“ Hildebrand, I forbid it: speak thou here no more.
A homeless knight, with sorrow enow mine heart is sore!
{p. 321}
Answer me, Hero Hagen,” said Dietrich yet again;
“What spake ye knights together, ye battle-eager twain,
When a little agone in mine harness ye saw me hard at hand?
Thou saidst that alone in battle against me thou wouldst stand.”
“Ay, no man shall gainsay it!” cried Hagen the void of fear:
“I will prove it by mighty handstrokes upon thy body here,
If so be that the Sword of the Niblungs unshivered fail not me.
I am wroth that thou darest require us to yield us captive to thee!” ”

“ Therefore will I, O Brunhild, entreat thee even as a friend—
For courtesy’s sake, and my love’s sake, let this thy babble have end.”
Made answer the Queen: “I may not refrain me from this my claim.
Am I like to renounce the service of all these knights of fame
Which, even as thine, be bounden to homage unto my lord?”
Then the anger of Kriemhild the lovely leapt into flame at the word:
“This boast, thou must needs forego it, that my lord ever on earth
Hath rendered thee aught of homage! Mine hero is more of worth
Than thy lord, my brother Gunther, be he never so noble a king. ”

“ That thou deignest to greet me, Brunhild, Lady of Courtesy,
Before this knight hath been greeted, who standeth before me in place,
For that he is my liege-lord:—Siegfried could well have foregone such grace!
He is the King of Rhineland—what need I say of him more?
All for thy love have we voyaged far overseas to thy shore.
Fixed is his heart to woo thee, whatsoever thereof betide.
While yet there is time, bethink thee:—my lord turns never aside.
He hath to name King Gunther; wide is his royal domain.
For thy love he comes hitherward wooing; nought else he desireth to gain. ”

“ Until the King besought him, and thus did Gunther pray:
He said unto him: “For my love’s sake thitherward shouldst thou ride,
And withal for the sake of Kriemhild, the maiden lovely-eyed,
To the end that the royal maiden with me may requite thy pain.”
When heard was her name of Siegfried, the knight was exceeding fain.
“Lay on me what charge thou pleasest,” he answered, “all shall be done:
With joy shall it be accomplished for the sake of that lovely one
Whom I bear in my heart enshrinèd!—who am I, to deny or defer?
Even all that thou requirest will I perform for her.” ”

“ Gernot indignantly cried.
“Though yet we numbered a thousand, we would all die side by side—
We who are yet thy kinsmen!—ere one man of us all
Shall be rendered up for a hostage: that shame shall never befall.”
“So then we must needs all perish,” did the young Prince Giselher say;
“Yet none shall hinder our dying like knights in our war-array.
If any be fain to fight us, ready here we stand.
No friend I forsake, betraying the troth of my right hand!”
Then spake the valiant Dankwart; in the word was his true heart shown:
“Verily Hagen my brother standeth not here alone. ”

“ To the clash of that deadly music King Gunther turned him about—
“Hearst thou the tunes, O Hagen, that Volker beateth out
On the heads of the Huns, whosoever essay the door that he keeps?
Red are the strings of the viol whereover his swift bow leaps!”
“Sore is mine heart above measure for this thing,” Hagen replied,
“That in this hall-feast I am sundered afar from the good thane’s side
Ever was I his comrade, and he true comrade to me.
We will dwell, if we win home ever, in love and loyalty.
Behold, Lord King, is Volker to thee not faithful-souled? ”

“ For love of their Lady Kriemhild forth of the hall would they fare
And fall upon Hagen and smite him, the battle-dauntless lord,
And with him the viol-minstrel: all they were of one accord.
But the Queen looked on her champions, and marked their slender array,
And in wrathful indignation to the heroes did she say:
“From such manner of desperate emprise, I counsel you, refrain!
Ye be all too few to grapple with Hagen in battle-strain.
How valiant and mighty soever the Hero of Troneg be,
The man that sitteth beside him is mightier far than he,
Volker the viol-minstrel: a very fiend he is. ”

“ For she wotted how grim was Gunther and the earls of his war-array:
And they laboured to turn Prince Siegfried from the perilous quest away.
Then answered the aweless Siegfried: “Heart’s dearest, father mine,
Never to love of woman shall the soul of me incline,
Except I may woo untrammelled where love leads forth mine heart!”
And never, for all their pleading, would he from the word depart.
“If thus thou abide unshaken,” the King made answer again,
“Know thou, of thine high-wrought purpose my soul is exceeding fain;
And with heart and hand will I aid thee to the uttermost of my might. ”

“ To watch for a battle-token, in shining harness dight.
And Siegfried the hero beheld him, and on him that champion gazed,
And the eyes of each upon other with the fury of battle blazed.
Now who was the keen war-eagle that on watching pinions hung?
A gleaming shield all-golden from his leftward shoulder was slung.
King Lüdegast was the warrior that thus o’er the host kept ward.
Lo, the noble stranger-hero against him is spurring hard!
And the wrath of the lord of the Danefolk by the battle-challenge is stirred,
And the mighty steeds to the onset are racing fierily spurred. ”

“ Lady, tarry no longer in the land that is no more thine!
Knights have I here five hundred, and kinsmen, a warrior-band.
Lo, these be all thy servants, both here and in Etzel’s land,
Sworn to do all thy bidding. I stand by my plighted troth.
I will shame mine honour never when thou biddest remember mine oath.
Prepare then journeying-raiment and the trappings of the steed.
As touching Rüdiger’s counsel, thou never shalt rue his rede.
And bid thy maidens who journey with thee that they swiftly prepare.
Many a chosen hero shall meet us as onward we fare. ”

“ Wherefore availeth to wound him no weapon that man may form.
Yet ever mine heart is fearful when in forefront of battle he stands,
And many a flying javelin is sped from warriors’ hands,
Lest I peradventure may lose him, mine hero of all loved best:—
Ah me, with what fears for Siegfried tosses mine heart in unrest!
O friend, dear friend and kinsman, on thy faithful love I lean
That thou wilt guard thy troth-plight given herein to a queen,
When I tell to thee where my belovèd may be wounded of the steel.
Now shalt thou hear: the secret to thine honour and love I reveal. ”

“ Answered the Lord of the Marches, “As thine my heart’s grief is.”
“Now, Rüdiger noble-hearted, thee for thy gift I requite:
Whatsoever in battle betide thee from any prince or knight,
Not against thee uplifted in anger shall be mine hand,
Though thou slay till thou leave none living of the men of Burgundia-land.”
Bowed unto him in silence that noble-hearted thane;
And all men brake into weeping. That nought might make them refrain
From such sorrow-fraught contention, it was sore calamity. ”

“ Ay, ever the faithful-hearted made for the knight great dole.
Came Uta and all her women to comfort her day by day;
But Kriemhild’s wounded spirit so crushed ’neath affliction lay,
That nothing availed consolation that the lips of the loving spake,
Forasmuch as with sharper anguish did her heart for her lost love ache
Than wife felt ever for husband, were her sorrow never so keen;
And the love of the true and faithful herein was of all men seen
That on to the end she mourned him, long as endured her life,
Till that great vengeance for Siegfried was wreaked at last by the wife. ”

“ Here lieth Rüdiger, slaughtered by some Burgundian hand;
Not one of his liegemen liveth, that with him went into the fight.”
Never could woefuller tidings on the ears of Helfrich smite;
Never so loth in spirit a tale to his lord he bore;
And he came back unto Dietrich weeping and mourning sore.
“What hast thou learnt?—thy tidings?” Dietrich spake forthright.
“Why weepest thou so sorely, O Helfrich, my good knight?”
“Good cause have I for lamenting,” answered the noble thane:
“The good Lord Rüdiger lieth by hands Burgundian slain!”
Cried the Hero of Bern: “Forbid it, God, that this should be! ”