The Lay of the Nibelung Men - Anonymous

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rest of the wide world other place was there none

      Wherein he had rested so gladly; and now none said him nay,

      But he looked on the beauty of Kriemhild ever day by day;

      For the sake of her measureless fairness he could not choose but stay.

      In many a pleasant pastime they wore the hours away.

      Only he felt love’s torment, he knew none other care.

      —Ah me, but the days were coming when she should be his death-snare!

       How they Voyaged on Love-quest to Isen-land

       Table of Contents

      Now over the Rhine came a story of none heard theretofore,

      A tale of the marvellous beauty of maids on a far-away shore.

      Then stirred was the spirit of Gunther to win such an one for his bride:

      In the hope thereof uplifted was his heart in kingly pride.

      There was a Queen of Beauty enthroned beyond the sea;

      Through all the world’s wide compass was none so fair as she.

      In loveliness was she peerless, and of measureless bodily might;

      For she matched her with champions that wooed her in speeding the lance’s flight,

      And in hurling the stone, and in leaping far as it flew through the air.

      Whosoever to wife would win her, that terrible test must dare,

      And in contests three overcome her, that champion-maid high-born.

      Let him fail in but one of the trials, and his head from his shoulders was shorn.

      Full oft that Daughter of Princes had done this ruthless thing:

      But now by the Rhine her rumour came to a knightly king,

      And he turned his whole heart’s longing to win that fair one to wife.

      —Ah, many a knight thereafter for her sake lost his life!

      (C) As once in the midst of his people the noble Gunther sat,

      Much question arose, as the speech-tide flowed swiftly this way and that,

      What queen among women was worthy that the King should choose her for bride,

      Who should be Queen of Burgundia, and sit enthroned at his side.

      Then spake the Lord of Rhineland: “I will take ship down to the sea,

      And will sail to the Lady Brunhild, howsoever it fare with me.

      For the love of that Queen of Women will I venture limb and life:

      Yea, ready I stand to lose them, an I win her not to my wife.”

      “I give my counsel against it,” cried Siegfried with earnest mien;

      “Such deadly-ruthless customs be practised of that dread queen,

      That whoever is her love’s suitor, his head he imperilleth.

      Well mayst thou advise thee rather to turn from this path of death.”

      (C) Answered and spake King Gunther: “Never was woman born

      So strong and so fierce of spirit, but her might were by mine outworn

      Lightly, in any contest, by my single hand alone!”

      “Ah hush!” made answer Siegfried, “unto thee is this woman unknown.

      (C) Though four such as thou withstood her, the strength of them all were as nought

      Against her terrible fury: thou therefore renounce that thought;

      In loyal faith I advise thee. If with death thou be not in love,

      Travail not thou to win her, for nought can come thereof.”

      (C) “Be she as strong as she may be, on that journey I needs must fare

      Hence unto Brunhild, befall me what may befall me there!

      For the sake of her peerless beauty no peril will I decline.

      Peradventure may God yet move her to follow us to the Rhine.”

      “Then will I counsel,” made answer Hagen, “if this must be,

      That thou make thy request unto Siegfried, that he will bear with thee

      The burden of this sore travail: this rede remaineth the best,

      Seeing he hath alone clear knowledge of Brunhild’s perilous test.”

      Said the King, “O Siegfried belovèd, mine helper wilt thou fare

      In my wooing of Brunhild the lovely? Do according to this my prayer,

      And if for my bride I win her, and crown her my queenly wife,

      For thee at all times will I venture honour and limb and life.”

      Answered him Siegfried, the scion of Siegmund the Lowland’s lord:

      “This will I do, if thou promise to give me for reward

      The Lovely, the Queen of Women, Kriemhild thy sister, for bride:

      For my toil for thee nor guerdon nor thank I desire beside.”

      “Even this do I promise,” said Gunther, “O Siegfried, on thine hand;

      And if Brunhild the lovely cometh hither to this my land,

      Then will I give thee my sister to wife in requital for this;

      So mayest thou with thy fair one for ever live in bliss.”

      Then by an oath did they pledge them, those noble warriors twain;

      But thereof unto both was begotten exceeding toil and strain.

      Or ever they brought into Rhineland that lady of princely blood,

      In peril exceeding grievous those valiant heroes stood.

      (C) Now concerning the tameless Earth-dwarfs this thing have I heard folk say,

      That they dwell in the mountain-caverns, and about their heads they lay

      For helmets the Hoods of Darkness, and a strange power floweth thence;

      For who weareth such on his body, therein hath perfect defence

      (C) From stroke of sword and from spear-thrust; while resteth on him this pall,

      No man may in any wise see him, but he heareth and seeth all

      So much as his soul desireth, yet himself may none behold;

      And his strength to a giant’s waxeth, as the tale in our ears hath been told.

      Now the Hood of Darkness Siegfried for their help at need hath ta’en,

      Even that which the valiant warrior had wrested with toil and strain

      From Alberich, Dwarf of the Mountain, in the stormy days gone by.

      So these to their journey addressed them in their fearless chivalry.

      Now whene’er the stalwart Siegfried had donned that Hood of Night,

      He gat from its overscreening exceeding fulness of might;

      In twelve men’s strength he clad him, as the runes of the old songs run.

      So it fell, by the Dwarf-lords’ cunning that glorious bride was

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