The Nibelungenlied, - [best color ebook reader .txt] 📗

honour, gentle princess and fair,
That thou unto the hostel my shield thyself shouldst bear.
Nor other of my weapons: thou hast a queen become;
So taught me not my father; I will be chambergroom.”

1747

“O woe on all my sorrow!” Kriemhilda loudly said,
“How is it that my brother and Hagen are afraid
To leave their shields in keeping? They have been warn’d, I see;
And knew I who had done it, I’d give him death for fee.”

1748

Thereon Lord Dietrich answer’d, and said to her in scorn:
“ ’Twas I that took upon me these noble kings to warn;
And Hagen warn’d I likewise, the brave Burgundian.
Come on, thou devil’s daughter, do me the worst you can!”

1749

Ashamed and sore confounded at this was Etzel’s wife:
For bitterly with Dietrich she feared to be at strife.
She found no word to answer, but went away in haste,
Whilst but a few sharp glances upon her foes she cast.

1750

Then hand by hand two warriors took each of other hold:
The one was noble Dietrich, the other Hagen bold.
Then spake in courtly manner that knight of spirit high:
“Your coming to the Hunfolk doth grieve me, verily,

1751

“Seeing the queen hath spoken such words to you but now.”
Then Hagen spake, of Tronjé: “ ’Twill matter not, I trow.”
In such wise with each other, parley’d the two brave men.
Meanwhile King Etzel saw them, and fell to questioning then.

1752

“I would that some one told me,” the mighty sovereign said,
“Who is that warrior yonder, to whom Sir Dietrich bade
So heartily a welcome? Of courage high is he;
Whoever were his father, a hero must he be!”

1753

Then one of Kriemhild’s liegemen to answer him began:
“He is by birth of Tronjé, his sire was Aldrian.
How blithe so e’er he bears him, he hath a spirit grim.
You shall yourself discover I tell no lies of him.”

1754

“How shall I have occasion to know he is so stern?”
(The many sly devices as yet he had to learn,
Wherewith, to catch her kinsmen, the queen sought to contrive
That none of them from Hunsland again might come alive.)

1755

“Well knew I that same Aldrian, a liegeman of mine own,
And here with me he won him much honour and renown.
’Twas I a knight who dubb’d him, and gave him of my gold;
My faithful Helka bore him much kindness, too, of old.

1756

“And all, by that same token, of Hagen know I well.
Into my hands for hostage two goodly children fell,
He and the Spanish Walther; who being to manhood bred,
I sent back Hagen; Walther with Hildegunda fled.”

1757

He thought of the old stories and all that happ’d of yore,
His olden friend of Tronjé he gladly saw once more,
Who in his youth good service to him ne’er fail’d to lend.
Soon he in age repaid him by death of many a friend.

Adventure XXIX How He Stood Not Up Before Her

1758

This famous pair of warriors asunder then withdrew,
Hagen, the lord of Tronjé, and noble Dietrich, too.
Whereon across his shoulder look’d Gunther’s man around
In hope to see a comrade, whom in a trice he found;

1759

For there Sir Volker standing by Giselher he saw;
He begg’d that cunning minstrel aside with him to draw,
For well was he acquainted with his unyielding mood.
In sooth, he was in all points a warrior bold and good.

1760

They left the lords together standing in the courtyard.
’Twas seen how they twain only, and not another, fared
Across the court wide-stretching before a palace great;
Those chosen men of valour had fear of no man’s hate.

1761

They sat upon a settle against the palace front,
Hard by a hall which Kriemhild herself to use was wont.
Brightly upon their bodies their noble raiment shone,
And plenty who beheld them would gladly them have known.

1762

Like wild beasts of the forest those haughty heroes then
Were gaped upon and gazed at by all the Hunnish men.
The wife of Etzel spied them athwart a window-pane:
Whereby the fair Kriemhilda was sorely grieved again.

1763

It brought to mind her sorrow; she fell to weeping then,
Whereat was mickle marvel among King Etzel’s men:
What could have thus so quickly troubled their lady’s mood?
She answer’d: “That hath Hagen, ye heroes bold and good.”

1764

They spake unto the lady: “How can this thing have been
When we ourselves but lately have you so happy seen?
None can have been so hardy such evil to have wrought:
Else bid us to avenge it; his life shall go for naught.”

1765

“For ever would I serve him who would my wrongs repay,
To give him all he ask’d for I would be ready aye.
Upon my knees I beg you,” so spake the royal wife,
“Avenge me now on Hagen, that he may lose his life.”

1766

Then sixty gallant warriors girded their armour on,
Who, for the love of Kriemhild, were keen to set upon
And make an end of Hagen⁠— the ever valiant one⁠—
And likewise of the minstrel. ’Twas all with forethought done.

1767

But when the queen beheld them, how small a band they made,
In grim and gloomy humour she to the heroes said:
“Ye must leave unaccomplish’d what ye would take in hand:
Ay, never against Hagen so few will dare to stand!

1768

“How strong and bold soever Hagen of Tronjé be,
The man who sits beside him is stronger far than he,
Volker, the fiddler, namely; he is an evil wight.
These heroes to encounter ye will not find so light.”

1769

When they had heard this warning still more took heart of grace⁠—
Four hundred gallant warriors. That queen of noble race
Had set her heart upon it to do her foes despite:
Whence soon was mickle sorrow made ready for each knight.

1770

Now when she saw her liegemen with arms and armour clad,
Unto the ready warriors the noble lady bade:
“Abide ye here a little, ay, stand ye quiet so;
I mean to put my crown on, and to my foemen go.

1771

“And hark while I upbraid him for what he did to me,
This Hagen, lord of Tronjé, King Gunther’s knight in fee.
So arrogant I know him, he’ll give me not the lie;
And eke care I as little what he shall get thereby.”

1772

Then look’d the fiddle-player, the minstrel bold, and lo,
He saw the noble lady along a stairway go,
That led down from the palace. And when he that espied,
The ever valiant Volker unto his comrade cried:

1773

“Now look ye there, friend Hagen, how yonder cometh nigh
She who into this country hath lured us faithlessly.
With king’s wife saw I never so many men around,
Bearing in hand their weapons, as for a battle bound.

1774

“Know’st thou, friend Hagen, whether they hatred to thee bear?
If so, I fain would counsel that thou the better care
Shouldst take of life and honour: ay, that, methinks, were good!
Unless I am mistaken, they are in wrathful mood.

1775

“And some there are among them so exceeding broad of breast
That who would rest in