From the tale of their diligent toiling awhile refraineth the song, And telleth how Lady Kriemhild and all her handmaid-throng
Set forth from the land of the Niblungs to the realms by Rhine to fare.
Never such wealth of royal vesture did horses bear:
For with many a casket and coffer they laded the sumpter-train.
Amidst of friends and kinsmen rode Siegfried the hero-thane;
And beside him the Daughter of Princes mid dreams of gladness rode:
—Ah me, sore grief lay ambushed by the path that their horses trode!
But the little child of Siegfried, but Kriemhild’s darling one,
Safe in the home-land left they; of need must it so be done.
Begotten for him of their journey was bitter affliction and sore.
Strong father and lovely mother that child saw never more!
Beside them went forth riding Siegmund the ancient king.
Ah, had his heart foreboded what sorrow was doomed to spring
For him of that festal high-tide, he had never looked thereon!
Never from wrongs of kindred such bitter grief had he won!
Forerunners to tell of their coming betimes far onward they sent:
Then riding forth to meet them all splendour-gleaming went
Many a friend of Uta and vassal of Gunther the King:
With looking for that guest-meeting his heart was hungering.
Then went he and spake unto Brunhild, where sat the Queen in her bower:—
“When hither thou camest, how welcomed my sister thee in that hour?
So will I the wife of Siegfried should be welcomed now of thee.”
“That will I gladly,” she answered, “of right is she dear unto me.”
Thereunto the great King answered: “To-morrow betimes come they.
If thou wilt fitly receive them, lay to thine hand straightway,
{p. 107}
Lest they peradventure prevent us ere we ride from our towered home;
For guests so well-belovèd never to me have come.”
Forthwith she gave to the maidens and palace-dames her behest
To search out goodly raiment, of all their attire the best,
Wherein her retinue-royal in the presence of guests might shine:
And the same did they blithe-hearted, lightly may one divine.
Forth to the welcoming hasted all Gunther’s liegemen withal;
Yea, to ride with him to the greeting each man of his knights did he call.
There rode that Daughter of Princes in royal pomp to meet
Those dear-loved guests far-travelled, and with gracious lips to greet.
What heaped-up measure of honour in their hands to their guests did they bring!
Men thought that the Lady Brunhild had scarce such welcoming
At the hands of the Princess Kriemhild when she came to Burgundia-land.
Friends became some, that were erstwhile strangers, by clasp of hand.
By this came the band of warriors that rode at Siegfried’s side.
Men saw those ranks of heroes hitherward, thitherward ride
Through all the breadth of the lealand, a warrior-host untold:
There was no space clear from their thronging, and the clouds of dust uprolled.
When the Lord of the Land Burgundian looked upon Siegfried’s face
And the eyes of the old king Siegmund, what courtly and loving grace
Was his as he cried, “Be welcome to me, to my friends and my kin!
Well may we be glad-hearted at this your entering-in!”
“God guerdon you!” cried Siegmund, the old king honour-athirst.
“Since the day that my dear son Siegfried was won to your friend at the first,
Ever mine heart hath whispered, ‘Their faces must thou too see’.”
Spake Gunther, “Mine heart rejoiceth for that day risen on me.”
Such was the welcome of Siegfried, right worthy of such a lord.
With the love thereof and the honour were all hearts in accord:
This Gernot and Giselher bettered with their knightly courtesy.
No guests were welcomed ever, I ween, so lovingly.
{p. 108}
Unto hand-clasp and embracing the wives of the two Kings came.
Now fast were the saddles emptied, for many a comely dame
By heroes’ hands down-holpen, stood on the meadow-green.
Who joyed in the service of ladies, had work enow, I ween.
To meet and to greet each other those winsome ladies stept,
And for joy of their lovely presence full many a knight’s heart leapt,
And for joy of the gracious greeting of the glory of either land;
For beside those comely maidens did many a good knight stand.
Then did the hands kind-clasping each unto other cling:
There was grace of courtly obeisance through that bright gathering,
Sweet salutations of kisses ’twixt ladies passing fair:
And the men of Gunther and Siegfried glad-hearted watched them there.
Then tarried they there no longer, but on to the city they rode.
And the folk of the Land Burgundian by command of their Lord forthshowed
To their guests their joy of the meeting by knightly courtesies;
And through all the way they jousted to gladden the ladies’ eyes.
Hagen of Troneg and Ortwein made manifest that day
To the eyes of all beholders what stalwart knights were they:
Marshals they were of the tourney, and all men obeyed their behests;
So of these much cou............