The Nibelungenlied
How Kriemhild thought to avenge her Wrong
1387
In full lordly honor, / — truth is that ye hear —
Dwelt they with each other / until the seventh year.
Meanwhile Lady Kriemhild / a son to Etzel bore,
Nor gladder might the monarch / be o'er aught for evermore.
1388
Yet would she not give over, / nor with aught be reconciled,
But that should be baptized / the royal Etzel's child
After Christian custom: / Ortlieb they did him call.
Thereat was mickle joyance / over Etzel's borders all.
1389
Whate'er of highest virtues / in Lady Helke lay,
Strove the Lady Kriemhild / to rival her each day.
Herrat the stranger maiden / many a grace she taught,
Who yet with secret pining / for her mistress Helke was distraught.
1390
To stranger and to native / full well she soon was known,
Ne'er monarch's country, said they, / did royal mistress own
That gave with freer bounty, / that held they without fear.
Such praise she bore in Hunland, / until was come the thirteenth year.
1391
Now had she well perceived / how all obeyed her will,
As service to royal mistress / king's knights do render still,
And how at every season / twelve kings 'fore her were seen.
She thought of many a sorrow / that wrought upon her once had been.
1392
Eke thought she of lordly power / in Nibelungenland
That she erstwhile had wielded, / and how that Hagen's hand
Of it all had reft her / with her lord Siegfried dead;
She thought for so great evil / how might he ever be repaid.
1393
" 'Twould be, might I but bring him / hither into this land. "
She dreamed that fondly led her / full often by the hand
Giselher her brother, / full oft in gentle sleep
Thought she to have kissed him, / wherefrom he sorrow soon must reap.
1394
I ween the evil demon / was Kriemhild's counsellor
That she her peace with Gunther / should sacred keep no more,
Whom she kissed in friendly token / in the land of Burgundy.
Adown upon her bosom / the burning tears fell heavily.
1395
On her heart both late and early / lay the heavy thought,
How that, herself all guiltless, / thereto she had been brought,
That she must share in exile / a heathen monarch's bed.
Through Hagen eke and Gunther / come she was to such sore need.
1396
From her heart such longing / seldom might she dismiss.
Thought she: " A queen so mighty / I am o'er wealth like this,
That I upon mine enemies / may yet avenge me well.
Fain were I that on Hagen / of Tronje yet my vengeance fell.
1397
" For friends that once were faithful / full oft my heart doth long.
Were they but here beside me / that wrought on me such wrong,
Then were in sooth avenged / my lover reft of life;
Scarce may I bide that hour, " / spake the royal Etzel's wife.
1398
Kriemhild they loved and honored, / the monarch's men each one,
As they that came there with her: / well might the same be done.
The treasure wielded Eckewart, / and won good knights thereby.
The will of Lady Kriemhild might / none in all that land deny.
1399
She mused at every season: / " The king himself I'll pray, " —
That he to her the favor / might grant in friendly way,
To bring her kinsmen hither / unto Hunland.
What vengeful thought she cherished / might none soever understand.
1400
As she in stillest night-time / by the monarch lay
(In his arms enclosed he held her, / as he was wont alway
To caress the noble lady: / she was to him as life),
Again unto her enemies / turned her thoughts his stately wife.
1401
She spake unto the monarch: / " My lord full dear to me,
Now would I pray a favor, / if with thy grace it be,
That thou wilt show unto me / if merit such be mine
That unto my good kinsmen / truly doth thy heart incline. "
1402
The mighty monarch answered / (from guile his heart was free):
" Of a truth I tell thee, / if aught of good may be
The fortune of thy kinsmen, / — of that I were full fain,
For ne'er through love of woman / might I friends more faithful gain. "
1403
Thereat again spake Kriemhild: / " That mayst thou well believe,
Full high do stand my kinsmen; / the more it doth me grieve
That they deign so seldom / hither to take their way.
That here I live a stranger, / oft I hear the people say. "
1404
Then spake the royal Etzel: / " Beloved lady mine,
Seemed not too far the journey, / I'd bid from yond the Rhine
Whom thou wouldst gladly welcome / hither unto my land. "
Thereat rejoiced the lady / when she his will did understand.
1405
Spake she: " Wilt thou true favor / show me, master mine,
Then shall thou speed thy messengers / to Worms across the Rhine.
Were but my friends acquainted / what thing of them I would,
Then to this land came hither / full many a noble knight and good. "
1406
He spake: " Whene'er thou biddest, / straight the thing shall be.
Thyself mightst ne'er thy kinsmen / here so gladly see,
As I the sons of Ute, / high and stately queen.
It grieveth me full sorely / that strangers here so long they've been.
1387
In full lordly honor, / — truth is that ye hear —
Dwelt they with each other / until the seventh year.
Meanwhile Lady Kriemhild / a son to Etzel bore,
Nor gladder might the monarch / be o'er aught for evermore.
1388
Yet would she not give over, / nor with aught be reconciled,
But that should be baptized / the royal Etzel's child
After Christian custom: / Ortlieb they did him call.
Thereat was mickle joyance / over Etzel's borders all.
1389
Whate'er of highest virtues / in Lady Helke lay,
Strove the Lady Kriemhild / to rival her each day.
Herrat the stranger maiden / many a grace she taught,
Who yet with secret pining / for her mistress Helke was distraught.
1390
To stranger and to native / full well she soon was known,
Ne'er monarch's country, said they, / did royal mistress own
That gave with freer bounty, / that held they without fear.
Such praise she bore in Hunland, / until was come the thirteenth year.
1391
Now had she well perceived / how all obeyed her will,
As service to royal mistress / king's knights do render still,
And how at every season / twelve kings 'fore her were seen.
She thought of many a sorrow / that wrought upon her once had been.
1392
Eke thought she of lordly power / in Nibelungenland
That she erstwhile had wielded, / and how that Hagen's hand
Of it all had reft her / with her lord Siegfried dead;
She thought for so great evil / how might he ever be repaid.
1393
" 'Twould be, might I but bring him / hither into this land. "
She dreamed that fondly led her / full often by the hand
Giselher her brother, / full oft in gentle sleep
Thought she to have kissed him, / wherefrom he sorrow soon must reap.
1394
I ween the evil demon / was Kriemhild's counsellor
That she her peace with Gunther / should sacred keep no more,
Whom she kissed in friendly token / in the land of Burgundy.
Adown upon her bosom / the burning tears fell heavily.
1395
On her heart both late and early / lay the heavy thought,
How that, herself all guiltless, / thereto she had been brought,
That she must share in exile / a heathen monarch's bed.
Through Hagen eke and Gunther / come she was to such sore need.
1396
From her heart such longing / seldom might she dismiss.
Thought she: " A queen so mighty / I am o'er wealth like this,
That I upon mine enemies / may yet avenge me well.
Fain were I that on Hagen / of Tronje yet my vengeance fell.
1397
" For friends that once were faithful / full oft my heart doth long.
Were they but here beside me / that wrought on me such wrong,
Then were in sooth avenged / my lover reft of life;
Scarce may I bide that hour, " / spake the royal Etzel's wife.
1398
Kriemhild they loved and honored, / the monarch's men each one,
As they that came there with her: / well might the same be done.
The treasure wielded Eckewart, / and won good knights thereby.
The will of Lady Kriemhild might / none in all that land deny.
1399
She mused at every season: / " The king himself I'll pray, " —
That he to her the favor / might grant in friendly way,
To bring her kinsmen hither / unto Hunland.
What vengeful thought she cherished / might none soever understand.
1400
As she in stillest night-time / by the monarch lay
(In his arms enclosed he held her, / as he was wont alway
To caress the noble lady: / she was to him as life),
Again unto her enemies / turned her thoughts his stately wife.
1401
She spake unto the monarch: / " My lord full dear to me,
Now would I pray a favor, / if with thy grace it be,
That thou wilt show unto me / if merit such be mine
That unto my good kinsmen / truly doth thy heart incline. "
1402
The mighty monarch answered / (from guile his heart was free):
" Of a truth I tell thee, / if aught of good may be
The fortune of thy kinsmen, / — of that I were full fain,
For ne'er through love of woman / might I friends more faithful gain. "
1403
Thereat again spake Kriemhild: / " That mayst thou well believe,
Full high do stand my kinsmen; / the more it doth me grieve
That they deign so seldom / hither to take their way.
That here I live a stranger, / oft I hear the people say. "
1404
Then spake the royal Etzel: / " Beloved lady mine,
Seemed not too far the journey, / I'd bid from yond the Rhine
Whom thou wouldst gladly welcome / hither unto my land. "
Thereat rejoiced the lady / when she his will did understand.
1405
Spake she: " Wilt thou true favor / show me, master mine,
Then shall thou speed thy messengers / to Worms across the Rhine.
Were but my friends acquainted / what thing of them I would,
Then to this land came hither / full many a noble knight and good. "
1406
He spake: " Whene'er thou biddest, / straight the thing shall be.
Thyself mightst ne'er thy kinsmen / here so gladly see,
As I the sons of Ute, / high and stately queen.
It grieveth me full sorely / that strangers here so long they've been.
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