The Nibelungenlied
By George Henry Needler, Translator
Thirteenth Adventure - How they fared to the Feast
778
Leave we now the ardor / wherewith they did prepare, And tell how Lady Kriemhild / and eke her maidens fair From land of Nibelungen / did journey to the Rhine. Ne’er did horses carry / such store of raiment rich and fine.
779
Carrying-chests full many / for the way they made ready. Then rode the thane Siegfried / with his friends in company And eke the queen thither / where joy they looked to find. Where now was high rejoicing / they soon in sorest grief repined.
780
At home behind them left they / Lady Kriemhild’s son That she did bear to Siegfried / –’twas meet that that be done. From this their festive journey / rose mickle sorrow sore: His father and his mother / their child beheld they never more.
781
Then eke with them thither / Siegmund the king did ride. Had he e’er had knowledge / what should there betide Anon from that high journey, / such had he never seen: Ne’er wrought upon dear kindred / might so grievous wrong have been.
782
Messengers sent they forward / that the tidings told should be. Then forth did ride to meet them / with gladsome company Ute’s friends full many / and many a Gunther’s man. With zeal to make him ready / unto his guests the king began.
783
Where he found Brunhild sitting, / thither straight went he. “How received thee my sister, / as thou cam’st to this country? Like preparations shalt thou / for Siegfried’s wife now make." “Fain do I that; good reason / have I to love her well,” she spake.
784
Then quoth the mighty monarch: / “The morn shall see them here. Wilt thou go forth to meet them, / apace do thou prepare, That not within the castle / their coming we await. Guests more welcome never / greeted I of high estate.”
785
Her maidens and her ladies / straight did she command To choose them rich apparel, / the best within the land, In which the stately company / before the guests should go. The same they did right gladly, / that may ye full surely know.
786
Then eke to offer service / the men of Gunther hied, And all his doughty warriors / saw ye by the monarch’s side. Then rode the queen full stately / the strangers forth to meet, And hearty was the welcome / as she her loving guests did greet.
787
With what glad rejoicings / the guests they did receive! They deemed that Lady Kriemhild / did unto Brunhild give Ne’er so warm a welcome / to the land of Burgundy. Bold knights that yet were strangers / rejoiced each other there to see.
788
Now come was also Siegfried / with his valiant men. The warriors saw ye riding / thither and back again, Where’er the plain extended, / with huge company. From the dust and crowding / could none in all the rout be free.
789
When the monarch of the country / Siegfried did see And with him also Siegmund, / spake he full lovingly: “Be ye to me full welcome / and to all these friends of mine. Our hearts right glad they shall be / o’er this your journey to the Rhine.”
790
“God give thee meed,” spake Siegmund, / a knight in honor grown. “Since that my son Siegfried / thee for a friend hath known, My heart hath e’er advised me / that thee I soon should see." Thereto spake royal Gunther: / “Joy hast thou brought full great to me.”
791
Siegfried was there received, / as fitted his high state, With full lofty honors, / nor one did bear him hate. There joined in way right courteous / Gernot and Giselher: I ween so warm a welcome / did they make for strangers ne’er.
792
The spouse of each high monarch / greeted the other there. Emptied was many a saddle, / and many a lady fair By hero’s hand was lifted / adown upon the sward. By waiting on fair lady / how many a knight sought high reward!
793
So went unto each other / the ladies richly dight; Thereat in high rejoicing / was seen full many a knight, That by both the greeting / in such fair way was done. By fair maidens standing / saw ye warriors many a one.
794
Each took the hand of other / in all their company; In courteous manner bending / full many might ye see And loving kisses given / by ladies debonair. Rejoiced the men of Gunther / and Siegfried to behold them there.
795
They bided there no longer / but rode into the town. The host bade to the strangers / in fitting way be shown, That they were seen full gladly / in the land of Burgundy. High knights full many tilting / before fair ladies might ye see.
796
Then did of Tronje Hagen / and eke Ortwein In high feats of valor / all other knights outshine. Whate’er the twain commanded / dared none to leave undone; By them was many a service / to their high guests in honor shown.
797
Shields heard ye many clashing / before the castle gate With din of lances breaking. / Long in saddle sate The host and guests there with him, / ere that within they went. With full merry pastime / joyfully the hours they spent.
798
Unto the Hall so spacious / rode the merry company. Many a silken cover / wrought full cunningly Saw ye beyond the saddles / of the ladies debonair On all sides down hanging. / King Gunther’s men did meet them there.
799
Led by the same the strangers / to their apartments passed. Meanwhile oft her glances / Brunhild was seen to cast Upon the Lady Kriemhild, / for she was passing fair. In lustre vied her color / with the gold that she did wear.
800
Within the town a clamor / at Worms on every hand Arose amid their followers. / King Gunther gave command To Dankwart his Marshal / to tend them all with care. Then bade he fitting quarters / for the retinue prepare.
801
Without and in the castle / the board for all was set: In sooth were never strangers / better tended yet. Whatever any wished for / did they straightway provide: So mighty was the monarch / that naught to any was denied.
802
To them was kind attention / and all good friendship shown. The host then at the table / with his guests sat him down. Siegfried they bade be seated / where he did sit before. Then went with him to table / full many a stately warrior more.
803
Gallant knights twelve hundred / in the circle there, I ween, With him sat at table. / Brunhild the lofty queen Did deem that never vassal / could more mighty be. So well she yet was minded, / she saw it not unwillingly.
804
There upon an evening, / as the king with guests did dine, Full many a rich attire / was wet with ruddy wine, As passed among the tables / the butlers to and fro. And great was their endeavor / full honor to the guests to show.
805
As long hath been the custom / at high festivity Fit lodging there was given / to maid and high lady. From whence soe’er they came there / they had the host’s good care; Unto each guest was meted / of fitting honors fullest share.
806
When now the night was ended / and came forth the dawn, From chests they carried with them, / full many a precious stone Sparkled on costly raiment / by hand of lady sought. Stately robes full many / forth to deck them then they brought.
807
Ere dawn was full appeared, / before the Hall again Came knights and squires many, / whereat arose the din E’en before the matins / that for the king were sung. Well pleased was the monarch / at joust to see the warriors young.
808
Full lustily and loudly / many a horn did blare, Of flutes and eke of trumpets / such din did rend the air That loud came back the echo / from Worms the city wide. The warriors high-hearted / to saddle sprung on every side.
809
Arose there in that country / high a jousting keen Of many a doughty warrior / whereof were many seen, Whom there their hearts more youthful / did make of merry mood; Of these ’neath shield there saw ye / many a stately knight and good.
810
There sat within the casements / many a high lady And maidens many with them, / the which were fair to see. Down looked they where did tourney / many a valiant man. The host with his good kinsmen / himself a-riding soon began.
811
Thus they found them pastime, / and fled the time full well; Then heard they from the minster / the sound of many a bell. Forth upon their horses / the ladies thence did ride; Many a knight full valiant / the lofty queens accompanied.
812
They then before the minster / alighted on the grass. Unto her guests Queen Brunhild / yet well-minded was. Into the spacious minster / they passed, and each wore crown. Their friendship yet was broken / by direst jealousy anon.
813
When the mass was ended / went they thence again In full stately manner. / Thereafter were they seen Joyous at board together. / The pleasure full did last, Until days eleven / amid the merry-making passed.