The Nibelungenlied
By George Henry Needler, Translator
Sixth Adventure - How Gunther fared to Isenland to Brunhild
325
Tidings unknown to any / from over Rhine now come, How winsome maids a many / far yonder had their home. Whereof the royal Gunther / bethought him one to win, And o’er the thought the monarch / of full joyous mood was seen.
326
There was a queenly maiden / seated over sea, Like her nowhere another / was ever known to be. She was in beauty matchless, / full mickle was her might; Her love the prize of contest, / she hurled the shaft with valiant knight.
327
The stone she threw far distant, / wide sprang thereafter too. Who turned to her his fancy / with intent to woo, Three times perforce must vanquish / the lady of high degree; Failed he in but one trial, / forfeited his head had he.
328
This same the lusty princess / times untold had done. When to a warrior gallant / beside the Rhine ’twas known, He thought to take unto him / the noble maid for wife: Thereby must heroes many / since that moment lose their life.
329
Then spake of Rhine the master: / “I’ll down unto the sea Unto Brunhild journey, / fare as ’twill with me. For her unmeasured beauty / I’ll gladly risk my life, Ready eke to lose it, / if she may not be my wife.”
330
“I counsel thee against it," / spake then Siegfried. “So terrible in contest / the queen is indeed, Who for her love is suitor / his zeal must dearly pay. So shalt thou from the journey / truly be content to stay.”
331
“So will I give thee counsel," / outspake Hagen there, “That thou beg of Siegfried / with thee to bear The perils that await thee: / that is now my rede, To him is known so fully / what with Brunhild will be thy need.”
332
He spake: “And wilt thou help me, / noble Siegfried, To win the lovely maiden? / Do what now I plead; And if in all her beauty / she be my wedded wife, To meet thy fullest wishes / honor will I pledge and life.”
333
Thereto answered Siegfried, / the royal Siegmund’s son: “Giv’st thou me thy sister, / so shall thy will be done, –Kriemhild the noble princess, / in beauty all before. For toils that I encounter / none other meed I ask thee more.”
334
“That pledge I,” spake then Gunther, / “Siegfried, in thy hand. And comes the lovely Brunhild / thither to this land, Thereunto thee my sister / for wife I’ll truly give, That with the lovely maiden / thou may’st ever joyful live.”
335
Oaths the knight full noble / upon the compact swore, Whereby to them came troubles / and dangers all the more, Ere they the royal lady / brought unto the Rhine. Still should the warriors valiant / in sorest need and sorrow pine.
336
With him carried Siegfried / that same mantle then, The which with mickle trouble / had won the hero keen From a dwarf in struggle, / Alberich by name. They dressed them for the journey, / the valiant thanes of lofty fame.
337
And when the doughty Siegfried / the sightless mantle wore, Had he within it / of strength as good a store As other men a dozen / in himself alone. The full stately princess / anon by cunning art he won.
338
Eke had that same mantle / such wondrous properties That any man whatever / might work whate’er he please When once he had it on him, / yet none could see or tell. ’Twas so that he won Brunhild; / whereby him evil since befell.
339
“Ere we begin our journey, / Siegfried, tell to me, That we with fullest honor / come unto the sea, Shall we lead warriors with us / down to Brunhild’s land? Thanes a thirty thousand / straightway shall be called to hand.”
340
“Men bring we ne’er so many," / answered Siegfried then. “So terrible in custom / ever is the queen, That all would death encounter / from her angry mood. I’ll give thee better counsel, / thane in valor keen and good.
341
“Like as knights-errant journey / down the Rhine shall we. Those now will I name thee / who with us shall be; But four in all the company / seaward shall we fare: Thus shall we woo the lady, / what fortune later be our share.
342
“Myself one of the company, / a second thou shalt be, Hagen be the third one / –so fare we happily; The fourth let it be Dankwart, / warrior full keen. Never thousand others / dare in fight withstand us then.”
343
“The tale I would know gladly," / the king then further said, “Ere we have parted thither / –of that were I full glad– What should we of apparel, / that would befit us well, Wear in Brunhild’s presence: / that shalt thou now to Gunther tell.”
344
“Weeds the very finest / that ever might be found They wear in every season / in Brunhild’s land: So shall we rich apparel / before the lady wear, That we have not dishonor / where men the tale hereafter hear.”
345
Then spake he to the other: / “Myself will go unto My own loving mother, / if I from her may sue That her fair tendant maidens / help that we be arrayed As we may go in honor / before the high majestic maid.”
346
Then spake of Tronje Hagen / with noble courtliness: “Why wilt thou of thy mother / beg such services? Only let thy sister / hear our mind and mood: So shall for this our journey / her good service be bestowed.”
347
Then sent he to his sister / that he her would see, And with him also Siegfried. / Ere that such might be, Herself had there the fair one / in rich apparel clad. Sooth to tell, the visit / but little did displease the maid.
348
Then also were her women / decked as for them was meet. The princes both were coming: / she rose from off her seat, As doth a high-born lady / when that she did perceive, And went the guest full noble / and eke her brother to receive.
349
“Welcome be my brother / and his companion too. I’d know the story gladly," / spake the maiden so, “What ye now are seeking / that ye are come to me: I pray you straightway tell me / how ’t with you valiants twain may be.”
350
Then spake the royal Gunther: / “Lady, thou shall hear: Spite of lofty spirits / have we yet a care. To woo a maid we travel / afar to lands unknown; We should against the journey / have rich apparel for our own.”
351
“Seat thee now, dear brother," / spake the princess fair; “Let me hear the story, / who the ladies are That ye will seek as suitors / in stranger princes’ land." Both good knights the lady / took in greeting by the hand.
352
With the twain then went she / where she herself had sat, To couches rich and costly, / in sooth believe ye that, Wrought in design full cunning / of gold embroidery. And with these fair ladies / did pass the time right pleasantly.
353
Many tender glances / and looks full many a one Fondly knight and lady / each other cast upon. Within his heart he bore her, / she was as his own life. Anon the fairest Kriemhild / was the doughty Siegfried’s wife.
354
Then spake the mighty monarch: / “Full loving sister mine, This may we ne’er accomplish / without help of thine. Unto Brunhild’s country / as suitor now we fare: ’Tis fitting that ’fore ladies / we do rich apparel wear.”
355
Then spake the royal maiden: / “Brother dear to me, In whatsoever manner / my help may given be, Of that I well assure you, / ready thereto am I. To Kriemhild ’twere a sorrow / if any should the same deny.
356
“Of me, O noble brother, / thou shalt not ask in vain: Command in courteous manner / and I will serve thee fain. Whatever be thy pleasure, / for that I’ll lend my aid And willingly I’ll do it," / spake the fair and winsome maid.
357
“It is our wish, dear sister, / apparel good to wear; That shall now directing / the royal hand prepare; And let thy maids see to it / that all is done aright, For we from this same journey / turn not aside for word of wight.”
358
Spake thereupon the maiden: / “Now mark ye what I say: Myself have silks in plenty; / now send us rich supply Of stones borne on bucklers, / so vesture we’ll prepare." To do it royal Gunther / and Siegfried both right ready were.
359
“And who are your companions," / further questioned she, “Who with you apparelled / now for court shall be?" “I it is and Siegfried, / and of my men are two, Dankwart and Hagen, / who with us to court shall go.
360
“Now rightly what we tell thee, / mark, O sister dear: ’Tis that we four companions / for four days may wear Thrice daily change of raiment / so wrought with skilful hand That we without dishonor / may take our leave of Brunhild’s land.”
361
After fair leave-taking / the knights departed so. Then of her attendants / thirty maids to go Forth from her apartments / Kriemhild the princess bade, Of those that greatest cunning / in such skilful working had.
362
The silks that were of Araby / white as the snow in sheen, And from the land of Zazamank / like unto grass so green, With stones of price they broidered; / that made apparel rare. Herself she cut them, Kriemhild / the royal maiden debonair.
363
Fur linings fashioned fairly / from dwellers in the sea Beheld by people rarely, / the best that e’er might be, With silken stuffs they covered / for the knights to wear. Now shall ye of the shining / weeds full many a wonder hear.
364
From land of far Morocco / and eke from Libya Of silks the very finest / that ever mortal saw With any monarch’s kindred, / they had a goodly store. Well showed the Lady Kriemhild / that unto them good will she bore.
365
Since they unto the journey / had wished that so it be, Skins of costly ermine / used they lavishly, Whereon were silken pieces / black as coal inlaid. To-day were any nobles / in robes so fashioned well arrayed.
366
From the gold of Araby / many a stone there shone. The women long were busy / before the work was done; But all the robes were finished / ere seven weeks did pass, When also trusty armor / for the warriors ready was.
367
When they at length were ready / adown the Rhine to fare, A ship lay waiting for them / strong built with mickle care, Which should bear them safely / far down unto the sea. The maidens rich in beauty / plied their work laboriously.
368
Then ’twas told the warriors / for them was ready there The finely wrought apparel / that they were to wear; Just as they had wished it, / so it had been made; After that the heroes / there by the Rhine no longer stayed.
369
To the knights departing / went soon a messenger: Would they come in person / to view their new attire, If it had been fitted / short and long aright. ’Twas found of proper measure, / and thanked those ladies fair each knight.
370
And all who there beheld them / they must needs confess That in the world they never / had gazed on fairer dress: At court to wear th’ apparel / did therefore please them well. Of warriors better furnished / never could a mortal tell.
371
Thanks oft-times repeated / were there not forgot. Leave of parting from them / the noble knights then sought: Like thanes of noble bearing / they went in courteous wise. Then dim and wet with weeping / grew thereat two shining eyes.
372
She spake: “O dearest brother, / still here thou mightest stay, And woo another woman– / that were the better way– Where so sore endangered / stood not thus thy life. Here nearer canst thou find thee / equally a high-born wife.”
373
I ween their hearts did tell them / what later came to pass. They wept there all together, / whatever spoken was. The gold upon their bosoms / was sullied ’neath the tears That from their eyes in plenty / fell adown amid their fears.
374
She spake: “O noble Siegfried, / to thee commended be Upon thy truth and goodness / the brother dear to me, That he come unscathed / home from Brunhild’s land." That plighted the full valiant / knight in Lady Kriemhild’s hand.
375
The mighty thane gave answer: / “If I my life retain, Then shall thy cares, good Lady, / all have been in vain. All safe I’ll bring him hither / again unto the Rhine, Be that to thee full sicker." / To him did the fair maid incline.
376
Their shields of golden color / were borne unto the strand, And all their trusty armor / was ready brought to hand. They bade their horses bring them: / they would at last depart. –Thereat did fairest women / weep with sad foreboding heart.
377
Down from lofty casement / looked many a winsome maid, As ship and sail together / by stirring breeze were swayed. Upon the Rhine they found them, / the warriors full of pride. Then outspake King Gunther: / “Who now is here the ship to guide?”
378
“That will I,” spake Siegfried; / “I can upon the flood Lead you on in safety, / that know ye, heroes good; For all the water highways / are known right well to me." With joy they then departed / from the land of Burgundy.
379
A mighty pole then grasped he, / Siegfried the doughty man, And the ship from shore / forth to shove began. Gunther the fearless also / himself took oar in hand. The knights thus brave and worthy / took departure from the land.
380
They carried rich provisions, / thereto the best of wine That might in any quarter / be found about the Rhine. Their chargers stood in comfort / and rested by the way: The ship it moved so lightly / that naught of injury had they.
381
Stretched before the breezes / were the great sail-ropes tight, And twenty miles they journeyed / ere did come the night, By fair breezes favored / down toward the sea. Their toil repaid thereafter / the dauntless knights full grievously.
382
Upon the twelfth morning, / as we in story hear, Had they by the breezes / thence been carried far, Unto Castle Isenstein / and Brunhild’s country: That to Siegfried only / was known of all the company.
383
As soon as saw King Gunther / so many towers rise And eke the boundless marches / stretch before his eyes, He spake: “Tell me, friend Siegfried, / is it known to thee Whose they are, the castles / and the majestic broad country?”
384
Thereto gave answer Siegfried: / “That well to me is known: Brunhild for their mistress / do land and people own And Isenstein’s firm towers, / as ye have heard me say. Ladies fair a many / shall ye here behold to-day.
385
“And I will give you counsel: / be it well understood That all your words must tally / –so methinks ’twere good. If ere to-day is over / our presence she command, Must we leave pride behind us, / as before Brunhild we stand.
386
“When we the lovely lady / ’mid her retainers see, Then shall ye, good companions, / in all your speech agree That Gunther is my master / and I his serving-man: ’Tis thus that all he hopeth / shall we in the end attain.”
387
To do as he had bidden / consented straight each one, And spite of proudest spirit / they left it not undone. All that he wished they promised, / and good it proved to be When anon King Gunther / the fair Brunhild came to see.
388
“Not all to meet thy wishes / do I such service swear, But most ’tis for thy sister, / Kriemhild the maiden fair; Just as my soul unto me / she is my very life, And fain would I deserve it / that she in truth become my wife.”