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Siegfried the keen warrior / into King Gunther's land.

       Of knights before was never / beheld so richly clad a band.

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      The points of their long scabbards / reached down unto the spur,

       And spear full sharply pointed / bore each chosen warrior.

       The one that Siegfried carried / in breadth was two good span,

       And grimly cut its edges / when driven by the fearless man.

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      Reins with gold all gleaming / held they in the hand,

       The saddle-bands were silken. / So came they to the land.

       On every side the people / to gape at them began,

       And also out to meet them / the men that served King Gunther ran.

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      Gallant men high-hearted, / knight and squire too,

       Hastened to receive them, / for such respect was due,

       And bade the guests be welcome / unto their master's land.

       They took from them their chargers, / and shields as well from out the hand.

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      Then would they eke the chargers / lead forth unto their rest;

       But straight the doughty Siegfried / to them these words addressed:

       "Yet shall ye let our chargers / stand the while near by;

       Soon take we hence our journey; / thereon resolved full well am I.

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      "If that be known to any, / let him not delay,

       Where I your royal master / now shall find, to say—

       Gunther, king so mighty / o'er the land of Burgundy."

       Then told him one amongst them / to whom was known where that might be:

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      "If that the king thou seekest, / right soon may he be found.

       Within that wide hall yonder / with his good knights around

       But now I saw him sitting. / Thither do thou repair,

       And thou may'st find around him / many a stately warrior there."

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      Now also to the monarch / were the tidings told,

       That within his castle / were knights arrived full bold,

       All clad in shining armor / and apparelled gorgeously;

       But not a man did know them / within the land of Burgundy.

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      Thereat the king did wonder / whence were come to him

       These knights adventure seeking / in dress so bright and trim,

       And shields adorned so richly / that new and mighty were.

       That none the thing could tell him / did grieve him sorely to hear.

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      Outspake a knight then straightway, / Ortwein by name was he,

       Strong and keen as any / well was he known to be:

       "Since we of them know nothing, / bid some one quickly go

       And fetch my uncle Hagen: / to him thou shalt the strangers show.

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      "To him are known far kingdoms / and every foreign land,

       And if he know these strangers / we soon shall understand."

       The king then sent to fetch him: / with his train of men

       Unto the king's high presence / in stately gear went he then.

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      What were the king's good pleasure, / asked Hagen grim in war.

       "In the court within my castle / are warriors from afar,

       And no one here doth know them: / if them thou e'er didst see

       In any land far distant, / now shalt thou, Hagen, tell to me."

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      "That will I do, 'tis certain."—/ To a window then he went,

       And on the unknown strangers / his keen eye he bent.

       Well pleased him their equipment / and the rich dress they wore,

       Yet ne'er had he beheld them / in land of Burgundy before.

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      He said that whencesoever / these knights come to the Rhine,

       They bear a royal message, / or are of princely line.

       "Their steeds are so bedizened, / and their apparel rare:

       No matter whence they journey, / high-hearted men in truth they are."

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      Further then spake Hagen: / "As far as goes my ken,

       Though I the noble Siegfried / yet have never seen,

       Yet will I say meseemeth, / howe'er the thing may be,

       This knight who seeks adventure, / and yonder stands so proud, is he.

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      "'Tis some new thing he bringeth / hither to our land.

       The valiant Nibelungen / fell by the hero's hand,

       Schilbung and Nibelung, / from royal sire sprung;

       Deeds he wrought most wondrous / anon when his strong arm he swung.

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      "As once alone the hero / rode without company,

       Found he before a mountain /—as hath been told to me—

       With the hoard of Nibelung / full many stalwart men;

       To him had they been strangers / until he chanced to find them then.

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      "The hoard of King Nibelung / entire did they bear

       Forth from a mountain hollow. / And now the wonder hear,

       How that they would share it, / these two Nibelung men.

       This saw the fearless Siegfried, / and filled he was with wonder then.

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      "He came so near unto them / that he the knights espied,

       And they in turn him also. / One amongst them said:

       'Here comes the doughty Siegfried, / hero of Netherland.'

       Since 'mongst the Nibelungen / strange wonders wrought his mighty hand.

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      "Right well did they receive him, / Schilbung and Nibelung,

       And straight they both together, / these noble princes young,

       Bade him mete out the treasure, / the full valorous man,

       And so long time besought him / that he at last the task began.

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      "As we have heard in story, / he saw of gems such store

       That they might not be laden / on wagons full five score;

       More still of gold all shining / from Nibelungenland.

       'Twas all to be divided / between them by keen Siegfried's hand.

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      "Then gave they him for hire / King Nibelung's sword.

       And sooth to say, that service / brought them but small reward,

       That for them there performed / Siegfried of dauntless mood.

       His task he could not finish; / thereat they raged as were they wood.

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