now when the burgundian heroes came to the hunfolk’s land,

told was the thing to the warrior of bern, old hildebrand,

and he unto dietrich told it; and his lord with grief and dismay

heard; yet he bade him welcome that valiant knightly array.

then were the horses saddled at the bidding of wolfhart the strong.

with the hero of bern went riding knights in a lordly throng

to greet the friends far-travelled. on the river-plain they met

where many a goodly pavilion the squires by this had set.

so soon as hagen of troneg beheld them from far away,

in knightly-courteous fashion unto his lords did he say:

“now, warriors battle-eager, leap each man down from the selle,

and go ye forward to meet them which be come to greet you well.

a warrior company cometh; full well be they known unto me;

thanes battle-eager and stalwart from the amals’ land they be;

{p. 235}

and the hero of bern is their leader, and their courage is high in the fray.

ye shall nowise scorn the service they proffer to you this day.”

then sprang to the earth from the saddle, even as was meet and right,

dietrich, and there with their captain were many a squire and knight.

forward to that guest-greeting they strode to the hero-band,

and in kindliest wise they welcomed the men of burgundia-land.

so now when the noble dietrich beheld them drawing nigh,

gladness and sorrow within him strove for the mastery[11].

well knew he the deadly secret: a grief was their journey to him;

but he weened that rüdiger knew it, and had told of the peril grim.

“welcome, my lords! o gunther and giselher, welcome be ye!

gernot and hagen, welcome! lord volker, welcome to thee

and to dankwart the battle-eager!—but hath no man told you the tale

how still for the niblung hero doth kriemhild weep and wail?”

“let her weep so long as she listeth!” scornfully hagen replied.

“many a year hath fleeted since her lord was smitten and died.

ay, let her joy and her solace be the love of the lord of the hun!

siegfried returneth never; he was buried long agone.”

“enough of the slaying of siegfried! his memory is not dead.

so long as kriemhild liveth may the vengeance-snare be spread.”

—so spake the noble dietrich, the hero of bern, his rede.—

“o hope of the niblung nation, of her vengeance take good heed!”

“beware of my sister!—and wherefore?” proudly the king replied.

“etzel hath sent to us heralds—what should i ask beside?—

bidding us ride to meet him here in this land as a friend.

yea, many a loving greeting did my sister kriemhild send.”

“hearken,” again spake hagen, “and so will i counsel you.

hear ye this story of kriemhild, and let it be told all through

by dietrich the lord of the amals, and his heroes valorous:

so shall the mind of kriemhild be wholly revealed unto us.”

{p. 236}

then drew them apart the princes, and spake together the three,

even gunther the king and gernot and dietrich secretly:

“o knight of bern most noble and valiant, tell us now—

of the inmost mind of kriemhild the queen what knowest thou?”

and the prince of bern made answer: “what other can be my tale

save this, that morning by morning i hear her weep and wail—

this etzel’s wife, queen kriemhild—with bitter and passionate breath

appealing to god in heaven to avenge strong siegfried’s death?”

“o’erlate is it now for repenting as touching this thou hast told,”

spake volker the viol-minstrel, the warrior ever bold.

“let us on to the court of the hun-king, and let it there be seen

what deeds shall be done of the hunfolk to the warriors battle-keen.”

so on to the court went riding that bold burgundian band,

bearing themselves right proudly after the wont of their land.

then many a valiant warrior of the huns watched eagerly

for the coming of hagen of troneg, what manner of man should he be.

known long since was the story to all folk, how that his hand

had dealt unto siegfried the death-stab, to the king of the nether land,

of all stark knights the strongest, the lord of kriemhild the queen:

therefore the expectation of men to behold him was keen.

mighty of mould was the hero, as the soothfast songs declare,

exceeding broad in the shoulders and deep of chest, and his hair

by this was a sable silvered; sinewy, long of limb,

as a king was he stately in going, and his face as death was grim.

then all the thanes burgundian into hostels did they bring;

but the train of the squires of gunther were sundered far from the king.

it was done by the queen’s devising, for the hate that to him she bare.

slain ere long in their hostels all those henchmen were.

dankwart the brother of hagen was marshal of all that train,

and to him did the king commit them, charging him once and again

to do his utmost endeavour for supplying of all their need;

and he laboured with willing spirit, and served with diligent heed.

{p. 237}

forth came the fair queen kriemhild with a goodly company.

with falsely-feignèd kindness those niblungs greeted she.

then giselher her brother did she kiss, and she clasped his hand:

when hagen of troneg saw it, he tightened his helmet-band.

“good sooth, after such a welcome,” hagen cried, “there is need

that the battle-eager warriors should take to themselves good heed!

the greeting of prince and of liegeman is here no whit the same.

i wot, on an evil journey to this high-tide we came!”

she answered, “to him be welcome who joyeth to see thy face!

for thy friendship’s sake is accorded here no greeting’s grace.

this tell to me, what dost thou bring me from worms beyond the rhine,

that unto me so welcome should be this presence of thine?”

“what new thing shall this be, quotha!” spake hagen scornfully,

“that these good knights burgundian should be bringers of gifts unto thee?

had i known that thou wert so grasping—i am rich enow, i wot,—

a gift unto thee of my bounty to the hunland had i brought.”

“thy gifts!—thou answer the question i ask of thee this day:

the hoard, the niblung treasure—where have ye thrust it away?

that at least was mine own possession, well dost thou understand!

that should ye have brought to its owner unto king etzel’s land.”

“of a truth, my lady kriemhild, full many a day hath passed

since the gold of the niblung treasure of me was beholden last.

under the rhine-river waters by command of my lords was it drowned:

there must it stay of a surety till the trumpet of doom shall sound.”

and the queen made bitter answer: “i trowed that so it would be!

of his spoil has the thief brought hither little enow unto me,

though the gold was mine own possession, erewhile of me controlled!

for the gold and its lord have i suffered anguish manifold.”

“the fiend a gift do i bring thee!” cried hagen in savage scorn.

“’tis enough for me that i carry the shield on mine arm that is borne,

and the harness about my body, and mine helm bright-glittering,

and the sword at my side—they suffice me: nothing to thee do i bring.”

{p. 238}

(c) “nay, never think thou,” she answered, “that it is for the gold i care.

i need not to stint my bounty, enough have i and to spare.

but the murderer, twice a robber, who hath stol’n from my life its light,

the spoiler of helpless women, him would i fain requite!”

then spake that daughter of princes to burgundy’s warriors all:

“it fits not that ye bear weapons here in the royal hall.

commit them to me, ye heroes, and well will i ward them for you.”

“of a truth,” made answer hagen, “that will we never do!

i crave not the honour, o gracious child of a princely line,

that thou to thy place of safety bear any weapon of mine,

nor shield, nor battle-harness—queen, well i wot, thou art here.

wisely my father taught me to ward mine own war-gear.”

“ah, woe is me for the sorrows heaped on me!” kriemhild cried.

“for what cause now of my brother and of hagen is this denied

that i have their shields in my keeping? of a surety, warned are they!

if i knew what man hath betrayed me, his head for his treason should pay!”

then dietrich flamed into anger, and swiftly answered he:

“lo, i am he that hath warned them, these princes of burgundy,

and the king of the rhineland’s liegemen, and hagen the unafraid!

make trial, thou child of the devil, if the debt shall by me be paid!”

then quailed before him kriemhild, and darkly she flushed with shame:

for before the mighty dietrich great fear on her spirit came.

straightway she went from their presence: no word to her lips arose,

but one swift glance of hatred she flashed upon her foes.

stood face to face these heroes with hand in right hand clasped:

dietrich of bern in friendship the hand of hagen grasped.

then spake to the knight of troneg that battle-mighty chief:

“of a truth your journey to hunland is pain unto me and grief,

forasmuch as yon daughter of princes hath so revealed her hate.”

answered him hagen of troneg: “we will put to the test our fate.”

so did the dauntless heroes each unto other say.

king etzel beheld them communing, and he questioned of them straightway:

{p. 239}

“fain would i one should tell me,” so asked of his men the king,

“what knightly warrior yonder with such friendly welcoming

is greeted by our lord dietrich. a lofty spirit he bears:

what thane soe’er was his father, a goodly knight he appears.”

spake of the train of kriemhild to the king a certain knight:

“troneg is the warrior’s birthplace, his father aldrian hight.

how blithely soever he bear him, a grim stark foeman he is.

i trow, ere long shall i prove it, that utter truth is this.”

“nay, how should i learn that the hero is in battle so grim?” he replied;

for as yet had the king no knowledge of the snares of death spread wide

around the feet of her kinsmen by the queen for revenge who yearned—

so wide, that back from the hunland no man of them all returned.

“well knew i aldrian,” spake he: “my liegeman he was of old.

praise at my court he won him and honour manifold:

yea, and of me was he knighted, and i gave him gold and gear;

and my true and faithful lady, helka, held him dear.

well known thereafter was hagen unto me: in years long fled

as hostages high-born children twain to my land i led,

even him and walter the spaniard. here unto men grew they,

till i sent home hagen; but walter with hildegund fled away.”

so mused he on days passed over and deeds done long agone,

and his warrior-friend of troneg whom there of old he had known,

who in youth had rendered him service in many a strenuous day,

but now in his age was destined a host of his friends to slay.