The Nibelungenlied
How Werbel and Schwemmel brought the Message
1422
When to the Rhine King Etzel / his messengers had sent,
With hasty flight fresh tidings / from land to land there went:
With messengers full quickly / to his high festival
He bade them, eke and summoned. / To many thereby did death befall.
1423
The messengers o'er the borders / of Hunland thence did fare
Unto the land of Burgundy; / thither sent they were
Unto three lordly monarchs / and eke their mighty men.
To Etzel's land to bid them / hastily they journeyed then.
1424
Unto Bechelaren / rode they on their way,
Where found they willing service. / Nor did aught delay
Ruediger to commend him / and Gotelinde as well
And eke their fairest daughter / to them that by the Rhine did dwell.
1425
They let them not unladen / with gifts from thence depart,
So did the men of Etzel / fare on with lighter heart.
To Ute and to her household / sent greeting Ruediger,
That never margrave any / to them more well disposed were.
1426
Unto Brunhild also / did they themselves commend
With willing service offered / and steadfast to the end.
Bearing thus fair greeting / the messengers thence did fare,
And prayed the noble margravine / that God would have them in his care.
1427
Ere the messengers had fully / passed o'er Bavarian ground,
Had the nimble Werbel / the goodly bishop found.
What greetings to his kinsmen / unto the Rhine he sent,
That I cannot tell you; / the messengers yet from him went
1428
Laden with gold all ruddy, / to keep his memory.
Thus spake the Bishop Pilgrim: / " 'Twere highest joy to me
Might I my sister's children / here see in home of mine,
For that I may but seldom / go unto them to the Rhine. "
1429
What were the ways they followed / as through the lands they fared,
That can I nowise tell you. / Yet never any dared
Rob them of wealth or raiment, / for fear of Etzel's hand:
A lofty king and noble, / mighty in sooth was his command.
1430
Before twelve days were over / came they unto the Rhine,
And rode into Worms city / Werbel and Schwemmelein.
Told were soon the tidings / to the kings and their good men,
How that were come strange messengers. / Gunther the king did question then.
1431
And spake the monarch further: / " Who here may understand
Whence do come these strangers / riding unto our land? "
Yet was never any / might answer to him make,
Until of Tronje Hagen / thus unto King Gunther spake:
1432
" To us hath come strange tidings / to hand this day, I ween,
For Etzel's fiddlers riding / hither have I seen.
The same have by thy sister / unto the Rhine been sent:
For sake of their high master / now give we them fair compliment. "
1433
E'en then did ride the messengers / unto the castle door,
And never royal minstrels / more stately went before.
By the monarch's servants / well received they were:
They gave them fitting lodging / and for their raiment had a care.
1434
Rich and wrought full deftly / was the travelling-dress they wore,
Wherein they well with honor / might go the king before;
Yet they at court no longer / would the same garments wear.
The messengers inquired / if any were might wish them there.
1435
In sooth in such condition / many eke were found,
Who would receive them gladly; / to such they dealt around.
Then decked themselves the strangers / in garments richer far,
Such as royal messengers / beseemeth well at court to wear.
1436
By royal leave came forward / to where the monarch sat
The men that came from Etzel, / and joy there was thereat.
Hagen then to meet them / in courteous manner went,
And heartily did greet them, / whereat they gave fair compliment.
1437
To know what were the tidings, / to ask he then began
How did find him Etzel / and each valiant man.
Then answer gave the fiddler: / " Ne'er higher stood the land,
Nor the folk so joyous: / that shall ye surely understand. "
1438
They went unto the monarch. / Crowded was the hall.
There were received the strangers / as of right men shall
Kindly greeting offer / in other monarch's land.
Many a valiant warrior / saw Werbel by King Gunther stand.
1439
Right courteously the monarch / began to greet them then:
" Now be ye both right welcome, / Hunland's merry men,
And knights that give you escort. / Hither sent are ye
By Etzel mighty monarch / unto the land of Burgundy? "
1440
They bowed before the monarch; / then spake Werbelein:
" My dear lord and master, / and Kriemhild, sister thine,
Hither to thy country / give fairest compliment.
In faith of kindly welcome / us unto you they now have sent. "
1441
Then spake the lofty ruler: / " I joy o'er this ye bring.
How liveth royal Etzel, " / further spake the king,
" And Kriemhild, my sister, / afar in Hunland? "
Then answered him the fiddler: / " That shalt thou straightway understand.
1422
When to the Rhine King Etzel / his messengers had sent,
With hasty flight fresh tidings / from land to land there went:
With messengers full quickly / to his high festival
He bade them, eke and summoned. / To many thereby did death befall.
1423
The messengers o'er the borders / of Hunland thence did fare
Unto the land of Burgundy; / thither sent they were
Unto three lordly monarchs / and eke their mighty men.
To Etzel's land to bid them / hastily they journeyed then.
1424
Unto Bechelaren / rode they on their way,
Where found they willing service. / Nor did aught delay
Ruediger to commend him / and Gotelinde as well
And eke their fairest daughter / to them that by the Rhine did dwell.
1425
They let them not unladen / with gifts from thence depart,
So did the men of Etzel / fare on with lighter heart.
To Ute and to her household / sent greeting Ruediger,
That never margrave any / to them more well disposed were.
1426
Unto Brunhild also / did they themselves commend
With willing service offered / and steadfast to the end.
Bearing thus fair greeting / the messengers thence did fare,
And prayed the noble margravine / that God would have them in his care.
1427
Ere the messengers had fully / passed o'er Bavarian ground,
Had the nimble Werbel / the goodly bishop found.
What greetings to his kinsmen / unto the Rhine he sent,
That I cannot tell you; / the messengers yet from him went
1428
Laden with gold all ruddy, / to keep his memory.
Thus spake the Bishop Pilgrim: / " 'Twere highest joy to me
Might I my sister's children / here see in home of mine,
For that I may but seldom / go unto them to the Rhine. "
1429
What were the ways they followed / as through the lands they fared,
That can I nowise tell you. / Yet never any dared
Rob them of wealth or raiment, / for fear of Etzel's hand:
A lofty king and noble, / mighty in sooth was his command.
1430
Before twelve days were over / came they unto the Rhine,
And rode into Worms city / Werbel and Schwemmelein.
Told were soon the tidings / to the kings and their good men,
How that were come strange messengers. / Gunther the king did question then.
1431
And spake the monarch further: / " Who here may understand
Whence do come these strangers / riding unto our land? "
Yet was never any / might answer to him make,
Until of Tronje Hagen / thus unto King Gunther spake:
1432
" To us hath come strange tidings / to hand this day, I ween,
For Etzel's fiddlers riding / hither have I seen.
The same have by thy sister / unto the Rhine been sent:
For sake of their high master / now give we them fair compliment. "
1433
E'en then did ride the messengers / unto the castle door,
And never royal minstrels / more stately went before.
By the monarch's servants / well received they were:
They gave them fitting lodging / and for their raiment had a care.
1434
Rich and wrought full deftly / was the travelling-dress they wore,
Wherein they well with honor / might go the king before;
Yet they at court no longer / would the same garments wear.
The messengers inquired / if any were might wish them there.
1435
In sooth in such condition / many eke were found,
Who would receive them gladly; / to such they dealt around.
Then decked themselves the strangers / in garments richer far,
Such as royal messengers / beseemeth well at court to wear.
1436
By royal leave came forward / to where the monarch sat
The men that came from Etzel, / and joy there was thereat.
Hagen then to meet them / in courteous manner went,
And heartily did greet them, / whereat they gave fair compliment.
1437
To know what were the tidings, / to ask he then began
How did find him Etzel / and each valiant man.
Then answer gave the fiddler: / " Ne'er higher stood the land,
Nor the folk so joyous: / that shall ye surely understand. "
1438
They went unto the monarch. / Crowded was the hall.
There were received the strangers / as of right men shall
Kindly greeting offer / in other monarch's land.
Many a valiant warrior / saw Werbel by King Gunther stand.
1439
Right courteously the monarch / began to greet them then:
" Now be ye both right welcome, / Hunland's merry men,
And knights that give you escort. / Hither sent are ye
By Etzel mighty monarch / unto the land of Burgundy? "
1440
They bowed before the monarch; / then spake Werbelein:
" My dear lord and master, / and Kriemhild, sister thine,
Hither to thy country / give fairest compliment.
In faith of kindly welcome / us unto you they now have sent. "
1441
Then spake the lofty ruler: / " I joy o'er this ye bring.
How liveth royal Etzel, " / further spake the king,
" And Kriemhild, my sister, / afar in Hunland? "
Then answered him the fiddler: / " That shalt thou straightway understand.
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