The Nibelungenlied
How the Nibelungen Hoard was Brought to Worms
1101
When that the noble Kriemhild / thus did widowed stand,
Remained there with his warriors / by her in that land
Eckewart the margrave, / and served her ever true.
And he did help his mistress / oft to mourn his master too.
1102
At Worms a house they built her / the minster high beside,
That was both rich and spacious, / full long and eke full wide,
Wherein with her attendants / joyless did she dwell
She sought the minster gladly, / — that to do she loved full well.
1103
Seldom undone she left it, / but thither went alway
In sorry mood where buried / her loved husband lay.
God begged she in his mercy / his soul in charge to keep,
And, to the thane right faithful, / for him full often did she weep.
1104
Ute and her attendants / all times a comfort bore,
But yet her heart was stricken / and wounded all so sore
That no whit might avail it / what solace e'er they brought.
For lover taken from her / with such grief her heart was fraught,
1105
As ne'er for spouse beloved / a wife did ever show
Thereby how high in virtue / she stood ye well might know.
She mourned until her ending / and while did last her life.
Anon a mighty vengeance / wreaked the valiant Siegfried's wife.
1106
And so such load of sorrow / for her dead spouse she bore,
The story sayeth truly, / for years full three or more,
Nor ever unto Gunther / any word spake she,
And meantime eke her enemy / Hagen never might she see.
1107
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Now seek'st thou such an end,
That unto thee thy sister / be well-disposed friend?
Then Nibelungen treasure / let come to this country:
Thereof thou much might'st win thee, / might Kriemhild friendly-minded be. "
1108
He spake: " Be that our effort. / My brothers' love hath she:
Them shall we beg to win her / that she our friend may be,
And that she gladly see it / that we do share her store. "
" I trow it well, " spake Hagen, / " may such thing be nevermore. "
1109
Then did he Ortwein / unto the court command
And the margrave Gere. / When both were found at hand,
Thither brought they Gernot / and eke young Giselher.
In friendly manner sought they / to win the Lady Kriemhild there.
1110
Then spake of Burgundy / Gernot the warrior strong:
" Lady, the death of Siegfried / thou mournest all too long.
Well will the monarch prove thee / that him he ne'er hath slain.
'Tis heard how that right sorely / thou dost for him unending plain. "
1111
She spake: " The king none chargeth: / t'was Hagen's hand that slew.
When Hagen me did question / where might one pierce him through,
How might e'er thought come to me / that hate his heart did bear?
Then 'gainst such thing to guard me, " / spake she, " had I ta'en good care.
1112
" And kept me from betraying / to evil hands his life,
Nor cause of this my weeping / had I his poor lorn wife.
My heart shall hate forever / who this foul deed have done. "
And further to entreat her / young Giselher had soon begun.
1113
When that to greet the monarch / a willing mind spake she,
Him soon with noble kinsmen / before her might ye see.
Yet dare might never Hagen / unto her to go:
On her he'd wrought sore evil, / as well his guilty mind did know.
1114
When she no hatred meted / unto Gunther as before,
By Hagen to be greeted / were fitting all the more.
Had but by his counsel / no ill to her been done,
So might he all undaunted / unto Kriemhild have gone.
1115
Nor e'er was peace new offered / kindred friends among
Sealed with tears so many. / She brooded o'er her wrong.
To all she gave her friendship / save to one man alone.
Nor slain her spouse were ever, / were not the deed by Hagen done.
1116
Small time it was thereafter / ere they did bring to pass
That with the Lady Kriemhild / the mighty treasure was,
That from Nibelungen country / she brought the Rhine unto.
It was her bridal portion / and 'twas fairly now her due.
1117
For it did journey thither / Gernot and Giselher.
Warriors eighty hundred / Kriemhild commanded there
That they should go and fetch it / where hidden it did lie,
And where the good thane Alberich / with friends did guard it faithfully.
1118
When saw they coming warriors / from Rhine the hoard to take,
Alberich the full valiant / to his friends in this wise spake:
" We dare not of the treasure / aught from them withhold:
It is her bridal portion, / — thus the noble queen hath told.
1119
" Yet had we never granted, " / spake Alberich, " this to do,
But that in evil manner / the sightless mantle too
With the doughty Siegfried / we alike did lose,
The which did wear at all times / the fair Kriemhild's noble spouse.
1120
" Now alas hath Siegfried / had but evil gain
That from us the sightless mantle / the hero thus hath ta'en,
And so hath forced to serve him / all these lands around. "
Then went forth the porter / where full soon the keys he found.
1101
When that the noble Kriemhild / thus did widowed stand,
Remained there with his warriors / by her in that land
Eckewart the margrave, / and served her ever true.
And he did help his mistress / oft to mourn his master too.
1102
At Worms a house they built her / the minster high beside,
That was both rich and spacious, / full long and eke full wide,
Wherein with her attendants / joyless did she dwell
She sought the minster gladly, / — that to do she loved full well.
1103
Seldom undone she left it, / but thither went alway
In sorry mood where buried / her loved husband lay.
God begged she in his mercy / his soul in charge to keep,
And, to the thane right faithful, / for him full often did she weep.
1104
Ute and her attendants / all times a comfort bore,
But yet her heart was stricken / and wounded all so sore
That no whit might avail it / what solace e'er they brought.
For lover taken from her / with such grief her heart was fraught,
1105
As ne'er for spouse beloved / a wife did ever show
Thereby how high in virtue / she stood ye well might know.
She mourned until her ending / and while did last her life.
Anon a mighty vengeance / wreaked the valiant Siegfried's wife.
1106
And so such load of sorrow / for her dead spouse she bore,
The story sayeth truly, / for years full three or more,
Nor ever unto Gunther / any word spake she,
And meantime eke her enemy / Hagen never might she see.
1107
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Now seek'st thou such an end,
That unto thee thy sister / be well-disposed friend?
Then Nibelungen treasure / let come to this country:
Thereof thou much might'st win thee, / might Kriemhild friendly-minded be. "
1108
He spake: " Be that our effort. / My brothers' love hath she:
Them shall we beg to win her / that she our friend may be,
And that she gladly see it / that we do share her store. "
" I trow it well, " spake Hagen, / " may such thing be nevermore. "
1109
Then did he Ortwein / unto the court command
And the margrave Gere. / When both were found at hand,
Thither brought they Gernot / and eke young Giselher.
In friendly manner sought they / to win the Lady Kriemhild there.
1110
Then spake of Burgundy / Gernot the warrior strong:
" Lady, the death of Siegfried / thou mournest all too long.
Well will the monarch prove thee / that him he ne'er hath slain.
'Tis heard how that right sorely / thou dost for him unending plain. "
1111
She spake: " The king none chargeth: / t'was Hagen's hand that slew.
When Hagen me did question / where might one pierce him through,
How might e'er thought come to me / that hate his heart did bear?
Then 'gainst such thing to guard me, " / spake she, " had I ta'en good care.
1112
" And kept me from betraying / to evil hands his life,
Nor cause of this my weeping / had I his poor lorn wife.
My heart shall hate forever / who this foul deed have done. "
And further to entreat her / young Giselher had soon begun.
1113
When that to greet the monarch / a willing mind spake she,
Him soon with noble kinsmen / before her might ye see.
Yet dare might never Hagen / unto her to go:
On her he'd wrought sore evil, / as well his guilty mind did know.
1114
When she no hatred meted / unto Gunther as before,
By Hagen to be greeted / were fitting all the more.
Had but by his counsel / no ill to her been done,
So might he all undaunted / unto Kriemhild have gone.
1115
Nor e'er was peace new offered / kindred friends among
Sealed with tears so many. / She brooded o'er her wrong.
To all she gave her friendship / save to one man alone.
Nor slain her spouse were ever, / were not the deed by Hagen done.
1116
Small time it was thereafter / ere they did bring to pass
That with the Lady Kriemhild / the mighty treasure was,
That from Nibelungen country / she brought the Rhine unto.
It was her bridal portion / and 'twas fairly now her due.
1117
For it did journey thither / Gernot and Giselher.
Warriors eighty hundred / Kriemhild commanded there
That they should go and fetch it / where hidden it did lie,
And where the good thane Alberich / with friends did guard it faithfully.
1118
When saw they coming warriors / from Rhine the hoard to take,
Alberich the full valiant / to his friends in this wise spake:
" We dare not of the treasure / aught from them withhold:
It is her bridal portion, / — thus the noble queen hath told.
1119
" Yet had we never granted, " / spake Alberich, " this to do,
But that in evil manner / the sightless mantle too
With the doughty Siegfried / we alike did lose,
The which did wear at all times / the fair Kriemhild's noble spouse.
1120
" Now alas hath Siegfried / had but evil gain
That from us the sightless mantle / the hero thus hath ta'en,
And so hath forced to serve him / all these lands around. "
Then went forth the porter / where full soon the keys he found.
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