Now when they had so sailed onward for nine days over the sea, Then out spake Hagen of Troneg: “I pray you, hearken to me:
Lo, here we tarry from sending the tidings to Worms on Rhine;
Yet by this in the land Burgundian should they be, those heralds of thine.”
Made answer to him King Gunther: “Of a truth good counsel is this;
And to send as our tidings-bearer were none so meet, I wis,
As thou thyself, friend Hagen; thou unto my land ride on.
Our royal journey may no man better than thou make known.”
“Now nay, Lord King, of heralds nowise the best should I be.
Let me as thy treasure-warder tarry still on the sea:
Here will I bide with the women, and guard their costly array
Till unto the land Burgundian we have brought them on their way.
Not so; pray rather Siegfried to bear this message for thee:
Well can he do thine errand with wisdom and courtesy.
If he haply be loth for the journey, in kingly-courteous wise
Entreat him in kindly fashion by the love in thy sister’s eyes.”
Then unto the knight sent Gunther, and he came before the King;
And he said to him: “Nigh are we gotten to my land in our journeying;
And now to my dear-loved sister would I send a messenger,
And withal to my mother, to tell them who to the land draw near.
{p. 73}
So then, Lord Siegfried, I pray thee that thou wouldst bear this word,
And so will I aye be beholden to thee,” said the Rhineland’s lord.
Yet loth was Siegfried the valiant, and fain would have said him nay,
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.”
“So then to my mother Uta the Queen of the land say thou
That with heart uplifted and joyous I am faring homeward now.
And how we have sped in our wooing do thou to my brethren unfold:
And to all our nearest and dearest withal be the story told.
Yea, from my sister, the fair one, nought shalt thou hide thereof:
Commend unto her Queen Brunhild and me in service of love.
And unto all my servants and to all my vassals say,
Whatsoever mine heart hath longed for, all have I gained this day.
And to Ortwein, my nephew belovèd, bear this hest of mine,
That he shall prepare us high-seats in the city beside the Rhine.
Tell also my vassals and kinsfolk this—be it known to them all
That I purpose for Brunhild’s bridal a high-tide festival.
And make my request to my sister, that now that she hath learned
How that I to the land Burgundian with these my guests have returned,
She receive with loving welcome this my belovèd bride:
So bound evermore unto Kriemhild shall my love and my service abide.”
Then of the Lady Brunhild and of all her following
Fair leave was taken of Siegfried, the child of Siegmund the King,
Even as was meet and seemly: then on to the Rhine rode he.
No better herald than Siegfried in all the world might be!
{p. 74}
With good knights four-and-twenty to the city of Worms he came.
“Without Gunther he cometh!”—the rumour through the city ran like flame.
Then all the thanes were troubled, and a wailing moaned all round.
They foreboded that in that far land his death the King had found.
But the knights with hearts uplifted sprang each from his gallant steed.
Then Giselher to meet them, the young Prince, hied him with speed:
Came Gernot beside him, his brother, and in eager haste he cried,
When he marked how no King Gunther was there by Siegfried’s side:
“Now welcome to thee, Lord Siegfried! I beseech thee, tell this thing,
Where left ye in your departing my brother, Gunther the King?
The mighty strength of Brunhild, I fear me, hath reft him from us;
So for us should his princely wooing have issue dolorous.”
“Cast to the winds your foreboding: to you and to all true friends
My noble comrade in emprise his loving service sends.
Whole and unharmed I left him: unto you was I sent of your Lord
That I should come with the tidings his messenger hitherward.
Now lend me your aid, to the end that this grace unto me may fall
That I may see Queen Uta, and the Lady your sister withal,
That now I may bear them the story that I was bidden to tell
Of Gunther and Lady Brunhild, that with these twain all is well.”
Then the young Prince Giselher answered: “Speak thou unto them thereof,
So shalt thou unto my sister render a service of love.
For the sake of my brother Gunther in exceeding sorrow she is.
Full gladly the maiden will see thee: lo, I will be surety for this.”
Spake Siegfried: “What service soever unto her may be rendered of me,
Faithfully will I perform it ever and willingly.
Now who beareth word of my coming to the noble Ladies twain?”
So Giselher was herald, that young and comely thane.
Blithely Giselher hasted, and the lad to his mother cried
And his sister, where in their bower these twain sat side by side:
“Siegfried the Netherland hero hither to us is come!
Gunther my brother hath sent him to us in our Rhineland home!
{p. 75}
Tidings to us he bringeth of the King your brother’s plight.
Now send him word of your pleasure that he come into your sight.
The story of all that in Iceland was done unto us he brings.”
—But he left to another to comfort those sorrowing Daughters of Kings.
They ran to their tiring-bower, they donned their richest array,
And they sent word praying Siegfried to come unto them straightway.
Full fain did he come at their summons, and he met them with joyful eyes.
Then spake Kriemhild the queenly to the hero in gracious wise:
“Now welcome, Lord Knight Siegfried, peer unto whom is none!
Where bideth my brother Gunther, that noble kingly one?
Through the might of Brunhild, I fear me, are we left of his love forlorn!
Woe for me, hapless maiden, that ever I was born!”
But the bold knight smiled in answer—“My good-news’ guerdon pay!
Ye be weeping, O lovely Ladies, without a cause............