Now Gunther the King and Hagen, those knights of high-born blood, Have contrived with treacherous purpose the hunt through the glades of the wood.
O yea, with their spears keen-whetted will they pierce the forest-bear
And the wild boar and the bison—what sport for the brave more fair?
{p. 125}
Forth rode with heart exultant Siegfried amidst of the rest.
All manner of meats followed after for the feasting of host and guest.
In the wood’s dark heart cool-welling is a spring—there left he his life
By the counselling of Brunhild, King Gunther’s ruthless wife.
But the bold knight, ere he departed, farewell to his wife would say.
Already on sumpters laden was his goodly hunting array,
And the gear of his woodland-fellows, for over the Rhine would they now.
But behold, she wept—ah, never had she more cause, I trow!
Soft on the lips he kissed her, his well-belovèd one:
“God grant me to see thee, belovèd, safe and sound anon,
And that thy sweet eyes may behold me!—with the friends thou boldest dear
Fleet thou the time all-careless: I may not tarry here.”
Then called she to mind the story—yet durst not tell him the tale—
Told erewhile unto Hagen: bitterly ’gan she bewail,
That noble Daughter of Princes, that ever she saw the light;
And brake into measureless weeping the bride of Siegfried the knight.
And she spake to her lord: “I beseech thee, O let this hunting be!
Last night was my dream a horror: two wild boars tracking thee
Held thee in chase o’er a moorland—then flowers grew suddenly red!
Cause have I for bitter weeping; for fear is mine heart as lead.
I fear—oh, I needs must shudder at the thought of a treacherous blow,
If haply offence hath been given to an unforgetting foe,
Unto some who might visit their hatred and malice on thee and me.
Stay here, dear lord: I beseech thee in love and in loyalty!”
But he said: “My wife, my belovèd, I shall be but a few days gone.
Is there any that here bears hatred to me?—I know not one.
Lo, one and all thy kinsmen unto me are gracious-willed,
And I, I have earned no guerdon save the love wherewith they be filled.”
“Ah no, but my lord, but my Siegfried, thy very death do I dread!
For I dreamed yet again for mine anguish: crashing down on thine head
Suddenly fell two mountains—and I saw thee never again!
If now from me thou departest, it shall be for mine uttermost pain.”
{p. 126}
Then cast he his arms about her, the utter-faithful and dear,
And essayed with loving kisses that fairest of women to cheer.
This was their last leave-taking: lo, he is gone from her bower.
Alas and alas, never living she beheld him from that hour!
So the King rode forth to the wood-lawns that the forest’s arms enfold,
Seeking the hunter’s pastime, and many a baron bold
With Gunther rode and his liegemen. Two only were lacking there,
Twain in the city that tarried, Gernot and Giselher.
Many a beast full-laden before them passed over Rhine
For those blithe hunting-fellows bearing the bread and the wine,
The flesh and withal the fishes, and abundance of everything
Which beseemeth the lord of a kingdom when he goeth journeying.
Then chose they a place for their camping on the skirts of the forest green
Or ever the game brake cover, those lordly hunters keen:
Thence would they slip the sleuth-hounds—’twas a river-mead wide-spread.
And now overtook them Siegfried, and this to the King one said.
Then set they their watch of the huntsmen all round on every side
At the outlets of the wild-wood: then Siegfried the mighty cried,
And spake the valiant hero: “Now who shall show us the way,
O valiant knights and stalwart, to the lairs of the woodland prey?”
“Let us sunder each from other,” spake Hagen unto the rest,
“Or ever in chase of the quarry thicket and glade we quest.
So shall I and my royal master make proof of you all, and say
Who hath most cunning in woodcraft of all this hunter-array.
Henchmen and hounds, we will part them, that each may take his share;
Then, whithersoe’er each listeth, alone let each man fare.
Who taketh the goodliest quarry, to him will we give the praise.”
Then short time tarried the heroes from tracking the wild-wood ways.
Again spake Siegfried the noble: “Unto hounds have I no will,
Save for one only setter so blooded by woodcraft-skill
That he tracketh the slot unerring through the tangled forest wide.
Now, ho for a fortunate hunting!” the lord of Kriemhild cried.
{p. 127}
Then a certain grey-haired hunter in the leash a sleuth-hound led,
And he brought those barons, or ever long time in seeking had fled,
Where they came on the wildwood’s children; whatsoe’er from covert burst
Was chased of those merry comrades, as huntsmen have done from the first.
Whatsoe’er his sleuth-hound started, that by the swift right hand
Was slain of Siegfried the valiant, the Hero of Netherland.
So fleet were the feet of his good steed, that nought might his speed outrun;
So the praise of cunning woodcraft before them all he won:
In all manner of hunter’s prowess he stood without a peer.
The first of the forest-children that fell before his spear
Was a strong young boar, and the javelin of Siegfried drank its blood.
Not long thereafter a lion fierce-eyed before him stood.
The hound gave tongue—forth leapt he—the hero shot with the bow
Speeding the keen-tipped arrow drawn on his woodland foe.
The shot struck home, and the lion thereafter leapt but thrice;
And the hero’s hunting-fellows acclaimed him with gladsome cries.
A bison he smote thereafter; a huge elk low hath he laid;
Four urochs strong, and a great stag, a giant of the glade.
So swiftly his good horse bare him, there was nought that his speed outsped.
Harts and hinds uncounted beneath his wood-spear bled.
And now, uproused by the sleuth-hound, a wild boar burst from his lair:
Even as to flight he turned him, behold, before him there
Was the fleet-foot Lord of the Woodland, and Siegfried barred his path.
Then charged on the gallant hero the monster foaming in wrath;
But the sword of the lord of Kriemhild with a swift thrust laid him low:
None other hunter living so featly had dealt the blow.
When dead he lay by the thicket, they leashed the hound again.
Now marvelled all Burgundians at the wealth of prey he had ta’en.
“If the thing may be asked offenceless,” his huntsman merrily said,
“Leave unto us, Lord Siegfried, of the wild things some few head.
Mountain and forest thou makest of tenants dispossessed!”
Sunnily smiled the hero at the old rough woodland jest.
{p. 128}
Then halloo of men and baying of dogs burst forth all round:
Uprose so mighty a clamour of voices of huntsman and hound
That the mountain-side and the forest rang and rang again,
For that four and twenty couples were unleashed by the hunters then.
From the hearts of many children of the wild the life was riven,
While hoped full many a hunter that unto him should be given
The chiefest prize of woodcraft; but such might ne’er have been
While yet beside the camp-fire Siegfried the mighty was seen.
By now came the hunt to an ending, but not so wholly so,
But that still were the hunters bringing to the light of the camp-fire’s glow
Fells full many of wild things, and of venison good store:—
How busy now were the henchmen as the flesh to the spits they bore!
Then gave the King commandment that the hunters princely-born
Unto the supper be bidden: one long blast on the horn
Pealed far through the aisles of the forest, telling to all their band
That now at the place of the trysting waited the lord of the land.
Then spake a hunter of Siegfried: “My lord, I hear the blast
Of a horn that giveth us token that now must all we haste
Back to the place of the trysting. Now will I answer thereto.”
Then long blasts crying “Where are ye?” to their fellow-hunters flew.
Made answer Siegfried the noble, “Now forth of the wood must we.”
Smoothly the good steed bare him, fast followed his company.
They roused with their crashing and clamour a forest-beast fierce-eyed,
A savage bear; and the hero unto them that followed cried:
“I will show to our hunting-fellows a sport of merry glee.
Yonder a bear have I sighted: the hound from the leash slip ye.
Sir Bear to the place of the camping shall ride with us this day.
O nay, he shall not escape us, flee he as fast as he may!”
They slipped from the leash the sleuth-hound; swift turned the bear and fled,
And Kriemhild’s lord hard after to ride him down on-sped.
But he won a ravine all-rocky, too rugged for hoof of steed;
And the strong beast thought: “From the hunters now am I verily freed!”
{p. 129}
But the good knight leapt exultant from the saddle, and so on foot
Rushed through the brake pursuing, and came unwares on the brute
As slowly he threaded the tangle: his strong hands gripped straightway
And cast it to earth unwounded, and swiftly bound the prey.
Fangs, claws were all unavailing against his masterful might:
Fast to the saddle he lashed it; then mounted the gallant knight,
And on to the place of the camp-fire he bare it triumphant-souled
To make sport for his hunting-fellows, that goodly thane and bold.
Ha, in what lordly splendour he rode amidst the throng,
With the mighty hunting-javelin, of the keen broad blade and long,
With the goodly battle-broadsword that low as his spur-tip hung,
With the ruddy golden bugle from the hero’s baldric slung!
Of goodlier hunting-raiment never hath story told.
His mighty frame did a doublet of the velvet black enfold:
With the sable’s fur dark-lustrous his golden hair was crowned;
And ah, what rich-wrought fringes bordered his quiver round!
A panther’s fell, by reason that ever about it clung
A strange sweet scent, encased it: from his shoulders a cross-bow swung
So mighty, that, save with a windlass, none but himself alone
Could bend its arch, yet lightly by his fingers was it done.
Sea-otter’s skin was his mantle, the fell from a far shore brought;
From shoulder to heel with white tufts was it richly overwrought;
And all throughout the fur-gloss shone flicker and glint of gold
That over-rippled the mantle of that forest-master bold.
Girt to his side was Balmung, that broad and sunbright brand,
Of such exceeding sharpness that none might its edge withstand
When lightened through battle’s tempest that helmet-sundering sword.
Well might he be heart-uplifted, that princely hunter-lord!
If I needs must tell the story from end to end all o’er,
I must sing of the goodly quiver and its plenteous arrow-store,
Whose shafts had gold bands clamping the handbreadth heads thereto.
Woe to the mark of that archer, for death on the points of them flew.
{p. 130}
On came that stately rider forth of the forest-glade,
And the liegemen of Gunther beheld him like a king of hunters arrayed;
And they ran to meet him coming, and his bridle held they for him:—
Lo, cast across his saddle a huge bear mighty of limb!
Soon as on earth he lighted, from muzzle and shaggy paw
Loosed he the bands that bound it, and all the bandogs saw
That bear in their midst, and straightway all furiously they bayed.
Then rushed for the forest the monster: ha, many were sore afraid;
For the beast, from the tumult fleeing, through their woodland cooking-hall
Burst—how from the fires did the henchmen leap, and asunder fall!
Overturned was many a caldron, the brands hurled every way—
Woe’s me for the goodly victual flung mid the ashes grey!
Up from their seats on the greensward did earl and henchman spring:
Fiercely the bear snarled fleeing: straightway commanded the King
To loose the hound-pack on him, for by this all leashed they lay.
Ah, the day had had blithe ending—had that been the end of the day!
With bows and with spears on rushed they, was none that tarried there.
Fast followed the swift pursuers on the track ............