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

give,
I will not say for certain I may not let you live⁠—
Seeing ye are my brothers and of one mother bred;⁠—
Then with these chiefs assembled I may of pardon rede.”

2105

“Now God in Heaven forefend it!” Gernot in answer said:
“Were there a thousand of us, we sooner all were dead⁠—
Though of thy kith and kindred⁠— ere we gave up to thee
A single man as hostage: nay, that can never be.”

2106

“Then are we doom’d to perish!” made answer Giselher;
“Yet no one shall deprive us of any knightly gear.
Here, as before, abide we, would any us assail,
For ne’er to any comrade did I in fealty fail.”

2107

Then spake the gallant Dankwart (by him ’twas meetly done):
“In sooth my brother Hagen standeth not yet alone!
They who a truce deny us may yet have cause to rue;
Of that we’ll make you certain⁠— take ye my word as true!”

2108

The queen spake to her warriors: “Ye men of courage high,
Go closer to the stairway, avenge mine injury!
Then will I be your debtor, as I by all means should.
I would requite on Hagen his overweening mood.

2109

“Let no man leave the palace, I charge ye above all;
I will, at the four corners, have fire set to the hall:
So all the wrongs I’ve suffer’d right well avenged shall be.”
The warriors of Etzel were ready speedily.

2110

Those that without were standing they drave the hall within
By smiting and by shooting; and fearful was the din.
Yet never would the princes their faithful men forsake;
Their fealty to each other could neither of them break.

2111

Then Etzel’s wife gave bidding to set alight the hall.
And so with fire were tortured those warriors’ bodies all.
Caught by the wind, the palace was presently aflame;
I ween that people never to such dire anguish came.

2112

“Oh, woe upon this horror!” cried many a one inside:
“For us it had been better had we in battle died.
May God have pity on us! lost evermore are we!
On us the queen her anger now wreaks infernally.”

2113

Quoth one within the palace: “Needs must we all lie dead!
What profits us the greeting that from the king we had?
The burning heat so sorely with thirst doth torture me,
I trow that in this torment my life will quickly flee.”

2114

Then Hagen spake, of Tronjé: “Ye noble knights and good,
Whoe’er by thirst is troubled may quench it here with blood.
In heat like this ’tis better than wine of any kind,
And at this time, moreover, no better may ye find.”

2115

So went one of the warriors to where a corpse he found:
He knelt to where the wound was, his helmet he unbound,
And then he fell to drinking the oozing stream of blood;
Unused as he was to it, he thought it passing good.

2116

“Requite thee God, Sir Hagen,” that man so weary spake,
“Seeing that thou hast taught me so well my thirst to slake!
A better wine right seldom hath been pour’d out for me.
Live I for some while longer, I’ll aye be bound to thee.”

2117

The rest being told about it, and how he found it good,
Then were there many others who also drank the blood.
Thereby each one among them began to gain new life⁠—
In dear ones it was paid for by many a goodly wife.

2118

Within the hall about them the sparks fell thick around,
Upon their shields they caught them and turn’d them to the ground.
The fire and smoke together distress’d them terribly.
I trow that heroes never felt greater misery.

2119

Then Tronian Hagen shouted: “Stand closer to the wall!
Let not the burning embers upon your helm-bands fall,
But in the blood more deeply trample them with your feet:
This feast the queen hath made us is but a sorry treat!”

2120

In such distressful doings the night to ending wore,
And still the gallant minstrel kept watch the house before
With Hagen his companion; upon their shields they leant,
From Etzel’s folk awaiting some further detriment.

2121

Then spake the fiddle-player: “Now go we to the hall:
So shall the Huns imagine that each of us and all
Have perish’d in this torture that hath on us been done;
Yet shall they see us meet them, in battle, everyone.”

2122

Then Giselher, the youngest of the Burgundians, spake:
“A cool wind is arising, I trow the day will break.
Now grant us, God of Heaven, on better times to fall!
For us my sister Kriemhild hath made ill festival.”

2123

Then spake there yet another: “The dawning I can see;
And since for us naught better is ever like to be,
Do on your armour, heroes; see to your safety all;⁠—
King Etzel’s wife, I doubt not, will quickly on us fall.”

2124

The host might well imagine that all the guests were slain
By dint of all their labours, or by the fiery pain;
Yet still of them were living six hundred gallant wights,
Than whom no king whatever had any better knights.

2125

They who the strangers guarded had fail’d not to espy
That still the guests were living, in spite of injury
And pains that had befallen the lords and liegemen too;
Quite sound they saw them pacing the chamber to and fro.

2126

’Twas told unto Kriemhilda that they were safe and well.
Whereto the queen made answer: “It ne’er were possible
That through the fiery torment any of them have stay’d!
I’d rather take for granted that all of them lie dead.”

2127

The princes and their liegemen were fain enough to live,
Had anyone been willing mercy to them to give.
None could they find of any within the Hunnish land!
So to avenge their dying they sought with willing hand.

2128

Towards the dawn of morning, they had, for greeting fair,
A dire assault of battle: in straits the heroes were.
Though thickly all amongst them stout javelins were thrown,
The brave and noble warriors like true knights held their own.

2129

The zeal of Etzel’s people was quicken’d by desire,
That they from Queen Kriemhilda might earn the promised hire;
Moreover they were eager to do the king’s command.
And so no few among them found speedy death at hand.

2130

Of promising and giving might wondrous tales be told.
She bade her folk on bucklers to bring the ruddy gold;
She gave to all who craved it and would accept her fee.
Ay! ne’er was greater guerdon spent for an enemy.

2131

A mighty force of warriors came in their panoply.
To them cried gallant Volker: “Here waiting still are we!
I ne’er saw knights more gladly go forth to face the foe
Than these who the king’s bounty have taken, for our woe.”

2132

Then many of them shouted: “Come nigh, ye heroes, pray,
That we may have our ending⁠— ay, come without delay!
Here none there are remaining but have been doom’d to die!”
With shafts one saw their bucklers all bristling speedily.

2133

What have I more to tell you? A good twelve hundred men
Made onset sore upon them, again and yet again.
The strangers cool’d their fury by wounding many a one⁠—
No truce could