The Nibelungenlied: The Lay of the Nibelungs (Oxford World's Classics) (14 page)

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They loaded her trunks with precious stones. Her own chamberlain had to be present. She did not want to trust it to Giselher’s vassal. Gunther and Hagen started to laugh at that.

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Then the queen said: ‘To whom shall I entrust my lands? Before we depart, your hand and mine must provide a ruler for them.’

The noble king replied: ‘Now command someone to come forward whom you favour for this, and we shall have him be overlord.’

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The lady saw one of her most nobly-born kindred standing by her. He was her mother’s brother. The maiden said to him: ‘Now let my castles and also my lands be commended to you until such time as King Gunther’s hand passes judgement here.’

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Then she chose two thousand men from her retinue who were to travel with her to Burgundy, along with those thousand warriors from the land of the Nibelungs. They made ready for the journey. They were seen to ride down to the shore. Prünhilt took eighty-six women

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along with her, and also some hundred maidens, most fair of person. They delayed no longer; they were in haste to leave. Ah, what tears were shed by those they left at home there! In courteous decorum

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she departed from her own land. She kissed the close friends she found by her. After a good leave-taking, they embarked. The lady never returned to her father’s land.

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On the journey various entertainments were then to be heard. They had all kinds of pastimes at their disposal. A good sea-breeze assisted their journey. They left the land, full of joy.

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Prünhilt did not as yet want to make love with Lord Gunther during the journey. Their pleasures were deferred until they had arrived in their castle in the city of Worms and a festivity was held, and there they afterwards arrived with their heroes, to their great joy.

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W
HEN
they had been underway for a full nine days, Hagen of Tronege said: ‘Hear now what I tell you. We are tardy in sending tidings to Worms on the Rhine. Your messengers ought to be in Burgundy by now.’

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King Gunther replied: ‘You tell me nothing but the truth. No one could be as suitable for that journey as you, friend Sir Hagen. Ride now to my land. No one can give them a better account of our expedition.’

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Hagen answered: ‘I am no good messenger. Let me stay as chamberlain here. I will remain on the waves among the ladies, guarding their garments,
*
until we have brought them into the land of Burgundy. Ask Sivrit, now, to head the embassy. He is well capable of

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carrying it out with courage and strength. If he refuses to go on the journey, you must ask him courteously and in friendship, for love of your sister, to do what you request.’

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Gunther sent for the warrior. He came as soon he was found. Gunther said: ‘Since we are nearing my homelands now, I ought to send messengers to my dear sister and also to my mother, to tell them that we are nearing the Rhine. That is what I desire of you, Sivrit.

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Carry out my purpose now, and I shall always be at your service,’ said the worthy knight.
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At first Sivrit, that valiant warrior, declined, until Gunther began to press him urgently. He said: ‘You must ride there, for my

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sake, and also for the sake of Kriemhilt, the fair maiden, and then the proud maid and I will always reward you.’

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When Sivrit heard those words, the warrior was most willing. ‘Now tell me all that you wish to be said. Nothing will be kept

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back. I will gladly carry out the errand for the sake of that beautiful maiden. Why should I refuse anything for the sake of her whom I hold in my heart? All that you command in her name will be done.’

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‘In that case, tell my mother, Queen Uote, that we are in high spirits on this journey of ours. Let my brothers know how we have fared. You must also tell our friends these tidings. Keep nothing back from my

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fair sister. Give her my homage, and that of Prünhilt, and greet also my retinue and all my vassals. I have accomplished what my heart always
strove for! And tell Ortwin, my dear kinsman, to have seating set up

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at Worms on the Rhine, and my other kinsmen must also be told of this. I want to hold a great festivity, together with Prünhilt. And tell

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my sister that as soon as she has heard that I, together with my guests, have landed, she is to take pains to give my beloved a good welcome. I will always be indebted to Kriemhilt for that.’

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Lord Sivrit quickly took his leave of Lady Prünhilt, as well became him, and of all her retinue. Then he rode to the Rhine. There could be no better messenger in this world. He rode to Worms, then, with

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twenty-four warriors. He arrived without the king. When that was told, all the household was troubled by anxiety. They feared that their lord lay dead in foreign lands.

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Then the messengers dismounted from their horses. They were in high spirits. Quickly Giselher, the young, noble king, came towards them, and Gernot his brother. How quick he was to speak, when he saw that King Gunther was not with Sivrit: ‘Welcome, Sivrit! You

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must tell me where you have left my brother the king. I believe Prünhilt’s strength has taken him from us. In that case his noble love of her has cost us very dear!’

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‘Have no fear of that! My companion-in-arms sends his greetings to you and his kinsmen. I left him hale and hearty. He has sent me to you to be his messenger, bringing tidings into your land.

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You must see to it with all speed, no matter how it comes about, that I see the queen and your sister. I am to let them hear what messages Gunther and Prünhilt have sent them. They are both in fine fettle.’

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Young Giselher replied: ‘In that case, you must go to her. You will have brought my sister much joy by this. She is also very anxious about my brother. The maiden will be glad to see you, I guarantee you.’

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Then Lord Sivrit said: ‘All that I can do to serve her will be done most willingly and loyally. Who is to tell the ladies, now, that I want to go to them?’

Giselher, that most handsome man, then acted as messenger.

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Bold Giselher said to his mother, and also to his sister, as soon as he saw them: ‘Sivrit, the hero from the Netherlands, has come to us. My brother Gunther has sent him here to the Rhine. He brings us

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tidings of how things stand with the king. You must give him leave now to come to court. He will tell the true tidings of what has happened over in Iceland.’

As yet the noble ladies were no strangers to great anxiety. They

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leapt for their robes and dressed themselves at once. They asked Sivrit to come to court. He did so willingly, glad as he was to see them. Noble Kriemhilt spoke graciously to him: ‘Welcome, Sir Sivrit,

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renowned knight! Where is my brother Gunther, that noble, mighty king? I believe we’ve lost him because of Prünhilt’s strength. Alas for me, poor maiden, that ever I was born into this world!’

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The bold knight replied: ‘Now give me my messenger’s bread!
*
You most lovely ladies are weeping without need. I left him hale and hearty, I assure you. He and Prünhilt have sent me here to you both with these tidings. Gunther and his beloved offer you devoted service

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and loving affection, most noble queen. Cease your weeping, now. They will soon arrive.’

Not for a long time had she heard such dear tidings. Her weeping

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over, she wiped her lovely eyes on snow-white sleeves. She began to thank the messenger for the tidings that had come to her there. Much sadness and many tears had then been banished from her. She

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asked the messenger to sit down. He did so most readily. Then the lovely princess said: ‘I would be far from sorry to give you my gold as a messenger’s reward. You are too wealthy for that, yet I will always hold you dear.’

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‘Even if I alone possessed thirty lands,’ said he, ‘yet I would still gladly receive a gift from your hands.’

The virtuous princess replied: ‘Then that shall be done.’

She ordered her chamberlain to fetch the messenger’s reward.

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She gave him twenty-four torques inlaid with precious stones as a reward. Yet the hero was not disposed to keep them. He at once gave them to the most intimate members of her retinue, whom he saw present in the chamber. Kriemhilt’s mother most graciously offered him her service.

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‘I am to tell you tidings’, said the bold warrior, ‘of what Gunther asks of you when he comes to the Rhine. If you carry this out, lady, he will always hold you dear. I heard him ask that you should give a

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good welcome to his wealthy guests, and should do him the favour of riding out beyond Worms to the shore to meet him.
*
The king has urged you to do this out of your true loyalty.’

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The lovely princess replied: ‘I am most willing to do so. No service that I can do for him will be refused. Let it be done in loving loyalty.’ Her colour deepened out of joy.

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No prince’s messenger was ever better welcomed. If Kriemhilt had dared to kiss him, the lady would have done so. How charmingly he parted from the ladies!

Then the Burgundians did as Sivrit advised them. Sindolt and

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Hunolt, and Sir Rumolt, were then obliged to be at their busiest, setting up the seating on the shore outside Worms. The kings’ stewards were found to be hard at work then. Ortwin and Gere by no

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means wished to omit to send for their friends, wherever they might be, telling them of the festivity that was to be held there. The beautiful maidens donned their finery for the occasion. The palace and its

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walls were all decorated
*
to meet the guests. Gunther’s great hall was well furnished with tables for the many strangers. This great festivity began most joyfully. From all directions the three kings’ kinsmen,

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who had been sent for to greet those who were to arrive, rode along the roads through the land. Many sumptuous garments were taken out of their folds there.

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Soon the tidings were told that Prünhilt’s friends had been seen on horseback. Much ado arose then among the crowds of people in Burgundy. Ah, what bold knights were to be found in both parties there!

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Then fair Kriemhilt said: ‘Let those of my maidens who want to be with me at the reception seek their very best clothes out of the chests. Then the guests will speak words of praise and honour about us.’

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Then the warriors also arrived. They ordered that the splendid saddles, all of red gold, should be brought over. The ladies were to ride to Worms on the Rhine. No better harness might ever be found anywhere. Ah, what bright gold shone from the palfreys! Great numbers of gems gleamed from the reins. Golden mounting-stools, placed upon fine bright phellel-silk, were brought for the ladies. They were in joyful spirits. In the courtyard the palfreys stood ready

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for the noble damsels (as I have told you). The horses were seen to wear slender breast-straps, of the best silk of which any tongue might tell. They saw eighty-six ladies emerge from their chambers, wearing

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head-dresses.
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Those beautiful ladies walked in great splendour over to Kriemhilt, wearing bright clothing. Then many comely maidens came up in their finery, fifty-four of them from Burgundy.

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They were, moreover, the highest-born to be found anywhere there. They saw them walk forward, with blonde hair beneath bright braids. All that the king had requested before had been attentively
carried out. They wore rich phellel-silks, the best to be found, before

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the warriors who were strangers to them—as many good garments as befitted their abundant beauty. A man would have to be in poor spirits to wish any of them ill. Many garments of sable and ermine were

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to be found there. Many an arm and hand was elegantly adorned by torques, over the silks they were to wear there. No one could describe to you in full the efforts to which they had put themselves. Hands

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in great numbers had flung about them many skilfully sewn girdles, rich and long, over bright dresses of phellel-silk from Araby, on top of precious skirts of farandine.
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The noble damsels were in the highest of spirits. Many a fair maiden was laced in by braids, most prettily

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sewn. Any one of them would have been distressed if her bright hue did not match her garments in radiance. No king’s kin has such a fair retinue nowadays. The lovely ladies having now put on their

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apparel, those who were to escort them immediately arrived, a great army of proud warriors. They carried along with them shields and ashen spears in great numbers.

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O
N
the other side of the Rhine they saw the king with his guests making his way to the shore,
*
with numerous companies. Many maidens could also be seen, their horses led by the reins. All those who were to welcome them were in readiness. When the people from

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Iceland boarded the skiffs, and also Sivrit’s men from the land of the Nibelungs, they made haste, rowing hard, to land on the shore on the other side, where the king’s friends were to be found.

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Now hear also these tidings of the queen, Uote the most mighty—how she herself then rode there, bringing the maidens from the castle. Knights and maidens in great numbers made each other’s acquaintance there.

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Duke Gere led Kriemhilt by the reins, but no further than the castle-gate. Bold Sivrit was to be at her service from then on—she was a beautiful girl. In time to come he would be well rewarded by the damsel. Bold Ortwin rode alongside Lady Uote, with many