was the struggle ended / — Gunther's wife was vanquished.
678
She spake: " O noble monarch, / take not my life away.
The harm that I have done thee / full well will I repay.
No more thy royal embraces / by me shall be withstood,
For now I well have seen it, / thou canst be lord o'er woman's mood. "
679
From the couch rose Siegfried, / lying he left the maid,
As if that he would from him / lay his clothes aside.
He drew from off her finger / a ring of golden sheen
Without that e'er perceived / his practice the full noble queen.
680
Thereto he took her girdle / that was all richly wrought:
If from wanton spirit / he did it, know I not.
The same he gave to Kriemhild: / the which did sorrow bear.
Then lay by one another / Gunther and the maiden fair.
681
Hearty were his embraces / as such king became:
Perforce must she relinquish / her anger and her shame
In sooth not little pallid / within his arms she grew,
And in that love-surrender / how waned her mighty prowess too!
682
Then was e'en she not stronger / than e'er another bride;
He lay with fond embraces / the beauteous dame beside.
And had she struggled further, / avail how could it aught?
Gunther, when thus he clasped her, / such change upon her strength had wrought
683
And with right inward pleasure / she too beside him lay
In warmest love embracings / until the dawn of day!
Meantime now had Siegfried / departure ta'en from there,
And was full well received / by a lady debonair.
684
Her questioning he avoided / and all whereon she thought,
And long time kept he secret / what he for her had brought,
Until in his own country / she wore a royal crown;
Yet what for her he destined, / how sure at last it was her own.
685
Upon the morn was Gunther / by far of better mood
Than he had been before it; / joy thus did spread abroad
'Mid host of knights full noble / that from his lands around
To his court had been invited, / and there most willing service found.
686
The merry time there lasted / until two weeks were spent,
Nor all the while did flag there / the din of merriment
And every kind of joyance / that knight could e'er devise;
With lavish hand expended / the king thereto in fitting wise.
687
The noble monarch's kinsmen / upon his high command
By gifts of gold and raiment / told forth his generous hand,
By steed and thereto silver / on minstrel oft bestowed.
Who there did gift desire / departed thence in merry mood.
688
All the store of raiment / afar from Netherland,
The which had Siegfried's thousand / warriors brought to hand
Unto the Rhine there with them, / complete 'twas dealt away,
And eke the steeds well saddled: / in sooth a lordly life led they.
689
Ere all the gifts so bounteous / were dealt the guests among,
They who would straightway homeward / did deem the waiting long.
Ne'er had guests of monarch / such goodly gifts before;
And so as Gunther willed it / the merry feast at last was o'er.
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