Now day by day the watchers saw heroes Rhineward ride, Warriors fain of the joyance of that great festal-tide,
Knights that for love of the Rhine-lords into the Rhineland pressed;
And ever with gifts were they greeted, swift steed and goodly vest.
Fair-dight by this were the high-seats with purple and gleam of gold
For the noblest and the bravest, as the ancient tale hath told,
For the princes two-and-thirty that thronged to the festival.
And in rivalry of beauty fair women arrayed them withal.
There Giselher the stripling all-eager might ye see,
As he welcomed the homeland-dweller and the stranger courteously;
And with him stood Gernot his brother and all their knightly train:
With the honour of ancient custom they greeted each noble thane.
Through the Rhineland highways rode they on saddles with gold red-glowing;
Great shields all splendour-blazoned, rich mantles lordly-flowing
Went flashing up the city to that glorious festal-tide:—
Yea, men unhealed blithe-hearted looked forth on their knightly pride;
Ay, the battle-stricken tossing on beds of pain all day
Forgat how near to the shadow of bitter death they lay:
For the sick and the fever-blasted love’s lips forgot to sigh,
So glad were they all for the dawning of the festal days so nigh;
For they thought, “In such royal bounty shall we live and see good days!”
There were murmurs of mirth unmeasured through all the city’s ways;
There were overflowings of gladness—more bliss no man hath beheld:
High through the land of Gunther the tides of joyance swelled.
All on a merry morning of Whitsuntide rode they,
Those splendour-vestured chosen brave knights in long array,
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Five thousand men—nay, haply yet more, to the King’s feast bound:
To and fro were flashing the light jests, and the laughter echoed round.
Now on this was the King still musing—thereof had he long been ware—
How the heart of the Netherland hero lay tangled in love’s snare
Spell-drawn unto his sister, whom yet he had ne’er looked on,
The lady by whom all maidens were in loveliness outshone.
(C) And he spake: “Now all give counsel, both kinsman and vassal true,
What thing to make all-perfect this feast-tide shall we do,
That no man may chide us for failing in aught in the coming days;
For in sooth by our deeds men judge us at the last, to blame us or praise.”
Then the Lord of Metz, knight Ortwein, spake to that kingly host:
“If thy festival with honour shall be crowned to the uttermost,
Thou suffer thy guests to look on the maidens peerless-fair
Whose praise through the land Burgundian is rumoured everywhere.
Wherein is a man’s heart-pleasure, and his eyes’ most dear delight,
Save in loveliness of a maiden, in the beauty of lady bright?
Thou suffer then that thy sister before thy guests appear.”
Leapt the heart of many a hero that welcome word to hear.
“Full fain will I heed thy counsel,” was Gunther’s answering word,
And thereat were the hearts of all men exultation-stirred;
And he spake to the Lady Uta, and to Kriemhild the lovely-eyed,
To come with all their maidens to the King’s high festal-tide.
Then in the cedar-caskets for fair attire sought they,
And unfolded the flashing splendour of royal-rich array,
And the cloudy lace and the bracelets, whereof good store they had.
So with loveliest adorning were the winsome maidens clad.
There was many a young knight yearning that day in eager wise
That he might be found well-pleasing in the high-born ladies’ eyes.
That hope would he not have bartered, no, not for a kingdom’s fee.
The fair forms unbeholden ere this it was joy to see.
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Then the great King gave commandment that a guard of honour should go
With his sister and his mother, in their farings to and fro,
Of a hundred of his good knights, each man with sword in hand,
As was ever the royal custom in fair Burgundia-land.
Beside her princess-daughter Uta the queenly came,
And a bright train followed after of many a lovely dame,
Five score, yea more peradventure, in costly raiment arrayed;
And paced behind fair Kriemhild many a winsome maid.
From a stately tiring-bower those daintiest feet forth paced:
Then surged the great press forward of heroes eager-faced
Which had stood there long-expectant, if haply their lot might be
To look glad-eyed on the Fairest, on the Star of Burgundy.
Now forth of the doors the Loveliest came, as the morning-red
From lowering clouds forth breaketh;—lo, how his heart-ache fled,
His, who in his soul had shrined her through all that weary tide!
For he saw that glory of women stand there in her beauty’s pride.
Flashed many a priceless gemstone from the folds of her attire,
And the roses flushed through the lilies, a snare of hearts’ desire.
Howsoe’er ’gainst the spell of her beauty one strove, he needs must own
That nothing so passing lovely in the wide world yet had he known.
As the full moon in her glory swims on before the stars,
And the brightness of her splendour floats forth of the cloudy bars,
So before all other women shone out that Queen of Love.
Well might the hearts of the heroes be uplifted for joy thereof!
Paced onward before the maidens the stately chamberlains.
Now could they forbear no longer, those noble-hearted thanes,
But to gaze on her winsome sweetness forward still did they press.
Then was Siegfried’s heart joy-ravished, and anon in heaviness.
In his inmost soul was he musing: “How dared I dream such bliss
That I, I ever should woo thee?—an idle dream was this!
Yet must I for aye be a stranger? Better that I lay dead!”
And oft in his thoughts’ wild tumult he paled, and anon flushed red.
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There Siegelind’s son stood moveless, and so winsome did he seem
As though by the hand of a master were the angel of his dream
Limned on the missal-parchment: none looked on him, and forbore
To own that so comely a hero had none seen theretofore.
Then the knights that attended Kriemhild bade all to left and to right
Avoid from the path, and obedient to the word was many a knight.
What joy it was to behold them, that heart-uplifted throng,
As the gentle-nurtured ladies all queenlike swept along!
Then spake the Prince Burgundian, and Gernot uttered his rede:
“The hero who did thee service ungrudging in thy need,
Gunther, belovèd brother, thou guerdon him for the same
Before all these: of my counsel shall no man dare think shame.
Bid Siegfried unto my sister, that he meet her face to face,
That the maiden may greet him: of the honour shall we win us enduring grace.
If to him be accorded her greeting, who on knight smiled never before,
We have gotten this goodly war-thane to our friend for evermore.”
Hasted the kinsmen of Gunther unto where did Siegfried stand,
And they bare that courteous bidding to the knight of Netherland:
“This is the King’s good pleasure, that thou come where the seed-royal be,
To the end that his sister may greet thee for especial honour to thee.”
How thrilled the soul of Siegfried to hear that gracious word!
Passed as a dream his heart-ache, his spirit with rapture was stirred
That on Uta’s lovely daughter he should look with unhindered eyes:
And she, she received Prince Siegfried in courtly-winsome wise.
When she saw him stand before her, that hero-hearted lord,
Her cheeks were aflame with the love-light, her sweet lips spake the word:
“Welcome to thee, Lord Siegfried, to a good and noble knight!”
Then the wings of his soul at her greeting soared to the heaven’s height
Love-lowly he bent before her: she laid her hand in his;
And each moved on by other in a yearning trance of bliss.
From their eyes the soft love-lightning flashed those twain alway
Strong hero and fair maiden—yet stolen glances were they.
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Ask ye, were those white fingers by him pressed lovingly
For speech of the heart?—such knowledge is all too high for me;
Yet—yet I may nowise believe it, that he spared to do this thing.
Soon came sweet self-betrayal of the heart that had found its king.
It was all in the summer season, in the very glory of May.
Never his heart had tasted such bliss as on that glad day,
Never such soul-uplifting, as in that hour he knew
When walked that maiden beside him, whom the hero fain would woo.
Then many a knight was thinking: “Ah me, that my bliss it were
Even so to be pacing beside her, as he is pacing there!
And O in mine arms to clasp her!—how fain thereof had I been!”
Yet who might begrudge?—never hero was so worthy to win a queen.
From what far land soever those guests had come, each thane
Had eyes, in all that feast-tide, for nothing save these twain.
Then suffered was the maiden to kiss that goodly knight:
Never in all his life-days had he known such dear delight.
But the King of the Danefolk murmured under his breath straightway:
“Ah, many for this high greeting lie sorely hurt this day
By the hand of Siegfried stricken—for witness stand I here:—
God grant his face in Daneland may never more appear!”
Then the heralds cried that all folk should avoid to left and right
From the path of Kriemhild the lovely; and many a gallant knight
And warrior gently-nurtured in her train to the minster hied:
So for a space was parted the hero from her side.
So passed she into the minster with her maiden-company;
And the dim aisles shone with beauty so glorious to see,
That many a prayer dropped earthward that should to heaven aspire,
For of all those chosen champions was she the eyes’ desire.
Now scarce could Siegfried tarry till the mass was brought to an end,
And his heart still sang thanksgiving unto Fortune, unto the friend
Which had bowed unto him her favour whom shrined in his heart he bare:
Fast bound in loyal service was he to the Fairest Fair.
{p. 41}
When again forth out of the minster after the mass she came,
Again to her presence was bidden that hero of far-sung fame.
Then the winsome-lovely maiden her thanks unto him outpoured
That so bravely beyond all others he helped when her brethren warred:
“Lord Siegfried, now God reward thee,” that Queen of Beauty said:
“The good knights’ loyal homage this day hast thou merited;
All true hearts’ love-avowal right nobly hast thou earned!”
Then the love in the eyes of Siegfried on the eyes of Kriemhild burned.
“For ever and aye will I serve thee!” Siegfried the hero said:
“Never to rest or slumber will I lay down mine head
Till thine every wish be accomplished, while life shall endure in me!
And this do I, O Kriemhild, Kriemhild, for love of thee!”
So it fell that through twelve days, ever as dawned each new day’s light,
By the witchery-winsome maiden lingereth still the knight
Oft as in kingfolk’s presence her feet through the fair halls pace,
For mighty love hath constrained her to yield unto him this grace.
Glad noise of jubilation and the merry tourney’s clang,
Still as the days on-fleeted, round Gunther’s palace rang,
Within, without, as in feast-hall and in lists the valiant vied;
And by marvels of prowess were Ortwein and Hagen magnified.
In what manly sport soever men strove, these twain evermore,
These champions keen in the onset, their part to the uttermost bore.
In the eyes of the guests of the kingdom bright made they their renown:
Of the whole land of King Gunther the glory were they and the crown.
They which had long lain wounded now to the sun forth came:
They were fain with Gunther’s liegemen to share each knightly game,
Would wield the fence of the buckler and hurl the lance afar:
No lack had they of companions in the merry mimic war.
And ever in the feast-hall that kingly host took heed
That his guests should be served of the choicest, that no least word should proceed
Of blame from the lips of any, such as smircheth the name of a king;
And aye mid his guests was he passing with gracious welcoming.
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And he spake in the midst: “Ye good knights, or ever ye ride from my land,
Accept ye the gifts of my giving, for so doth mine heart’s wish stand,
And to you will I aye be beholden: then think not scorn thereof,
For with that which I share among you is given mine heart’s whole love.”
Then answered the lords of Daneland there as they stood in hall:
“Or ever aback to the homeland we ride delivered from thrall,
Assure to us peace abiding: thereof is our need full sore,
Seeing many our friends down-stricken by your friends shall rise no more.”
Now by this from his hurts recovered was Lüdegast the Dane,
And the Lord of the land of the Saxons was whole from the battle again,
Albeit some of their warriors must they leave in a strange land dead.
Then went King Gunther to Siegfried, and drew him apart, and he said:
“Now give me herein thy counsel”—thus spake he unto the knight—
“Our captive guests would ride hence with the first of the morrow’s light,
And petition for reconciling long-lasting with mine and me.
O valiant knight, give counsel how best it seemeth to thee.
Now what these two kings proffer, unto thee shall it now be told:
Five hundred horses’ burden they tender of red gold.
This willingly give they for ransom, so I will set them free.”
Spake Siegfried the strong: “For thine honour this thing shall nowise be.
Nay, freely, without all ransom, let them fare forth hence, these twain,
If so be that these noble war-lords will swear henceforth to refrain
From riding the raid of the foeman hitherward unto your land:
And for pledge hereunto be given a king’s unsullied hand.”
“I will do even after thy counsel,” he said. So parted they:
And unto their adversaries was answer made straightway
That the gold was desired of no man that was proffered of them at the first.
Ah, sick were their hearts with longing for dear ones, and home-athirst!
Shields many treasure-laden his henchmen thitherward bare,
And therefrom to his friends bright silver unweighed did the knight-king share,
Five hundred marks unto each one—unto many an one yet more:
So was Gunther advised of Gernot, that noble counsellor.
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Then prayed all, “Let us depart hence”; for now would they fain ride home;
And into the presence of Kriemhild did the guests for farewell come,
And unto the foot of the high-seat whereon sat Uta the Queen.
Ne’er in such gracious fashion were guests sped forth, I ween.
Now void were the city’s hostels, as forth of the gates they rode;
Yet still in the land Burgundian in royal state abode
The King with all his kinsfolk in the midst of a knightly train,
And each day in the presence of Kriemhild appeared each noble thane.
Then Siegfried the hero petitioned, “I pray you, let me depart”;
For his hope waxed faint of winning her who was queen of his heart:
And the King heard tell of his purpose, that thence he would fare straightway.
But the young lad Giselher pleaded, and wrought on him to delay:
“Whither away, O Siegfried, is thine heart on journeying set?
Nay, hearken to my petition, abide with the good knights yet;
Abide thou with King Gunther and his loyal liegemen still.
Lo, here be lovely ladies: thou mayst see them at thy will.”
Made answer Siegfried the mighty: “Nay then, let the steeds abide.
Lo, I have foregone my purpose, and hence not yet will I ride.
Bear hence the shields and uphang them—albeit I long for mine home,
Lord Giselher’s love true-hearted hath turned my mind therefrom.”
So tarried the valiant warrior there by a friend’s love won.
In all the 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!