The Nibelungenlied
How they fared to the Feast
778
Leave we now the ardor / wherewith they did prepare,
And tell how Lady Kriemhild / and eke her maidens fair
From land of Nibelungen / did journey to the Rhine.
Ne'er did horses carry / such store of raiment rich and fine.
779
Carrying-chests full many / for the way they made ready
Then rode the thane Siegfried / with his friends in company
And eke the queen thither / where joy they looked to find.
Where now was high rejoicing / they soon in sorest grief repined.
780
At home behind them left they / Lady Kriemhild's son
That she did bear to Siegfried / — 'twas meet that that be done.
From this their festive journey / rose mickle sorrow sore:
His father and his mother / their child beheld they never more.
781
Then eke with them thither / Siegmund the king did ride.
Had he e'er had knowledge / what should there betide.
Anon from that high journey, / such had he never seen:
Ne'er wrought upon dear kindred / might so grievous wrong have been.
782
Messengers sent they forward / that the tidings told should be.
Then forth did ride to meet them / with gladsome company
Ute's friends full many / and many a Gunther's man.
With zeal to make him ready / unto his guests the king began.
783
Where he found Brunhild sitting, / thither straight went he
" How received thee my sister, / as thou cam'st to this country?
Like preparations shalt thou / for Siegfried's wife now make. "
" Fain do I that; good reason / have I to love her well, " she spake.
784
Then quoth the mighty monarch: / " The morn shall see them here.
Wilt thou go forth to meet them, / apace do thou prepare,
That not within the castle / their coming we await.
Guests more welcome never / greeted I of high estate. "
785
Her maidens and her ladies / straight did she command
To choose them rich apparel, / the best within the land,
In which the stately company / before the guests should go.
The same they did right gladly, / that may ye full surely know.
786
Then eke to offer service / the men of Gunther hied,
And all his doughty warriors / saw ye by the monarch's side.
Then rode the queen full stately / the strangers forth to meet,
And hearty was the welcome / as she her loving guests did greet.
787
With what glad rejoicings / the guests they did receive!
They deemed that Lady Kriemhild / did unto Brunhild give
Ne'er so warm a welcome / to the land of Burgundy.
Bold knights that yet were strangers / rejoiced each other there to see.
788
Now come was also Siegfried / with his valiant men.
The warriors saw ye riding / thither and back again,
Where'er the plain extended, / with huge company.
From the dust and crowding / could none in all the rout be free.
789
When the monarch of the country / Siegfried did see
And with him also Siegmund, / spake he full lovingly:
" Be ye to me full welcome / and to all these friends of mine.
Our hearts right glad they shall be / o'er this your journey to the Rhine. "
790
" God give thee meed, " spake Siegmund, / a knight in honor grown.
" Since that my son Siegfried / thee for a friend hath known,
My heart hath e'er advised me / that thee I soon should see. "
Thereto spake royal Gunther: / " Joy hast thou brought full great to me. "
791
Siegfried was there received, / as fitted his high state,
With full lofty honors, / nor one did bear him hate.
There joined in way right courteous / Gernot and Giselher:
I ween so warm a welcome / did they make for strangers ne'er.
792
The spouse of each high monarch / greeted the other there.
Emptied was many a saddle, / and many a lady fair
By hero's hand was lifted / adown upon the sward.
By waiting on fair lady / how many a knight sought high reward!
793
So went unto each other / the ladies richly dight;
Thereat in high rejoicing / was seen full many a knight,
That by both the greeting / in such fair way was done.
By fair maidens standing / saw ye warriors many a one.
794
Each took the hand of other / in all their company;
In courteous manner bending / full many might ye see
And loving kisses given / by ladies debonair.
Rejoiced the men of Gunther / and Siegfried to behold them there.
795
They bided there no longer / but rode into the town.
The host bade to the strangers / in fitting way be shown,
That they were seen full gladly / in the land of Burgundy.
High knights full many tilting / before fair ladies might ye see.
796
Then did of Tronje Hagen / and eke Ortwein
In high feats of valor / all other knights outshine.
Whate'er the twain commanded / dared none to leave undone;
By them was many a service / to their high guests in honor shown.
797
Shields heard ye many clashing / before the castle gate
With din of lances breaking. / Long in saddle sate
The host and guests there with him, / ere that within they went
With full merry pastime / joyfully the hours they spent.
778
Leave we now the ardor / wherewith they did prepare,
And tell how Lady Kriemhild / and eke her maidens fair
From land of Nibelungen / did journey to the Rhine.
Ne'er did horses carry / such store of raiment rich and fine.
779
Carrying-chests full many / for the way they made ready
Then rode the thane Siegfried / with his friends in company
And eke the queen thither / where joy they looked to find.
Where now was high rejoicing / they soon in sorest grief repined.
780
At home behind them left they / Lady Kriemhild's son
That she did bear to Siegfried / — 'twas meet that that be done.
From this their festive journey / rose mickle sorrow sore:
His father and his mother / their child beheld they never more.
781
Then eke with them thither / Siegmund the king did ride.
Had he e'er had knowledge / what should there betide.
Anon from that high journey, / such had he never seen:
Ne'er wrought upon dear kindred / might so grievous wrong have been.
782
Messengers sent they forward / that the tidings told should be.
Then forth did ride to meet them / with gladsome company
Ute's friends full many / and many a Gunther's man.
With zeal to make him ready / unto his guests the king began.
783
Where he found Brunhild sitting, / thither straight went he
" How received thee my sister, / as thou cam'st to this country?
Like preparations shalt thou / for Siegfried's wife now make. "
" Fain do I that; good reason / have I to love her well, " she spake.
784
Then quoth the mighty monarch: / " The morn shall see them here.
Wilt thou go forth to meet them, / apace do thou prepare,
That not within the castle / their coming we await.
Guests more welcome never / greeted I of high estate. "
785
Her maidens and her ladies / straight did she command
To choose them rich apparel, / the best within the land,
In which the stately company / before the guests should go.
The same they did right gladly, / that may ye full surely know.
786
Then eke to offer service / the men of Gunther hied,
And all his doughty warriors / saw ye by the monarch's side.
Then rode the queen full stately / the strangers forth to meet,
And hearty was the welcome / as she her loving guests did greet.
787
With what glad rejoicings / the guests they did receive!
They deemed that Lady Kriemhild / did unto Brunhild give
Ne'er so warm a welcome / to the land of Burgundy.
Bold knights that yet were strangers / rejoiced each other there to see.
788
Now come was also Siegfried / with his valiant men.
The warriors saw ye riding / thither and back again,
Where'er the plain extended, / with huge company.
From the dust and crowding / could none in all the rout be free.
789
When the monarch of the country / Siegfried did see
And with him also Siegmund, / spake he full lovingly:
" Be ye to me full welcome / and to all these friends of mine.
Our hearts right glad they shall be / o'er this your journey to the Rhine. "
790
" God give thee meed, " spake Siegmund, / a knight in honor grown.
" Since that my son Siegfried / thee for a friend hath known,
My heart hath e'er advised me / that thee I soon should see. "
Thereto spake royal Gunther: / " Joy hast thou brought full great to me. "
791
Siegfried was there received, / as fitted his high state,
With full lofty honors, / nor one did bear him hate.
There joined in way right courteous / Gernot and Giselher:
I ween so warm a welcome / did they make for strangers ne'er.
792
The spouse of each high monarch / greeted the other there.
Emptied was many a saddle, / and many a lady fair
By hero's hand was lifted / adown upon the sward.
By waiting on fair lady / how many a knight sought high reward!
793
So went unto each other / the ladies richly dight;
Thereat in high rejoicing / was seen full many a knight,
That by both the greeting / in such fair way was done.
By fair maidens standing / saw ye warriors many a one.
794
Each took the hand of other / in all their company;
In courteous manner bending / full many might ye see
And loving kisses given / by ladies debonair.
Rejoiced the men of Gunther / and Siegfried to behold them there.
795
They bided there no longer / but rode into the town.
The host bade to the strangers / in fitting way be shown,
That they were seen full gladly / in the land of Burgundy.
High knights full many tilting / before fair ladies might ye see.
796
Then did of Tronje Hagen / and eke Ortwein
In high feats of valor / all other knights outshine.
Whate'er the twain commanded / dared none to leave undone;
By them was many a service / to their high guests in honor shown.
797
Shields heard ye many clashing / before the castle gate
With din of lances breaking. / Long in saddle sate
The host and guests there with him, / ere that within they went
With full merry pastime / joyfully the hours they spent.
Translation:
Language:
Reviews
No reviews yet.