Books: The Nibelungenlied

T >> trans. by George Henry Needler >> The Nibelungenlied

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2349

Then knew full well Sir Dietrich / that the warrior keen
Savage was of humor, / and best himself to screen
Sought of Bern the hero / from many a murderous blow,
Whereby the valiant Hagen / straightway came he well to know.

2350

Eke fear he had of Balmung, / a strong and trusty blade.
Each blow meanwhile Sir Dietrich / with cunning art repaid,
Till that he dealt to Hagen / a wound both deep and long,
Whereat give o'er the struggle / must the valiant knight and strong.

2351

Bethought him then Sir Dietrich: / "Through toil thy strength has fled,
And little honor had I / shouldst thou lie before me dead.
So will I yet make trial / if I may not subdue
Thee unto me as hostage." / Light task 'twas not the same to do.

2352

His shield down cast he from him / and with what strength he found
About the knight of Tronje / fast his arms he wound.
In such wise was subdued / by him the doughty knight;
Gunther the noble monarch / did weep to see his sorry plight.

2353

Bind Hagen then did Dietrich, / and led him where did stand
Kriemhild the royal lady, / and gave into her hand
Of all the bravest warrior / that ever weapon bore.
After her mickle sorrow / had she merry heart once more.

2354

For joy before Sir Dietrich / bent royal Etzel's wife:
"Blessed be thou ever / in heart while lasteth life.
Through thee is now forgotten / all my dire need;
An death do not prevent me, / from me shall ever be thy meed."

2355

Then spake to her Sir Dietrich, / "Take not his life away,
High and royal lady, / for full will he repay
Thee for the mickle evil / on thee have wrought his hands.
Be it not his misfortune / that bound before thee here he stands."

2356

Then bade she forth lead Hagen / to dungeon keep near by,
Wherein he lay fast bolted / and hid from every eye.
Gunther, the noble monarch, / with loudest voice did say:
"The knight of Bern who wrongs me, / whither hath he fled away?"

2357

Meanwhile back towards him / the doughty Dietrich came,
And found the royal Gunther / a knight of worthy name.
Eke he might bide longer / but down to meet him sprang,
And soon with angry clamor / their swords before the palace rang.

2358

How famed soe'er Sir Dietrich / and great the name he bore,
With wrath was filled King Gunther, / and eke did rage full sore
At thought of grievous sorrow / suffered at his hand:
Still tell they as high wonder / how Dietrich might his blows withstand.

2359

In store of doughty valor / each did nothing lack.
From palace and from tower / the din of blows came back
As on well-fastened helmets / the lusty swords came down,
And royal Gunther's valor / in the fight full clear was shown.

2360

The knight of Bern yet tamed him / as Hagen erst befell,
And oozing through his armor / the blood was seen to swell
From cut of sharpest weapon / in Dietrich's arm that swung.
Right worthily King Gunther / had borne him after labors long.

2361

Bound was then the monarch / by Sir Dietrich's hand,
Albeit bonds should suffer / ne'er king of any land.
But deemed he, if King Gunther / and Hagen yet were free,
Secure might never any / from their searching vengeance be.

2362

When in such manner Dietrich / the king secure had bound
By the hand he led him / where Kriemhild he found.
At sight of his misfortune / did sorrow from her flee:
Quoth she: "Welcome Gunther / from out the land of Burgundy."

2363

He spake: "Then might I thank thee, / sister of high degree,
When that some whit more gracious / might thy greeting be.
So angry art thou minded / ever yet, O queen,
Full spare shall be thy greeting / to Hagen and to me, I ween."

2364

Then spake of Bern the hero: / "Ne'er till now, O queen,
Given o'er as hostage / have knights so worthy been,
As I, O lofty lady, / in these have given to thee:
I pray thee higher evils / to spare them now for sake of me."

2365

She vowed to do it gladly. / Then forth Sir Dietrich went
With weeping eyes to see there / such knights' imprisonment.
In grimmest ways thereafter / wreaked vengeance Etzel's wife:
Beneath her hand those chosen / warriors twain must end their life.

2366

She let them lie asunder / the less at ease to be,
Nor did each the other / thenceforward ever see
Till that unto Hagen / her brother's head she bore.
In sooth did Kriemhild vengeance / wreak upon the twain full sore.

2367

Forth where she should find Hagen / the queen her way did take,
And in right angry manner / she to the warrior spake:
"An thou wilt but restore me / that thou hast ta'en from me,
So may'st thou come yet living / home to the land of Burgundy."

2368

Answered thereto grim Hagen: / "'Twere well thy breath to save,
Full high and royal lady. / Sworn by my troth I have
That I the hoard will tell not; / the while that yet doth live
Of my masters any, / the treasure unto none I'll give."

2369

"Then ended be the story," / the noble lady spake.
She bade them from her brother / straightway his life to take.
His head they struck from off him, / which by the hair she bore
Unto the thane of Tronje. / Thereat did grieve the knight full sore.

2370

When that he in horror / his master's head had seen,
Cried the doughty warrior / unto Kriemhild the queen:
"Now is thy heart's desire / at length accomplished.
And eke hath all befallen / as my foreboding heart hath said.

2371

"Dead lieth now the noble / king of Burgundy,
Also youthful Giselher / and Sir Gernot eke doth he.
The treasure no one knoweth / but God and me alone,
Nor e'er by thee, she-devil, / shall its hiding-place be known."

2372

Quoth she: "But ill requital / hast thou made to me.
Yet mine the sword of Siegfried / now henceforth shall be,
The which when last I saw him, / my loved husband bore,
In whom on me such sorrow / through guilt of thine doth weigh full sore."

2373

She drew it from the scabbard, / nor might he say her nay,
Though thought she from the warrior / his life to take away.
With both hands high she raised it / and off his head struck she,
Whereat did grieve King Etzel / full sore the sorry sight to see.

2374

"To arms!" cried then the monarch: / "here lieth foully slain
Beneath the hand of woman / of all the doughtiest thane
That e'er was seen in battle / or ever good shield bore!
Though foeman howsoever, / yet grieveth this my heart full sore."

2375

Quoth then the aged Hildebrand: / "Reap no gain she shall,
That thus she dared to slay him. / Whate'er to me befall,
And though myself in direst / need through him have been,
By me shall be avenged / the death of Tronje's knight full keen."

2376

In wrathful mood then Hildebrand / unto Kriemhild sprung,
And 'gainst the queen full swiftly / his massy blade he swung.
Aloud she then in terror / 'fore Hildebrand did wail,
Yet that she shrieked so loudly, / to save her what might that avail?

2377

So all those warriors fated / by hand of death lay strewn,
And e'en the queen full lofty / in pieces eke was hewn.
Dietrich and royal Etzel / at length to weep began,
And grievously they mourned / kinsmen slain and many a man.

2378

Who late stood high in honor / now in death lay low,
And fate of all the people / weeping was and woe.
To mourning now the monarch's / festal tide had passed,
As falls that joy to sorrow / turneth ever at the last.

2379

Nor can I tell you further / what later did befall,
But that good knights and ladies / saw ye mourning all,
And many a noble squire, / for friends in death laid low.
Here hath the story ending, / --that is the Nibelungen woe.

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