The Nibelungenlied - Anonymous

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At work did never tire, / for dear they did him hold,

       And many a stone full precious / those ladies laid within the gold,

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      That they upon the doublets / embroidered cunningly

       Of those soon to be knighted: / 't was thus it had to be,

       Seats bade the host for many / a warrior bold make right

       Against the high midsummer, / when Siegfried won the name of knight.

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      Then went unto the minster / full many a noble knight

       And gallant squires beside them. / The elder there with right

       Did wait upon the younger, / as once for them was done.

       They were all light-hearted, / in hope of pleasure every one.

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      God to praise and honor / they sang the mass' song;

       There, too, were crowds of people, / a great and surging throng,

       When after knightly custom / knighthood received they then,

       In such a stately pageant / as scarce might ever be again.

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      They hastened where they found them / saddled many a steed;

       In the court of Siegmund's castle / they tilted with such speed

       That far the din resounded / through castle and through hall,

       As in the play with clamor / did join the fiery riders all.

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      Well-tried old knights and youthful / met there in frequent clash,

       There was sound of shattered lances / that through the air did crash,

       And along before the castle / were splinters seen to fly

       From hands of knights a many: / each with other there did vie.

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      The king he bade give over: / they led the chargers out:

       There was seen all shattered / many a boss well-wrought,

       And many a stone full costly / lay there upon the sward

       From erstwhile shining shield-bands, / now broken in the jousting hard.

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      The guests all went thereafter / where seats for them were reared;

       They by the choicest viands / from weariness were cheered,

       And wine, of all the rarest, / that then in plenty flowed.

       Upon both friends and strangers / were fitting honors rich bestowed.

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      In such merry manner / all day did last the feast.

       Many a wandering minstrel / knew not any rest,

       But sang to win the presents / dealt out with bounteous hand;

       And with their praise was honored / far and wide King Siegmund's land.

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      The monarch then did order / Siegfried his youthful son

       In fee give lands and castles, / as he erstwhile had done.

       To all his sword-companions / he gave with such full hand,

       That joyed they o'er the journey / they now had made unto that land.

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      The festival yet lasted / until the seventh day.

       Siegelind after old custom / in plenty gave away

      —For so her son she honored—/ rich gifts of shining gold:

       In sooth deserved she richly / that all should him in honor hold.

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      Never a wandering minstrel / was unprovided found:

       Horses there and raiment / so free were dealt around,

       As if to live they had not / beyond it one day more.

       I ween a monarch's household / ne'er bestowed such gifts before.

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      Thus closed the merry feasting / in this right worthy way,

       And 't was well known thereafter / how those good knights did say

       That they the youthful hero / for king would gladly have;

       But this nowise he wished for, / Siegfried the stately knight and brave.

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      While that they both were living, / Siegmund and Siegelind,

       No crown their son desired, /—thereto he had no mind.

       Yet would he fain be master / o'er all the hostile might

       That in the lands around him / opposed the keen and fiery knight.

       Table of Contents

      How Siegfried came to Worms

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      Seldom in sooth, if ever, / the hero's heart was sad.

       He heard them tell the story, / how that a winsome maid

       There lived afar in Burgundy, / surpassing fair to see:

       Great joy she brought him later, / but eke she brought him misery.

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      Of her exceeding beauty / the fame spread far and near,

       And of the thing, moreover, / were knights oft-times aware

       How the maid's high spirit / no mortal could command:

       The thing lured many a stranger / from far unto King Gunther's land.

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      Although to win her favor / were many wooers bent,

       In her own heart would never / Kriemhild thereto consent

       That any one amongst them / for lover she would have:

       Still to her was he a stranger / to whom anon her troth she gave.

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      To true love turned his fancy / the son of Siegelind.

       'Gainst his, all others' wooing / was like an idle wind:

       Full well did he merit / a lady fair to woo,

       And soon the noble Kriemhild / to Siegfried bold was wedded true.

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      By friends he oft was counselled, / and many a faithful man,

       Since to think of wooing / in earnest he began,

       That he a wife should find him / of fitting high degree.

       Then spoke the noble Siegfried: / "In sooth fair Kriemhild shall it be,

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      "The noble royal maiden / in Burgundy that dwells,

       For sake of all her beauty. / Of her the story tells,

       Ne'er monarch was so mighty / that, if for spouse he sighed,

       'Twere not for him befitting / to take the princess for his bride."

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      Unto King Siegmund also / the thing was soon made known.

       His people talked about it, / whereby to him was shown

       The Prince's fixéd purpose. / It grieved him sorely, too,

       That his son intent was / the full stately maid to woo.

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      Siegelind

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