The Nibelungenlied
1407
" If this thing doth please thee, / beloved lady mine,
Then gladly send I thither / unto those friends of thine
As messengers my minstrels / to the land of Burgundy. "
He bade the merry fiddlers / lead before him presently.
1408
Then hastened they full quickly / to where they found the king
By side of Kriemhild sitting. / He told them straight the thing,
How they should be his messengers / to Burgundy to fare.
Full stately raiment bade he / for them straightway eke prepare.
1409
Four and twenty warriors / did they apparel well.
Likewise did the monarch / to them the message tell,
How that they King Gunther / and his men should bid aright.
Them eke the Lady Kriemhild / to secret parley did invite.
1410
Then spake the mighty monarch: / " Now well my words attend.
All good and friendly greeting / unto my friends I send,
That they may deign to journey / hither to my country.
Few be the guests beside them / that were so welcome unto me.
1411
" And if they be so minded / to meet my will in aught,
Kriemhild's lofty kinsmen, / that they forego it not
To come upon the summer / here where I hold hightide,
For that my joy in living / doth greatly with my friends abide. "
1412
Then spake the fiddle-player, / Schwemmelein full bold:
" When thinkst thou in this country / such high feast to hold,
That unto thy friends yonder / tell the same we may? "
Thereto spake King Etzel: / " When next hath come midsummer day. "
1413
" We'll do as thou commandest, " / spake then Werbelein.
Unto her own chamber / commanded then the queen
To bring in secret manner / the messengers alone.
Thereby did naught but sorrow / befall full many a thane anon.
1414
She spake unto the messengers: / " Mickle wealth I give to you,
If my will in this matter / right faithfully ye do,
And bear what tidings send I / home unto our country.
I'll make you rich in treasure / and fair apparelled shall ye be.
1415
" And friends of mine so many / as ever see ye may
At Worms by Rhine river, / to them ye ne'er shall say
That any mood of sorrow / in me ye yet have seen.
Say ye that I commend me / unto the knights full brave and keen. "
1416
" Pray them that to King Etzel's / message they give heed,
Thereby to relieve me / of all my care and need,
Else shall the Huns imagine / that I all friendless am.
If I but a knight were, / oft would they see me at their home.
1417
" Eke say ye unto Gernot, / brother to me full dear,
To him might never any / disposed be more fair;
Pray him that he bring hither / unto this country
All our friends most steadfast, / that we thereby shall honored be.
1418
" Say further eke to Giselher / that he do have in mind,
That by his guilt I never / did cause for sorrow find;
Him therefore would I gladly / here with mine own eyes see,
And give him warmest welcome, / so faithful hath he been to me.
1419
" How I am held in honor, / to my mother eke make plain.
And if of Tronje Hagen / hath mind there to remain,
By whom might they in coming / through unknown lands be shown?
The way to Hunland hither / from youth to him hath well been known. "
1420
No whit knew the messengers / wherefore she did advise
That they of Tronje Hagen / should not in any wise
Leave by the Rhine to tarry. / That was anon their bane:
Through him to dire destruction / was doomed full many a doughty thane.
1421
Letters and kindly greeting / now to them they give;
They fared from thence rich laden, / and merrily might live.
Leave then they took of Etzel / and eke his lady fair,
And parted on their journey / dight in apparel rich and rare.
" If this thing doth please thee, / beloved lady mine,
Then gladly send I thither / unto those friends of thine
As messengers my minstrels / to the land of Burgundy. "
He bade the merry fiddlers / lead before him presently.
1408
Then hastened they full quickly / to where they found the king
By side of Kriemhild sitting. / He told them straight the thing,
How they should be his messengers / to Burgundy to fare.
Full stately raiment bade he / for them straightway eke prepare.
1409
Four and twenty warriors / did they apparel well.
Likewise did the monarch / to them the message tell,
How that they King Gunther / and his men should bid aright.
Them eke the Lady Kriemhild / to secret parley did invite.
1410
Then spake the mighty monarch: / " Now well my words attend.
All good and friendly greeting / unto my friends I send,
That they may deign to journey / hither to my country.
Few be the guests beside them / that were so welcome unto me.
1411
" And if they be so minded / to meet my will in aught,
Kriemhild's lofty kinsmen, / that they forego it not
To come upon the summer / here where I hold hightide,
For that my joy in living / doth greatly with my friends abide. "
1412
Then spake the fiddle-player, / Schwemmelein full bold:
" When thinkst thou in this country / such high feast to hold,
That unto thy friends yonder / tell the same we may? "
Thereto spake King Etzel: / " When next hath come midsummer day. "
1413
" We'll do as thou commandest, " / spake then Werbelein.
Unto her own chamber / commanded then the queen
To bring in secret manner / the messengers alone.
Thereby did naught but sorrow / befall full many a thane anon.
1414
She spake unto the messengers: / " Mickle wealth I give to you,
If my will in this matter / right faithfully ye do,
And bear what tidings send I / home unto our country.
I'll make you rich in treasure / and fair apparelled shall ye be.
1415
" And friends of mine so many / as ever see ye may
At Worms by Rhine river, / to them ye ne'er shall say
That any mood of sorrow / in me ye yet have seen.
Say ye that I commend me / unto the knights full brave and keen. "
1416
" Pray them that to King Etzel's / message they give heed,
Thereby to relieve me / of all my care and need,
Else shall the Huns imagine / that I all friendless am.
If I but a knight were, / oft would they see me at their home.
1417
" Eke say ye unto Gernot, / brother to me full dear,
To him might never any / disposed be more fair;
Pray him that he bring hither / unto this country
All our friends most steadfast, / that we thereby shall honored be.
1418
" Say further eke to Giselher / that he do have in mind,
That by his guilt I never / did cause for sorrow find;
Him therefore would I gladly / here with mine own eyes see,
And give him warmest welcome, / so faithful hath he been to me.
1419
" How I am held in honor, / to my mother eke make plain.
And if of Tronje Hagen / hath mind there to remain,
By whom might they in coming / through unknown lands be shown?
The way to Hunland hither / from youth to him hath well been known. "
1420
No whit knew the messengers / wherefore she did advise
That they of Tronje Hagen / should not in any wise
Leave by the Rhine to tarry. / That was anon their bane:
Through him to dire destruction / was doomed full many a doughty thane.
1421
Letters and kindly greeting / now to them they give;
They fared from thence rich laden, / and merrily might live.
Leave then they took of Etzel / and eke his lady fair,
And parted on their journey / dight in apparel rich and rare.
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