The Nibelungenlied
897
" Lady, " spake then Hagen, / " an hast thou e'er a fear
That hostile blade should pierce him, / now shalt thou give to hear
With what arts of cunning / I may the same prevent.
On horse and foot to guard him / shall ever be my fair intent. "
898
She spake: " Of my kin art thou, / as I eke of thine.
In truth to thee commended / be then dear spouse of mine,
That him well thou guardest / whom full dear I hold. "
She told to him a story / 'twere better had she left untold.
899
She spake: " A valorous husband / is mine, and doughty too.
When he the worm-like dragon / by the mountain slew,
In its blood the stately / knight himself then bathed,
Since when from cutting weapons / in battle is he all unscathed.
900
" Nathless my heart is troubled / when he in fight doth stand,
And full many a spear-shaft / is hurled by hero's hand,
Lest that I a husband / full dear should see no more.
Alack! How oft for Siegfried / must I sit in sorrow sore!
901
" On thy good-will I rest me, / dear friend, to tell to thee,
And that thy faith thou fully / provest now to me,
Where that my spouse may smitten / be by hand of foe.
This I now shall tell thee, / and on thy honor this I do.
902
" When from the wounded dragon / reeking flowed the blood,
And therein did bathe him / the valiant knight and good,
Fell down between his shoulders / full broad a linden leaf.
There may he be smitten; / 'tis cause to me of mickle grief. "
903
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Upon his tunic sew
Thou a little token. / Thereby shall I know
Where I may protect him / when in the fight we strain. "
She weened to save the hero, / yet wrought she nothing save his bane.
904
She spake: " All fine and silken / upon his coat I'll sew
A little cross full secret. / There, doughty thane, shalt thou
From my knight ward danger / when battle rageth sore,
And when amid the turmoil / he stands his enemies before. "
905
" That will I do, " quoth Hagen, / " lady full dear to me. "
Then weened eke the lady / it should his vantage be,
But there alone did Kriemhild / her own good knight betray.
Leave of her took Hagen, / and joyously he went away.
906
The followers of the monarch / were all of merry mood.
I ween that knight thereafter / never any could
Of treachery be guilty / such as then was he
When that Queen Kriemhild / did rest on his fidelity.
907
With his men a thousand / upon the following day
Rode thence Sir Siegfried / full joyously away.
He weened he should take vengeance / for harm his friends did bear.
That he might view the tunic / Hagen rode to him full near.
908
When he had viewed the token / sent Hagen thence away
Two of his men in secret / who did other tidings say:
How that King Gunther's country / had nothing now to fear
And that unto the monarch / had sent them royal Luedeger.
909
'Twas little joy to Siegfried / that he must turn again
Ere for the hostile menace / vengeance he had ta'en.
In sooth the men of Gunther / could scarce his purpose bend.
Then rode he to the monarch, / who thus began his thanks to lend:
910
" Now God reward thee for it, / my good friend Siegfried,
That thou with mind so willing / hast holpen me in need.
That shall I e'er repay thee, / as I may do of right.
To thee before all other / friends do I my service plight.
911
" Now that from battle-journey / free we are once more,
So will I ride a-hunting / the wild bear and the boar
Away to the Vosges forest, / as I full oft have done. "
The same had counselled Hagen, / the full dark and faithless man.
912
" To all my guests here with me / shall now be told
That we ride forth at daybreak: / themselves shall ready hold,
Who will join the hunting; / will any here remain
For pastime with fair ladies, / the thing behold I eke full fain. "
913
Then outspake Sir Siegfried / as in manner due:
" If that thou rid'st a-hunting, / go I gladly too.
A huntsman shalt thou grant me / and good hound beside
That shall the game discover; / so with thee to the green I'll ride. "
914
Straightway spake the monarch: / " Wilt thou but one alone?
And wilt thou, four I'll grant thee, / to whom full well is known
The forest with the runways / where most the game doth stray,
And who unto the camp-fires / will help thee back to find thy way. "
915
Unto his spouse then rode he, / the gallant knight and bold.
Full soon thereafter Hagen / unto the king had told
How he within his power / would have the noble thane:
May deed so dark and faithless / ne'er by knight be done again!
" Lady, " spake then Hagen, / " an hast thou e'er a fear
That hostile blade should pierce him, / now shalt thou give to hear
With what arts of cunning / I may the same prevent.
On horse and foot to guard him / shall ever be my fair intent. "
898
She spake: " Of my kin art thou, / as I eke of thine.
In truth to thee commended / be then dear spouse of mine,
That him well thou guardest / whom full dear I hold. "
She told to him a story / 'twere better had she left untold.
899
She spake: " A valorous husband / is mine, and doughty too.
When he the worm-like dragon / by the mountain slew,
In its blood the stately / knight himself then bathed,
Since when from cutting weapons / in battle is he all unscathed.
900
" Nathless my heart is troubled / when he in fight doth stand,
And full many a spear-shaft / is hurled by hero's hand,
Lest that I a husband / full dear should see no more.
Alack! How oft for Siegfried / must I sit in sorrow sore!
901
" On thy good-will I rest me, / dear friend, to tell to thee,
And that thy faith thou fully / provest now to me,
Where that my spouse may smitten / be by hand of foe.
This I now shall tell thee, / and on thy honor this I do.
902
" When from the wounded dragon / reeking flowed the blood,
And therein did bathe him / the valiant knight and good,
Fell down between his shoulders / full broad a linden leaf.
There may he be smitten; / 'tis cause to me of mickle grief. "
903
Then spake of Tronje Hagen: / " Upon his tunic sew
Thou a little token. / Thereby shall I know
Where I may protect him / when in the fight we strain. "
She weened to save the hero, / yet wrought she nothing save his bane.
904
She spake: " All fine and silken / upon his coat I'll sew
A little cross full secret. / There, doughty thane, shalt thou
From my knight ward danger / when battle rageth sore,
And when amid the turmoil / he stands his enemies before. "
905
" That will I do, " quoth Hagen, / " lady full dear to me. "
Then weened eke the lady / it should his vantage be,
But there alone did Kriemhild / her own good knight betray.
Leave of her took Hagen, / and joyously he went away.
906
The followers of the monarch / were all of merry mood.
I ween that knight thereafter / never any could
Of treachery be guilty / such as then was he
When that Queen Kriemhild / did rest on his fidelity.
907
With his men a thousand / upon the following day
Rode thence Sir Siegfried / full joyously away.
He weened he should take vengeance / for harm his friends did bear.
That he might view the tunic / Hagen rode to him full near.
908
When he had viewed the token / sent Hagen thence away
Two of his men in secret / who did other tidings say:
How that King Gunther's country / had nothing now to fear
And that unto the monarch / had sent them royal Luedeger.
909
'Twas little joy to Siegfried / that he must turn again
Ere for the hostile menace / vengeance he had ta'en.
In sooth the men of Gunther / could scarce his purpose bend.
Then rode he to the monarch, / who thus began his thanks to lend:
910
" Now God reward thee for it, / my good friend Siegfried,
That thou with mind so willing / hast holpen me in need.
That shall I e'er repay thee, / as I may do of right.
To thee before all other / friends do I my service plight.
911
" Now that from battle-journey / free we are once more,
So will I ride a-hunting / the wild bear and the boar
Away to the Vosges forest, / as I full oft have done. "
The same had counselled Hagen, / the full dark and faithless man.
912
" To all my guests here with me / shall now be told
That we ride forth at daybreak: / themselves shall ready hold,
Who will join the hunting; / will any here remain
For pastime with fair ladies, / the thing behold I eke full fain. "
913
Then outspake Sir Siegfried / as in manner due:
" If that thou rid'st a-hunting, / go I gladly too.
A huntsman shalt thou grant me / and good hound beside
That shall the game discover; / so with thee to the green I'll ride. "
914
Straightway spake the monarch: / " Wilt thou but one alone?
And wilt thou, four I'll grant thee, / to whom full well is known
The forest with the runways / where most the game doth stray,
And who unto the camp-fires / will help thee back to find thy way. "
915
Unto his spouse then rode he, / the gallant knight and bold.
Full soon thereafter Hagen / unto the king had told
How he within his power / would have the noble thane:
May deed so dark and faithless / ne'er by knight be done again!
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