LITMIR.BIZ

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nought but the parting-blessing his feet for a space abide.

      And the King and the Queen there mingled their blessing with many a tear;

      But he spake to them words of comfort, and cried with loving cheer:

      “Nought have ye to do with weeping for my peril in any strife:

      Banish for aye foreboding as touching Siegfried’s life!”

      Yet the earls were heavy-hearted, the maidens’ tears ran free;

      Yea, the fear on their souls lay darkly that yet in the days to be

      For the dear ones unreturning they should sorrow with hearts bowed low:—

      Ah me, for their lamentation at the last was there cause enow!

      So it fell on the seventh morning that to Worms by the Rhine-river shore

      Those fearless knights came riding. What raiment soever they wore

      Was all with the red gold broidered, and the harness glinted and shone

      As their steeds went softly pacing as they followed Siegfried on.

      New-wrought were the knights’ broad bucklers, bright without fleck or stain,

      And their helms were a flashing splendour, as rode that gallant train

      After the aweless Siegfried through the heart of Burgundia-land;

      Never therein did heroes so goodly-apparelled stand.

      Low as the spurs all-golden their mighty sword-points hung;

      Sharp battle-spears those champions in their strong hands lightly swung.

      Of two full spans was the blue blade of the lance that Siegfried bare;

      Keen were the long cold edges, and the lightning of death slept there.

      Starred reins all gold-embroidered swung light in the rider’s hand,

      And the steeds’ breast-bands were silken: so rode they through the land;

      And with parted lips of wonder around them all folk pressed.

      Then Gunther’s palace-marshals sped forth to meet the guest.

      They ran, the earls high-hearted; they hasted, henchman and knight,

      Toward these of the lordly presence, even as was meet and right;

      And they gave those guests fair greeting unto their liege-lord’s land;

      And they grasped the good steed’s bridle, and would take the shield from the hand.

      And they made as to lead the horses to the crib and the stall for their rest:

      Then stayed them the voice of Siegfried, that dauntless warrior-guest:

      “Let be the steeds; for a season still harnessed shall they stand,

      For yet am I girt for the journey, and I ride full soon from your land.

      Now if any man certainly knoweth, let him nowise hide the thing,

      For this would I have one tell me, where may I light on your King,

      Even Gunther the treasure-wealthy, Burgundia’s mighty lord.”

      Then one that thereof well wotted spake out the answering word:

      “If ye fain would behold that war-king, the wish may be lightly won.

      In the wide fair hall of his palace I marked him a little agone

      Begirt with his hero-vassals: thither to him go ye.

      There many a noble warrior beside him shall ye see.”

      But by this within his palace had the tale to the King been told

      How there waited without by the gateway strange warriors aweless-bold

      All-armed in sunbright hauberks and in royal-rich array,

      Whose names and whose kindred no man in Burgundy might say.

      Thereat was the King astonied, and he marvelled whence they came,

      These lordly knights from whose raiment so shone the splendour-flame,

      These wielders of goodly bucklers, broad shields and stainless-fair:

      Yea, it misliked him that no man could say what folk they were.

      Then to the King made answer Ortwein, Metz’s lord—

      Stalwart he was, and a dauntless wielder of spear and sword:

      “Forasmuch as in no wise we know them, bid one bring hither to thee

      Mine uncle, even Hagen: let him look on their company.

      Known unto him are kingdoms and strange lands far and wide.

      Of him, if he know yon chieftains, shall we surely be certified.”

      Then the King bade bring that baron and his knightly train therewithal.

      Full soon was his lordly presence beheld in Gunther’s hall.

      “For what cause,” then spake Hagen, “am I hitherward called of the King?”

      “Lo, yonder unknown heroes to mine halls come journeying;

      And no man knoweth to name them. Hast thou haply far away

      In a strange land looked on their faces? I pray thee, Hagen, say.”

      “That will I,” made answer Hagen. To the casement straight did he go,

      And his glance like the swoop of an eagle flashed o’er those guests below.

      With the warrior’s joy their war-gear and their goodly array he scanned;

      Howbeit their faces he knew not: they were strangers in the land.

      And he spake: “Whencesoever the warriors to Rhineflood hitherward fare,

      Princes are they of a surety, or a message of princes they bear,

      So goodly are their war-steeds, so royal is their array.

      Sooth, whencesoe’er they have ridden, great-hearted heroes be they.”

      Then a little pondered Hagen, and he spake: “It is sooth to say,

      Upon Siegfried’s bodily presence have I looked not unto this day:

      Yet indeed and in truth meseemeth, howsoever the thing may be,

      That the knight who yonder beareth so princely a port, is he.

      Great tales shall be told, if it be so, of his coming to this our land.

      The lion-hearted Niblungs were slain by the hero’s hand,

      Schilbung and Nibelung, scions of the King of the Golden Hoard;—

      Marvels he wrought against them when his strong arm swung the sword!

      For it chanced, when the hero was riding alone with no helpers near,

      That he found by a misty mountain, as the tale hath been told in mine ear,

      Enringing the Hoard of King Niblung a throng of fierce-eyed men:

      He had seen not those strange faces till he lighted on them then.

      There lay King Niblung’s Gold-hoard, haled forth from the dark abyss

      Of the rifted heart of the mountain—a strange, wild tale is this

      How the Niblung men were wrangling o’er the treasure’s portioning!

      So came Knight Siegfried upon them, and he marvelled at that strange thing.

      So nigh

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