Whene’er to him it happened weapons at court to see

Whene’er to him it happened weapons at court to see, He understood them readily, and their wearer longed to be; The helmet and ringed armor would he have put on gladly: Alas! not long he saw them, and all his hopes of fighting ended sadly.

While the kingly Sigeband, beneath a cedar-tree, One day on the turf was seated, the queen said earnestly: “Although good name and riches we share with one another, At one thing yet I wonder, and this from you I dare to hide no further.”

He asked of her: “What is it?” Then said his helpmeet kind: “It me doth sorely worry in body and in mind, And my heart, alas! is heavy; to my wish you give no heeding, To see you ’midst your vassals, my beaming eyes with pride upon you feeding.”

The king to her thus answered: “How should it ever be That you have had such longing me with my knights to see? I will strive thy will to follow, of this think not so sadly; Ever to meet thy wishes, both care and toil will I give myself most gladly.”

She said: “No man is living who owns such wealth, I trow, Who has so many castles or lands so wide as thou, With silver and gems so costly, and gold so heavy weighing; For this are our ways too lowly, and nought there is in life to me worth saying.