all men was Siegfried worthy the chosen of women to wed:—
Now soon to the fair shall the fearless by the hand of love be led.
Then his friends took thought for Siegfried, and the wise in council met,
When they knew the heart of the hero on the love of woman set.
“Seek her for thy bride,” they counselled, “whose birth shall shame not thee.”
Answered the prince: “None other than Kriemhild this shall be!
Lo, she is a great king’s daughter, and the Star of Burgundia she is,
And she is the Queen of Beauty, and my heart knoweth certainly this—
Never Kaiser nor King is so mighty, but, if he would choose him a bride,
Kriemhild, the glory of women, for him were a crown of pride.”
Then was told the tale of his purpose unto Siegmund the ancient King,
For his people brought him the tidings, and so was he ware of the thing
Whereunto was his son’s mind steadfast; and the King was sore afraid
For the peril of Siegfried’s wooing of the haughty-hearted maid.
Yea also the selfsame rumour did the lady Siegelind hear;
And her heart was exceeding heavy with a burden of sorrow and fear;
For she wotted how grim was Gunther and the earls of his war-array:
And they laboured to turn Prince Siegfried from the perilous quest away.
Then answered the aweless Siegfried: “Heart’s dearest, father mine,
Never to love of woman shall the soul of me incline,
Except I may woo untrammelled where love leads forth mine heart!”
And never, for all their pleading, would he from the word depart.
“If thus thou abide unshaken,” the King made answer again,
“Know thou, of thine high-wrought purpose my soul is exceeding fain;
And with heart and hand will I aid thee to the uttermost of my might.
Yet mid King Gunther’s vassals is many a haughty knight:
Yea, had he none other than Hagen the stalwart to stand at his side,
That champion is so uplifted with overweening pride,
That I fear, I fear me sorely lest his malice bring us to bane
If we woo that high-born maiden, the Lady of Disdain.”
“Shall the pride of the haughty thwart us?” hot-hearted Siegfried cried.
“If they mock at the speech of friendship, if I be with scorn denied,
Then will I do my wooing with the strength of mine own right hand;
Yea, I will wrest from the proud ones their vassals and their land!”
Then answered and spake King Siegmund: “Woe’s me for this word of thine!
For if haply this thy defiance should be told by the waters of Rhine,
Never couldst thou thereafter to the land of Gunther ride;—
Long time have I known them, Gunther and Gernot, the children of pride.
By violence may no man win her, that the maiden should stoop to his love,”
Spake Siegmund the King, “assurance most utter have I thereof.
Yet if thou with a host of warriors wouldst thitherward spur the steed,
Lo, all our battle-helpers shall with thee into Rhineland speed.”
“Now nay, it shall nowise please me,” the son of Siegmund said,
“That a host of knights into Rhineland by my banner should be led
Arrayed in the ranks of battle; for my sorrow should it be
To constrain that daughter of princes to yield her love unto me.
I will woo her alone, unholpen of aught but mine own right hand:
With none save with twelve companions will I unto Gunther’s land.
Thus far and no further, my father, mine emprise shall ye aid,
That my knights be in bright-hued vesture and grey furs costly arrayed.”
Unto Siegelind his mother were the tidings borne anon,
And the queen brake forth into weeping for her well-beloved son:
“If he meet the hosts of Gunther, he is lost unto me!” she said.
Then wept that daughter of princes as women weep for the dead.
But Siegfried the knight beheld her weeping, and came to her side
With speech of loving comfort, and blithe of heart he cried:
“Nought hast thou to do with weeping, dear lady and queen, for my sake.
Though a host should arise against me, mine heart should in no wise quake.
Nay, help me thou on my journey when to Burgundy I fare,
And for me and my war-fellows fashion such goodly raiment to wear
As shall be for the praise and the honour of knights so gallant as they;
And so shall mine heart go singing its thanks unto thee alway.”
“If in sooth thou abidest unshaken,” the lady Siegelind said,
“Then, O my child, my beloved, of me shall thy journey be sped;
For the costliest raiment and fairest that ever good knight wore
Shall ye have, even thou and thy war-thanes, an exceeding plenteous store.”
Then lowly in thanks he bent him, Siegfried the fair and young;
And he spake: “For my journeying-fellows shall I take no mighty throng,
But only twelve of my champions: make ready their raiment thou;—
I am longing to learn, O mother, how fares it with Kriemhild now.”
Then nightlong, daylong toiling sat ladies lovely-eyed:
Was none that for rest or for pastime would lay her labour aside
Till the fingers of love had fashioned all Siegfried’s goodly gear:
For his heart was set on the journey, none other rede would he hear.
And his father bade make ready for the prince his knightly array
Wherein he should go forth riding from Siegmund’s land away;
And the warriors’ glittering hauberks withal were ready dight,
And their strong-knit helms and their war-shields broad and gleaming bright.
Now by this was the hour of their faring unto Burgundy drawn full near;
And the hearts of man and woman were heavy with boding fear
Lest never the cherished faces should be seen in the land again.
And they bade lade armour and raiment on the beasts of the sumpter-train.
Goodly to see were the horses in their trappings of ruddy gold.
Long should ye search and vainly more gallant sight to behold
Than Siegfried the knight and the warrior-henchmen