Then stole thence Hagen of Troneg: to the presence of…

Then stole thence Hagen of Troneg: to the presence of Kriemhild he came, As who, ere they marched unto battle, would take his leave of the dame. "Now happy am I," said Kriemhild, "to have won to myself such a lord Who unto my friends belovèd is so mighty a battle-ward As Siegfried is to my brethren when he aideth them in fight; And for this am I heart-uplifted," said the Queen, "with abiding delight. Hagen, friend well-belovèd, I pray thee, of this take thought— I have joyed to do thee service, nor borne thee malice in aught: Let this be requited in kindness to my belovèd lord. Let him suffer not for my speaking to Brunhild a hasty word. Thereof," said the noble lady, "constrained have I been to repent: He hath visited on my body in sorest chastisement My folly of speech in stirring the Queen unto angry mood: He hath verily well avenged her, that noble knight and good."

"Yet a little while, and atonement shall she accept of thee," He said, "dear Lady Kriemhild: now I pray thee, tell unto me In what wise I may do thee service through Siegfried thy lord and thy knight. None living would I, O lady, for thy kindness so gladly requite." "For him were I wholly dreadless," made answer Siegfried's wife, "Lest any in storm of battle should imperil mine hero's life,

Were it not for his reckless defying of danger in battle's van; Else would he aye go scatheless, that good and valiant man." "O Lady, if this thou fearest," in his subtlety Hagen replied, "Lest in battle he haply be wounded, then unto me confide How best I may devise it, such peril to withstand; Then for his warding ever will I ride full near at hand."

She answered, "Thou art my kinsman, and of blood am I near unto thee. I commit my lord, my belovèd, to thy faith and thy fealty, That for my sake o'er my belovèd the shield of protection thou hold." Then to Hagen revealed she a story that had better been left untold. For she said, "My lord is fearless, and the strongest man of men; And he slew on a day mid the mountains the Dragon of the Fen; Then bathed the hero his body in the blood of the monster worm, Wherefore availeth to wound him no weapon that man may form. Yet ever mine heart is fearful when in forefront of battle he stands, And many a flying javelin is sped from warriors' hands, Lest I peradventure may lose him, mine hero of all loved best:— Ah me, with what fears for Siegfried tosses mine heart in unrest! O friend, dear friend and kinsman, on thy faithful love I lean That thou wilt guard thy troth-plight given herein to a queen, When I tell to thee where my belovèd may be wounded of the steel. Now shalt thou hear: the secret to thine honour and love I reveal. When from the wounds of the Dragon flowed the hot-reeking blood, And when in the red pool bathed him that fearless knight and good, There fell on him 'twixt the shoulders one broad lime-tree leaf On that spot may he be wounded; and this is my sorrow and grief."

Answered her Hagen of Troneg: "Thou then with thine own hand sew On his vesture a little token that to me that spot may show The which, when we stand in the war-storm, with heed evermore must I shield." She thought from peril to save him; but so unto death was he sealed. She said, "I will sew on his garment with a silken thread spun fine A faintly-visible crosslet: there that strong hand of thine,

Hero, shall guard mine husband, as he presseth aye to the front, And standeth begirt with foemen in the battle's sternest brunt." "Even this will I do, dear Lady," false Hagen made reply. She thought in her wifely yearning to redeem him from death thereby:— Ah me, thereby did Kriemhild her lord unto death betray! Most courteous leave took Hagen, and with glad heart hasted away.

(C) Then asked of him King Gunther: "What secret hath Hagen learned?" "King, we will ride forth hunting when back is the war-march turned. Now have I gotten the knowledge whereby he shall surely die. Thou, wilt thou appoint this hunting?" Said the King, "Yea, that will I!" Now are the kinsmen of Gunther blithe, and their hearts are light! Never, I ween, thereafter to the end of time shall knight Devise such black betrayal as by these contrived hath been From the trust in knighthood's honour placed by a wife and a Queen!

On the morrow's morning early Siegfried the knight rode forth With a thousand men blithe-hearted, their faces set to the north. He weened he should take a vengeance for his friends' wrong fierce and fell. So nigh unto him rode Hagen that he marked his surcoat well. Then, when he spied the token, he sent all secretly To be bearers of other tidings two men of his company Which should say, "Let the great King's country in peace unmarred abide, For to make submission to Gunther hath Lüdeger bidden us ride." How passing loth was Siegfried to turn him back from the fight, From avenging friends and kinsmen on these that had done them despite! Scarce could the liegemen of Gunther persuade him to sheathe the sword. Back rode he at last to the traitor, and the King his thanks outpoured: "God guerdon thee, friend Siegfried, for thy good heart unto mine aid, That thou offeredst thee so freely what time for thine help I prayed! For this will I aye be beholden to thee, as well may I be. Beyond all friends and kinsmen do I put chief trust in thee! But seeing that now for a season war unto peace giveth place, Go to, let us hunt the wild-boar and hold the bear in chase

In the Odenwald, as ofttimes in days overpast have I done." —By Hagen was all this plotted, the utter-treacherous one. "Each guest of mine by my message shall straightway be certified That tomorn we go forth hunting: whoso with me will ride, Let him hold him early ready: if any will bide here still Fleeting careless hours with the ladies, that doth he with my good will." With knightly courtesy Siegfried made answer thereunto: "If ye ride forth a-hunting, I will gladly go with you. So ye will but lend me a huntsman who shall rouse the quarry for me, And therewithal some sleuth-hounds, to the forest will I with thee." "One huntsman wilt thou only?" King Gunther straightway replied. "I will lend thee four, an it please thee, which know from side to side The forest and all the wood-ways, and every wild thing's lair, Lest thou err from the path unknowing when campward at even we fare."

Then rode the hero to Kriemhild, and told to her everything, The while that the tale of Hagen was told in the ears of the King, Even all his deadly devising against that noble thane:— God grant such treachery never may be wrought by man again! (C) So when these royal hunters had woven the dark death-snare, Then told they the plot to their fellows. Yet Gernot and Giselher Would not with the rest go hunting. Wherefore from warning their friend They hardened their hearts, I know not. Fully paid was the price in the end.

XVI. How Siegfried was Murdered

Now Gunther the King and Hagen, those knights of high-born blood, Have contrived with treacherous purpose the hunt through the glades of the wood. O yea, with their spears keen-whetted will they pierce the forest-bear And the wild boar and the bison—what sport for the brave more fair?

Forth rode with heart exultant Siegfried amidst of the rest. All manner of meats followed after for the feasting of host and guest. In the wood's dark heart cool-welling is a spring—there left he his life By the counselling of Brunhild, King Gunther's ruthless wife. But the bold knight, ere he departed, farewell to his wife would say. Already on sumpters laden was his goodly hunting array, And the gear of his woodland-fellows, for over the Rhine would they now. But behold, she wept—ah, never had she more cause, I trow! Soft on the lips he kissed her, his well-belovèd one: "God grant me to see thee, belovèd, safe and sound anon, And that thy sweet eyes may behold me!—with the friends thou boldest dear Fleet thou the time all-careless: I may not tarry here."

Then called she to mind the story—yet durst not tell him the tale— Told erewhile unto Hagen: bitterly 'gan she bewail, That noble Daughter of Princes, that ever she saw the light; And brake into measureless weeping the bride of Siegfried the knight. And she spake to her lord: "I beseech thee, O let this hunting be! Last night was my dream a horror: two wild boars tracking thee Held thee in chase o'er a moorland—then flowers grew suddenly red! Cause have I for bitter weeping; for fear is mine heart as lead. I fear—oh, I needs must shudder at the thought of a treacherous blow, If haply offence hath been given to an unforgetting foe, Unto some who might visit their hatred and malice on thee and me. Stay here, dear lord: I beseech thee in love and in loyalty!"

But he said: "My wife, my belovèd, I shall be but a few days gone. Is there any that here bears hatred to me?—I know not one. Lo, one and all thy kinsmen unto me are gracious-willed, And I, I have earned no guerdon save the love wherewith they be filled." "Ah no, but my lord, but my Siegfried, thy very death do I dread! For I dreamed yet again for mine anguish: crashing down on thine head Suddenly fell two mountains—and I saw thee never again! If now from me thou departest, it shall be for mine uttermost pain."

Then cast he his arms about her, the utter-faithful and dear, And essayed with loving kisses that fairest of women to cheer. This was their last leave-taking: lo, he is gone from her bower. Alas and alas, never living she beheld him from that hour!

So the King rode forth to the wood-lawns that the forest's arms enfold, Seeking the hunter's pastime, and many a baron bold With Gunther rode and his liegemen. Two only were lacking there, Twain in the city that tarried, Gernot and Giselher. Many a beast full-laden before them passed over Rhine For those blithe hunting-fellows bearing the bread and the wine, The flesh and withal the fishes, and abundance of everything Which beseemeth the lord of a kingdom when he goeth journeying. Then chose they a place for their camping on the skirts of the forest green Or ever the game brake cover, those lordly hunters keen: Thence would they slip the sleuth-hounds—'twas a river-mead wide-spread. And now overtook them Siegfried, and this to the King one said.

Then set they their watch of the huntsmen all round on every side At the outlets of the wild-wood: then Siegfried the mighty cried, And spake the valiant hero: "Now who shall show us the way, O valiant knights and stalwart, to the lairs of the woodland prey?" "Let us sunder each from other," spake Hagen unto the rest, "Or ever in chase of the quarry thicket and glade we quest. So shall I and my royal master make proof of you all, and say Who hath most cunning in woodcraft of all this hunter-array. Henchmen and hounds, we will part them, that each may take his share; Then, whithersoe'er each listeth, alone let each man fare. Who taketh the goodliest quarry, to him will we give the praise." Then short time tarried the heroes from tracking the wild-wood ways. Again spake Siegfried the noble: "Unto hounds have I no will, Save for one only setter so blooded by woodcraft-skill That he tracketh the slot unerring through the tangled forest wide. Now, ho for a fortunate hunting!" the lord of Kriemhild cried.