The Nibelungenlied
976
Doffed they their apparel / and aside they laid it then:
Clothed in white shirts only / saw you there the twain.
Like unto two wild panthers / they coursed across the green:
Yet first beside the fountain / was the valiant Siegfried seen.
977
No man in feats of valor / who with him had vied
The sword he soon ungirded / and quiver laid aside,
The mighty spear he leaned / against the linden-tree:
Beside the running fountain / stood the knight stately to see.
978
To Siegfried naught was lacking / that doth good knight adorn
Down the shield then laid he / where did flow the burn,
Yet howsoe'er he thirsted / no whit the hero drank
Before had drunk the monarch: / therefor he earned but evil thank.
979
There where ran clear the water / and cool from out the spring,
Down to it did bend him / Gunther the king.
And when his thirst was quenched / rose he from thence again:
Eke the valiant Siegfried, / how glad had he done likewise then.
980
For his courtesy he suffered. / Where bow and sword there lay,
Both did carry Hagen / from him thence away,
And again sprang quickly thither / where the spear did stand:
And for a cross the tunic / of the valiant knight he scanned.
981
As there the noble Siegfried / to drink o'er fountain bent,
Through the cross he pierced him, / that from the wound was sent
The blood nigh to bespatter / the tunic Hagen wore.
By hand of knight such evil / deed shall wrought be nevermore.
982
The spear he left projecting / where it had pierced the heart
In terror as that moment / did Hagen never start
In flight from any warrior / he ever yet had found.
Soon as the noble Siegfried / within him felt the mighty wound,
983
Raging the knight full doughty / up from the fountain sprang,
The while from 'twixt his shoulders / stood out a spearshaft long.
The prince weened to find there / his bow or his sword:
Then in sooth had Hagen / found the traitor's meet reward.
984
When from the sorely wounded / knight his sword was gone,
Then had he naught to 'venge him / but his shield alone.
This snatched he from the fountain / and Hagen rushed upon,
And not at all escape him / could the royal Gunther's man.
985
Though he nigh to death was wounded / he yet such might did wield
That out in all directions / flew from off the shield
Precious stones a many: / the shield he clave in twain.
Thus vengeance fain had taken / upon his foe the stately thane.
986
Beneath his hand must Hagen / stagger and fall to ground
So swift the blow he dealt him, / the meadow did resound.
Had sword in hand been swinging, / Hagen had had his meed,
So sorely raged he stricken: / to rage in sooth was mickle need.
987
Faded from cheek was color, / no longer could he stand,
And all his might of body / soon complete had waned,
As did a deathly pallor / over his visage creep.
Full many a fairest lady / for the knight anon must weep.
988
So sank amid the flowers / Kriemhild's noble knight,
While from his wound flowed thickly / the blood before the sight.
Then gan he reviling / — for dire was his need —
Who had thus encompassed / his death by this same faithless deed.
989
Then spake the sorely wounded: / " O ye base cowards twain,
Doth then my service merit / that me ye thus have slain?
To you I e'er was faithful / and so am I repaid.
Alas, upon your kindred / now have ye shame eternal laid.
990
" By this deed dishonored / hereafter evermore
Are their generations. / Your anger all too sore
Have ye now thus vented / and vengeance ta'en on me.
With shame henceforth be parted / from all good knights' company. "
991
All the hunters hastened / where he stricken lay,
It was in sooth for many / of them a joyless day.
Had any aught of honor, / he mourned that day, I ween,
And well the same did merit / the knight high-spirited and keen.
992
As there the king of Burgundy / mourned that he should die,
Spake the knight sore wounded: / " To weep o'er injury,
Who hath wrought the evil / hath smallest need, I trow.
Reviling doth he merit, / and weeping may he well forego. "
993
Thereto quoth grim Hagen: / " Ye mourn, I know not why:
This same day hath ended / all our anxiety
Few shall we find henceforward / for fear will give us need,
And well is me that from his / mastery we thus are freed. "
994
" Light thing is now thy vaunting, " / did Siegfried then reply
" Had I e'er bethought me / of this thy infamy
Well had I preserved / 'gainst all thy hate my life.
Me rueth naught so sorely / as Lady Kriemhild my wife.
995
" Now may God have mercy / that to me a son was born,
That him alack!, the people / in times to come shall spurn,
That those he nameth kinsmen / have done the murderer's deed.
An had I breath, " spake Siegfried, / " to mourn o'er this I well had need. "
996
Then spake, in anguish praying, / the hero doomed to die:
" An wilt thou, king, to any / yet not good faith deny,
In all the world to any, / to thee commended be
And to thy loving mercy / the spouse erstwhile was wed to me.
997
" Let it be her good fortune / that she thy sister is:
By all the princely virtues, / I beg thee pledge me this.
For me long time my father / and men henceforth must wait:
Upon a spouse was never / wrought, as mine, a wrong so great. "
998
All around the flowers / were wetted with the blood
As there with death he struggled. / Yet not for long he could,
Because the deadly weapon / had cut him all too sore:
And soon the keen and noble / knight was doomed to speak no more.
999
When the lords perceived / how that the knight was dead,
Upon a shield they laid him / that was of gold full red,
And counsel took together / how of the thing should naught
Be known, but held in secret / that Hagen the deed had wrought.
1000
Then spake of them a many: / " This is an evil day
Now shall ye all conceal it / and all alike shall say,
When as Kriemhild's husband / the dark forest through
Rode alone a-hunting, / him the hand of robber slew. "
1001
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Myself will bring him home.
In sooth I reck but little / if to her ears it come,
Who my Lady Brunhild / herself hath grieved so sore.
It maketh me small worry, / an if she weep for evermore. "
Doffed they their apparel / and aside they laid it then:
Clothed in white shirts only / saw you there the twain.
Like unto two wild panthers / they coursed across the green:
Yet first beside the fountain / was the valiant Siegfried seen.
977
No man in feats of valor / who with him had vied
The sword he soon ungirded / and quiver laid aside,
The mighty spear he leaned / against the linden-tree:
Beside the running fountain / stood the knight stately to see.
978
To Siegfried naught was lacking / that doth good knight adorn
Down the shield then laid he / where did flow the burn,
Yet howsoe'er he thirsted / no whit the hero drank
Before had drunk the monarch: / therefor he earned but evil thank.
979
There where ran clear the water / and cool from out the spring,
Down to it did bend him / Gunther the king.
And when his thirst was quenched / rose he from thence again:
Eke the valiant Siegfried, / how glad had he done likewise then.
980
For his courtesy he suffered. / Where bow and sword there lay,
Both did carry Hagen / from him thence away,
And again sprang quickly thither / where the spear did stand:
And for a cross the tunic / of the valiant knight he scanned.
981
As there the noble Siegfried / to drink o'er fountain bent,
Through the cross he pierced him, / that from the wound was sent
The blood nigh to bespatter / the tunic Hagen wore.
By hand of knight such evil / deed shall wrought be nevermore.
982
The spear he left projecting / where it had pierced the heart
In terror as that moment / did Hagen never start
In flight from any warrior / he ever yet had found.
Soon as the noble Siegfried / within him felt the mighty wound,
983
Raging the knight full doughty / up from the fountain sprang,
The while from 'twixt his shoulders / stood out a spearshaft long.
The prince weened to find there / his bow or his sword:
Then in sooth had Hagen / found the traitor's meet reward.
984
When from the sorely wounded / knight his sword was gone,
Then had he naught to 'venge him / but his shield alone.
This snatched he from the fountain / and Hagen rushed upon,
And not at all escape him / could the royal Gunther's man.
985
Though he nigh to death was wounded / he yet such might did wield
That out in all directions / flew from off the shield
Precious stones a many: / the shield he clave in twain.
Thus vengeance fain had taken / upon his foe the stately thane.
986
Beneath his hand must Hagen / stagger and fall to ground
So swift the blow he dealt him, / the meadow did resound.
Had sword in hand been swinging, / Hagen had had his meed,
So sorely raged he stricken: / to rage in sooth was mickle need.
987
Faded from cheek was color, / no longer could he stand,
And all his might of body / soon complete had waned,
As did a deathly pallor / over his visage creep.
Full many a fairest lady / for the knight anon must weep.
988
So sank amid the flowers / Kriemhild's noble knight,
While from his wound flowed thickly / the blood before the sight.
Then gan he reviling / — for dire was his need —
Who had thus encompassed / his death by this same faithless deed.
989
Then spake the sorely wounded: / " O ye base cowards twain,
Doth then my service merit / that me ye thus have slain?
To you I e'er was faithful / and so am I repaid.
Alas, upon your kindred / now have ye shame eternal laid.
990
" By this deed dishonored / hereafter evermore
Are their generations. / Your anger all too sore
Have ye now thus vented / and vengeance ta'en on me.
With shame henceforth be parted / from all good knights' company. "
991
All the hunters hastened / where he stricken lay,
It was in sooth for many / of them a joyless day.
Had any aught of honor, / he mourned that day, I ween,
And well the same did merit / the knight high-spirited and keen.
992
As there the king of Burgundy / mourned that he should die,
Spake the knight sore wounded: / " To weep o'er injury,
Who hath wrought the evil / hath smallest need, I trow.
Reviling doth he merit, / and weeping may he well forego. "
993
Thereto quoth grim Hagen: / " Ye mourn, I know not why:
This same day hath ended / all our anxiety
Few shall we find henceforward / for fear will give us need,
And well is me that from his / mastery we thus are freed. "
994
" Light thing is now thy vaunting, " / did Siegfried then reply
" Had I e'er bethought me / of this thy infamy
Well had I preserved / 'gainst all thy hate my life.
Me rueth naught so sorely / as Lady Kriemhild my wife.
995
" Now may God have mercy / that to me a son was born,
That him alack!, the people / in times to come shall spurn,
That those he nameth kinsmen / have done the murderer's deed.
An had I breath, " spake Siegfried, / " to mourn o'er this I well had need. "
996
Then spake, in anguish praying, / the hero doomed to die:
" An wilt thou, king, to any / yet not good faith deny,
In all the world to any, / to thee commended be
And to thy loving mercy / the spouse erstwhile was wed to me.
997
" Let it be her good fortune / that she thy sister is:
By all the princely virtues, / I beg thee pledge me this.
For me long time my father / and men henceforth must wait:
Upon a spouse was never / wrought, as mine, a wrong so great. "
998
All around the flowers / were wetted with the blood
As there with death he struggled. / Yet not for long he could,
Because the deadly weapon / had cut him all too sore:
And soon the keen and noble / knight was doomed to speak no more.
999
When the lords perceived / how that the knight was dead,
Upon a shield they laid him / that was of gold full red,
And counsel took together / how of the thing should naught
Be known, but held in secret / that Hagen the deed had wrought.
1000
Then spake of them a many: / " This is an evil day
Now shall ye all conceal it / and all alike shall say,
When as Kriemhild's husband / the dark forest through
Rode alone a-hunting, / him the hand of robber slew. "
1001
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Myself will bring him home.
In sooth I reck but little / if to her ears it come,
Who my Lady Brunhild / herself hath grieved so sore.
It maketh me small worry, / an if she weep for evermore. "
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